Traveling abroad comes with a whole new set of responsibilities. You are shifting to an entirely new land with a new lifestyle, different climate, different food habits, and more; you first need to consider your health. If you have some health issues, you need to take your medications abroad as you cannot remain assured that they will be readily available out there. One such kind of issue is the IBD, that is, Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Let’s take a closer look into what kind of prescriptions you need while traveling abroad with IBD medication.
What is IBD, and why do medicines need to be prescribed?
IBD is a condition where inflammation of the gut takes place. There are two conditions of IBD that are ulcerative colitis and Cohrn’s disease.
Traveling abroad with IBD medications is required due to the following reasons,
- Patients might go through a flare-up during traveling. As toilet facilities are not entirely comfortable while traveling, patients can go through many problems or even severe pain.
- There is an entirely new diet in a completely new place, which directly affects your bowel and gut; hence, keeping your meds with you is the best.
How do you take IBD medications while traveling abroad?
The first step- Prescription
A prescription is required from the doctor you are receiving your regular medications from.
The prescription should contain the following details,
- Your name
- Your condition of IBD
- The prescribed drugs
- The dosage and the amount of the drugs
- Your Travel itinerary
The second step- Packaging
Packaging the medicines is essential, and it is, first of all, it is advised that you stock up the medicines for your entire trip. They should be in their original packing and must be carried in your handbag.
If you need to carry syringes, they must be kept in a cooling wallet that is readily available online.
The last step- Procedures during the check-in
Firstly while traveling abroad with IBD medicines, they must always be carried in hand luggage. You must have your doctor’s prescription at all times, as sometimes there is a fear that your other luggage might be misplaced, so just for safety, your extremely essential medicines must be present with you during the flight.
You must cross-check with the flight attendants before the trip whether you would be allowed to keep them in your hand baggage.
You must also keep a check on the time zone you are traveling. In, and consult your doctor when and how you should take the medicines when you reach there.
Lastly, you should monitor the pharmacies located in the new places and whether the medications are available there.