Tell us your holiday and travel tips

Hi everyone,

Can you share your top tips and tricks when planning to go away on holiday to help you manage your asthma?

We'll be sharing the best ones back to the wider AUK community,

Thanks very much,

Dita

[risabel59]

Hi there,

As my asthma can flare very easily, I always take with me a rescue course of Prednisolone and a course of my rescue antibiotics.

As viral infections can land me hospital, I always have a travel pack of Antiseptic wipes. Aircraft can be very dirty, I always wipe seat arms and tray table with wipes. If I use the toilet I am very careful about washing my hands, and then only touch door handle with a tissue on way out.

I make sure that all my meds are in my hand baggage and take spare inhalers and a few extra doses of everything in case we get stuck.

I also make sure that my reliever inhaler is close to hand on the plane, in case someone has some triggering perfume on. Then it is dreadful if the seat belt sign goes on if inhaler is not to hand.

I find me that obsessive hand washing is essential in hot countries, as well as antibacterial hand gel.

I do always have proper travel insurance in case of emergency.

If we are going to out of the way places, I always take a sleeping bag liner and my own pillow, bad bedding can flare my asthma.

Although I mostly have not had problems with medications through security it is worth having a list of your prescribed medications stamped and signed by your GP. It can save a lot of problems particularly if you split packs and the pills don't have prescription labels.

I also have a health record on my phone, and my written asthma plan so I can show it someone in an emergency .

There's probably a ton more things, but these are things I always do.

Best

R

[Hidden in reply to risabel59]

Really useful thank you risabel59

If you think of anymore, do add them onto the post.

Thanks again!

Dita

[Hidden]

Hi,

1) Plan ahead. If you are going abroad sort out you travel insurance well in advance to avoid any last minute panics. About a month in advance I also do a stock take of all my medication and make a list of everything that will need to be ordered to see me through the holiday. Don't leave ordering your meds until the last minute just in case there is a problem with availability. Request your meds about three weeks in advance.

2) Take a spare of all inhalers. I usually have two ventolin inhalers anyway (one which stays at home and one that goes everywhere with me). The same rule applies when I'm on holiday; one is kept wherever I am staying, one goes everywhere with me.

3). Everything is packed, you're ready to go. Last thing before you walk out the door/get in the car and drive off, check that you have your medication even if you are certain that you packed it. My husband calls this my paranoia check and has learned to put my luggage in the car where I can get at it easily. He knows that even though the front door is locked and we're ready to go, I will still want to check that I have my medication with me.

4). If travelling abroad by plane, always keep critical medication with you in cabin luggage just in case your hold luggage gets left behind/goes on a detour. Unlike Risabel I have encountered issues with medication at security regarding inhalers. Manchester Airport (which I used this summer) treated all inhalers (dry powder accuhalers as well) with the same level of caution as tubes of toothpaste, so they needed to be put in a clear plastic bag. I was also asked to open a sealed box (with a prescription label on it) containing a spare flixotide accuhaler; the security chap did stop short of opening the sealed inhaler package within it. If you have a lot of medication see if you can get a printed out list of what you need from your GP to take with you. This is particularly important if you have any liquid medication that needs to be decanted in to 100ml bottles; you might need to prove that you have been prescribed it. I have two medicines in liquid form (neither of them asthma related but one of which I needed to take during the course of the flight) and was asked if I had any evidence that they were prescribed, despite the fact that they were in 100ml bottles. The security people did seem happy enough with the printed out list I produced.

Have a good holiday

[Hidden]

Thanks Hidden

Really helpful tips.