Frio pouches

General
1

I have soooooo got to get off my tail and order something.  We traveling to Munich for a week at the end of July and that time is almost here.  I think that a frio pouch or two seem like the best options for traveling with insulin and making sure things don't get too warm.  Am I overlooking something?  My son's is on MDI.  I just cannot picture anything else because while there will be a small bar/refrigerator in our hotel room (for which I'm bringing a small refrigerator thermometer to make sure it is not running too cold), I don't have any reliable way to have something (like a cold pack) be frozen.

I don't think we'll be in extreme temps but 1) I know how hot planes can get if they are stuck on the tarmac for hours and 2) once there we will be tourists and out and about all day long.

I know for packing to pack 50%-100% more than we think he'll need.  And I know not to inject air into the vials before withdrawing insulin while on the plane.  And I know from the endo what to do about time adjustments for the lantus shot.  I know travel has been discussed before on Juvenation, but if there are any other outstanding unique tips for international travel with a newbie type 1 teen on MDI, let me know.

2

I am always interested in more travel tips as well.  It has actually happened to me where I have put my Lantus in a mini fridge and come back to a frozen solid bottle of insulin!  Also I want to camp and hike more and I don't know what to do here in Texas when it is over 100 degrees every day in the summer...

3

Those frio packs are awesome!  I just went to Hawaii, and I brought a small soft cooler and an ice pack.  I am not sure if you have a freezer or not in the fridge.  But if you don't you can bring those one use medical cold packs that you just shake to activate just in case.  I also kept food in that little cooler so it worked out really well.  I would also learn how to say "My son is diabetic, he needs help." in case of any crazy emergencies.  I was really nervous travelling for the first time with my diabetes, but things went lots better than I thought!  Have fun:) 

4

I hated the frio pouch

My mom went to the Diabetic Store for me that's part of the local CDA office in Victoria when I was making my arrangements for bringing my insulin and such to the Pemberton Music Festival last summer..and came back with one of those.

Not user friendly for insulin vials AT ALL from my experience with it.

We thought they were a good idea, and were told they could be used for vials..but that's so not true unless you wanna spend a good 30mins trying to get the vials out!

I only got one, since I was only bringing one vial of Lantus and one vial of Novorapid with me, since I would be there for a total of 4days.

We had pitched our tent at the airport in Pemberton where we were suppose to park and then get on busses to get to the actual music festival site, but had arrived too late to get a bus to the campsite/festival site...well..I woke up at 6am to get in line for the bus and went to do my insulin...I couldn't get it out!

My lantus was at the bottom, as were told it was easy to get the insulin out(we should've tested it sooner, but I didn't have it til days before I left and was too busy to take the time to test it!)...but I couldn't! I spent 30mins trying to get it out, including having my friends with me try with their fingernails! I ended up having to go to the First Aid tent to get tweezers and have the medic there get it out for me! Even with tweezers, it took him a good 10mins worth of trying and finally it was a girl who was at the tent because she had gotten so cold over night, who got it out with the tweezers!

The rest of the time I was there, I had to inch whichever vial was at the bottom out by pushing from the bottom up(not as easy as it sounds) which took no less than 15mins! even when I took the novorapid with me to the festival site and left the lantus not even at the bottom but the halfway point to keep cool, I still had to do that!

Plus, they leak water. I had to put it in a plastic bag, to keep it from soaking everything in my sidebag even tho it has the pouch that's suppose to keep that from happening!

I followed the instructions to a T and had nothing but trouble with it.

When I got home and told my mom, she took it back and we got our money back. Next time I go travelling where I can't bring a cooler(like with camping) I'm gonna order one of those cooler packs from the internet...

5

I just took a month trip down to Ecuador and refrigerated my insulin about 50% of the time.  It's strength never declined.  As long as you refrigerate the insulin every night or at least every other day you should be fine.  Another option would be to order a pack or resevoirs from a pump company (like Medtronic Minimed).  That way, you can withdraw insulin from the vial into a smaller resevoir (which is like a small plastic 'vial') so the whole insulin supply isn't exposed to the heat.

On another note, I also traveled to Peru for a month a couple years ago and never refrigerated my insulin at all.  By the end of the trip, the insulin's strength was only half of what it was before leaving.  Needless to say, my blood sugars were out of control.

6

[quote user="Batts"]
When I got home and told my mom, she took it back and we got our money back. Next time I go travelling where I can't bring a cooler(like with camping) I'm gonna order one of those cooler packs from the internet...

[/quote]

Batts, what cooler packs?

 

7

I can't remember what brand it was..but it was like a cooler pack with the zipper and the instation and you just slip an ice pack into it, only smaller so it's more wallet size.

you just gotta google insulin coolers to get some examples of other options. i'll see if i can dig up the one i found last year(it was too late to order it, and my credit card was maxed anyways)

8

[quote user="Batts"]

I can't remember what brand it was..but it was like a cooler pack with the zipper and the instation and you just slip an ice pack into it, only smaller so it's more wallet size.

you just gotta google insulin coolers to get some examples of other options. i'll see if i can dig up the one i found last year(it was too late to order it, and my credit card was maxed anyways)

[/quote]

 

Medicool seems to be another brand I'm seeing a lot.  ????

9

ya, i've been googling everything i can think of to find the other one, but i keep getting medicool or frio! medicool is more like what i was talking about, since you don't soak it, you just put it in the freezer over night...but it's not what i found last year.

 

edit:

i can't find it for the life of me. but it's along the lines of http://www.amazon.com/Durable-Deluxe-Insulated-Cooler-Available/dp/B0023TGONI/ref=pd_sbs_a_8 that kinda cooler, only way smaller obviously. im stumped as to where to look now..but i've still got one more place i can look.

10

If you don't already, you may want to have a letter from your doc stating that XYZ supplies must be kept with you at all times, just in case you get waylaid by airport security, customs, etc.  Also, you may want to have an extra written prescription on hand for everything, in case you need to get more supplies (I don't know if US prescriptions would be honored overseas?), or see if your pharmacy is linked up with a pharmacy chain where you're going.

For any time we leave the house, I've got a hard-sided insulin case that holds two vials plus a couple of syringes.  It's about the size of a glasses case, is pretty sturdy, and it can easily fit into a purse, although I usually keep it in William's camy kit (a lunch-box sized semi-rigid case our doc gave us).  If it's going to be warmer than, say, 80 degrees where I'm going to be, I have a soft-sided insulated lunchbox that I put the case into along with a baggie of ice, juice, snacks, etc.  Not very high-tech, but it works :)

Have a GREAT trip!

Mo

 

11

I've been to Europe 4 times. 3 times to London and once to Frankfurt/Barcelona/Geneva.  I never used any kindof insulin cooler or anything.  I'd put it in a fridge or some ice at night in the hotel.  I kept my insulin in my tester bag in my pocket. I never had any problems with it.

As far as I understand it, modern insulin doesn't even really need to be refrigerated.  They just recommend it to keep it at a constant temp and not let it get too hot where it can hurt it.  Insulin should not be in extreme temps.  Extreme temps are: <36 F or >86 F.  I can't imagine the insulin in an airplane or hotel or airport or taxi etc getting above 86.

Do what you want, but unless you're going someplace really hot it should be a non-issue.  IMHO

12

I don't know what it will be like when we are there in another week, but the high Wednesday in Munich is 91.  I'm just thinking about being out all day in it and trying to prepared for the unexpected, like the time we sat on the tarmac at Heathrow for three hours and it got sooooo incredibly hot on the plane.  So I'm not worried about refrigeration per se, but getting above 86.  And the fact that I won't have access to a freezer for freezer packs.  I'm a worrier by nature.  ;-)

You were in European hotels that had ice machines?  Do tell!!

 

[quote user="DDrumminMan"]

I've been to Europe 4 times. 3 times to London and once to Frankfurt/Barcelona/Geneva.  I never used any kindof insulin cooler or anything.  I'd put it in a fridge or some ice at night in the hotel.  I kept my insulin in my tester bag in my pocket. I never had any problems with it.

As far as I understand it, modern insulin doesn't even really need to be refrigerated.  They just recommend it to keep it at a constant temp and not let it get too hot where it can hurt it.  Insulin should not be in extreme temps.  Extreme temps are: <36 F or >86 F.  I can't imagine the insulin in an airplane or hotel or airport or taxi etc getting above 86.

Do what you want, but unless you're going someplace really hot it should be a non-issue.  IMHO

[/quote]

 

13

Hi Angie,I didn't Know not to inject air into vials before withdrawing insulin on a plane,so thanks for that. I hope the trip goes great,have a good time !

14

[quote user="Angie13"]

I don't think we'll be in extreme temps but 1) I know how hot planes can get if they are stuck on the tarmac for hours and 2) once there we will be tourists and out and about all day long.

I know for packing to pack 50%-100% more than we think he'll need.  And I know not to inject air into the vials before withdrawing insulin while on the plane.  And I know from the endo what to do about time adjustments for the lantus shot. 

[/quote]

Hi Angie,  it's been said already but I have never, ever worried about refrigeration or ice wallets or any of the like in 31 years.  I travel a lot and while I am a believer in being prepared I also travel very light.  Bring prescriptions but they likely won't be honored there, it'll be more like proof of requirement.  In a disaster you might have to visit a hospital or doctor to get a local script but from my pals who have done so, it's not so bad.  just bring 2X the testing supplies and insulin pens/syringes.  always have a extra insulin vial because they WILL break if you drop one on a tile floor.  and remember to take a lot of pictures =)

as far as injections on a airplane, don't worry too much if you need to push some air into a vial to draw insuliin.  nothing will happen. 

cheers!