Eurocamping with Benepali!

[Mhairi54]

We're off on our holidays in a couple of weeks time - woo hoo! Just looking for a wee bit of advice around how best to store my Benepali whilst we're away. I'm in the process of changing my injection day so that I will take one at home on the day we fly out, one the middle weekend whilst we're away, then one again on the day we arrive back in Scotland. So it's only one injection that I have to worry about during the holiday.

I'm aware that as long as the Benepali is kept below 25 degrees it's ok for 4 weeks after being taken out of the fridge (and that it can't be put back in the fridge again). So I'm just wondering how best to keep it at an appropriate temperature once we get to our accommodation. We're staying in a caravan in the south of france, and whilst it has air conditioning, you're not supposed to keep it on all the time. So I'm wondering if I kept it in a dark cupboard under a pile of clothes if you think that would be ok?!

Thinking about buying an icool weekender medication storage bag to transport it in on the plane. I could just buy an extra gel pack for this and keep it stored in this and refreezing/swapping the gel packs until injection day? And should i take 2 injections with me in case something happens to one of them? Not sure if Healthcare at Home allow you to 'waste' an injection just in case. For anyone with experience of this, your advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Mhairi54]

mollymojo.co.uk/icool-weeke...

mollymojo.co.uk/i-cool-gel-...

Has anyone used these before? Are they any good? Or are there better ones you could recommend?

[Pat9442 in reply to Mhairi54]

They are brilliant - and you get a free gift from mollymojo as well!

[Scottishlad in reply to Mhairi54]

I have the iCool Prestige which works well for 24hrs. The Weekender may be a bit small depending the size of your injections, the Prestige gives you an extra 12 hours of cool time.

[Pat9442]

I had the same problem. Did just what you suggest. Bought an iCool which actually takes 3 pens and an extra cool pack. The iCool will keep the Benepali at around 3degrees for 24 hours out of the fridge, and it stayed around 15 degrees after that which was fine. Just don't buy something suitable for insulin. It will not be cool enough

[Mhairi54 in reply to Pat9442]

Great, thank you!

[Moomin8]

I've been looking for something to take my Cimzia away so I've just ordered one - thanks! 😁 However, I ordered 2 cool packs so that I could cool one down whilst the other one did it's job...just hoping my meaty-sized Cimzia pen fits!

[Matalow]

Ask healthcare at home they gave me a cool bag compleat with freezer packs. It is just the right size. Also don't forget to take a letter or you won't get it through airport security.

Have a great holiday.

Regards Mike

[Moomin8 in reply to Matalow]

I have asked HAH and they don't give anything away like that unfortunately 😕

[Scottishlad]

For Cimzia I would recommend the iCool Prestige. I think the Weekender is a bit small for the large Cimzia syringes​. The Prestige will in my experience keep Cimzia cool for 24hrs.

This is the link on Molly Mojo

mollymojo.co.uk/i-cool-pres...

[Scottishlad]

On your question about taking 2 injections I would be reluctant to do this considering the cost of biologic therapies. I have twice skipped my Cimzia for medical reasons, once when I was on antibiotics and once when I had a tooth extracted. I really had no noticeable changes in my condition from the missed doses. I know that Cimzia costs several hundred pounds per dose, do you think it is worth wasting an injection? Mind you, the unused injection should be usable on your return if you keep it below 25C.

As for the storage when you get to France this is where the insulin packs might be suitable. They cannot keep stuff down to fridge temperatures but they​ will protect from the extremes of summer heat which is what you are looking for. Benepali has this flexibility to be stored at higher temperatures for a period, unfortunately my Cimzia has to kept at fridge temperatures.

[Moomin8]

My icool weekender bag arrived today ☺-thank you for your suggestion. I ordered 2 cooling bags (one for spare) and I only needed to have ordered one as there was one in the bag - der brain 🤔😁

Very happy with the speedy delivery. Oh yes - I got an extra pressie in there: some zinc C tablets (only 6 of them) and a drink of apricot and apple...weird lol.

[Mhairi54 in reply to Moomin8]

Oh good! I really need to order mine - it's on the to do list for tomorrow! Thanks again.

[Moomin8]

The only problem is: my Cimzia pen is so bulky that it doesn't fit under any of the 3 loops of elastic; it's too round in circumference (the unit isn't very deep) so I'll have to keep it lose in there and makes the unit bulge. I'm sure it'll be ok as long as I don't put anything heavy on top and I only need to take one. Happy shopping!