Type 1 diabetes travel advice

When you are travelling, you will need to test your blood glucose level more frequently. It could be raised if you have been sitting still in the car or on a plane or eating food with more carbohydrates than usual. The excitement involved in visiting a new city or country may also increase your blood glucose level.

Remember to always take spare insulin. Keep insulin kits in your hand luggage but make sure that you have an extra set in another bag. If you are flying, don’t put insulin in your check-in luggage because there is a risk of it freezing at high altitudes and check-in luggage is more likely to get lost or arrive late. You will need to carry some kind of ID confirming that you have diabetes to show to security and customs before taking your insulin through.

Usually, you will not have a problem getting insulin from a pharmacy abroad if you can prove that you have diabetes. Take a card with a record of your doses, concentration and brand of insulin, or bring the original box. When you are travelling, it may be difficult to store your insulin in a refrigerator all the time. However, it will not be wasted during a short trip, as long as you avoid temperatures above 25-30°C (77-86°F) or extremely low temperatures because insulin that has been frozen loses its effect.

You should also take dextrose and glucagon with you. Glucagon can treat serious hypoglycaemia even if you are a long way from emergency care. Make sure that the people you are travelling with know how and when dextrose and glucagon should be used.

Your diabetes should not stand in the way of you getting away. If you have any concerns whilst you are travelling, you are never more than a phone call away from your diabetes healthcare team.