traveling with injectible meds

[ZPT1022]

This will be my first time traveling to WDW while taking injectible meds. What will I need to bring in terms of documentation and prescriptions for the airline? Also, will I need to bring a sharps container or does WDW have them? I take my shot an hour before breakfast and an hour before dinner, in the morning we'll be in our hotel room (AKL villa) and in the afternoon/evening we will be at various parks and resorts for dinner. Also, any tips for keeping meds cool while in the parks all day? Oh, and will I be allowed to bring ice packs through security at the airport to keep meds cool? Thank you in advance!

 

[deegack]

I had my doctor write a note and I put it with my needles and medications. I had them separate and handed them to tsa and requested a hand search for them ( I was starting and ivf cycle and I was worried about the medication going through the X-ray machine). For the way back they had to be kept cold so I used these really hard super duper ice packs that took hours to start to melt. It's what they used to ship the meds to me. Whatever you use to keep the meds cold cannot be liquid when it goes through the tsa. You may want to use ice in a bag, dump the ice and bag right before you get to the checkpoint and full up again on te other side. In the parks you can leave meds at first aid.

 

[jmartinez1895]

You will not need to bring anything special as long as your medication has a RX label. If the medication comes in a box then keep the box so you can put it inside of that when traveling. If you call housekeeping once at Disney they will bring a sharps container to your room.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

What are the temperature limits on the medications? If it is insulin (or most other diabetic medicines) there tends to be a lot of flexibility, especially with regards to already open (partially used) containers.

I would suggest going to www.coolerconcept.com and looking at the Frio Cold Packs. There are several people in this forum, myself included, who use them.

These are gel packs that are water activated. They will keep the internal temperature at insulin-safe levels for over 40 hours. As the water evaporates you can just soak it in water for a few minutes to reactivate it. They come in various sizes.

For example, I have a "double wallet". Depending on what I am doing it will hold my Byetta pen as well as either a syringe with insulin in it or two insulin vials. And I tend to do at least five air round trips a year and have never had any problems with TSA over it.

 

[brettcw23]

This will be my first time traveling to WDW while taking injectible meds. What will I need to bring in terms of documentation and prescriptions for the airline? Also, will I need to bring a sharps container or does WDW have them? I take my shot an hour before breakfast and an hour before dinner, in the morning we'll be in our hotel room (AKL villa) and in the afternoon/evening we will be at various parks and resorts for dinner. Also, any tips for keeping meds cool while in the parks all day? Oh, and will I be allowed to bring ice packs through security at the airport to keep meds cool? Thank you in advance!

I am a veteran Type I diabetic (approaching 32 years with the disease) and I always pack my inculin, pump supplies and syringes and such all in a 1 gallon bag or small tote. I tape an inventory of everything on the bag\tote. The security folks have complimented me for how well organized it is. A simple note from the doctor will also help you out.

 

[ZPT1022]

Thank you everyone for the replies, I appreciate you all sharing your experiences.

What are the temperature limits on the medications? If it is insulin (or most other diabetic medicines) there tends to be a lot of flexibility, especially with regards to already open (partially used) containers.

I would suggest going to www.coolerconcept.com and looking at the Frio Cold Packs. There are several people in this forum, myself included, who use them.

These are gel packs that are water activated. They will keep the internal temperature at insulin-safe levels for over 40 hours. As the water evaporates you can just soak it in water for a few minutes to reactivate it. They come in various sizes.

For example, I have a "double wallet". Depending on what I am doing it will hold my Byetta pen as well as either a syringe with insulin in it or two insulin vials. And I tend to do at least five air round trips a year and have never had any problems with TSA over it.

I am actually on Byetta, so that is perfect- thank you! I've only been on it a few months and so far only had to travel a few hours away by car so that was easy to manage. That Frio wallet looks great, not just for traveling but also for day trips once warmer weather hits. Thanks so much!

 

[buffettgirl]

we're also very organized going through security - so I pull aside one bin just for my son, and place in it a large baggie which holds any liquid or otherwise prohibited items like opened insulin, extra juice boxes and sharps glucagon, and I also place in the same bin a cooler bag (lunch bag type thing) with ice packs and juice boxes and unopened insulin needing to stay cold. Usually the next bin will have his test strips and meter and other various things (alcohol wipes etc) I just keep it all together for them and then just say to the security guy "diabetes" and point to my son. They've never asked a single question They know what they're looking for. But yes, as many ice packs as you think you'll need can go through security.

I also ditto the recommendation for the frio bags, they don't keep things cool, but they do prevent over heating (or they keep things roughly at whatever temp you place them in. We've carried insulin safely around in July with zero trouble.

 

[ZPT1022]

we're also very organized going through security - so I pull aside one bin just for my son, and place in it a large baggie which holds any liquid or otherwise prohibited items like opened insulin, extra juice boxes and sharps glucagon, and I also place in the same bin a cooler bag (lunch bag type thing) with ice packs and juice boxes and unopened insulin needing to stay cold. Usually the next bin will have his test strips and meter and other various things (alcohol wipes etc) I just keep it all together for them and then just say to the security guy "diabetes" and point to my son. They've never asked a single question They know what they're looking for. But yes, as many ice packs as you think you'll need can go through security.

I also ditto the recommendation for the frio bags, they don't keep things cool, but they do prevent over heating (or they keep things roughly at whatever temp you place them in. We've carried insulin safely around in July with zero trouble.

So they will let me bring juice through just in case? That is good to know, we are dealing with multiple food allergies so I have to be careful, I can't count on being able to find something safe after the security checkpoint.

 

[buffettgirl]

So they will let me bring juice through just in case? That is good to know, we are dealing with multiple food allergies so I have to be careful, I can't count on being able to find something safe after the security checkpoint.

yep, as long as it is something to treat your medical condition it is allowed.
I recommend reading the TSA's section on travelling with special needs and perhaps printing out the website (or bookmarking it on your phone, in case anyone questions you)
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/index.shtm

Additionally, we are continuing to permit prescription liquid medications and other liquids needed by persons with disabilities and medical conditions. This includes:

• All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
• Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
• Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs;
• Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
• Frozen items are allowed as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 requirements.

 

[PatsMom]

When I was on Byetta, I used the frio pack when the weather was hot. In the winter, I just carried the pen around in my bag. The frio pack works great for your in use pen in hot weather. You actually have a fair amount of tolerance on the temperature limits for Byetta. When I was first put on it, we had to refrigerate all the time. Then a few months later, they changed the recommendation to refrigerate the unopened pens only. But if you have to take a spare pen with you, you won't have a problem with a small cooler and ice packs.

I've never tried to take juice boxes through security with me. When I was on insulin and now that I am on glipizide I do have problems with lows but I use chewable carb tablets. Not the greatest, but edible. I've read of some who use cake icing gel tubes. I would expect those would be allowed in your medical bag.

I put all my medications together. I've never bothered with an RX for opened injectables and I've never had a problem, even travelling overseas. But if you are nervous about it, it wouldn't hurt to keep the box your pen came in with the prescription label. But they see so many diabetics that they really don't bat an eyelash, other than the ice packs. Last trip I just put my stuff through the x-ray in my back pack since I didn't need to refrigerate.

Housekeeping will bring sharps containers. I have about a 50% success ratio with that! If it doesn't show up the first night, I just say the heck with it and put my used needles into a heavy duty plastic bottle like the Vitamin Water bottles. When I leave, I put a large note saying medical waste - sharps under the bottle. Since Disney has never called me, and they know it was my room, I figure they must be OK with it.

 

[ttintagel]

I also use the Frio wallet. It does a great job. I use an insulin pump, so I don't have to carry the vial around with me all day, but it kept my insulin cool from early morning in New York to early evening in Orlando in June. I get an in-room fridge for the spare vials, and a sharps container from Mousekeeping.

I've never had any trouble taking insulin, syringes, and pump supplies through airport security. I get a note from my doctor, but I've never been asked to show it.

That's good to know about the juice. I usually carry glucose tablets or gel, but they're not my first choice if juice is available.

 

[buffettgirl]

I also use the Frio wallet. It does a great job. I use an insulin pump, so I don't have to carry the vial around with me all day, but it kept my insulin cool from early morning in New York to early evening in Orlando in June. I get an in-room fridge for the spare vials, and a sharps container from Mousekeeping.

I've never had any trouble taking insulin, syringes, and pump supplies through airport security. I get a note from my doctor, but I've never been asked to show it.

That's good to know about the juice. I usually carry glucose tablets or gel, but they're not my first choice if juice is available.

two things: you may need to check the temp in the fridge before you use it. there was a terribly unfortunate incident one year at FFL (the large diabetes conf) held at Coronado Springs. Every fridge was too cold and essentially more than a few dozen people had frozen insulin. So check the temp first.

Glucose tabs are our first choice as we think they work faster, but if he's having a really bad low then sucking down a juice is far easier than chomping through 4 tabs - so that's why we carry the juice on a flight. When he was younger and not pumping we had more long lasting lows that needed fat and protein after the initial glucose, so we also carried drinkable yogurt with us too, and that too was never an issue with security.

 

[ttintagel]

Glucose tabs are our first choice as we think they work faster, but if he's having a really bad low then sucking down a juice is far easier than chomping through 4 tabs - so that's why we carry the juice on a flight.

Same thing for me - it's not so much that the juice works better but that it's easier to get down!

 

[KB'sMom]

I carry an injectible med and honestly forgot about it when we went through security in January and so it stayed in my back pack (vial and a couple of syringes). We were never even asked about them - not sure if they weren't picked up by the machines or if they just weren't concerned.

 

[buffettgirl]

I carry an injectible med and honestly forgot about it when we went through security in January and so it stayed in my back pack (vial and a couple of syringes). We were never even asked about them - not sure if they weren't picked up by the machines or if they just weren't concerned.

I've done similar. I carry my son's glucagon (which is an unmixed liquid and powder with a giant syringe) in my purse. I ALWAYS forget to take it out when he's not with me and I've gone through security numbers of times without declaring it. And they've never done anything, or even asked a questions.

pretty scary huh?