Tips For Traveling With Ms Medications
Having MS changes your life forever. Joyous occasions can be hindered by inconvenient injections or flare ups. Although inconvenient and they should not stop you from doing the things you love.
Traveling post 9/11 has added stress to many travelers and the MS traveler has some unique challenges but with a little preplanning you can have a very enjoyable time barely thinking about your MS.
How to Pack your Pills
Do not pack any pills in your checked luggage. Pills have been known to disappear from checked luggage. Every piece is x-rayed before being placed ON the plane. I don't like being suspicious of airport workers but I would rather be suspicious than be without my pain medication. Make sure you have your pills in their original bottle with the prescription label clearly visible. Unfortunately a lot of these pills come in large bottles, yes it is cumbersome to pack and but better again to be inconvenienced than without your meds. Remember and the TSA can take anything they see as illegal or a threat. An unmarked bottle filled with many different types of pills can look suspicious. You can carry your meds ON the plane with you for safe keeping. The airlines allow those with medical needs to have an extra carry ON at NO additional charge. I use an extra bag that holds all of my meds and my ipod and chargers. If you have extra ROOM, use it!
How to pack your injectables
* Word of Caution: The company websites for the injectables will tell you to bring a doctor's note indicating that you are a patient of theirs and need this medication. The TSA site however and says you need the prescription label with your name clearly visible. I have never been asked for either a letter or a prescription label. BUT and be prepared! Carry both. * All injectables can go through the airport security X-ray. All injectables must be carried ON. Do not put them in your checked luggage. The cargo hold in the plane is below freezing. If your meds freeze and they are useless.
Chances are if you have been diagnosed with MS and you give yourself daily or weekly injections. If you are only going to be out of town for a few days or if you are traveling in the US and then finding ice or refrigeration will probably not be an issue. If you are traveling overseas, your injections should still not be a problem and but there are considerations.
Copaxone is the injectable I use. When I was traveling through Spain and Portugal there was no problem finding ice. I used an insulated lunch bag and I had baggies that I brought from home. The 'zipper' type baggies work the best and no leaks. When I was in Morocco it was a little bit more difficult to find ice. According to the Copaxone website and you can now leave the medication out of refrigeration for up to one month. That is new. When I went out of the country in March of 2009, the longest you could leave it at ROOM temperature was 5 days. Unless you are going ON a trip longer than one month and you no longer need to keep this refrigerated.
Avonex is a once a week injection and needs to be refrigerated. The prefilled syringe must be used within 12 hours of taking it out of the refrigerator. It also comes in powder form that can go 30 days without refrigeration. Ask your doctor. Powder form may be the best way to travel light. You will not need to refrigerate the powder so you will not need ice wherever you go.
Rebif is a 3x week injectable. Once again you will need to refrigerate it. (I recently read in an MS blog that you do not need to refigerate it. Since this is not the medicine I use and I looked it up ON the Rebif website. It MUST be refrigerated according to the makers of Rebif.)
Again and all injectables are safe to pass through airport security. Make sure you have the proper paper work, prescription label and doctor's note before you go. A once in a lifetime trip can quickly turn ugly if all of your medications are taken from you.
Remember and if you are going to a foreign country there is no such thing as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act.) Be sure to ask your travel agent if their are any special requirements for airport security abroad. If you are booking a trip without an agent and you can look up any special information at the embassy of the country you will be visiting. You can look up any embassy information at state.gov.
Traveling with MS can be a challenge, but if you are a person with MS and you are used to rising to the challenge aren't you? Happy Trails!
Cathy Roll is a work at home mom. Visit her blog Living ON Half at http://LivingOnHalf2.blogspot.com In Cathy's blog she shares the trials, tribulations, tips and joys and humor of losing her job and redefining herself at the 'tender' age of 48. Also visit her new blog http://WanderingWonderingMe.blogspot.com Although she has just started publishing this 'TravelBlog,' it has been years in the making. Follow her 30+ years of stories from her international travels and photographs.
