Travelling

[Shimmmer]

A BD needle clipper is just what you need for your travels.
I use them, they make the needles safe so the needle is no longer a 'sharp' and can be discarded in household rubbish.

They are also available on prescription.

 

[MommaE]

A BD needle clipper is just what you need for your travels.
I use them, they make the needles safe so the needle is no longer a 'sharp' and can be discarded in household rubbish.

They are also available on prescription.

Yes, thank you. Someone did mention those a couple of days ago, looks ideal. I was able to order a pack of three from an online supplier here in Canada. I’ll probably discard them in a sharps/ biohazard container either in an airport or back home because I’ll be concerned the needles would still be considered hazardous from use. Local pharmacies here will exchange a full container for a new one at no cost so it’s easy to use.
I’m still not sure I’ll be comfortable doing the injections “ in the wild” but I’ve got a few months to practice and get my head around the idea. The flights are too long to avoid or plan around so I don’t think there’ll be an alternative. Those tiny bathrooms are not an appealing idea either.

 

[miahara]

A BD needle clipper is just what you need for your travels.
I use them, they make the needles safe so the needle is no longer a 'sharp' and can be discarded in household rubbish.

They are also available on prescription.

I'm not totally convinced that a clipped needle in household waste is safer than a needle confined in a needle cap, as one in a cap is pretty unlikely to stick in anyone unless they try really hard. I wouldn't fancy handling household waste with clipped needles in it.

 

[Fairygodmother]

I must be the only person here who admits that they use a needle more than once. I always put the cap back on again, so there’s not risk of contamination, but I confess that in these Times of Covid I’d maybe think twice about reuse if I were in a confined space. I think the reuse question has been explored a lot and the main argument against it is clogging, and a reduction in the smoothness of the needle tip.
On long haul flights, and when staying away from home, I’ve used a small box with a well-sealed lid, the smallest strong-sided sealable container from a supermarket or kitchen shop shelf.
Have a great time when you go @MommaE

 

[PaulAshby]

I’ve just started to plan an overseas trip, my first since type 1 diagnosis. I will be away from home for three weeks, with two 10 hour flights. What would you recommend for a sharps container and disposal? I’d also appreciate hearing your thoughts on injecting on the plane and how you handle that.

Make sure you keep any insulin in your hand luggage, obvious I know, carrying a sharps container is wasted luggage space, make sure you have a needle clipper to make safe used needles and just put them in sharps disposal at airports or public toilets as a few do have these, if not just take them back home, and give yourself your insulin where you sit Not in a toilet, if this annoys anyone tell them to stop annoying you, always works with me and enjoy your holiday, don't worry too much about insulin storage, it's hardy stuff.

 

[PaulAshby]

take extra insulin,,

letter from your doctor that you are a diabetic you might need it in the airport.
some glucose tablet for hypo. Candy or anything not liquid.

I do Not agree with the letter from your Dr,
Your a normal human being that has a condition, most airport staff will know what insulin and syringes are, I've never had any problems at airports, I've done a few in my time.

 

[PaulAshby]

I must be the only person here who admits that they use a needle more than once. I always put the cap back on again, so there’s not risk of contamination, but I confess that in these Times of Covid I’d maybe think twice about reuse if I were in a confined space. I think the reuse question has been explored a lot and the main argument against it is clogging, and a reduction in the smoothness of the needle tip.
On long haul flights, and when staying away from home, I’ve used a small box with a well-sealed lid, the smallest strong-sided sealable container from a supermarket or kitchen shop shelf.
Have a great time when you go @MommaE

I use mine over and over, had no problems at all

 

[StewM]

I must be the only person here who admits that they use a needle more than once. I always put the cap back on again, so there’s not risk of contamination, but I confess that in these Times of Covid I’d maybe think twice about reuse if I were in a confined space. I think the reuse question has been explored a lot and the main argument against it is clogging, and a reduction in the smoothness of the needle tip.
On long haul flights, and when staying away from home, I’ve used a small box with a well-sealed lid, the smallest strong-sided sealable container from a supermarket or kitchen shop shelf.
Have a great time when you go @MommaE

Blunter needles also cause lipoatrophy quicker, I, unfortunately, know from experience.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I do Not agree with the letter from your Dr,
Your a normal human being that has a condition, most airport staff will know what insulin and syringes are, I've never had any problems at airports, I've done a few in my time.

I have flown 100s of times through airports around the world.
Whilst the letter is rarely needed it has been needed on more than one occasion and I would rather carry a small piece of paper which costs nothing and weighs barely anything than be refused travel.
I think of it as insurance - most of us buy travel insurance but use it very rarely.

make sure you have a needle clipper to make safe used needles

I stopped using my needle clipper because I was scratched by clipped needles multiple times. They do not seem very safe to me as they leave a small sharp protrusion. They are no longer prescribed in my area (probably because I am not the only person who has found this). Hence, I carry a small bottle as I mentioned earlier.

 

[PaulAshby]

Blunter needles also cause lipoatrophy quicker, I, unfortunately, know from experience.

Yes, I have had it for most of my life and the lumpy legs and belly, it's not pretty to look at but I don't let it bother me tbh.

 

[StewM]

Yes, I have had it for most of my life and the lumpy legs and belly, it's not pretty to look at but I don't let it bother me tbh.

It's good it doesn't bother you and I'm glad, but I think you'd agree it's best to avoid it if you can. The aesthetic aspect is neither here nor there to me either, but the unpredictability of insulin injected into those areas is not something I'd wish on anyone.

 

[PaulAshby]

It's good it doesn't bother you and I'm glad, but I think you'd agree it's best to avoid it if you can. The aesthetic aspect is neither here nor there to me either, but the unpredictability of insulin injected into those areas is not something I'd wish on anyone.

You're right, it has caught me out once or twice, but tbf even if you do rotate and use new needles I think you'd still get it with the amount of times people inject themselves.

 

[StewM]

You're right, it has caught me out once or twice, but tbf even if you do rotate and use new needles I think you'd still get it with the amount of times people inject themselves.

In my experience that isn't true. Of course, if you misuse a site issues will occur, but if you're sensitive to the signs of a problem developing any issues heal very quickly (by removing a problem area from your rotation). Since taking more care to use the maximum possible area in all my sites the lipoatrophy I had developed has healed significantly and no further issues have developed at all. This has happened despite having to use my healthier sites more than would normally be advisable on a good rotation.

One of the steps that I believe has assisted with this is never using a needle twice (unless I absolutely have to because I forgot to bring spare needles with for instance).

 

[PaulAshby]

Not sure I concur with the reuse of needle idea, you still get scarring from fresh needle use and your body's defence system will always react to anything that invades it, I always re-used needles for twice daily injections before the single use disposables came into use where my legs had very bad lipoatrophy, there are photos of them in a medical book somewhere but
I inject far more frequently now and I can't say it's been a major concern personally.

 

[Peter03]

I did have a problem once when flying, I had to hand in my insulin pen when boarding and had to ask the flight attendant when I needed to inject they allowed me to inject in their room at the front of the plane but that was more than twenty years ago, I have flyed many.other times and have just injected in my seat, so don't worry about flying I hope you have a nice time

 

[Fairygodmother]

I do change the needles every morning, and during the day too if needed. Rotating sites, knowing by feel if the needle needs changing, and it cuts down waste. I’ve always done this and no lipotrophy - yet (I’m not superstitious, but . . . ). Today’s needles aren’t as long-lasting as the big old stainless steel ones that needed to be sharpened so they do need changing regularly, but for me that’s not every time I inject. I tend to correct a few times to stay in range. However, each to what suits them best.
This thread is about a long haul flight. I was just saying what’s worked for me. It’s up to @MommaE to judge whether it would work for her.

 

[MommaE]

I must be the only person here who admits that they use a needle more than once. I always put the cap back on again, so there’s not risk of contamination, but I confess that in these Times of Covid I’d maybe think twice about reuse if I were in a confined space. I think the reuse question has been explored a lot and the main argument against it is clogging, and a reduction in the smoothness of the needle tip.
On long haul flights, and when staying away from home, I’ve used a small box with a well-sealed lid, the smallest strong-sided sealable container from a supermarket or kitchen shop shelf.
Have a great time when you go @MommaE

I do change the needles every morning, and during the day too if needed. Rotating sites, knowing by feel if the needle needs changing, and it cuts down waste. I’ve always done this and no lipotrophy - yet (I’m not superstitious, but . . . ). Today’s needles aren’t as long-lasting as the big old stainless steel ones that needed to be sharpened so they do need changing regularly, but for me that’s not every time I inject. I tend to correct a few times to stay in range. However, each to what suits them best.
This thread is about a long haul flight. I was just saying what’s worked for me. It’s up to @MommaE to judge whether it would work for her.

Oops, I think I just accidentally clicked on one of the emojis things, didn’t mean to, my apologies if it was something contrary or insulting!

 

[MommaE]

I did have a problem once when flying, I had to hand in my insulin pen when boarding and had to ask the flight attendant when I needed to inject they allowed me to inject in their room at the front of the plane but that was more than twenty years ago, I have flyed many.other times and have just injected in my seat, so don't worry about flying I hope you have a nice time

Thank you. Yes, I am very excited, it’s not until June but because of covid it’s been so long since the last trip I’m extra excited. Also, new to diabetes and insulin so still trying to navigate that.

 

[PaulAshby]

Thank you. Yes, I am very excited, it’s not until June but because of covid it’s been so long since the last trip I’m extra excited. Also, new to diabetes and insulin so still trying to navigate that.

Make sure you control It and It not control you.

 

[MommaE]

Make sure you control It and It not control you.

Unfortunately I think at this point that is still an aim and not the reality.