Holiday

homer190376 said:

Hi All,

I've been diabetic for 20 years and have always been a little reluctant to go abroad, however this September i am lucky enough to be going to New England, USA for 3 weeks.

I know i will require a letter from my GP for my medication, but can anyone advise if i require anything else, any recommendations for travel insurance? Is a letter all i need? i'm a very nervous person when it comes to traveling and going through airport security, just purely because of the diabetes.

thank you for any help,

Jon

Click to expand...

Hi Jon,
Take a look at one of our information pages and come back if there's anything specific still worrying you.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/travel.html

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/travel-guides/usa.html

p.s I travel all over the place - maybe a little bit of extra planning required but it's a doddle.

I’m originally from Maine and have traveled back and forth to the US. I use any normal travel insurance - Staysure is quite good. Do not go without insurance! The US can be expensive if you fall ill without cover. Have a wonderful time!

Hi homer190376,
Exciting times ahead!!
A recent post mentioned that the diabetes specialist doctor is the best one to do a letter for you as GPs may charge you a stiff fee to do so. The main issues are :
having needles/syringes and fluid/medication (insulin) in your carry-on board gear and/or
wearing an insulin pump.
Pump manufactures warn that putting the pump through a luggage scanner may cause malfunctioning of the pump and void the pump's warranty.
The letter from my specialist has wording like; .."Removal of this pump from the wearer may prove lethal ..."
That seem to get the message across. I have to undergo a 'step-through' scan wearing my pump having removed my belt, shoes ect,
so either make sure your trousers/slacks etc fit well or have some string to keep them up until your belt is returned.
In my cargo luggage are sufficient insulin, needles/syringes, metho swabs, testing kit and testing strips/batteries/pump supplies to last at least 2 weeks longer than my planned trip.
In my carry-on luggage are sufficient insulin/needles/syringes. spare testing kit and strips/pump gear etc BUT NO METHO SWABS to last at least 2 weeks ( you never know how long cargo luggage can go missing and where). In carry-on luggage no flammables are allowed, so metho swabs are out. I usually take non-alcohol cleansing tissues if need be.
Timing of injections, meals etc. The best advice I ever received was from a drug rep. who was diabetic. He would wear two watches. ( and try his best to not look like a dodgy salesperson !!)
On setting out, he kept one watch on 'home time' and change the other watch with each change in time zone.
That way he could keep track of when he last gave his long acting insulin (staying on home time), and would take his short acting insulin when he was offered mealtime on the flight. He might have to take a meal at an airport if there was a long stopover between flights. Once at his destination, he would adjust his long-acting insulin accordingly: For a total 12 hour time difference breakfast became dinner time etc. 6 hours time difference meant advancing or go backwards 2 hours or so per day to get long-acting insulin in sync with the new time.
On the way back home; He would do the reverse. One watch staying on New England USA time etc.
I hope all the above plus the website info provided by @ urbanracer helps make your holiday even better !!

Hi Homer190376

I am only Type 2 so carry just a testing kit but I am in and out of the States at least once a month
and don't even register that I am doing anything that would raise an eyebrow. Diabetes is such a
proportion of the population now TSA (US Flight security) can probably identify makes of kits
not from their x ray screens.

I have had my bag examined a few times and it has never been for my meter.

There are better experienced T1's who have and will answer but from me I would say enjoy your
time there it is absolutely beautiful.

Oh, and Staysure are the folks I insured through as well.

homer190376 said:

Hi All,

I've been diabetic for 20 years and have always been a little reluctant to go abroad, however this September i am lucky enough to be going to New England, USA for 3 weeks.

I know i will require a letter from my GP for my medication, but can anyone advise if i require anything else, any recommendations for travel insurance? Is a letter all i need? i'm a very nervous person when it comes to traveling and going through airport security, just purely because of the diabetes.

thank you for any help,

Jon

Click to expand...

I always take twice as much diabetic stuff than what I need, I have it with me as carry on, I have my dextrose tablets handy and that's it, I probably should have a letter but have only done that once and no one asked for it, important for me is a good bag with different compartments, i feel better when I'm organised, knowing I have what I need

homer190376 said:

any recommendations for travel insurance?

Click to expand...

I do not use any standard travel insurance - I make sure my insurance covers diabetes.
Call me paranoid but given the number of possible diabetes complications, I would not my insurance company telling me they won't pay up because my heart condition is due to diabetes, for example.
Take a look at Diabates UK (diabetes.org.uk). They usually offer insurance which covers diabetes. This will cost more than basic travel insurance but, in my mind, it is worth it to cover the one thing that is most likely to go wrong.

That said, I am a regular overseas traveller. Since being diagnosed with diabetes, I have been everywhere from USA to Ghana to Uganda to Nepal.

Sometimes you have to check with the airline policy before flying to ensure they allow sharps on the plane sometimes they keep them at the front of the plane if you advertise you have them, this has never happened to me but tbh I never made a big deal out of it, airport's see insulin all the time only time I've ever been pulled aside is when the security have been training someone which I've not had a problem with have a great holiday

homer190376 said:

Hi All,

I've been diabetic for 20 years and have always been a little reluctant to go abroad, however this September i am lucky enough to be going to New England, USA for 3 weeks.

I know i will require a letter from my GP for my medication, but can anyone advise if i require anything else, any recommendations for travel insurance? Is a letter all i need? i'm a very nervous person when it comes to traveling and going through airport security, just purely because of the diabetes.

thank you for any help,

Jon

Click to expand...

I’ve been all over the world since being diagnosed 13 years - USA several times, all over Europe, India, Abu Dhabi, Caribbean and I have never taken a doctors letter to any of the place or airlines. I have never been stopped at security in any airport for my needles or lancets or insulin. Once I was asked did I really take all those tablets !! More of a joke I believe. Don’t waste your time and money on doctors for letters - you don’t need them.

JP

My hospital team gave me my letter. No cost required.

johnp said:

Don’t waste your time and money on doctors for letters - you don’t need them.

Click to expand...

There was no cost for my letter and I have been asked to show it.
Sure, it was only once in 15 years (over 100 flights) but I would hate my insulin taken off me or refused to be allowed on the flight with sharp items.
Any diabetes team should provide a letter with no problems - they do it all the time.

Hi Jon
I am a type 1 pump user and have also travelled long haul many times. I always carry an up to date letter from my Diabetic Nurse/ Consultant and advise security before going through the checks that I wear a pump and carry insulin. I was searched thoroughly at Miami Airport by two female security officers which was a first, most of the time they wave me through. I think it is better to let staff know before as they do have experience of travelling diabetics.

I carry all my medical supplies in my hand luggage in case of lost luggage. Don’t forget your hypo treatment, jelly beans etc.
My insurance is with All Clear and is specifically for people with medical conditions.
The US has lots of diabetic items for sale in their pharmacies. You can buy almost anything so don’t worry if you forget anything or run short. I had a clip for my pump delivered to the villa we were staying in by Medtronic as my original had broken.
Enjoy yourself and don’t worry.

I'm also off to America, for the first time this year, Las Vegas & San Francisco, whilst I'm there I celebrate 50 years as a type 1, so thanks KITEDOC for the helpful insulin adjustments, which I will need. I hope you enjoy yourself HOMER 190376.

Hi I take my repeat prescription slip with me it shows all your personal details and medication
You take. Hope this helps

I have always found American customs officials extremely understanding and helpful when I’ve travelled to the US with all my needles insulin etc. I let the know what’s in my hand luggage and offer to show them my documents but have never had to. Just make sure your travel insurance covers all aspects of your diabetes. But most of all enjoy your holiday

Hi!

First and most important don’t worry. I’ve been T1D for 40 years and have travelled a lot during that time (30 ish trips to USA).

My hints and tips:

Do take a letter stating you need to carry sharps. I’ve almost never been asked for it, except once at Charles de Gaulle (Paris), Gatwick, and Toulouse (France). My guess is that they would probably have let me on the plane without it, but having it gave me peace of mind. I only got it in the first place as we were due to fly to Florida two days after the person caused a world wide security incident with the syringe - ironically nobody asked for the letter then!

Take enough supplies for double your trip, just in case. If you’re travelling with someone else, split them half and half (just in case)

Test, test, test. BG can be unpredictable with different routines / weather / food etc

I see the advice about the two watches but personally I don’t follow that for a five hour time difference. For basal instead I gradually adjust the timing of the week or so leading up to the trip to get onto ‘holiday’ time. For example I do two split nasal doses at 11am and 11pm and I would hate to be on a four pm and four am dosing regime in New England. Instead I’d ‘move’ the times gradually before hand, creeping forward or back by an hour a day before I flew. That was I’m on ‘normal’ time when I land in the US.

Never go anywhere without hypo treatment. Really bizarrely I seem to send up going low at immigration every time, no matter what I do!

Frio wallets are loved by many to keep insulin cool.

Have a wonderful trip!!

homer190376 said:

Hi All,

I've been diabetic for 20 years and have always been a little reluctant to go abroad, however this September i am lucky enough to be going to New England, USA for 3 weeks.

I know i will require a letter from my GP for my medication, but can anyone advise if i require anything else, any recommendations for travel insurance? Is a letter all i need? i'm a very nervous person when it comes to traveling and going through airport security, just purely because of the diabetes.

thank you for any help,

Jon

Click to expand...

The letter is important, but make sure to keep all your medication in your carry on- do not check your meds. . make sure to get a diabetic meal (pre order online. ) Travel insurance, I just purchase what comes with whomever you purchase the ticket with. Make sure to bring extra meds in the packaging with the original labels . I learned from trial an error the UK airports were the post picky for testers etc. You can get a TSA pre screen card online that is helpful for letting the controllers know yup front that you are carrying a tester/ pump/ supplies etc. Do not put a pump or real time monitor the the x-rays.. it is easy enough to ask nicely. They are usually pretty understanding. If you are prone to hypos as I was pre-transplant, let your travel companion and/ or air hostess know. don't worry and have a great trip- I was in Maine in July and had a blast.

About 15 years ago on holiday in the States I suffered a diabetic ketosis attack due to osteomyelitis and was hospitalised. My insurance was provided via my RBS bank account and thankfully covered me, as the cost of treatment in the USA is horrific

I don’t use a letter, carry all my supplies as hand luggage, keep my watch on UK time for a couple of days, take more kit than I think I need, curse and moan about being diabetic while packing it all, get on the plane and - Enjoy my holiday.

As an aside I also have two DHS in my hips due to fractures which cause me more problems in the airport than the diabetic kit and pump I carry

I’ve been type one since 1977. Using a pump for ~ 15 years now. I’ve been travelling regularly to the US since 1997. I don’t carry a Dr’s letter and I’ve never been asked to produce one.

I do however keep my meds in the original box with the dispensary label on the package and carry a copy of my prescription.

Do make sure you have adequate insurance. I work in healthcare and the US is VERY expensive if you need assistance.

Don’t bother with the airline Diabetic food - it’s always awful; just hold off your bolus until the food is in front of you. Perhaps take some cereal bars in your hand luggage in case you need a snack.

Also if you do start to feel low on a flight tell the cabin crew asap so they know your situation. Nothing to be ashamed of and many flights will have a qualified nurse as part of the crew. They’ll soon turn out a full fat Coke if you need one.

If your on a long acting once a day shot like Lantus, I’d slowly move this towards your local time in the US. If your on a Pump I tend to just switch the pump time on arrival and keep some food at hand - but generally it works for me.

Keep checking your sugars...... and most importantly have an amazing time!