"I've had it with these MF'ing pills on this MF'ing plane!"

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2015 in Life After Breast Cancer

(Couldn't resist the "Snakes On A Plane" reference.)

So. Air travel and meds. Something I've never had to deal with before. I wasn't on any meds prior to dx and I've only flown twice post-dx - once in the middle of chemo, when I just had a bottle of anti-nausea pills and once after surgery when I only carried an emergency bottle of pain pills. I think I just threw them in my purse but I really don't remember.

I'm flying overseas for a long trip in a month (Europe and Morocco) and this time, I have a slew of pills. Femara. Venlafaxine. Clonazapen. Vitamin D supplement. And I should probably bring some heavy dose pain pills just in case I, god forbid, fracture a bone from mets or something.

So how do I transport them? All in carry-on or split btw carry-on and checked? Original pill bottles with my name on them ok or do I need a doctor's note? I'm clueless...

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited June 2015

    Not checked (what if they lost your luggage??) Bring them in your carry on bag, in the original bottles showing the prescribing physician - except for the Vit D. You don't need a note. Do you have compression garments for the flight?Have a wonderful trip!

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  • justmaximom15
    justmaximom15 Member Posts: 264
    edited June 2015

    Yep, in your carry-on IN their original bottles with prescription label. We travel to Mexico quite a lot, well we did until this year and we're both on daily meds for other issues and we've never had problems.

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  • MusicLover
    MusicLover Member Posts: 4,225
    edited June 2015

    I was going to suggest that also because you want to have control over those medications at all times.  If your hotel has a safe and you don't want to carry them in your purse put them in the safe while you are touring around.  Maybe a small amount in the safe and a small amount in your purse? I think I counted out exactly what I needed for the trip and then brought a few extra just in case. Best wishes and have a wonderful trip.

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  • ceanna
    ceanna Member Posts: 5,270
    edited June 2015

    Take the pills in their original prescription bottles and carry them yourself--not in checked luggage.  Also carry a list of the pills and dosages in the same bag with a duplicate list in your purse.   The duplicate list is for the off-chance you lost your medications and need to have an international pharmacist contact your prescribing doctors--include doctors contact info.  I had my doctor sign such a list of prescription meds after they put it on the office letterhead and they were willing to include non-prescription items like vitamins.  I've sometimes gotten a copy of my prescriptions listed on a page after a regular doctor's appointment, but have not tried using that list in overseas travels--that might work too.

    No offense, but I almost didn't open this thread.  You might have gotten a few more responses from others, but, who like me, were a little turned off my your subject line--even if it is from a movie. 

    Have a wonderful trip!!!

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited June 2015

    Also, just wanted to say it might behoove you to check with the countries you will be visiting to see what their individual policies are regarding narcotics/pain meds/etc. crossing their borders from outside. My earlier comment was directed solely at the airline policies. There was just a case of an American Toyota exec who had pain meds shipped to Japan and was arrested even though they were prescribed by her American doc.  Some of the travel sites actually do say that you may require a letter from your doctor outlining your diagnoses and need for certain meds - but in addition a letter from the foreign consulates authorizing you to bring these meds in.

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  • MusicLover
    MusicLover Member Posts: 4,225
    edited June 2015

    Ceanna is much quicker then me, I didn't get the title of the thread (Snakes on a Plane...You are too funny! I just watched Kingsman - The Secret Service, speaking of Samuel L. Jackson, pretty good. It's more for teenagers and twenty year olds but good. I can describe it best as Batman like, some outrageous violence and crudeness too. It's available On Demand right now.)

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