Travelling and SI B12

[MrsTuft]

Advice please.

The government guidelines are that you need a letter from your doctor to carry needles. But my doctor doesn’t know I SI. Do I have to put it all in checked / hold luggage? Was hoping to carry it as I’ll be doomed without it?!

gov.uk/airport-rights

[JanD236]

My Dr gives me a prescription for a monthly B12 injection which I si. When travelling abroad I usually carry my B12, needles etc in my hand luggage and keep my fingers crossed that if questioned I’d show the B12 on my repeat prescription and that would suffice. No idea if it would as I haven’t been challenged yet

As I si twice a week the amount I carry is often more than explained by the prescription so I do worry about it.

My hand luggage has been xrayed at the airport but I haven’t been pulled over yet.

[MrsTuft in reply to JanD236]

Thank you. Fingers crossed then!

[jade_s]

This question gets asked a lot and not once have I heard anyone report ever being stopped or questioned, with or without a prescription. You will be fine.

I regularly travel with very large quantities because i inject 2x day. No prescription. Several times on longer trips i've had 100+ syringes & needles & b12 in hand baggage and no one batted an eye when it went through security. My eye drops of 120 mL was a very different story 😂

I do take everything in hand luggage due to several trips where luggage got delayed by several days, and i don't want to risk being without.

Happy travels!

[MrsTuft in reply to jade_s]

Thank you! Yes I SI ED so it’s a lot. I’ll do as you say and be terrrified until I get through security! I’ve recently tried twice a day on busy days and it’s helped so much.

[jade_s in reply to MrsTuft]

Glad to hear it's helping

Why not take some backup in checked luggage? I did that in the early days when i was also worried about security. You'll waste a bit of luggage space and bring it all back but you'll have peace of mind.

[Lasue]

when you travel still take a letter plus the prescription script

Ask for double prescription one for in the hold luggage and one for carry on same goes for the paperwork this helps get round the SI extra regime

Although Uk has our B12 Registered as a drug other countries do not however the needles and syringes are a different story ! I soon am emigrating to Indonesia which has strict rules on any prescribed drug etc and I’m doing belt and braces letter script and double up very nervous too but hey ho !

If your GP won’t do it it may be worth paying for private Gp appointment to get letter etc

Have safe and happy travels 😎

[MrsTuft in reply to Lasue]

Thanks but nobody is going to give me a letter for daily SI! My NHS record says six weekly.

[Zac2022]

have carried mine all over the world in hand luggage. No prescription, no letters. Never a problem….only stopped once for the security guy to tell me he was also b12 deficient!

[MrsTuft in reply to Zac2022]

Fab!

[DiNL]

I just travelled from Amsterdam-to London and back. I had no issues. I did have a doc letter with me but no one at security in Amsterdam or London questioned me. My needles and vials were in my hand luggage.

[MrsTuft in reply to DiNL]

Fab thank you. X

[SweetPotatoDolphin]

Hi, I'm new here, stumbled upon the site whilst researching B12 injections, which I have to have (for the first time ever) over the next 2 weeks. I hope you don't mind me asking, why doesn't your GP know you SI? Does he/she refuse to prescribe you the right amount?

[MrsTuft in reply to SweetPotatoDolphin]

Because the NHS guidelines are every 8 weeks for neurological symptoms but I need a lot more than that to not be disabled by it. Actually the guidelines also say every other day injections until you’re better but GP’s usually only do that for two weeks. It can take years to recover so loads of us have to self inject. And I don’t need anyone’s permission to take a vitamin. It’s not crack!

[Rexz]

I have travelled from the US and taken along both my prescription and letter from my doctor. I've not had them checked. Maybe is just peace of mind to have it just in case.

I have my SI syringes pre-loaded, in this container placed in my carry-on.

4allfamily.com/products/coo...

[jade_s in reply to Rexz]

I recently bought 2 of these, 1 for a relative & 1 for myself, but haven't used it yet. I got the one with the battery and it's *extremely* expensive here in europe, so I had it shipped to my relatives in the US and am eagerly waiting to see them again.

[Rexz in reply to jade_s]

I think you'll find them worthwhile jade_s. I have used mine on a 15 hour flight and it worked perfectly. I did not know they had a battery operated one?

Happy travels with your B12 friend! Rexz

[jade_s in reply to Rexz]

Glad to hear you like yours!

I got this one 4allfamily.com/collections/... my mistake it is not battery operated but with a USB connection to e.g. a battery pack or the wall. $139 in the US but double that from UK amazon 😱 I once went on a trip to Germany during a heat wave, and there was no a/c or fridge in the hotel, so we dragged along our large cooler which can plug into the wall, and that managed to keep my b12 around 22C while it was 30C in the room. Luckily we were driving so we could bring the cooler. But I've had other trips where b12 spoiled under similar conditions, so I went with the self-cooling option.

There's also this one but it's even pricier and it seemed like overkill 😂 4allfamily.com/collections/...