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Insulin storage/obtaining on European road trip

sololite

sololite

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 3
Treatment type
Insulin
Happy New Year everyone!

I am thinking of travelling around Europe for a couple of months in our camper van. It has a fridge but cannot be relied on to keep my insulin pens continuously cold for the trip -the fridge only lasts 3 days before needing to hook up to mains electricity and we will be mainly wild camping so few opportunities to recharge. I've seen adverts for 12v cooler pouches etc. but the reviews are always 'mixed' to say the least.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has done a similar trip to and hear how they coped please. Especially how to go about getting insulin pens while abroad in Europe and Scandinavia. I use pens at the rate of one every 3 weeks and would be able to get enough on prescription in the UK before travelling but would want the assurance that I can get them when travelling in case I couldn't keep them cold.

regards,

Chris
 
You'll be able to get insulin anywhere. But you'll have to pay to see the doctor and pay for insulin probably. It would be worth flashing your ehic card but I doubt they'll take any notice. Also take a load of syringes in case you can't cartridges or preloaded pens. You could invest in a proper 12v fridge they do cost £200 to £300 but worth it. I use one when sailing. Frio cooling bags are also a good addition to keeping insulin comfortable.
 
sololite said:
Happy New Year everyone!

I am thinking of travelling around Europe for a couple of months in our camper van. It has a fridge but cannot be relied on to keep my insulin pens continuously cold for the trip -the fridge only lasts 3 days before needing to hook up to mains electricity and we will be mainly wild camping so few opportunities to recharge. I've seen adverts for 12v cooler pouches etc. but the reviews are always 'mixed' to say the least.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has done a similar trip to and hear how they coped please. Especially how to go about getting insulin pens while abroad in Europe and Scandinavia. I use pens at the rate of one every 3 weeks and would be able to get enough on prescription in the UK before travelling but would want the assurance that I can get them when travelling in case I couldn't keep them cold.

regards,

Chris
Click to expand...

Hi, Chris, happy new year to you too!

Insulin is a lot tougher than the "keep in fridge", "28 days" stuff on the inbox pamphlets makes out: that bit is more to do with the litigation lawyers employed by the makers trying to avoid being sued than the chemistry.

I once flew to Rome, cycled down to Bari, got ferry to Patras, cycled to Athens, got fed up cycling past wheat and sunflower fields, so sent the bike home via DHL, then got trains to Istanbul and then up through Eastern Europe to Estonia.

That show took 4 months, insulin supply got by quite happily all that time stored in dubious unrefridgerated locations such as cycling panniers and in a backpack stuffed under beds in backpackers hostels.

Camper vans/tents can get very hot, but you can always find a dark and cool enough space to put kit out of direct sunlight.

Insulin doesn't just suddenly stop working if it's out of a fridge for a while: it'll fade out gradually, so you'll have plenty of time to locate another source.

What that source is I'm not sure, as I never had to find it, neither on the 4 months in Europe, nor a later 6 months in Asia, nor random shorter trips since then, but a combination of EHIC card, travel insurance emergency contact details, letter from doctor to wave at local hospitals, keeping addresses of local UK consuls, and the native knowledge of staff in places where I was staying, all gave me enough reassurance to give it a go without worrying any about T1 issues if it all got messy.

You've not said specifically where you're going in your van, but seeing as you've mentioned Scandinavia, the ferry trip from Stockholm to Estonia through the Stockholm archipelago is a bucket list thing to do - spectacular - and if you ever find yourself sitting on one of the leather sofas on the patio of Cafe Noworolski, main square, Krakow, Poland, (another bucket list place) you'll find a few of my test strips tucked down in those sofas!

Enjoy the trip and don't worry about the insulin - I've found there's always way to make me, insulin, and travel work out perfectly well.

Regards, Scott.
 
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