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Medication in hand luggage

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H

Helena

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hello, I am Mum to Lucy who has had Type 1 for 2 years now. I wonder if I could ask some advice re taking medication abroad. We fly to Cyprus in a few weeks, and I have a letter from the doctor regarding taking Lucy's medication on the flight but, 1) do I have to inform the airline separately or tell them before it all goes through the xray machine at the airport, 2) Do I take it in a separate bag or does it have to all go though in say my hand luggage? as you can imagine, there is quite a lot of suppplies to take through, and 3) can Lucy take her own daily requrements through i.e. pens (novorapid and glargine) blood monitor etc, whilst I take the spares through in my bag??? 4) Am I worrying too much (probably). Any advice woudl be greatly appreciated. PS, Lucy has been on a pump for 6 months now but we are temporarily switching back to injections so that she can go swimming/water parks etc without worrying. 😱
 
You shouldn't need more than the letter from your Doctor/DSN to allow you to be let through with all your supplies - I've never informed the airline beforehand. Good idea to split spares and in-use articles, and you should have no difficulties - when I have flown I just tell them at security that I am an insulin dependent diabetic and that my bag contains insulin and needles - they've never batted an eyelid, nor even asked to check the items. Make sure you take plenty of spares, and Hope you enjoy your holiday! 🙂
 
Hi Helena and welcome.
Just take the letter with you (hope it mentions sharps, as well as medication, as that's really the concern) - and make sure both you and your daughter are in the same queue. It's a good idea to have supplies split between bags, so your daughter taking daily needs and you taking the remainder would work well. As no insulin containers hold more than 100ml, there is no need to plut them in a clear plastic bag them. At least bulk will be slightly less than if you were taking pump supplies plus back up pens etc.

Other points to consider (apologies if this is not needed) are travel insurance, EHIC, keeping insulin cool / out of sunlight / away from engines - personally I use an unbreakable steel vacuum flask, empty for passing through security, but then fill with cool water, as it offers very good protection against knocks, breaks etc.

Have a great trip and enjoy the swimming etc.
 
Thank you so much for the information. Your help over the last 2 years has been invaluble. I haven't needed to ask many questions as the answers always seem to be here, about all aspects of diabetes. Lucy's move from injections to a pump has been made so much easier with the information I have got from this site. We are lucky enough to have wonderful support from our nurses and hospital but there is nothing like speaking to people like yourselves for the "real world" of diabetes! Thanks again. By the way, Lucy's HBA1c has gone down from 9.2 (3 months ago) to 8 - YAY!!
 
Sorry, another quick question, what about sharps?? Should I try to take them to a chemist in Cyprus to dispose of, or bring them all back with us in a sharps box????
 
In a short trip (I'm assuming 2 weeks maximum) you're very unlikely to fill a sharps bin, so might as well bring it back home to fill. Personally, I carry a small pot (35mm film cannister is ideal) for sharps.
 
Helena said:
Thank you so much for the information. Your help over the last 2 years has been invaluble. I haven't needed to ask many questions as the answers always seem to be here, about all aspects of diabetes. Lucy's move from injections to a pump has been made so much easier with the information I have got from this site. We are lucky enough to have wonderful support from our nurses and hospital but there is nothing like speaking to people like yourselves for the "real world" of diabetes! Thanks again. By the way, Lucy's HBA1c has gone down from 9.2 (3 months ago) to 8 - YAY!!
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That's great news Helena, glad to hear that you have found the forum so useful - and terrific news about the pump and Lucy's HbA1c! 🙂
 
Hi Helena & Lucy, Just in caseyou do travel in the futurewith ypur pump. We have just been told by animas, that my daughter should not pass her pump through the x-ray machine. And also if they are using the new body x-ray scans, shehould disconect temporaraly and not take it through.
 
When on holiday, I buy a 500ml bottle of drink (water, coke etc) drink it and then use it as a sharps disposal 🙂 I tape it up and throw it in the bin, easy peasy!
 
shiv said:
When on holiday, I buy a 500ml bottle of drink (water, coke etc) drink it and then use it as a sharps disposal 🙂 I tape it up and throw it in the bin, easy peasy!
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SNAP!!!:D
But I have to admit, we don't tape it up.
 
I wouldn't place sharps in a drinks bottle in normal rubbish, even if I'd clipped the needles, resheathed lancets and taped the bottle. In a child-proof lidded medicine bottle, perhaps, but not something as flimsy as a 500ml drinks bottle - usually PET PolyEthylene Terepthalate, marked with 1 in a triangle for recycling. But generally, I bring sharps back to UK in a medicine bottle or 35mm film cannister.
Out of interest, would you ever dispose of sharps in a drinks bottle in your own country? If no, then why would you do it anywhere overseas?
 
me and my OH went to america last year, we both carried my medication between us, just taking the insulin out at customs and putting it in a clear bag cos it is liquid, didn't have any problems, even with the bag that was hand searched by customs!! onlt thing was when my pump went through the metal detector but you shouldn't have this prob!!! have fun!
 
you will take longer at the security stage because they are taking everything out and it never goes back in like you have done it the first time
 
Helena said:
Thank you so much for the information. Your help over the last 2 years has been invaluble. I haven't needed to ask many questions as the answers always seem to be here, about all aspects of diabetes. Lucy's move from injections to a pump has been made so much easier with the information I have got from this site. We are lucky enough to have wonderful support from our nurses and hospital but there is nothing like speaking to people like yourselves for the "real world" of diabetes! Thanks again. By the way, Lucy's HBA1c has gone down from 9.2 (3 months ago) to 8 - YAY!!
Click to expand...


I travel a fair bit (see Born Under a Wandering Star). I wrote this for type 2s based on those experiences: Travelling With Type 2.

Although it is aimed at T2s you may find some of the tips useful.
 
Hi Helen,

I bought a small sharps bin before we travelled. Customs was simple - show them what you have, a letter and I took a prescription, and be calm and kind. They get a lot of grief form hassled travellers so make sure you leave plenty of time! And I also asked for a sharps bin as I boarded the planes. It meant that Bede could put used strips, sharps and all of that safely away and the airline disposed of it at the other end.

I'm sure that after two years of D you will be well organised and have a great holiday!!!
 
quinny said:
Hi Helena & Lucy, Just in caseyou do travel in the futurewith ypur pump. We have just been told by animas, that my daughter should not pass her pump through the x-ray machine. And also if they are using the new body x-ray scans, shehould disconect temporaraly and not take it through.
Click to expand...

Hiya

We have travelled abroad quite a bit recently including USA, Majorca and Switzerland. If you tell them that your daughter has a pump on and cannot disconnect and cannot go through the scanner they will take her through a gate and search her once through. It is not a problem and always has happened, they see pumps a lot would you believe.


Jessica never goes through the scanners and she has never had to disconnect.

🙂
 
Copepod said:
I wouldn't place sharps in a drinks bottle in normal rubbish, even if I'd clipped the needles, resheathed lancets and taped the bottle. In a child-proof lidded medicine bottle, perhaps, but not something as flimsy as a 500ml drinks bottle - usually PET PolyEthylene Terepthalate, marked with 1 in a triangle for recycling. But generally, I bring sharps back to UK in a medicine bottle or 35mm film cannister.
Out of interest, would you ever dispose of sharps in a drinks bottle in your own country? If no, then why would you do it anywhere overseas?
Click to expand...

At present I don't have access to a sharps bin, so yes I use drinks bottles. They are easy to use, keep my sharps contained and are easy to get rid of. Whilst they are not the strongest of bottles, that I agree, they are better than me throwing sharps out the bin as they are.

Think we will have to agree to disagree on this one 🙂
 
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I have an old metal water bottle (used to use it when cycling) with a wide neck that I take with me when I travel and keep the sharps in that. It's got a secure top that won't come loose, I find it does the job quite well and I can empty it into my sharps bin when I get back.

Planning ahead, I just got a travel wallet out of Boots which easily holds all I need for the day, or even a week or two, but I also have a more robust, and lockable, travel case that can go in my luggage with any extras I might need. I'm (health permitting) off to Spain in a few weeks for a little break and getting all my ducks in a row too. My consultant has given me a letter with all the details on it, she says I shouldn't need anything else since I'll be just starting a new Byetta pen when I go and will be back before it runs out.

The Boots wallet is really good as it's pockets will hold all of the paperwork too. It's not very well padded though, and I do worry a little about breaking the injector pen if I'm not careful and accidentally sit on my bag or something.
 
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