getting insulin abroad.

EDbruce94

Newbie
Messages
2
hello

in July I am going to be taking part in something called the 'Mongol rally' which is where you drive from England to Mongolia with a few mates. it will be quite an adventure but as an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic im struggling to find out how to get fresh insulin other than taking a mini fridge and taking loads. any ideas?
 

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
What an adventure
Some teams plummet south through Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan, others rise up north through the Arctic Circle, still others surge straight through Central Asia and countries that don't even legally exist

Pragmatically it's going to depend upon your route and how long you think you will take.

It usually takes between 3 and 5 weeks to complete. The fastest is 7 days and longest is 100 days
For the normal times I think you'd be fine with using a Frio and yes I would take as much as possible with me. An alternative is to use some sort of vacuum container. I've done this but was able to stock up with ice on a daily basis. I prefer the frio (You're not walking so just over a months supply of insulin shouldn't be a big encumbrance)

Not so sure if it takes you over 3 months. Theoretically insulin shouldn't be out of the fridge for more than a month.

I understand that regular insulin is often available over the counter in many countries, in some you can get others; however you would have to check for each country remembering that what is officially said is not necessarily the reality on the ground.

However, I have an Aussie friend now in her 50s who did the whole world travelling thing long before modern insulins .frio packs. She was warned not to do it but lived to both tell the tale and convince other T1s not to be stopped by their condition.
(she never went back from France which is why I know her)
 

EDbruce94

Newbie
Messages
2
i am doing the southern route through turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan ect... im going to be on the road for about 8 weeks ish. i think i'll take as much as i can and ask in countries along the way.