I Ran Out of My Medicine in a Foreign Country

One of my favorite things to do is travel.

My first international trip was to Paris, France in 2017, which started my craving for foreign countries. After Paris, my international traveling continued with places like London, Iceland, Australia, and Indonesia. 

In December 2021, I went to Ghana.

It was all fun and games, until...

If you haven't heard about this beautiful country, Ghana is located in Western Africa, and to many people's surprise, the official language is English. Ghana is known for its sandy beaches, vast wildlife, and forest terrain. Ghana also has one of the most significant gold and cocoa bean productions.

My original plan was to stay in Ghana for a week, but I extended my stay for another 6 days because I enjoyed my time. It was all fun and games until I realized that the medicine that helps me sleep throughout the night would last only about 4 out of the 6 days! 

Searching for a sleep specialist for narcolepsy in Ghana

My initial thoughts were, "I have to leave early. I can't function without it," which is a little dramatic. After the initial shock wore off, I figured out the best way to deal with this situation. I still had the medication that helps me stay awake during the day; however, it had been years since I had gone without both medicines.

My first plan of action was to find a sleep specialist of some sort in Ghana. I figured at least one person in this country of 31 million people has narcolepsy, and that same person would also need medication. Right?

So I Googled "sleep specialist Ghana." Not really much came up, and at this point, I realized that I was not in Kansas anymore — I mean the United States. One significant difference between Ghana and the US is their presence on the internet. When applying for my visa, instead of being electronic, I had to send in a paper application. When looking up hotel options online, I noticed that many of the hotels didn't have websites. Ghana is very much a cash-only country, and I saw the best way to find anything of need was through word of mouth.

None of the pharmacies I called had my medication

My second plan of action was to call the local pharmacy and see if they had my medicine or anything like it. In Ghana, a prescription is not needed to purchase medication. I called the first pharmacy, and they didn't know the drug.

I then Googled the name of the generic version and the main ingredient of my medication. Pharmacies 2, 3, and 4 all directed me to another pharmacy that could order specific medicines. My journey ended at this point because I knew it would take longer than 6 days to receive the medication.

Overall, I was okay

In the end, I stayed the entire 6 days. Both nights without my medication were not the best. I woke up about 7 times throughout the night, but surprisingly, when I started my day, I didn't feel overwhelmed with tiredness. During the day, I had to take a nap when I usually could skip it, but overall I was okay. A headache did occur in the late afternoon, which usually happens when I am overtired.

My advice for managing narcolepsy medications internationally

In conclusion:

• Pack additional medicine when traveling
• Make sure you have enough medication before you change your itinerary while vacationing
• Book that vacation, because you deserve it!