Medication in Carry on Question

[Indy's Girl]

I am packing for our trip cool1: ) and am struggling with how/where to pack some of my medications. Please bear with me and help me out!

1. Should OTC meds (like benadryl, nyquil etc) be packed carry on or checked? I figure the only reason to pack carryon would be if I thought we would need them before ME delivers luggage but I need to clarify.

2. I need to pack my Claritin-D in my carryon. My problem is that I wanted to pack the whole supply as we will need it and I know this is what you do with Rx meds that you need, however I have 30 pills that are packaged 5 to a box so I have 6 big bulky boxes to pack. The prescription label thing is taped to one box, can I empty all the others and consolodate to this one box? My worry is the "meds in original packaging" thing, will this be okay? The box obviously says 5 pills, but the Rx sticker says 30 pills as the dosage.

3. I have 2 inhalers for my asthma I need to pack. I never thought about them being liquid before, but I guess it is liquid inside. Should I pack these in my 3-1-1 bag or seperate? I can fit them in the 3-1-1 bag w/o problem, just don't know if meds HAVE TO be seperate.

4. This is the one I worry about the most. I have some little tubes of sterile saline/med solution to be used with a nebulizer for my asthma. These are obviously liquid, but I have long ago thrown away the original packaging. They are just little tubes that say "sterile solution" or some such on them. I know what they are for, I will be carrying my nebulizer on board with me, but will TSA refuse to allow them on without the packaging? I don't have to use my nebulizer very often (not in the last 8 months or so) and so it is not like I will need the meds on arrival to the airport, but would hate to pack them in checked and have the bag get lost and then need it (long shot I know). Should I suck it up and pack it checked or will it be fine in the 3-1-1 bag. Oh, and along with that, can I have as many of a specific liquid item in a bag as I want as long as it fits in the bag, or is it limited to one of each type (for example, I have 2 2oz sunscreen tubes, can they both go in one bag?)



Thank you all for you patience and help!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

Just DON'T pack Rx meds in checked baggag, ever -- unless you are just fine with never seeing them again. It really doesn't matter what the meds are -- thieves who look for meds in baggage take them quickly and don't stop to read the labels until much later.

There is no size limit on liquid meds; you just need to declare them so that TSO's know that they are in your carryon when it is scanned. For simplicity, I just put them all in a big ziploc marked with my name and "Medications". Liquid meds don't have to be Rx, OTC is OK, too, but if nothing on the package makes clear that the usage is medical (such as the words "dosage" "sterile", etc.) then it is best to have your doc give you a note specifying the usage.

TSA does not restrict and has no authority over meds in pill form, except that if they see known controlled substances, especially in large quantities, they may notify law enforcement, who do have such authority. You can repackage pills into dosage containers, though as always it is a good idea to carry a copy or list of the scrip info, in case of emergency. Your pharmacy should be able to generate a list for you if you ask.

 

[Indy's Girl]

Thanks for the info NotUrsula, I will make sure to pack all the Rx meds in carry on

I have another quick question, should I have the security person hand check my water camera (film), Mini DV tapes for the vid cam, digital camera or video camera? I have no idea of what the x-ray thing will damage, I have heard film but nothing about digital. Thanks.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Thanks for the info NotUrsula, I will make sure to pack all the Rx meds in carry on

I have another quick question, should I have the security person hand check my water camera (film), Mini DV tapes for the vid cam, digital camera or video camera? I have no idea of what the x-ray thing will damage, I have heard film but nothing about digital. Thanks.

Any film 800 ISO and over needs to be hand checked. Video tapes and digital cameras are find to go through the x-ray. Your video camera will have to be taken out of its case, screen opened, and placed in a seprate tub to go through.

Have a great trip.