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Travelling to Egypt

M

Monochrome_girl

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Hello All

I am new to this forum and wondered if anyone could help (I also do not know if I am posting on the correct thread so apologies if this is in the wrong place).

I am a Type 1 diabetic (since the age of 2) and have spent most of my life in Britain, travelling only as far afield as Europe and America on holidays.
As I am now in my late 30s (and have historically been terrified of travelling abroad very far) I am finally intending to travel to Luxor, Egypt, in September 2010 for a short break.

Can anyone please advise me on how to:

i) Ensure I have the correct medical information with me (I have a GPs letter, a prescription and a medic-alert necklace - do I need anything else?). I am sourcing medical insurance.

ii) If there are any special places I can go in Luxor if I need help bar the Hospital? Any egytian terms I should know?

iii) How to cope if I get struck down with the very common 'pharo's revenge' bad stomach and sickness that seems to affect many who travel to Egypt?

iv) I have heard of people purchasing medication to take to stop the bad stomach issues happening - does anyone know the correct medical name for these tablets and how I could source them?

v) How to deal with long flights - the last time I fel to America I tested continually and was fine in my normal range of between 4 and 7 on the meter then about 20mins after landing (and my last test) - I had a sudden dramatic hypo that lead to a hospital admission. Is this common and or how do I stop it happening again?

sorry for all the questions -I hope some of you may have some answers ...
 
I travel to the Middle East a fair bit for work and you seem to have most of the medical bases covered there. I always show my BG testing kit as I pass through the security checks, just to be safe and all. I always carry my medical stuff in my hand baggage.
One other thing to bear in mind is that a lot of the Arab countries regard the "Thumbs Up" as a very rude gesture so try not to do that when thanking people for things (It's a tricky habit to get out of too).

Hope that helps some.
 
Monochrome girl

There's a lot to cover, so first of all, please make an appointment (at least 1 month before your trip) with your GP / practice nurse / travel clinic (I used to work in a travel clinic), where you can get advice about immunisations, malaria risks, general health precautions etc. Some vaccines are available on NHS, but not al; malaria tablets are never provided without charge.

Concentrate on avoiding getting diarrhoea - freshly cooked food is usually best, street food is often fine as it's freshly cooked, not kept hot like hotel buffets; salads are best avoided unless you'er absolutely sure it's been washed in treated water; don't drink tap water, but buy bottled water or take a bottle and iodine or chlorine solution / tablets to treat drinking water and for teeth brushing; Arab tea and coffee tends to be very sweet, with lots of sugar - OK, as long as you account for the sugar content. If you get diarrhoea and / or vomiting, best keep drinking fluids, with oral rehydration solution sachets if needed (can buy Dioralyte, Rehydrat etc in UK pharmacies or buy sugar & salt measuring spoon from TALC [Teaching Aids at Low Cost]). Only take anti-diarrhoea tablets eg imodium if essential eg before a long journey. Oral immunisation against cholera, called Dukoral, gives some protection against other causes of diarrhoea - ask practice nurse / travel clinic.

Remember about other health risks such as sunburn, road accidents etc.

Flight UK to Egypt is usally shorter than to USA, so you migth find it easier.

Shukran is Arabic for thank you. Afwan means you're welcome.
 
thankyou so much - I am definitely going in to see the GP about all this -
I am very excited and don't want to prove my paranoias true...

Your advice has been really helpful - I will try and hunt down some of the things you mention and hopefully there will be no need to use them!

thanks again :)
 
I travel a lot with work around Europe, USA and the middle east. Rarely have I found any problems with being diabetic. Airport security around 9-11 was a little challenging but other than that no problems.

I also went on holiday in Egypt last year and I'm going back in August this year. It's a great place and generally most people speak English if you stick to normal resorts and tourist attractions.

I had no problems real other than a slight stomach upset. Most people recommend the local medication for diarrhoea which is a lot stronger. Can't remember what it was called though.

Have a great holiday!!

Steve
 
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