I head up a small community for fans of a niche indie brand. The founder is doing an event in Japan with an exclusive item for people who attend! I was so excited and was looking into booking a plane ticket to go!

However… turns out that Japan has a law that absolutely forbids stimulant medication in the country. And, no, I don’t really want to upend my regimen of 8 years and risk going on a new medication for the trip.

I’m really shattered, as I wanted to attend this cool event and meet up with other enthusiasts. It really hurts to be barred from an opportunity like this.

I hate ADHD. I really do.

  • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
    912·
    9 months ago

    Intuniv, Strattera, Concerta, and Vyvanse can be prescribed for ADHD in Japan. Ritalin is also available but not for ADHD, though travelers can bring a maximum of 2.16g of methylphenidate. Other stimulants such as Adderall are not allowed.

    https://interacnetwork.com/navigating-stimulant-therapy-for-adult-adhd-in-japan-regulations-and-considerations/

    Most doctors would be willing to prescribe a different medication for the duration of your trip. It of course won’t be ideal, but it would be a temporary hiccup that might be worth it considering you seem to be really excited for the trip.

    • RedSeries@lemmy.worldEnglish
      256·
      9 months ago

      Op mentioned they do not want different medication for the trip though.

      And, no, I don’t really want to upend my regimen of 8 years and risk going on a new medication for the trip.

      • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
        172·
        9 months ago

        I did read that which is why I noted in my comment that I realize it won’t be ideal but may be worth reconsidering for the opportunity. I also wanted to provide some more complete information for the people in the comments who were gleaning false conclusions from misleading information.

        • RedSeries@lemmy.worldEnglish
          45·
          9 months ago

          I agree the reply is informative, just that OP had asked to avoid other medications as a suggestion.

          • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
            41·
            9 months ago

            It does not say that in the OP. They said “I don’t really want to… risk going on a new medication for the trip” which is not the same as “please don’t give me advice on alternative medication” and was also preceded by a false claim that no other stimulants would be allowed.

            • RedSeries@lemmy.worldEnglish
              15·
              9 months ago

              EDIT: Defending one’s point while trying to be polite is “being aggressive”.

              k

              • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
                31·
                9 months ago

                As I stated in my previous comment, it was not clear. You told me I was wrong, you continue to reply to me with false information, and you wonder why I respond defending myself. OP does not seem to have hard feelings about this, so I don’t understand why you seem to.

              • ABCDE@lemmy.worldEnglish
                21·
                9 months ago

                Why are you being aggressive? They didn’t state which medication they are actually taking so it could be one on the list mentioned.

        • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
          362·
          9 months ago

          Please do not imply that I did not fully read the post because you did not like my answer. I noted in my comment that I realize the situation is not ideal, and I provided information that I thought might be worth reconsidering. I’m sorry I did not realize that adjusting your medication is such a hard no for you.

          However, it is disingenuous to claim that Japan “absolutely forbids stimulant medication in the country” when that simply isn’t true, and this was causing multiple people in the comments to come to false conclusions. Many other people would consider a temporary adjustment agreeable, and it is unfair to lead people to believe that this isn’t possible unless they can tolerate non-stimulant medication.

          • SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyzOPEnglish
            93·
            9 months ago

            Nah, not at all. Just ribbin’.

            Yeah, every single website I’ve pulled up on the matter says everything is a hard “no” and that no accommodations can be given.

            When you see 4 or 5 sites saying the same thing, you tend to come to that conclusion. But I’m happy to see that’s not necessarily the case!

            • frogfruit@slrpnk.netEnglish
              51·
              9 months ago

              No hard feelings. I did notice that the ministry documentation was written rather confusingly, so I can see how it could be twisted. It does say you can email them with inquiries at least.

        • xkforce@lemmy.worldEnglish
          211·
          9 months ago

          Tbh it sounds like thats what you did rather than them. They gave you options and acknowledged your concerns and your response was “lol they didnt even read my post.” Yes. They. Did.

        • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          9 months ago

          I read that and was thinking of non-amphetamine alternatives. I kinda lump most of the amphetamines together.