• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Travelling to Morocco

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
S

sue63

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Hi

J has just informed me that he wants to go and see a uni friend in Morroco this February...in fact he has already has had his jabs today!

Apart from carrying insulin and needles of course what other precautions does he need to take???

He is only 7 months diagnosed so we are both still learning and I am bit worried. Thank you x
 
Hi Sue. Can't help directly but I would imagine the main things to consider are getting a doctor's letter so he can carry his pen, etc in hand luggage. Also, he needs to consider the heat, if it's an issue in February. It would depend how long he's going for and what sort of accomodation, etc.

Local foods may have different effects if he's into sampling local culture. ANd he needs to know what to do if he tries something that upsets his stomach. Sick day rules.

Hope he enjoys his trip. 🙂

Rob
 
As Rob said, get a letter from a health care professional stating that he needs to carry his medication. The best person to get this from is his DSN - GPs will often charge you for this, but DSNs don't! If possible, try to get it translated into the local language.

Keep ALL medication - needles, pens, spare insulin, testing kit & strips - in hand luggage. The bit where main luggage goes is kept very cold and can damage all of the above.

Take spares of everything! I always take roughly twice as much as I will need JUST IN CASE. If he is travelling with a friend, spread the supplies throughout their bags, so if anything happens to their bags, he'll still have some supplies.

The other threads have loads of tips, they are just the basic ones I stick to!

Oh also - if he wants to take hypo treatment, eg oj cartons, mini cans of coke, onto the plane, he can do this but may need to check with airport security before hand to let them know. He can just ring up the security dept at the airport and explain the situation, they'll soon be able to help 🙂
 
In addition to advice already given -

I spent a week in May in Morocco a few years back. Wasn't too hot then, neither at Agadir on the Atlantic coast, nor Marrakesh and trekking between gites in the Atlas Mountains, so no special precautions needed for kit.

Main sources of carbohydrate are rice, cous cous and flat bread. Dates were very cheap in markets and excellent as more rapid acting carbohydrate and trekking food.

As with travel in all countries, it really helps to be able to communicate. As my Arabic is somewhat limited (but shukkran = thank you is a good start), I relied more on French, which is widely spoken.
 
I was diagnosed in November and went on a mates stag do to Morocco the following Feb, no problems.

I can't really give any advise as to what to do as the others have said it all.

If you ask for tea out there it will be mint tea and it will be bloody good.
I tested as much as possible, and found that I didn't inject any bolous whilst out there, but I did inject my nightime basal dose as normal, I didn't adjust the amount at all. I would say keep an eye on it all more so than normal. I carried around plenty of jelly babies and the like. Oh if eating in the market in a large group make sure they don't do you over because you look like you can afford it, they made the prices up one night for us! But a good time was had by all. I won't tell you any more as it will just be another reply where I end up talking about booze again! And I'm trying to stop that!!

Cheers

Rossi
 
I suggest he buys some of the Frio cooler bags to carry insulin supplies with him. I travel loads and never have a problem with them. Also make sure he gets a letter from your doctor and keeps it with him just in case. As long as he lets the security know before they scan the bags he will be fine. I find staff are always very nice. Have a great trip!
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top