Holiday Abroad Advice

[AceFace]

Im recently on insulin and travel long and short hall a couple of times a year i have just been told by a client that i need a doctors note as they scan your needle bin is that true?

 

[Austin Mini]

Never ever carry on my needle bin but a note, and a prescription is a good idea if you become unwell.

 

[Robin]

I got my nurse to write me a note saying I had to carry insulin with me at all times ( my GP would have charged me). Ive never been asked to produce it at an airport, but others have. (@Bloden, I think has several times, she must have a guilty expression) Normally security don't bat an eyelid at the diabetic kit going through the scanner.

 

[Mini-Vicki]

I have a small needle bin I take with me, I bought it on eBay and it's 0.3l I think. The smallest I could find and it fits nicely in a suitcase 🙂
Always ask for a doctor's note, my DSN did mine, because it was easier than asking the doctor. I travel frequently, and have only been asked fort note a couple of times.
It's worthwhile looking at FRIO pouches to keep your spare insulin cool 🙂

 

[AceFace]

I have a small needle bin I take with me, I bought it on eBay and it's 0.3l I think. The smallest I could find and it fits nicely in a suitcase 🙂
Always ask for a doctor's note, my DSN did mine, because it was easier than asking the doctor. I travel frequently, and have only been asked fort note a couple of times.
It's worthwhile looking at FRIO pouches to keep your spare insulin cool 🙂

Thanks all useful information

 

[trophywench]

Personally I've never taken a sharps bin on my holidays with me Ingressus!

Just save the used needles up in eg an empty, washed out coke (or Sprite Lite, water etc) bottle, which I then buried in the middle of a suitcase to travel home - and tipped it out in my home sharps bin on my return. Having treated myself to a new lancet on my finger bodger before I go I wouldn't have that many used lancets.

It is best to have a letter from your doc to explain why you are carrying sharps, just in case and I've always had one ever since 1972. Never been asked for it so far yet though!

Only advice though is take twice as much of everything as you think you'll need, and make sure you can keep the insulin cool - invest in Frio wallets. All insulin in CABIN luggage - must NOT go in the hold. You'll obviously carry your glucometer in hand luggage but the 3 or 10 spare boxes of strips can go in a suitcase - ditto 96ish % of the needles.

Now, you know the Post-it note you always stick on the inside of your front door when you're off to forrin parts, that says 'Tickets Passports Money' ? - well just do a new one with 'Insulin' at the top - and you're set!

 

[AceFace]

Personally I've never taken a sharps bin on my holidays with me Ingressus!

Just save the used needles up in eg an empty, washed out coke (or Sprite Lite, water etc) bottle, which I then buried in the middle of a suitcase to travel home - and tipped it out in my home sharps bin on my return. Having treated myself to a new lancet on my finger bodger before I go I wouldn't have that many used lancets.

It is best to have a letter from your doc to explain why you are carrying sharps, just in case and I've always had one ever since 1972. Never been asked for it so far yet though!

Only advice though is take twice as much of everything as you think you'll need, and make sure you can keep the insulin cool - invest in Frio wallets. All insulin in CABIN luggage - must NOT go in the hold. You'll obviously carry your glucometer in hand luggage but the 3 or 10 spare boxes of strips can go in a suitcase - ditto 96ish % of the needles.

Now, you know the Post-it note you always stick on the inside of your front door when you're off to forrin parts, that says 'Tickets Passports Money' ? - well just do a new one with 'Insulin' at the top - and you're set!

Cherrs Jen

 

[DaveB]

Hi. I take a nurses letter plus my last script but never been challenged about them. I only use one needle per day so just save the used ones in small plastic bottle.

 

[Bloden]

I got my nurse to write me a note saying I had to carry insulin with me at all times ( my GP would have charged me). Ive never been asked to produce it at an airport, but others have. (@Bloden, I think has several times, she must have a guilty expression) Normally security don't bat an eyelid at the diabetic kit going through the scanner.

Oh yes, on numerous occasions LOL. I think it's cos I look so innocent, actually!🙄

 

[Matt Cycle]

I would imagine with the billions of diabetics in the world now it's quite a common sight for airport staff. I don't travel abroad much now - I did have a letter from the DSN at one stage but was never asked for it and lost it/left it somewhere. In the beginning, bearing in my it wasn't as common then, I had hand luggage containing packets of syringes, vials of insulin, lancets etc - no one questioned anything. Then at Antigua airport in 2005 I was asked for a doctors letter for my Novopen - which of course I didn't have. 😱🙄 I explained what it was and after umming and ahhing the airport security lady said it would be the pilot's decision. No special security check in for flight staff at that airport - he was stood behind us in the queue with the rest of the plebs. I showed him what it was and he just shrugged and said 'fine'. I must have had an honest face.

 

[Copepod]

Make sure you declare diabetes when arranging travel insurance. Like everyone travelling to mainland Europe, check you have an indate EHIC. Personally, I prefer to use a stainless steel vacuum flask, as this offers better thermal and physical protection than a Frio pouch, which needs to be able to evaporate.
Have a great trip.

 

[Radders]

Personally I've never taken a sharps bin on my holidays with me Ingressus!

Now, you know the Post-it note you always stick on the inside of your front door when you're off to forrin parts, that says 'Tickets Passports Money' ? - well just do a new one with 'Insulin' at the top - and you're set!

Ditto, I would never consider carrying a sharps bin. And I thought I was the only one who did the post-it on the front door thing!

 

[trophywench]

Are you like me old enough to recall such things as Visas, International Driving Licences (which were £1 from the AA) - and the V form/Dollar premium? (I knew about the latter but as I've never been in a position even if I'd wanted to, invest in property abroad, I never had to pay it!)

 

[mikeyB]

Don't worry, Jen, they'll be back after Brexit. EHIC will be worthless. Passport queues inbound will be nice and short for British passports, but not for all those nasty foreigners in Europe. And long delays driving from France into Belgium, Germany, Italy or anywhere else indeed. That, presumably is what England and Wales voted for.

 

[SB2015]

I just put used needles and inserters in an empty test strip pot if away for a couple of days. For longer trips they are collected in an old bottle from some tablets and decanted into sharps bin on my return. Mind you I am not changing lancets that often, and cannulas usually every other day, so I do not have a lot of sharps.

I always carry my letter from DSN which is in the wallet with my passport, but I have only shown it once in nine years.

As TW says always take double what you think you need, and especially loads of test strips. Somehow when you are away and diongnthings that are different you will potentially get through a load more stuff

 

[SB2015]

Don't worry, Jen, they'll be back after Brexit. EHIC will be worthless. Passport queues inbound will be nice and short for British passports, but not for all those nasty foreigners in Europe. And long delays driving from France into Belgium, Germany, Italy or anywhere else indeed. That, presumably is what England and Wales voted for.

Not all of us!!!!