Airline Questions

[babs2000]

Can anyone help? I will be flying next week and haven't done this in about five years. What do I need to do to pass through security? I'll have my meter and supplies and an Opti Click pen and Apridra cartridge. I'm going to put all my other medication and the Lantus pen and cartridge in my luggage. Do I need a letter from my doctor? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Beth:questionm

[Mama Belle]

Yep, I'd definitely get a letter from your doc, just in case TSA hassles you. We also fly with a hard copy of my daughters prescriptions, so there is no question. We also usually keep all of her diabetes meds on us, so that if we get separated from our luggage we'll have everything we need.

[Gary_W]

Hi Beth,

I always tell the check in staff about the supplies in the case and then tell the security staff about the stuff in hand luggage when I go through the metal detector. I've always found if you tell them up front they don't have a problem. Seeing needles go through the x-ray when you've not mentioned it could cause a raised eyebrow in my opinon which is why I always let them know first.

I carried a letter for years and never once got asked for it. The moment I stopped bothering I got a whole load of hassle at Eindhoven airport. It was obviously a slow night (don't think they have any other kind at that particular airport) and the security folks had nothing better to do. For that reason I make sure I have a letter again nowadays.

I never, ever check insulin into the hold, but do have spare test strips, needles, lancets, pens etc. I have heard tales of things freezing in the hold, which could potentially kill off the insulin. More to the point, I have had several occasions where I arrived and my luggage didn't. Last time it happened, my colleague was in the same undies for 2 days :eek:. I very smugly changed into the spares in my hand luggage and injected the necessary. For that reason, make sure you have enough insulin etc for the whole trip in hand luggage. If you want to carry spare in your case as well, fair game. I'm sure someone else here will point out my scaremongering as to the temperature down there. But don't leave ANYTHING in your case that is an essential just in case it gets lost. That's my .02 cents anyway :)

Gary

[Funnygrl]

DO NOT CHECK ANY OF YOUR MEDICATION. You have no gurantee that it won't freeze, or your luggage won't get lost.

Your meter will be fine. Have prescriptions on the cartridges, and everything else should be fine too.

[babs2000]

Thanks for all the info!!!:flybye: Beth

[Erin]

I've flown all over the place and never had any problems with the D supplies (my tweezers and toenail clippers, scissors and cigarette lighter were apparently MUCH more menacing)

Get a letter from your doc, keep EVERYTHING (especially insulin, which could be ruined by freezing under the plane) in your hand luggage. I never bother telling the security people about the D (i figure don't ask, don't tell) unless somebody is going to hand search my bag. Usually the bag checkers have seen enough insulin syringes and glucometers to know what they look like under x-ray so they don't even mention it.

[EasyType2]

Travelled last summer to England and back, in five hops.

No problems at all over Rx or D supplies/equipment. I did have a letter from my doctor just in case but it wasn't needed.

As pointed out, do NOT check meds/supplies into the cargo hold.

[GregGolden]

theres airport security for you....

[Just_Plain_John]

Check out your airline's website and the TSA.gov site for how to handle all your medications at the security checkpoints. I had all my meds in one carry-on bag, in containers with my prescription labels on them. They checked that my ID and the labels matched and (once) handed me a little sheet of paper to show to the Xray screener. I told them my Opticlick pen was an electronic insulin injector and could not be X-rayed. I handed it to the X-ray screener who passed it to a supervisor to be looked at. They didn't seem to quite understand it, but it was no hassle. They didn't want me to demonstrate it, handed it back and thanked me for being patient. I walked through the metal detector with my bag of meds, including needle tips and my meter, no beeps from the detector. I sent my Humalog pens through X-ray - no problems.

All in all it was fairly smooth. One of the screeners was a new Type 2.

[babs2000]

I didn't know that the Opticlick pen couldn't go through the x-ray machine. Thanks for the info! What about my meter? Any problem with that going through the x-ray? I'm beginning to think a five day vacation isn't going to be worth all the trouble! Thanks everyone for your help! Beth:hmmmm2:

[Just_Plain_John]

I don't know that the Opticlick CAN'T be X-rayed, but that is what I told them. People X-ray laptops all the time (I have a pool of 12 at work that have gone through X-ray scans probably 100 times). However I decided not to risk having Lantus Drama if my pen went haywire, and so I told them it had to be hand inspected.

Seriously, it was NOT a problem with security - just a little planning and organization on my part and everything went very smoothly. Don't let it ruin your plans, really. :cool:

[Aftiel]

Hey Beth,

I have flown a lot - and never had any problems.

Have your Endo FAX you a letter stating that you are Diabetic. (I have never needed to present a letter, but having one on hand is a good idea.)

My simple rule is:

1. I bring everything I need, and EVERYTHING involving Diabetes stays with me.

TSA Folks know about Diabetes(at least the ones I have dealt with) - my tester, needles (bags of them) - bottles of insulin have been through a LOT of x-ray machines and I have never even been questioned.

And yes - this has been following September 11.

Also - make sure you have some form of glucose with you.

- Aftiel

[Klososky]

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT CHECK ANY MEDICATION!!!!!!!

it could freeze, get lost, do i really need to continue????

i have been all over the world, and my experience is: TSA does'nt ask, i dont tell.

recently i have had to declare that i have insulin; because of the liquid bomb thing. all u have to do is take the insulin (vial in box, pen...ect.) and put it on one of the plastic trays that they put through the xray belt,

when i travel international I always take doctors notes.

remember, bring double or tripple what you think you will need.

[Stuboy]

yeh... docs note detailing your supplies, and take all your supplies on as hand luggage.