Just received an FDA notice that a shipment of 400 tabs of Rapacan 1mg has been retained under an FD&CA Misbranding article (…appears to be a prescription drug but does not include ‘Rx only’ on the label. I can submit a response/remedy
Question: Has anyone successfully responded and had their shipment released?
To me it seems that there is no remedy that will work here. A statement that this shipment is for veterinary use (for our aging dog) will technically not remedy the problem.
Yes - we’ve had reports of some people getting these types of letters. I don’t recall anyone successfully challenging them, or getting them reversed. Perhaps someone else has some other information?
See this thread for more information on the rules/regulations: Importing Rapamycin to Save Money (2)
I have lost one and never got a letter. Just disappeared in customs.
Ihave had two detained and searched, and after about two weeks they were released.
Total shipments about eight so far.
My opinion is that it was too much in one go. Lore has it that exceeding what they consider jus personal use triggers confiscation. So maybe 150 would make it(?)
I thought the lore was 300 pill limit.
@RapAdmin: oaklandgrrl has apparently been successful, as she posted in Aug. 2023:
“My provider gave me an update with this info. I then received a letter from customs that my package would be destroyed, but that I could petition to have it released, which I did. I wrote the FDA arguing that the contents of the package fell within the “personal importation” per 21 USC 384(j). I absolutely did not expect any response, however, a representative of the FDA responded and ultimately agreed to release the package for delivery but expressly did not accept the argument as the package branding was insufficient in that it did not identify the contents with an RX meaning prescription meds. Last week I received the package 1.5 months later.”
I often get 500-700 tabs of a single item, and multiple different things. I had one shipment only be confiscated. My last one, they held in customs in the NY location for 37 days before they passed it through. Just silly. Had some notation of products that I had, but they passed it through.
The main principles are:
Quantity consistent with personal use, not commercial sales and importation
No controlled substances
In general if you do these 2 things, they won’t hold onto it and will pass it through.
People have blown right through that limit pretty frequently, though perhaps its a “probability” issue…
From my personal experience with U.S. doctors, they are loath to prescribe adequate amounts of rapamycin to meet the needs of most forum users.
So, you have the recurring expense of seeing a doctor for an inadequate amount of rapamycin and the expense of the prescription, which most insurance will not cover.
So, save yourself time, money, hassle, and order from India.
I have ordered over two dozen shipments of various drugs from India. I only had one confiscated and never ordered from that vendor again, lest customs might be watching for particular vendors.
I could have had half of my shipments confiscated and still come out money ahead.
The only inconvenience is the time it takes to order and receive the goods again.
Perhaps I stand corrected on acceptable personal use levels?
It sure seems subjective to me, as my confiscated shipment was below 300 tabs for the two things I ordered.
To me it seems that there is really no solid reason to dispute the confiscation. The package did not have an Rx label, and the shipper was shown as ‘unknown’. I have re-ordered from a different supplier …and broke my order into several mailings. That and the holiday season traffic may reduce the chances of interception. I do wonder if Customs had a data base of confiscated shipments …and has the ability to intercept based on shipper or recipient?
The worrisome thing is, if you put through anything controlled (e.g. soma, ambien, testosterone) is that customs will send a threatening letter basically saying this is your one chance, but do it again, your global pass/TSA stuff will be cancelled and you will be criminally prosecuted.
So for folks without a doctor, who choose to seek out testosterone, find a source that ships from the U.S. (there are some I know of which I won’t mention, but people can seek it out) so you don’t risk it going through customs.
Didn’t mean to delete my post. Argh.
So I had a package sezied by NY customs a few months ago. The package contained:
Ivermectin:
12 mg. x 300 tabs
6 mg x 100 tabs
Galantamine, 8mg x 100 tabs
Tretinoin : 20 G tubes x 5
Retatrutide: 10mg vial x 2
Biocon Sirolimus Rapacan : 1 mg tab x 200
Selegiline: 5 mg tabs x 100
For over a month the package just looked like it was in limbo- being held by customs. USPS told me they were allowed to hold it for up to 45 business days and then had another 45 business days to communicate with me about this it if in fact it had been seized. This could be over 4 months so I decided to order again from another Vendor. I order basically the same items less the Retatrutide ( they didn’t carry it) and smaller amounts of Ivermectin and Tretinoin.
A couple of days after placing the new order, I did receive a sweet letter from the FDA , saying it had been seized and that I could email or call them if I wanted to give them a reason to dispute this ( paraphrasing). I called the guy on the letter. He was not impressed by the personal use idea, said it was all illegal to import. That the items that were mislabeled ( did not include RX needed ) would be sent back to the seller and the other items ( not FDA approved ) would be destroyed. He claimed for example that Ivermectin was not FDA approved- this is not correct to my knowledge.
The new seller managed to be able to change the name/ address on the new package ( I sent to a friend) since he thought my name / address might be flagged. I did get the new package. I hope this is not the case… not sure what I will do going forward.
Cheers…
Depressing. FWIW, I just order the same meds from 3 vendors, hoping that one of them comes through. You end up with a greater quantity, but I figure I’ll use it up eventually anyway. Currently, I’m experiencing a situation where a package shipped on October 23, has been sitting in, I assume customs, since November 6, I figure it’s a goner. But as I also put in exactly the same order at the same time with another vendor (Jagdish), and that came through November 4, so I don’t really care.
I wouldn’t be overly paranoid about ending up on some list, because we have reports from posters here, where they had some packages seized, and they got others subsequently without issues.
Of course things can change and the seizures more harsh and frequent, so I’m stocking up a little just in case. I reckon these things usually get worse rather than better, so I think it’s better to be prepared. YMMV.
I personally ordered>20 times in the last 2 years. I’ve had one seized and for a legitimate reason.
I’m yet to have anything seized which is sensible personal use, including up to 700 days of treatment (for my wife/I) on things like dapagliflozin, atorvastatin, acarbose, telmisartan, amlodipine, alfuzosin, ezetimibe.
The injectable stuff can be a flag, but my last set where I had some HGH, they put a note on the box, but passed it through after 37 days …
Lol, no sooner had I written a post about my shipment probably being a goner, there’s finally some movement. For 11/27/24, my package went from “Arrived at Jamaica NY International” on 11/6/24 to “Departed Jamaica NY International”. So far, 5 weeks. Wonder how soon it’ll finally be at my door.
I read before that 4-6 weeks is still considered not outside the timeframe limit. I guess 5 weeks so far, and if arrives by 12/4/24, it’ll be even 6 weeks. We’ll see.
I assume an Rx will solve a lot of the issues noted. Is there a list of places to get Rx’s for these drugs (ie: rapamycin, acarbose?)
If you mean an RX for these imported substances, I think that won’t help. At least as far as the importing to the US. The FDA guy I spoke with said an RX from a US MD is only good for medications purchased in the US.
Thanks .good to know. Guess I will keep betting on good luck.
If you are bringing in a non-controlled substance from travel and have a letter from a doctor in the country they gave it to in, generally these pass through fine. Groups like HGH Vallarta and HGH Cancun do this for Human Growth Hormone at prices a lot cheaper than the U.S. and will send you home with everything nicely packed in a cooler, with documentation that seems to get through. It is a fraction of the price in the U.S. However, they are limited to U.S. brands as non FDA approved items can also be confiscated.
Interesting. But does that apply to something that is shipped and going through customs as well as if bringing something in via travel?
