If you have a gut health condition or a food intolerance, there’s no need to stay home. Here are some tips on how to travel almost anywhere with your medications and supplements.
Day Tripping
If you have a food intolerance, such lactose intolerance, carry tablets with you wherever you go. You can find packets that easily fold into purses or pockets. For convenience, you can also use a pill box to take any other supplements that you might need during the day to help you with digestion, and you can keep it handy at work or school.
If you have a child who requires supplements, speak to the school office about the best way to get them to the child. Don’t send supplements to school with children or they risk getting in trouble. Treat supplements the way you would other necessary medication or prescription.
Traveling By Plane
If your travels have you airborne, use caution when packing both medications and supplements. Never pack anything you need with you in your baggage since it may never arrive at your destination.
Don’t try to save space by using a pill box. Instead, leave all pills and supplements in their original bottles. You can bring a pill box with you to sort things later, but don’t give the Transportation Security Administration a reason to discard your medications and supplements. If necessary, a doctor’s note may help explain your conditions and pills.
If you have liquid supplements or prescriptions, store them in a Ziploc baggie. Leave larger-sized items in original bottles and give them to an agent to sort by hand. This process helps you avoid any issues with airline regulations. You can also try to mail your liquids ahead or pick them up at a local pharmacy once you arrive at your destination by having your doctor call ahead of time.
Traveling in Different Time Zones
Some medications require that you take them at certain times each day. If you are traveling to a different time zone, check with your doctor about how to make the switch or if you should continue to take medications at your usual time. Setting an alarm helps you know when to take your medications.
Traveling with Refrigerated Medications and Supplements
If you travel with refrigerated medications or supplements, such as probiotics, you can purchase a travel cooler or use a lunch box with gel inserts or ice packs. Avoid ice because it can melt and ruin your medications. When you book your hotel, make sure a refrigerator is available in the room or request one be placed in your room if possible. If you plan to go camping, be sure to pack your medications in the camp cooler along with other perishables.
More Travel Tips
Even if you’re not going to be in a different time zone, it is easy to become distracted and forget to take your medication. To avoid skipping a dose, set a calendar reminder or a daily alarm in your phone to keep you on track.
It is always best to pack more medication than you need in case plane delays or other issues arise. If you are traveling domestically, you can often pick up an extra prescription at a national pharmacy chain should the need arise or have your local pharmacy transfer the prescription to a pharmacy near your vacation spot.