Vacationing

[Beefull8]

Hi. I was wondering what you all do to prepare for a vacation when being on an airplane and change of air quality triggers your asthma? I haven’t traveled since before the pandemic but that was also the last time I had to take prednisone. I also used to travel for two weeks so I had time for my asthma to calm down before returning on an airplane. If I do vacation again it will be shorter like a week so concerned I won’t be able to get my asthma under control before I return home.

[teddyd]

Thankfully flying does not affect my breathing. I hope someone comes along and shares there experiences.

[Homely2 Administrator]

I take the car by ferry to France or spain. It is easier to keep control that way.

[Beefull8 in reply to Homely2]

That’s so nice to have that option. I live on an island so to go on a trip I need to travel by plane.

[Mandevilla in reply to Beefull8]

Is your island big enough that you can take a break somewhere else on it?

If not, I would suggest speaking to your doctor for advise.

[Beefull8 in reply to Mandevilla]

I have done many staycations and have spoken to my doctor. She says to just start a preventative inhaler a few days to a week before and also to bring prednisone just in case.

[Mandevilla in reply to Beefull8]

That's good news. I hope you are able to enjoy your overseas break and that your doctor's suggestions help keep your asthma under control.

[Beefull8 in reply to Mandevilla]

Me too!

[Birthday60]

Everyone is different but this works for me - I used to fly extensively for leisure and work - often just a day or overnight and sometimes long haul and have severe asthma, so am quite experienced. I make sure I avoid risk of catching a cold or sore throat just prior to flying, get fit, take all my preventative meds as directed and most importantly try to be as relaxed as possible. I take all my meds including an emergency prednisone and antibiotics in my hand luggage and I have s small battery operated nebuliser in case of catastrophe- I’ve never had to use it but it’s very useful! If I can I travel on a window seat and sleep the flight to minimise contact with others if I’m flying alone of get my colleague or partner to sit next to me if not- protect me from a passenger with a cold. I have always done a full Naomi Campbell and sanitised my area before sitting down / 🤞🤞🤞

[Beefull8 in reply to Birthday60]

Great advice! And inspiring to hear how much you have traveled despite severe asthma! Could you tell me where you got the portable nebulizer?

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Beefull8]

You can buy the nebuliser in all sorts of places, but you have to get your doctor to agree to prescribe the medication to go in them. Many won't, as they feel it's dangerous for people to rely on nebulisers instead of getting help.

Some people do have them (it's more common in other countries such as the US), but usually after a lot of discussion and with agreement from a consultant and a plan on how to use them safely. I wouldn't buy anything before you discuss it with your Dr (consultant if you have one).

[Ravotrina]

I didn’t feel any difference in the first plane trip, but last time I traveled I got sick with some kind of virus that left me 5 days hospitalized (we never knew which one, they tested for the more typical virus and bacteria).

Several doctors believe I got sick in the plane, even when my family and I were using KN95 masks, but took them off to eat

My family was OK, I was the only one sick. I did have an asthma attack in the flight back home. It was a short flight.

My advice:

Use your rescue inhaler as a preventive before boarding, and ask for preferential security and boarding because of your disease.

Ask your doctor for a letter that says that you are fit to travel or you may have problems with the airline.

The air in the plain will feel dry and that’s not nice to asthmatics

Use the mask on the plane, don’t take it off to eat (I did and the result was not pretty)

Long history now

I went to Argentina for 5 days (in prednisone 20 mg two times per day since day 2, because my asthma got worse with all the walking, and I was using a mask in all the closed spaces).

I started to feel sick since day 4 at night.

I got home and I was feeling better the next day, it was my birthday and we went to lunch with my family. The next day I woke up with a fever.

My Dr sent me to the ER with a note, and I had bronco pneumonia with several focus in both lungs, spending 5 days in the hospital.

My breathing was bad enough that I didn’t notice I had a serious respiratory infection until I got a fever, my ox sat were between 92% and 89%.

[Beefull8 in reply to Ravotrina]

That sounds terrible! Glad you are ok. Having known what you do now, would you have skipped the trip altogether? I think for me it’s air quality that affects my breathing. Where I live it’s almost aways good but these days there are so many wildfires. I did catch something recently which had me short of breath when moving but my oxy levels stayed at 97 and went up to 98 when I was better.

[Ravotrina in reply to Beefull8]

Hi. No, I will travel again, because my asthma feels almost cured since I started with Nucala. Without the biological, I wouldn’t be able to do almost anything (including traveling)

We’re in winter here, so luckily no smoke from wildfires., but August is the start of polen season, a test for my asthma.

[Beefull8 in reply to Ravotrina]

Glad you found something that helped and hope you will stay controlled for pollen season!

[Poobah]

I've just done a 10 hour flight for my holiday. I wore a mask throughout the flight apart from eating, and drank only water. I hate the air and low humidity on planes and ships and find that a good mask is necessary, even before covid. Drinking water keeps you hydrated. Avoid any drink that dehydrates.

I travel with zinc lozenges & Listerine and use them at the first sign of a sore throat (that's my achilles heal). I also have an emergency pack of Amoxycillin and Prednisolone if the worse happens.

I went through Heathrow and the crowds did make me feel uneasy - just thinking of the odds that a few of them will have a shareable virus. I paid extra for access to a lounge as that area is less populated and has very few little ones. I've no statistical evidence that children are carrying more viruses but I'm not taking any chances.

This is my first holiday since before covid so fingers crossed I stay virus free.

[Beefull8 in reply to Poobah]

Wow amazing! I will send you good thoughts that you will stay healthy! I am so impressed. Even short flights scare me. I always worry about the high altitude and pressure in the plane and if it will affect me. I went to London a decade ago and remember standing up because I figure I had been sitting too long and I felt horrible. That was before I was diagnosed with any illnesses. Since then I have what seems like POTS and chronic fatigue so it’s hard to tell if my shortness of breath is due to that or asthma. Traveling definitely triggers one of them.

[Poobah in reply to Beefull8]

Thank you for the good wishes Beefull8.

I used to always get a chest infection after a long haul flight but over the years I've developed the strategy that suits me and my triggers. We're all different and trying to find ways to lessen the risks that are individual to us can be quite a learning process.

I used to battle with my then GP in order to get a rescue pack of antibiotics and steroids before a holiday with a long haul flight, but my current GP is quite flexible. As we're travelling around it's quite difficult to access health care, if needed, so I've brought the kitchen sink with me in terms of medication.

I do like the sound of travelling with a mini nebuliser though. A good suggestion by Birthday60.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Poobah]

I think the nebuliser may be inaccessible to the majority of asthmatics in the UK though, as they're not recommended for most asthmatics. I do take one and find if very useful, but I already have it - I don't know how far I would have got asking for nebules just for travel.

I won't weigh in on whether that's the right decision for travel, but practically speaking it's likely to be out of reach for many asthmatics. I guess you could make a case for 'I'm going somewhere remote' or 'long flight', but whether that's a good idea depends on the individual and their asthma.

I remember a Dr saying to me that as I had good travel insurance I should be sure to USE it if I needed to, even while in the US, and get care if indicated.

[Poobah in reply to Lysistrata]

A big yes on travel insurance. I've paid a fortune for mine, but at least I know if I do need medical care I'm covered.