Vitamins

Hi Carrine--I just spent the extra money to buy the smaller bottles of both my vitamins and calcium but only fill it with what I need for a trip plus a couple of extra. I try to save the empty bottles to use them for the next trip.

If it's not liquid or gel, you can take pills in your carry on luggage. If you really need the entire bottle, you could take it.

I just take what I need for my trip in a zip lock baggie, noting on the outside what is inside.

As you mention, there is no problem transfering pills to smaller containers for carry on.

Check www.TSA.gov for more info on flying.

Here is the direct link to the 3-1-1 rule.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/

definatley get a smaller bottle with the real lable on it. A baggie of "pills" may well look suspicious and is highly discouraged (unless they are Flintstones!?). Get the small size - then just save the bottle for next trip if you have room on the way back. Why risk holding up the line at security - do everything you can to make it easy for all the TSA folks and whisk yourself though so you can enjoy that latte at the gate relaxed!

All medications, including vitamins and herbals should be in their originally labeled containers. If you can't find smaller bottles, ask your Pharmacist to print up labels for you. Mine does this for me and then I reuse the bottle multiple times.

I'm also EMS and I can not stress the importance of keeping your meds/suppliments in their own containers. Some do interact and we need to know exactly what is what. We won't play guessing games. And as mentioned earlier, unlabeled or hand labeled baggies may raise red flags at Customs. Save yourself the time and frustration.

Perhaps I've been abnormally lucky, but I always go with the little baggie of vitamins (plus ibuprofen) and I've never had anyone question it. I've even had my hand baggage opened and screened by TSA and no one ever batted an eye. Of course, that might be because I have the full baggie on my way out of the US. US Customs might be much more strict that the TSA in that regard. On the way back, though, the baggie is no more, since my vitamins have been consumed. SO I've never had to encounter US Customs' perspective on baggies of miscellaneous pills.

I have always assumed that, if customs in my arrival country were unhappy with them, the worst case scenario is that they'd take them away. No real problem if it's just supplements; I'd just do without. Of course, if I needed prescription medication, I wouldn't be so devil may care. Then for sure I'd take them in the original prescription bottle.

Carrine,

As the others have mentioned, carry Vitamins in original containers with labels. AFAIK you don't need to put these in a separate zip-lok bag (that only applies to Gels & Liquids).

I normally travel with smaller bottles of Vitamins, more as a convenience for packing than anything else. I put all Vitamins in a small Packing Cube so they're all in the same place and easy to find.

I'll hopefully be flying into Portland in the near future also.

Cheers!