Timing of medication when abroad

[Botolph]

In just over a week’s time I shall be going to New Zealand for six weeks and I’m wondering how to manage my medication as the time difference when I’m there is 13 hours. t the moment, I take Bisoprolol in the morning along with Indapamide and Apixaban, and then Losartan and another Apixaban in the evening. If I keep to the same timing when I fly, taking my medication when I’m there will be the other way round. Is that OK? I think it’s the Bisoprolol I’m most concerned about. Any advice welcome.

[Hidden]

Hiya,

When I have flown to Sydney I usually get a flight from Heathrow which gets me in at around 6.30am Sydney morning. Can't be bovvered about in flight meds. Far too hard doing the Maths. So on a nice Sydney morning I just start my morning doses again as I would have done at home. Then that evening just carry on with my evening doses.

I always make sure I have a weeks meds in my cabin baggage, the rest in hold baggage. Also carry a letter from my surgery confirming these are approved prescription drugs. Depending on your drugs can't think that a 13 hour delay/ time lapse isn't going to impact too badly, if at all.

You could always get an opinion from your pharmacist.

John

[Botolph in reply to Hidden]

Thank you John. That sounds a definite plan. And yes asking my pharmacist is also something positive I could do, as getting a telephone appointment to ask my GP means a two week wait and I’ll be off by then.

Wendy

[Hidden in reply to Botolph]

Hiya Wendy ..... hope it is of some help to you. I envy you off to kiwi land. Nice time of year to be going. When I go Immigration hates me as I travel to Oz on two passports - so I arrive in Sydney on an Aussie passport but when I leave to return to UK I travel on a Pommie passport and therefore they have no record of my arriving in Sydney. I almost get banged up in an illegal detention centre. 😂😂😂

Enjoy your trip.

John

[Morzine]

depends when you’re flying time wise I guess. I think we all forget our tablets sometimes and come to know harm. make sure up to date with tabs before flying, and if in air at anti coagulant second tab take it.I thrn just kind of elongate the timings to thrn fit in with my new time.

Another time I’ve just skipped my tabs on arrival and thrn started afresh…because elongating the timings did seem a tad complicated.

Sue

[Botolph in reply to Morzine]

Thank you for your thoughts. I am thinking along the same lines as you, which is skipping a tablet and then starting afresh in New Zealand. Depending on the result I might do that when I return.

[Shcldavies]

Meds like Biso have a long half life in you body and consequently not too dependant upon exact time between dose, so whatever you decide will be OK. Main thing is not to stop taking them suddenly for days on end . As a rule of thumb it should not have an effect for the first 36 hours but best to gradually change the time you take them in say 2 hour steps per day (you probably could go up to 12 hours without any significant effect). Taking them regularly in the morning or the evening could in theory have a slight affect on their effectiveness after a few days.

[Botolph in reply to Shcldavies]

An interesting fact about Biso. At the moment I’m inclined to only miss one so that I can start again in the morning in NZ - which is just a twelve hour lapse. Good to hear from people who’ve done this and there’s not been any negative effects. Thank you for your good advice.

[baba]

Take your APIXABAN 12 hourly. Very important especially as on long haul flight.

[Botolph]

Yes. I’m hoping to do that. With taking the Apixaban twelve hours apart does seem a bit easier than the others.

[KiwiBlake]

Advice?...........pack both your sunscreen and rain coat or umbrella! It's been a weird summer here in NZ. Enjoy your holiday.

[Botolph in reply to KiwiBlake]

Yes, I’ve been keeping up to date as my son lives in Auckland. I believe you even had a state of emergency last week owing to the floods. Oh well, living in the UK we have become used to all the seasons coming in one day. At least snow isn’t forecast for the North Island.