Getting Insulin through TSA!-Need Suggestions.

[nascargirl]

I am hoping that someone out here on the DIS boards can help. My DH was recently put on insulin. He is injecting the insulin via a insulin pen. The insulin must stay cold at all times. If anyone is on insulin how do you transport it? Do you put it in a case that has an ice pack? The Nurse at his physicians office told him to put ice in a bag, place the insulin on top of till we get to the airport. Before heading to TSA, empty the ice to get through security. Once through security try and find a place that will give us ice. Now this trip is only 2.5 hrs by plane, but my big concern will be in July when we head out to CA for 10 days. I hope someone can help me.

 

[Cherinva]

I don't have any experience on this subject, but I would call the TSA at your local airport and ask them for advise. Good Luck.

 

[bumbershoot]

With a medication you don't need to make it this difficult. TSA has answers here.

"Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions."

Just get a gelpack and a small softsided cooler to carry it in. Make sure the bottles or boxes that the bottles are in have the labels from the pharmacy, etc etc. Let them know that it's medication in that cooler.

 

[CPT Tripss]

It wouldn't hurt to carry a recent printout of the TSA site pp provided.

If the Airport Security Screener wants to "swab" anything, request clean gloves and a new swab. You don't want to contaminate your stuff.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

TSA agents deal with passengers carrying insulin and many other meds every single day. It's no big deal. When you have these types of questions, why not check out the TSA.gov for the answer?

The Nurse at his physicians office told him to put ice in a bag, place the insulin on top of till we get to the airport. Before heading to TSA, empty the ice to get through security. Once through security try and find a place that will give us ice.

You might want to direct this nurse to the TSA requirements so she can give patients the correct answer.

 

[SueM in MN]

TSA agents deal with passengers carrying insulin and many other meds every single day. It's no big deal. When you have these types of questions, why not check out the TSA.gov for the answer?



You might want to direct this nurse to the TSA requirements so she can give patients the correct answer.

That is not necessarily a wrong answer (although, as pointed out, TSA.gov is the best source of information and TSA agents see insulin all the time).
Many people choose to do exactly what the nurse suggested with medications because they won’t have a place to cool a gel pack once they get to their hotel.

Check with your Pharmacist, but most insulin doesn’t need to be kept at refrigerator temperature, just cool room temperature. Many people use an item called a Frio cooler case to keep insulin or other medication cool without refrigeration/gels/ice. They are also useful for in the parks or any time you need to keep medication cool because all they need is water to activate cooling.
Cooler Concepts has more information about Frio.

 

[JerseyTink]

You can buy small insulin cooler packs at most drug stores. My mother bought hers at CVS about 4 years ago. It has room for the Insulin, needles & alcohol swabs. It includes a small cooler pack that keeps it cool for 8 hours. TSA has never even questioned her. She leaves it in her carryon and walks through. Just as a reminder...if you are staying at a Disney hotel and your room is not ready when you arrive, you may leave your Insulin pack at bell's services. Just tell them what it is and that it needs to be refridgerated they will put it in the fridge for you until you return.

 

[Hannathy]

I was going to say what several have said unless things have changed since I taught Diabetic classes Insulin does not need to be kept cool unless you are keeping it for longer than 30 days. room temperature is fine. think about it insulin that is in insulin pumps is on the body and being kept at body temperature.

 

[bumbershoot]

When you have these types of questions, why not check out the TSA.gov for the answer?

As a FWIW, today was the first time in *months* that I was able to google what I wanted and actually GET to that TSA page without refreshing for an hour. That site gets busy, sloggy, and buggy. So even if one knows to go there sometimes they can't get there.

And then there's the concept that the govt might have a *useful* site! It boggles the mind sometimes. Both TSA and the IRS have helpful informative websites, but I'm not sure that most people would assume it to be so!

 

[aubriee]

I use a Victoza pen (not really insulin, but regulates my blood sugar). My doctor put me on it last Oct less than a week before our WDW trip. (Yeah, I was diagnosed with diabetes just a few days before we left on the DxDDP for the Food & Wine Festival I was not a happy camper.). Anyway she gave me a sample pen and a glucometer. The Victoza pen did not even have label on it, so I was a little concerned about getting through TSA. It wasn't a problem. I put it in a Vera Bradley cooler with it's needles and the glucometer and it's lancets in the front outside pocket. I then put two of those hard frozen thingys in the bag. Going through security I pulled the frozen thingys out, along with the Victoza pen and it's needles (forgot to pull the lancets) and placed them in a tub with my flip flops and 3-1-1 bag. The TSA agents didn't even give them a second glance. Again that Victoza pen didn't even have a label on it. When I went back to WDW in Dec I did the same thing and again the TSA agents didn't give them a second glance, but this time the pen was in a box with a prescription on it. I kept the pen in the room refridgerator and then on our last morning when we checked out, I placed the glucometer with it's lancets in the carry on, gave our carry ons to the bell services, then pulled the Vera Bradely bag with the ice thingy and Victoza pen. I took the ice thingy out and asked them to place it in their freezer so it would be frozen when we picked it up later that evening and handed them the Vera Bradley cooler with the Victoza pen and asked them to put it in the fridge, explaining it needed to be cold, but could not be frozen with the ice thingy. They did so and I claimed all three items when we got back from the park that evening, placing the frozen thingy back into the Vera Bradley bag to keep the Victoza pen cold until we got home that night. Again I pulled it at MCO security and put both the pen and the ice thingys in plain view of the TSA agents in a bin with my flip flops and 3-1-1 bag.

 

[duffy]

As a FWIW, today was the first time in *months* that I was able to google what I wanted and actually GET to that TSA page without refreshing for an hour. That site gets busy, sloggy, and buggy. So even if one knows to go there sometimes they can't get there.

And then there's the concept that the govt might have a *useful* site! It boggles the mind sometimes. Both TSA and the IRS have helpful informative websites, but I'm not sure that most people would assume it to be so!

Just out of curiosity, I checked the TSA site, and got on in seconds. I typed "insulin" in the search box at the top, and found answers in seconds again.

I don't know why you have so much trouble getting to them.

 

[Mish]

My son takes medication that has to be kept cold. When we received the machine it came with a carrying case and freezer packs. I have never had a problem going through security. Michelle

 

[SueM in MN]

Just out of curiosity, I checked the TSA site, and got on in seconds. I typed "insulin" in the search box at the top, and found answers in seconds again.

I don't know why you have so much trouble getting to them.

I’ve had the same good luck with various terms (medication, wheelchair, disabilities, etc) - even from an internet search.

 

[Terpsichore]

My son has Type 1 diabetes and he has had no problems getting his insulin and other supplies through security. He carries his insulin in a Frio pouch which helps keep it at a safe temp. (A vial of insulin can be kept at room temp for several weeks once it's opened. It helps minimize bubbles in the tubing of his pump. He used to carry insulin pens before pumping.)

He carries a note from his endo which explains the supplies he's carrying, including stuff he uses to treat low blood sugars.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[The QC]

I am a diabetic who has been using insulin pens for 10+ years.

They do not need to be kept cold for the length of time of a flight or waiting for a flight. Room temperature is fine. You may want to get a fridge in your hotel room for longer term storage.

Although I have not flown for a couple of years, I never had any problems in the past getting pens, syringes, testing supplies, etc. through TSA checks. All of it can go through the conventional metal detector (don't know about full-body scanner, if your airport has one). If you have concerns, have your doctor write a note to the effect of "patient needs to travel with diabetic gear" on letterhead or a prescription pad, DH can hand that to the TSA folks.

Be assured TSA agents see insulin pens and needles every day. I wasn't even hassled on international flights.

I strongly recommend the Frio pouch if you are going someplace hot like Florida or California- it works very well and I use it myself. No refrigeratior needed- it soaks up water and automagically turns cool. If the weather will be mild (50's or 60's) during your visit, you can carry the pens without the Frio in your pocket or satchel.

My only other piece of advice is bring many more pen needles than you think you need- they can get lost, soiled, misplaced, you have more snacks than you planned, etc. Bring a couple of bags of Skittles in case of low blood sugar episodes enroute.

 

[CarolMN]

Here's another recommendation for the Frio product.

I have had no trouble at all getting them through airport security and they work just great!

 

[backyardponder]

Different products apparently have different temperature requirements. I was recently put on Lantus which can be kept at room temperature (below 85 degrees) for up to 28 days.

I have made a couple trips with the Lantus. I put the pen in my plastic bag with my other liquids and have had no problems at all. The first two times I went through TSA with my needles and lancets I told TSA about them. They didn't seem to care. I stopped telling them and they didn't say anything. I think the needle and lancet is so small, it isn't a concern.

 

[nascargirl]

Thank you everyone for all of your replies. I went to our local pharmacy last evening and found a carrying case that does hold a gel type ice pack. I knew I could count on the wonderful people on these boards.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I am a diabetic who has been using insulin pens for 10+ years.

They do not need to be kept cold for the length of time of a flight or waiting for a flight. Room temperature is fine. You may want to get a fridge in your hotel room for longer term storage.

Although I have not flown for a couple of years, I never had any problems in the past getting pens, syringes, testing supplies, etc. through TSA checks. All of it can go through the conventional metal detector (don't know about full-body scanner, if your airport has one). If you have concerns, have your doctor write a note to the effect of "patient needs to travel with diabetic gear" on letterhead or a prescription pad, DH can hand that to the TSA folks.

Be assured TSA agents see insulin pens and needles every day. I wasn't even hassled on international flights.

I strongly recommend the Frio pouch if you are going someplace hot like Florida or California- it works very well and I use it myself. No refrigeratior needed- it soaks up water and automagically turns cool. If the weather will be mild (50's or 60's) during your visit, you can carry the pens without the Frio in your pocket or satchel.

My only other piece of advice is bring many more pen needles than you think you need- they can get lost, soiled, misplaced, you have more snacks than you planned, etc. Bring a couple of bags of Skittles in case of low blood sugar episodes enroute.

Very good explanation. Just what I was going to recommend.

 

[book_junkie]

All the pens I've ever used (Lantus, Novolin, Novolog, etc.) would be fine at room temp for any domestic flight- I just make sure to put them in the minifridge when I get to where I'm going. I don't do heat very well, so we only go to Disney in cooler weather where my pens are fine, but I've heard that you can leave pens at first aid as well if you didn't want to do a Frio pouch.

The only time I've ever had problems with the insulin setting off the TSA was always right around an "incident". I happened to be traveling when the bombing occurred that had us going to the 3-1-1 for gels, and that got my meds some extra attention. Again a few years ago flying back from Boston, there was an incident a few days before we were flying, and everything was looked at very closely. Since all my pens are labeled what they are, I've never had an issue, but I do use Walgreens so I could get a printout of my prescriptions if I needed to in order to prove they are mine. I do make sure to keep my supply of lancelets and pen needles (aside from what's in my travel/ day-to-day case) in their original box with the prescription info on them, so that they're clearly labeled. I've had them rescanned in Xray, and occasionally looked at, but no issues.

The one time I've ever been stopped and pulled aside for anything was when I was wearing a sweater over a T-shirt. Then I got wanded- guess my professional look was too much for them. Now I just wear my sarcastic T-shirts.

Now, my hubby gets stopped frequently for some unknown reason. They've pulled him aside and checked his shoes, his jacket, his shampoo.... Last time they decided to test an unopened plastic jar of bath salts for explosives. We solved that problem by using them all before coming back...