• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 1 Disposing of Sharps on Holiday

G

Gareth579

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi, I was diagnosed with Type 1 in November 2017 and haven't travelled abroad since the diagnosis.

I'm not usually away from home and my sharps bin for more than a week or so at a time, so the build up of sharps over a long period hasn't really been an issue. However, I'll be travelling to and around Brazil for a month for my honeymoon. Other than taking a sharps bin with me and lugging needles everywhere, I can only think of getting in touch with local medical facilities to dispose of the needles.

Has anyone had any experience of something similar, if so what advice would you give?

P.s. I use about 4-5 pen needles a day and I'm going for 30 days, so 150~ needles.

Cheers,
Gareth
 
I just put mine in a small water bottle that I decant into my sharps bin when I get home. I always put the bottle in my case and not in my hand luggage.
I have never been away for a full month but only half filled a 0.3l bottle in two and a half weeks.
When I was first diagnosed, I was told to do this at home and put it out in the usual rubbish: I was only given a sharps bin when I changed to a pump.

Personally, I was never confident that the needle clipper removed enough of the sharp part of the needle and mine was not strong enough to cut lancets so stopped using it (even though I had it on prescription). This was over 10 years ago so they may have improved since then.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My DN asked me what I did with sharps, when I told her that they went in the bin, she said "if the binmen find them you could be sued". I came away with two sharps boxes.
 
I take a 1L sharps bin in my case. Dispose of at home via sharps collection.
 
Hi everyone, sorry for the delayed response and thanks for all of the advice.
I spoke with my DN yesterday, and she advised me to take a small sharps bin, so I'll monitor how much space I take up in my new sharps bin over 30 days and then take one roughly that size.
I'd rather dispose of them in the best way that I can, and that seems to be as clinical waste.
On a positive note, I found out yesterday that my HBA1C is 43 :)

P.S. Thanks Helensaramay!
 
Back
Top