I’ll be going to Korea for two weeks this month. I spoke to my Nephrologist who told me that he never had anyone under his care travel internationally and only gave medicine advice on taking it 12 hours apart.
Korea will be 17hrs difference after daylight savings. Does anyone have any advice tips on traveling internationally with the whole time difference??
What should I do? How should I plan?? What to do about medicine etc??? What made it easier safer?
Much appreciated and thank you!
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Dna4christ
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PreCovid, I made many international trips for work as well as for vacations. Depending where I was going, I would begin moving the time I took my meds by one hour each day for the needed number of days prior the trip (you'd need 5 days for 17 hrs, because 12 hrs I would be the same). If you take prednisone, keep it in your morning dose as it can cause insomnia. Then just do the reverse for your return. Be certain to keep all your meds with you in your carry-on bag.
I haven't been on a plane during the pandemic out of fear of Covid, but beyond staying masked in airports as well as on the flight(s), I would advise that you carefully research what you would do for treatment should you become infected while travelling.
thank you for your advice. I’ve thought of doing that but it’s a short trip and I’m so afraid of messing up! Not good with math here I’m afraid. Have you tried taking them normal times? I thought of taking them at 7am and 7pm PST which will be 11am/pm there.
I had my transplant in 2020 and travelled to India this summer - my first international trip after Covid and Transplant. As you are aware time difference is almost 12hrs so I did adjust my medication time. During travel, I set my alarm and had my meds( full dose) once in 24 hrs. I am on Tac and Prednisone Mornings only. Once I reached India - I took half a dose of Tac to adjust to the timezone. Next day on words I started the usual dose in Mornings.
Reverse cycle to adjust when I returned back to USA.
I did not consult anyone about this. It was something I thought was safest rather than skipping a dose of Tac.
Having travelled “long haul” to a number of different continents after my transplant I would suggest that you do your best to stick to your usual times when you’re travelling or away but adapt them to suit the time zones gradually, the above link suggests that you have a 2-3 hour window but personally I’ve gone longer when adapting. A fellow transplant patient once put my mind at rest and said that your body retains and absorbs your medication for some time, it won’t suddenly drop off a cliff after 12 hours. Just move your times slowly to suit over a day or so.
Definitely take enough medication for the trip in your carry on hand luggage and in the hold (in case your baggage goes missing).
Take a letter/prescription from your GP explaining your drugs for security etc when crossing boarders.
Make sure you get all the jabs that you need before you go.
thank you!!! I will do that!! I did go to Korea once awhile back but the med times without food has been a lot stricter since then— making me more nervous!
I have traveled internationally and within the US where there are time differences. I have always kept my medication scheduled the same. For example I take my Tacrolimus and Myfortic at 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at home, so when I travel to somewhere where there is a 9 hour time difference, then I take my meds at 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time. I just adjust my medication alarm. That way the “dosage time” is consistent- it’s just the local time that changes. Hope that makes sense. (Also hope that I’m adjusting my timing correctly).
that sounds great. I’m trying to do that or get as close as possible.. I usually take tacrolimus at 9am but it would be 2am Korean time which doesn’t seem so ideal. Currently I’ve been moving one hour back to 7am so I can take it 12 pm there and 12am. Prednisone 3pm here to take 8am there but I’m not sure how that’s going to work since I need food.. hahaa this is so complicating!!
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