Plane travel
When you are flying:
International travel
When you are traveling to other countries:
When you are flying:
- Check with your doctor, if needed, about changing your insulin dose and timing if you will travel across three or more time zones.
- Pack your diabetes supplies in your carry-on bag. Luggage can get lost and supplies damaged by the temperature extremes in the baggage area. You will need medical identification or a doctor's prescription for your needles and syringes to be allowed through airport security.
- Put your insulin bottle (vial), if needed, into a small, wide-mouth, cool, empty thermos if you are not sure that temperatures will stay in a range that is safe for your insulin.
- Put in half the air you usually add to the insulin vial, if needed, to adjust for altitude air pressure changes if you draw up your insulin while flying.
- Get up and walk every hour or so. This will help blood flow in your legs and will make sure that your insulin works properly.
International travel
When you are traveling to other countries:
- Find out which immunizations are needed for your trip. Get immunized at least 3 to 4 weeks before you travel. These injections can increase your blood sugar for a short time.
- Visit your doctor if you take insulin and are traveling overseas. Ask for a letter stating that you have diabetes and need to carry syringes and other supplies with you at all times. Also, ask for an extra prescription for your insulin. Take both with you on your trip to help you pass through customs with your syringes, needles, and other injection supplies. In some countries, insulin is available in U-40 concentrations only. If you have to use this concentration, you will need to use syringes that are designed to dispense this concentration.
- Pack a small disposable container with you to hold your used lancets and needles (wide-mouth plastic soda pop or water bottles work well).
- Pack a supply of nonprescription medications (that will not affect blood sugar levels) to treat minor illnesses such as a cold.
- Pack a language/translation book or other type of aid that will help you express your diabetes needs to others if you are traveling to a country where English is not the main language.
Last Updated: January 15, 2007 
