Type 1 Please Help!! How Do I Keep Insulin Cold For 28 Hours Travelling??

[Braxton]

Hello All,

I really need help!
I am taking 3 months worth of insulin to America with me. However, I will be travelling with insulin for 28 hours without a fridge and I don’t how I can keep it cold for this time so it still work for 3 months.

I have used FRIO packs in the past but I was told by FRIO they only recommend using this for insulin which you will use in 28 days because it starts to deactivate after this period due to a FRIO packet only keeping it around 16-24 degrees and insulin needs to be kept between 4-8 to not deactivate.

I am leaving in 10 days and I have spoken to so many people and I have not found a solution and I don’t know what to do and am getting worried!!

PLEASE IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION AND HAVE A SOLUTION CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

Thanks

 

[Deleted Account]

Have you looked at mini camping fridges?
Or getting a visitor mid trip who can bring some new supplies?

Alternatively, do Frio mean they only recommend storing insulin in their pouches for up to 28 days?
I have taken spare insulin on 2 or 3 week trips in Frio pouches, then returned it to the fridge, unused, when I get home and used it 2 or 3 weeks later with no ill effects.

 

[Braxton]

Hi thanks a lot for replying!!
I imagine mini camping fridges may be too big to keep in hand luggage.
I wouldn’t be able to get a visitor mid trip unfortunately.
When I rang FRIO they said insulin starts to deactivate once put in a FRIO pack as the temperature is like 16-24 degrees so the insulin needs to be used in 28 days once put in the frio pack as it is not as effective after this period.
This differs from what I thought as myself and my friend with type 1 have been travelling for longer periods of time and insulin has been fine to use for longer periods after 28 days when being transferred from the flight into a fridge once we arrived at our destination.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi Jason. Please read the information in your packets of insulin. These will specify the temperatures at which insulin is to be stored and for how long at higher temperature ranges insulin will last. For example My Novorapid is rated to last 28 days out of the fridge below 30 degrees C, and ideally is stored in a fridge, cooling unit etc at between 2 and 8 degrees C.
Three issues with travelling with insulin. Breakage of insulin vials . pens etc is the biggest risk in luggage, second, freezing, as the temperature in aircraft cargo bays is much lower than in the cabin and thirdly, overheating of insulin, say in baggage delayed on a tarmac in a hot airport.
Your insulin in carry-on luggage is what you will be using up first so the 28 days issue is not a problem. Just keeping it safe from breakage and overheating are the main issues.
Your general strategy as I am sure you are aware is padding and insulation. air filled plastic wrapping (pop wrapped), packaging in shaped stiff foam, use of aluminium or strong plastic containers with padded insulin inside and padding on outside in a good solid luggage case. So this helps ensure relative safety from breakage, freezing and overheating.
See if you can obtain a thermometer which you can fit in with your insulin. One that measures maximum and minimum temperatures. That way you can at least see how much the temperature fluctuation is and whether you can anticipate needing to renew insulin before the end of your stay or not. Travelling within the USA your strategies include use of fridges in hotels overnight, insulated insulin, packed in ice during the day.
Also remembering that in USA they talk in Fahrenheit so make sure you have the conversion factors sorted out, say on your mobile phone. A weather map of USA shows the temperature variations and that way you can guess what the main temperature issue may be and plan for it.
I have not travelled in the USA and do not know what the specific State laws are about obtaining insulin. Some insulins are available to US citizens over the counter (unbelievable !!) but you need a prescription for needles and syringes ( Go figure !!)
As far as I know there are no reciprocal healthcare arrangements between UK and USA. A bottle of insulin even for a US citizen may cost several hundred dollars. And the healthcare system is reported as the worst in first world countries. Are you sure your really have to go USA.? In Canada you can obtain reciprocal healthcare arrangements and Canadians are sane and lovely people with a familiar healthcare system.
I imagine you will need to speak to the UK embassy in USA (before Trump decides to kick then out, increase their rental or whatever) to find out about health care over there and what strategies might enable you to best obtain a supply of insulin if need be). You might have some difficulty obtaining and afforded travel insurance for USA also. The USA is becoming more politically unstable and there is no knowing what the next few months over there hold for the political state of the country. Please reconsider your destination !!

 

[Deleted Account]

I imagine mini camping fridges may be too big to keep in hand luggage.

I was thinking something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Signature-..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=XKZ6F3GN9FKFP5VVS69S
but I have not researched this in detail

 

[Daibell]

I suspect the insulin providers are conservative and if you use Frio wallets and then transfer the insulin to a fridge it will last longer than 28 days? I'm waiting for someone in China to produce a very small USB fridge for insulin cartridges. It's a big gap in the market currently.

 

[DCUKMod]

Hello All,

I really need help!
I am taking 3 months worth of insulin to America with me. However, I will be travelling with insulin for 28 hours without a fridge and I don’t how I can keep it cold for this time so it still work for 3 months.

I have used FRIO packs in the past but I was told by FRIO they only recommend using this for insulin which you will use in 28 days because it starts to deactivate after this period due to a FRIO packet only keeping it around 16-24 degrees and insulin needs to be kept between 4-8 to not deactivate.

I am leaving in 10 days and I have spoken to so many people and I have not found a solution and I don’t know what to do and am getting worried!!

PLEASE IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION AND HAVE A SOLUTION CAN YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

Thanks

Have you considered contacting the airline and asking if your insulin could go in one of their galley fridges? I accept this too is sub-optimal, but just trying to think a bit outside the box.

I'm neither T1, nor an insulin user, so feel free to ignore my thoughts.

 

[briped]

Have you considered using a couple of regular old fashioned iceblocks? The kind you freeze before use? I'm not an insulin user, but I do use victoza, which also has to be kept cool, and I pop the extra pen in the cooling bag with milk etc. when I travel in a hot car. If you wrap your insulin in a towel to ensure it stays in the right temperature range and doesn't get too cold ...? Is that do-able?
The ice blocks need to be insulated too. Idea; test at home before you leave to see if they'll stay cold enough for 28 hours.

 

[Runica]

For airline travel, you definitely can ask for your meds to be refrigerated on the aircraft. My sister regularly travels between the UK and Aus, a 24 hour journey. For trips to and from the airport, and between cities in the UK she uses ice packs to keep them at optimum temperature.

That said, some airlines are better than others, and you would be well advised to check ahead of time. Wishing you safe and happy travels

 

[Braxton]

Hi Jason. Please read the information in your packets of insulin. These will specify the temperatures at which insulin is to be stored and for how long at higher temperature ranges insulin will last. For example My Novorapid is rated to last 28 days out of the fridge below 30 degrees C, and ideally is stored in a fridge, cooling unit etc at between 2 and 8 degrees C.
Three issues with travelling with insulin. Breakage of insulin vials . pens etc is the biggest risk in luggage, second, freezing, as the temperature in aircraft cargo bays is much lower than in the cabin and thirdly, overheating of insulin, say in baggage delayed on a tarmac in a hot airport.
Your insulin in carry-on luggage is what you will be using up first so the 28 days issue is not a problem. Just keeping it safe from breakage and overheating are the main issues.
Your general strategy as I am sure you are aware is padding and insulation. air filled plastic wrapping (pop wrapped), packaging in shaped stiff foam, use of aluminium or strong plastic containers with padded insulin inside and padding on outside in a good solid luggage case. So this helps ensure relative safety from breakage, freezing and overheating.
See if you can obtain a thermometer which you can fit in with your insulin. One that measures maximum and minimum temperatures. That way you can at least see how much the temperature fluctuation is and whether you can anticipate needing to renew insulin before the end of your stay or not. Travelling within the USA your strategies include use of fridges in hotels overnight, insulated insulin, packed in ice during the day.
Also remembering that in USA they talk in Fahrenheit so make sure you have the conversion factors sorted out, say on your mobile phone. A weather map of USA shows the temperature variations and that way you can guess what the main temperature issue may be and plan for it.
I have not travelled in the USA and do not know what the specific State laws are about obtaining insulin. Some insulins are available to US citizens over the counter (unbelievable !!) but you need a prescription for needles and syringes ( Go figure !!)
As far as I know there are no reciprocal healthcare arrangements between UK and USA. A bottle of insulin even for a US citizen may cost several hundred dollars. And the healthcare system is reported as the worst in first world countries. Are you sure your really have to go USA.? In Canada you can obtain reciprocal healthcare arrangements and Canadians are sane and lovely people with a familiar healthcare system.
I imagine you will need to speak to the UK embassy in USA (before Trump decides to kick then out, increase their rental or whatever) to find out about health care over there and what strategies might enable you to best obtain a supply of insulin if need be). You might have some difficulty obtaining and afforded travel insurance for USA also. The USA is becoming more politically unstable and there is no knowing what the next few months over there hold for the political state of the country. Please reconsider your destination !!

Thanks for the help.
I will be using the packaging I get the insulin in so hopefully that shouldn’t break as haven’t had that problem before.

When I get to America I am working at a camp there for 2 months so will have a fridge available.

Hopefully it will be all good!!
Thanks

 

[Braxton]

I suspect the insulin providers are conservative and if you use Frio wallets and then transfer the insulin to a fridge it will last longer than 28 days? I'm waiting for someone in China to produce a very small USB fridge for insulin cartridges. It's a big gap in the market currently.

Yeah I think you are right there on both accounts !!

 

[Braxton]

Have you considered using a couple of regular old fashioned iceblocks? The kind you freeze before use? I'm not an insulin user, but I do use victoza, which also has to be kept cool, and I pop the extra pen in the cooling bag with milk etc. when I travel in a hot car. If you wrap your insulin in a towel to ensure it stays in the right temperature range and doesn't get too cold ...? Is that do-able?
The ice blocks need to be insulated too. Idea; test at home before you leave to see if they'll stay cold enough for 28 hours.

This is what we thought as well and are testing tomorrow as all the equipment is bought. If doesn’t work have to be PLAN B.

What will a towel do in this scenario??

 

[Braxton]

For airline travel, you definitely can ask for your meds to be refrigerated on the aircraft. My sister regularly travels between the UK and Aus, a 24 hour journey. For trips to and from the airport, and between cities in the UK she uses ice packs to keep them at optimum temperature.

That said, some airlines are better than others, and you would be well advised to check ahead of time. Wishing you safe and happy travels

Thanks!!
Do you know what kind of ice packs she uses? And does she stir these in a cool pack?
Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I suspect the insulin providers are conservative and if you use Frio wallets and then transfer the insulin to a fridge it will last longer than 28 days? I'm waiting for someone in China to produce a very small USB fridge for insulin cartridges. It's a big gap in the market currently.

You mean something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016KQ7...t=&hvlocphy=1007138&hvtargid=pla-348952556522

or this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sidiou-Gro...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7VSNGVM3PYVQ18K3TW0P

 

[briped]

This is what we thought as well and are testing tomorrow as all the equipment is bought. If doesn’t work have to be PLAN B.

What will a towel do in this scenario??

A towel between the ice block and the insulin to protect your insulin from getting too cold, and another towel around the whole arrangement to insulate the ice blocks and keep them cold for longer. Does that make sense?

 

[kitedoc]

Thanks for the help.
I will be using the packaging I get the insulin in so hopefully that shouldn’t break as haven’t had that problem before.

When I get to America I am working at a camp there for 2 months so will have a fridge available.

Hopefully it will be all good!!
Thanks

Good on you. Try to keep some of your insulin stored in a separate fridge as sometimes fridges malfunction or somebody accidentally turns the temperature down too far !!

 

[Daibell]

You mean something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016KQ7...t=&hvlocphy=1007138&hvtargid=pla-348952556522

or this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sidiou-Gro...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7VSNGVM3PYVQ18K3TW0P

Well, thanks. Most of these fridges are for drink cans and hence too big. There is a USB rectangular fridge on Amazon but again bigger than it need to be as it takes the complete pen(s). I want one that just holds 2 or 3 Nova Penfill cartridges or similar. I'm sure one will arrive eventually.

 

[Pam Coombe]

Have you considered contacting the airline and asking if your insulin could go in one of their galley fridges? I accept this too is sub-optimal, but just trying to think a bit outside the box.

I'm neither T1, nor an insulin user, so feel free to ignore my thoughts.

M&S sell a small cool bag which I find ideal!