mexico w/ diabetes

tcc123 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 02:53 PM

I was wondering if anyone has been to mexico with diabetes. I know it is no big deal but my mom is just worried about it. I am going to puerto vallarta for spring break and just want to make sure I can get insulin in case of an emergency. Also I am planning on going off the pump and back lantus/novolog while I am there. I was wondering how people who use lantus go about drinking. Since I am still honeymooning whenever I drink I put a temp basal for no insulin for 2 hrs/drink and my blood sugars are better than normal. 82 fasting compared w/ about 95 w/ normal basal. I am thinking about asking my dr if going w/ no basal would be ok since I will be very active during the day and then I wouldn't have to worry about the adverse effects of drinking. any advice would be great. Thanks
Cary

ang · #2 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 03:05 PM

i went to mexico a few years ago and didn't have any problems at all. our hotel actually had a small fridge in it that i was able to keep my insulin in. i wasn't on lantus though, but i think the same rules apply. test and try to keep things as controlled as you can. also remember to take snacks for hypos wherever you go.

the only thing is that you go without basal when you drink and if you decide to take lantus while you're down there you won't be able to do this. once its in your system, its in. but i don't know if going without basal would be the best either. i would talk over the technical details with your doctor, but in my experience diabetes and mexico and all-inclusive go well together!

have fun.

dimes1 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 04:54 PM

Hi Cary,

I was in Puerto Vallarta between Christmas and New Years. It is one of my favorite places in Mexico.

First I decided to stay on the pump while there but I did bring twice as much supplies as I figured I needed. Plenty of test strips and extra meter. I also brought my Levemir and Novalog pens with me just in case. I did have a small fridge in the room and traveled with a small cold pack to keep the necessary things cold.

What I found is that the food is different and the first few days made some big errors in my carb counts and calculations. After that I kept it pretty simple and kept to a low carb diet with limited sauces lots of great fish and no chips and salsa. There was also that day where I had infusion problems and because of that did revert to injections for a day.

With the pump I made sure not to have it exposed to the sun so it did not get too hot. In the water I did remove it but gave myself a small bolus to cover the time that I had the pump off.

I hope that some of this helps, careful with the carb counting.

Steve

tcc123 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 06:32 PM

Thanks you all. Yeah we are going all inclusive so I don't expect to be eating anything too out of the ordinary haha.. we are college kids on a budget. Yeah im not sure if I will be able to get away with no basal either. It would be nice haha. By the way do you all know if their is a 12 hour basal insulin? for some reason I thought I had heard of one but now I can't find it.

GregGolden · #5 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 06:48 PM

Im a big drinker, and Im still in my honeymoon. I only take 20 units of Lantus, and when I want to drink, I cut it down to about 16 or 17, depending on how trashed I plan on getting.

BriOnH · #6 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 07:25 PM

I got into a fight in a tijuana bar when I went down there one night. I was scared to death I was going to end up in a tiajuana jail. My spanish is good, but that was the least of my worries. Living in San Diego my friends and I would go down there every once in a while. We later learned of much better towns to visit not to far from there on the coast. If your mom is anything like mine she should be at ease about that aspect of the Mexico myths as far as torrists are concerned in Puerto Vallarta, but when travelling abroad its good you plan for all your bases not matter what the situation is..

tcc123 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 08:25 PM

haha Brian that sounds horrible. I have heard Puerto Vallarta is very nice and very low in crime. My mom is just worried about me getting sick somehow from the water and then diabetes complicating the matter (along with drinking too much). My family has always been the mountains/ski type when it comes to spring break so this is my first trip to mexico.
The only thing I am worrying about with taking lantus is the fact that even when I have my pump basal on .05 my bs will go low when I drink.
thanks you all

BriOnH · #8 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 08:55 PM

You use lantus and a pump? I never heard of that before. How does that work for you?

tcc123 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriOnH

You use lantus and a pump? I never heard of that before. How does that work for you?

Sorry I misspoke. I am going to go off my pump when I go to mexico and go back to shots (lantus/novolog). But right now I am so used to setting temp basals for everything from drinking to doing physical activity that I don't know how I will be able to manage with lantus.

BriOnH · #10 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcc123

Sorry I misspoke. I am going to go off my pump when I go to mexico and go back to shots (lantus/novolog). But right now I am so used to setting temp basals for everything from drinking to doing physical activity that I don't know how I will be able to manage with lantus.

Have you talked to a doctor about this? Changing your regimine so dramtically is rather risky for a trip of this magnitude imo.

Klososky · #11 (**permalink**) 01-22-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriOnH

Have you talked to a doctor about this? Changing your regimine so dramtically is rather risky for a trip of this magnitude imo.

i agree with you brion, lantus is not something you go on and off as you please, i have been to mexico with my pump with no problem. your plan sounds very risky.

tcc123 · #12 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 06:51 AM

hmm..At my last endo appointment I asked him about spring break and he said he has people switch back to lantus for little "pump vacations" all the time. According to him it was real easy. Plus the fact that I am honeymooning big time (tdd of 15 units w/ basal of 5 units) would make it even easier. Oh well I have another appointment today so I will see what he says now haha. thanks guys

tcc123 · #13 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 10:48 AM

my endo said I would be fine switching to lantus/novolog for a few weeks. I am just gonna email him before I go and he will give me a starting point. He is also gonna give me some antibiotics and said he would be available all week if i got into trouble. From some other people always complaining about their endos, I think I am lucky to have an awesome one who is very progressive and really helpful

BriOnH · #14 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 11:32 AM

Right on TC, if you and your dr are comfortable with it and you are careful that's what matters. The Antibiotics are just IF you get sick right?

tcc123 · #15 (**permalink**) 01-23-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BriOnH

Right on TC, if you and your dr are comfortable with it and you are careful that's what matters. The Antibiotics are just IF you get sick right?

yeah they are for if I get sick. My dr. said that is very unlikely but just in case.