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Type 1 Holiday and insulin

K

kellie lees

Well-Known Member
Messages
67
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Sorry to seem stupid but we are going on holiday tomorrow and my husband has type 1. He has all of his insulin and what he needs but then we also have spares. We’ve put the spare insulin in my hand luggage and my husbands hand luggage is this ok? Ok as in the right temperature? we figure once insulin is out the fridge it can be used for us to 28 days?
We have a frillo wallet so when we get to the warmer weather my husband will keep his insulin in the wallet when we are out and about to ensure it doesn’t get too hot?
When we get to our hotel he can’t put his insulin back in the fridge can he? Because it has been out of the fridge? So any “spare” insulin he doesn’t use he will have to chuck when we get home?
I’m worried we’ve done something wrong x thank you
 
Not sure how frio wallet works and have never travelled abroad with insulin. Can you not put spare insulin in the frio wallet whilst you travel?
I'll tag @helensaramay and. @Scott-C who I believe have both done many miles abroad and may give tips.
Enjoy your holidays.
 

Hi @kellie lees ,

All diabetic stuff in hand luggage is good!
28 days is right. Keep what's not currently used in the fridge. But don't put the Frio wallet in the fridge...
The Frio keeps,the insulin cool by evaporating the water moisture trapped in the crystals contained in the inner pouch.
The hotter the weather gets. The cooler the pouch. If carrying the Frio in a bag? Make sure it can breath, so if you have a bag with a mesh outer pocket? That's great! Follow the instructions that came with the Frio & you can't go wrong..
Do not over soak it!

I'm not sure how long you are going away? But there might not be any need to discard any spare insulin once home. So long as it's within a 4 week period...

Have a fantastic trip..
 
I would say that any 'spare' insulin you bring home can go straight back into the fridge and used as normal as long as it's within the month when you first took it out. As someone who's been travelling quite a bit since I was diagnosed, never have I thrown any insulin away I came back with (I've been away maximum 3 weeks and never really kept any of it cold either). I always threw any insulin I came back with straight into the fridge and never had a problem with it.

Not sure what official guidelines on this is but that's my experience with it all. I've only just found out about the Frio wallets and gonna use them for the first time next month when I go away!

Have a good holiday!
 
Thank you so much. My biggest worry has been that we’ve taken the “spare” insulin out of the fridge as it’s ready to go in our hand luggage. But I panicked that we should’ve kept it in the fridge?
 
kellie lees said:
Thank you so much. My biggest worry has been that we’ve taken the “spare” insulin out of the fridge as it’s ready to go in our hand luggage. But I panicked that we should’ve kept it in the fridge?
Click to expand...

Well if you've taken it out of the fridge today, and you're leaving it out of the fridge from today, then the 28 day count down starts today. So long as it's left at room temp (15-25 degrees C) it'll be fine out of the fridge for 28 days. So check your hand luggage isn't left next to a radiator.

The JDRF guide to travelling with type 1 is probably worth checking out - https://jdrf.org.uk/information-support/living-with-type-1-diabetes/everyday-life/travelling/
 
Just speaking from experience I had a terrible experience with travelling with insulin... I ended up in hospital and my DSN suggested the insulin I had taken on holiday and then brought back (and put in the fridge) had “gone off” so the advice was to always throw out any insulin that had travelled due to either the change in temperature or altitude.

That said there are lots of times I’ve done the same and ive been fine and also plenty of T1s who never have any problems.
 
My DSN told me to chuck insulin that came on holiday and wasn't used. It had been out of the fridge in hot weather. Just pop a prescription in for fresh stuff when you get back
 
kellie lees said:
Thank you so much. My biggest worry has been that we’ve taken the “spare” insulin out of the fridge as it’s ready to go in our hand luggage. But I panicked that we should’ve kept it in the fridge?
Click to expand...

It will be fine I’ve always done this and just put it it a fridge when I got to my destination. Then travelled back home with it and put it back in the fridge never had a problem
i don’t even put mine in a cool bag to travel been diabetic 24 years now and always done this.
 
One thing about the Frio is if you neglect to dry them properly when done, the gel tends to clump at one end, then won't reactivate properly.

I use two for travelling, one with both in use pens and the other with spares, I find Lantus to not like heat.
 
Hi. I plan to do the same as you but I will also put insulin that has not been opened but away from the fridge back in when I return. The instructions don't cover this but I assume back in the fridge any deterioration will be slowed. I will look out for the insulin not working. I will be using a Frio bag. I noticed that the Levemir instruction leaflet says 6 weeks out of the fridge not 4 weeks. Novorapid says 4 weeks.
 
Frio wallets work through the "crystals/gel" slowly releasing the liquid as condensation.
These keep all insulin cool but not freezing cold. This is cooler than room temperature. As long as I keep my spare insulin in the wallets and am confident it does not get hot, I return them to the fridge when I return and use as normal.
I tend to "charge" my frio when I arrive rather than before I leave the UK. Just in case an over officious security guards takes umbrance about the gel.
As an aside, frio do not keep insulin above freezing in cold conditions.
 
helensaramay said:
I tend to "charge" my frio when I arrive rather than before I leave the UK. Just in case an over officious security guards takes umbrance about the gel.
.
Click to expand...

That's a good point and something I've never thought about!
 
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