IBD
Traveling with IBD
December 29, 2021
in IBD
There are various opinions about how safe or dangerous traveling with IBD can be, depending on where you travel and considering exposure to unfamiliar environments and food, as well as different bacteria and viruses (even without Covid concerns). Many people soldier on and make the journey, refusing to stop living life, while others avoid travel, preferring caution as an understandable means of self-preservation. What say you all? How can we best travel and enjoy life while still taking care of ourselves and our loved ones (as care partners)?
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I think we need to balance risk with potential rewards - some travel is worth it - but not all!
I think a lot of this is pretty individual, and it even depends on where you're at with your disease. When I was at my sickest, I didn't travel, but then again, I wasn't even making trips to the grocery store at that point either. When I'm feeling decently well, I've done a fair amount of travel, and I've been grateful that I have gone on those trips and had those experiences. Since my diagnosis, I've safely done cross country road trips and international air travel (UK and China, coming from the US). Some tips for those who want to travel:
1) If you're doing international travel, especially to a place like China where the language is different and the standards of hygiene may be different, visit with a Travel Medicine specialist. They can make sure you're up to date on vaccinations, give you prescriptions that you can take in the event that you get sick from local food/water, and provide recommendations of how to travel safely. For example, my Travel Medicine doc advised a particular water bottle for filtering water during my trip to Shanghai, as well as making sure that I knew what foods I could/couldn't eat and that I knew to avoid wet markets.
2) Take some sort of food with you that is safe for you. It may not be the most nutritious, but this is just about making sure you can get some kind of food no matter where you go. I took granola bars and peanut butter crackers with me to China and lived on those. So much of the food was questionable for me that having those with me meant that I was still able to eat meals even when my Chinese colleagues weren't with me to verify food prep and ingredients at restaurants.
3) Get information on local doctors and hospitals, just so that if an emergency arises, you're not stuck scrambling to find a place to go.
4) Know the rules with your medications for flying and entering another country (there can be restrictions). For certain medications, it's worth having your GI write a letter saying what it is and why you need it. For example, I traveled to London while I was taking methotrexate injections, so my doctor wrote a note explaining the meds and why I had the needles with me on the plane. I've never needed it, but it's always good to have, just in case.
5) Purchase travel insurance. If you're flying with an airline that normally doesn't refund flights, you can usually pay a little extra when you purchase your ticket to protect yourself financially in case you get sick. That can add a little peace of mind.
6) Have plenty of medications on hand. You should always verify that you have enough meds before you leave for your trip, including a few extra doses just in case something changes with your travel plans (flights do get cancelled and delayed, after all).
7) Don't be afraid to travel. Seriously, it is so worth it. I've thrown up at a tube station in London before and had to make a run to an ER immediately after landing in a destination because of a fever I developed during the flight. But every single time, even if I've had a little hiccup, I've been grateful that I've traveled and that I didn't stay home. The memories I've made on those trips are worth so much, and realizing that I can overcome those difficulties makes me so much more confident in myself.
Care Partner of Adult
What a great post, Katelyn! Thank you for sharing.
Katelyn's information was very thorough and helpful! I agree with all of it. Talking to your partner about what places they would love to travel to and figuring out what is more realistic considering all the necessary individual arrangements that are needed on an individual basis. Also, if your coming off a flare or still dealing with any traumatic experiences from a flare traveling can be intimidating and bring on anxiety. It helps when there is a strong desire for the patient to really want to experience wherever they are going it will help push them mentally to overcome hesitation with traveling. Personally, I used to have issues with traveling and my UC would seem like it would try to act up during the traveling process. Like I would be totally ok and then on travel day my stomach is turning, it feels like I have to go to the bathroom often etc. Also, it got to a point where when I was always at a certain point during the drive of the airport I would feel the urge to have to go to the bathroom and once I pulled up. It was ridiculously crazy the mental aspect of it all. But I was so determined to push through and figure out a way to overcome it even if I was driving myself crazy overthinking. I would put a pad or an adult diaper on if need be, pack an extra one, underwear, wipes, sanitizer,etc and have it in my carry bag in case I couldn't make it to the restroom, I found calming music to distract my mind, tried grounding exercises, etc. I say all this to say that grace, patience is needed and the excitement or desire to travel wherever you're heading helps to deal with the mental battles head on plus looking up all the things Katelyn said and whatever else that is specific to your needs.
I've been pushing off traveling since getting my diagnosis but finally took the jump recently. I made sure to pack all of my medications (these do not count towards the the liquid carry-on limit!) Definitely show up early if you are flying because you might need more time through the initial security checkpoint. I also brought prescription information which helped this process go quicker.
At my destination, I made sure to bring around my fanny pack that I always had with me that contained medication, wet wipes, and anything else that I might need urgently.
I got a window seat for my plane because I love the view but won't do this again as the aisle is necessary to head to the bathroom quickly.
Have you gone on your trip? How did it go?
Care Partner of Adult
@IbraK "I also brought prescription information which helped this process go quicker.
At my destination, I made sure to bring around my fanny pack that I always had with me that contained medication, wet wipes, and anything else that I might need urgently.
I got a window seat for my plane because I love the view but won't do this again as the aisle is necessary to head to the bathroom quickly."
This is all excellent advice and the kind that comes from experience. Thank you for sharing with our community. I'm sure these tips will help someone on their future travels. :-)
Patient
I love to travel, but always have backups of my pills (in my carry-on, in my dopp kit, and in my checked baggage). I also usually pack 2.5x the amount of pills that I will need for my trip because you never know what types of delays you may have to deal with.
Always have extra "safe" food on your person as well as water. Know where bathrooms are, know your body, and never feel ashamed of yourself. If you're honest, the world will often show empathy and give you access to bathrooms even if their "employee only".
Care Partner of Adult
In response to @PMAsince97 's comment about kind businesses allowing employee only restroom access, I am again sharing the front and back of this card for suggested printing and keeping in your wallet:
Patient
Great card, I actually had to show it once...felt empowered/VIP!