Packing + Medications List

Medicines: the rules first

US customs treats medicine seriously. The working rules:

• Declare all medication to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) on arrival. Declared and documented is almost never a problem; undeclared is.
• Original packaging only — no loose strips in a ziplock, no unlabelled pill boxes.
• Carry prescription copies and a doctor’s letter (English) for anything beyond basic OTC — name, condition, dosage.
• ~90-day supply is the practical ceiling for personal-use medication; controlled substances have a hard cap of 50 dosage units.
• A medicine being legal in India does not make it importable — but personal-use quantities with documentation are routinely allowed.

Jargon: OTC (over-the-counter — buyable without a prescription). Rx (prescription-required).

The meds table: what to carry vs what to buy there

Indian medicine	What it is	US situation	Verdict
Dolo 650 / Crocin	Paracetamol	Tylenol (acetaminophen), OTC, cheap	Buy in US; carry one strip for the flight
Combiflam	Ibuprofen + paracetamol	Advil + Tylenol sold separately; combo pills rare	Carry a couple of strips if you swear by it
Cetzine / Okacet / Allegra	Antihistamines	Zyrtec/Allegra OTC; Costco generics very cheap	Buy in US
Digene / Gelusil	Antacid	Tums / Mylanta, OTC	Buy in US
Pan 40 (pantoprazole)	Acid reflux	Rx in US; omeprazole (Prilosec) is the OTC cousin	Carry 90 days + prescription if you’re on it daily
Azithral (azithromycin) & other antibiotics	Antibiotics	Rx-only in US — a doctor visit + pharmacy trip every time	Carry a small documented personal course; do not carry a stockpile
Thyronorm, metformin, BP meds, statins	Chronic-condition Rx	Rx in US; needs a US doctor to renew	Carry 90 days + prescription; book a US primary-care visit in month 1
Electral / ORS	Rehydration salts	Pedialyte/DripDrop, pricier	Carry a handful of sachets
Volini / Moov	Pain-relief gel/spray	Icy Hot / Bengay, OTC	Either way
Avomine	Motion sickness	Meclizine (Dramamine), OTC	Buy in US
Saridon, Vicks Action 500	Combo painkillers/cold tabs	Formulations not sold in US	Carry a strip or two if attached; DayQuil covers colds

Also before flying: finish dental work and get an eye test in India — both are expensive and slow in the US. Carry a spare pair of spectacles and your lens prescription.

Packing: clothes for a city with five climates

SF runs mid-40s to low-70s °F year-round; summer is the foggy, cold season, and it can be 65°F in the Mission while Ocean Beach sits at 52°F in wind. Nobody needs a Delhi-winter parka; everybody needs layers.

Pack: t-shirts/base layers, 2–3 sweaters or fleeces, one windproof + water-resistant shell jacket (this is the SF uniform), one light down jacket, jeans/chinos, walking shoes, one smart-casual outfit, one set of Indian formalwear (weddings and Diwali happen), a beanie. Skip the umbrella-first mindset — wind kills umbrellas here; a hooded shell wins.

The rest of the bag

• Documents folder, hard copies: passport/visa, prescriptions, degree certificates, bank statements, India rental references, 6–8 passport photos
• Power: India plugs (Type D/M) don’t fit US sockets (Type A/B). Carry 3–4 adapters. Laptops/phone chargers are dual-voltage and fine; 220V-only appliances (mixer, hair dryer, iron) are not — leave them
• Kitchen: a stovetop pressure cooker if you cook Indian daily (US-bought Instant Pot is the alternative), masala dabba, pressure-cooker gaskets
• Food: sealed, commercially packaged spices/snacks are generally fine — declare all food on the customs form. No fresh produce, seeds, meat or dairy products (khoya, homemade sweets with milk solids are risky)

What NOT to bring

• Codeine cough syrups (Corex-type), tramadol, sleeping pills without full paperwork — controlled substances, 50-unit cap, real seizure risk
• Bulk antibiotics “for friends” — quantities beyond personal use read as importation
• 220V appliances, heavy bedding, pressure-cooker-sized luggage of clothes — SF flats are small and Costco is cheap
• Loose unlabelled ayurvedic powders — fine legally in small amounts but invites inspection delays

Do this now

• ☐ Get a doctor’s letter + prescriptions in English for every regular medication, and 90-day supplies
• ☐ Book dental + eye checkups in India in your last month
• ☐ Buy 3–4 plug adapters and one shell jacket before you fly
• ☐ Photograph every document and prescription into your cloud documents folder
• ☐ Fill the customs declaration honestly — meds and food declared, every time

Nobody tells you

• The real cost gap isn’t paracetamol — it’s the system: any antibiotic in the US means a doctor’s appointment ($100–200 without insurance) plus pharmacy, versus ₹80 at your local chemist. That’s why the documented 90-day chronic-med supply matters more than any OTC item.
• India’s pharmacies sell antibiotics over the counter in practice, but US customs doesn’t care what your chemist allowed — what protects you at the border is the prescription paper, not the purchase being legal at home.
• Summer packing is the trap: people land in July expecting California sun and freeze in Karl the Fog. Locals’ rule — dress for the coldest neighbourhood you’ll pass through, and shed layers eastward.

Sources & further reading

• Personal-use drug importation limits: FDA and CBP rules — LegalClarity — the 90-day guideline and 50-unit controlled-substance cap.
• Human Drug Imports — FDA — official policy on personal medication imports.
• Bringing prescription medicines into the US from India — Onshorekare — documentation checklist for Indian travellers.
• OTC antibiotic sales in India: regulation challenges — SAGE Journals — why Indian OTC habits don’t transfer to the US.
• Can you buy azithromycin over the counter? — Everlywell — US Rx-only status for common antibiotics.
• What to pack for San Francisco: a local’s seasonal guide — Knack — the layering system that actually works.
• What to wear in SF, month by month — AskMeSF — temperature ranges and microclimate reality.