We are flying to Italy. My husband is on medication that requires refrigeration. It is in a 30 day injector with gel pack. How do we get the airlines to allow this on board. Is a prescription enough? What do we do leaving Italy if its written in English.
Thanks.

I would call my airline and ask what they recommend.

I would also check with pharmacist - there are quite a few medications where it is recommended that they be refrigerated but in reality for a trip of several weeks their stability is not compromised.

Can you bring a note from a doctor and put the medication in a glass of ice?

Byetta, by any chance?

Byetta it is, any suggestions.

I'm curious: what did your airline suggest?

I have a similar problem, which I've so far conveniently solved by restricting flying to trips lasting less than the interval between injections.

But I recently heard a little item on NPR that seems to offer a solution. There is a company in Maine(?) that sells frozen lobsters at airports. They formerly packaged the lobsters up in gel packs, which passengers carried on the plane. The new "security enhancement" put them out of business until they came up with the idea of replacing the gel packs with bags of frozen vegetables (preferably corn or peas that have lots of surface area). They tested this approach, found that it kept the lobsters frozen, and then cleared it with the TSA (it's neither a liquid nor a gel). So they're back in business-- and the lobster has a side-dish!

Idiotic "security enhancements" call for clever workarounds. I'll keep this one in mind in case I ever take a two-week trip that requires flying.

Stoopswats:
Check out the following website. If you look at all the specific topic links on the right side of the page you will see one for "Traveling with Liquids" and "Traveling with Diabetes" (or something close to those titles).
http://diabetes.blog.com/700371/

There are loads of suggestions for traveling and a few anecdotal reports of people's recent experiences.

I am flying to Ireland at the end of next month. If current restrictions remain the same, I plan to use my thermos (as described in the website) with my blue, rectangular "fake" ice cubes. Whether or not the blue ice is allowed seems to be rather subjective depending upon the individual TSA screeners. If it's not allowed, I'll just have to get a few ice cubes from the FAs once on board. I will have an original prescription label for both the Byetta and the needles. I'm also going to request a letter from my doctor (you'll find a sample on the website) stating the requirements of Byetta.

Worst case scenario is that it remains uncooled for the flight. As I'm sure you're aware, there is a 144 hour lifespan at room temperature. So, it can endure a flight. Also, the manufacturer is presenting evidence to the FDA that it is stable at room temperature for 30 days. However, that is not expected to be approved and implemented in the official instructions until early 2007.

Anyhow, if I may ask, how's it working for your husband?

JBHapgood: Your suggestion will not work for Byetta. Byetta cannot be frozen. It absolutely destroys the medication. Current guidelines require refrigeration but provide for a limited number of hours of stability between refrigerator temperature and 77 degrees.

It all boils down to the particular screener is what I have discovered. So we are going with taking one on board and one in luggage so if they take it away, with a copay of $75, we have one in luggage to fall back one. Byetta has lowered his blood sugars to normal, his HBA1C to 6 and he is doing great. Another product by Lilly, actually joint venture, another reason we hold their stock. And yes it can not be frozen.

It sounds as if you've traveled with Byetta before???

What method(s) did you use for cooling prior to the new restrictions?

With the news that approval for 30 days with no cooling is pending, I'm less anxious than I once was about cooling issues.

xxxx, the frozen vegetable bags should not freeze the medication unless it was already frozen. Like the now-verboten gel packs, the bags should keep refrigerated items at refrigerated temperatures.

Regardless, it's clear that the Authorities did not consider things like refrigerated medication when they rushed the ban on gels and liquids into place. It's typical of the entire approach to "airport security" that causes many people much trouble with little reason to believe that it provides any safety.

Frozen peas and corn make a good ice pack to put on swelling due to injury, too. Soooooo much better than frozen ice.

He went on Byetta a week after we last returned from Italy same time last year, so the new rules, new med is all a new twist to European travel. I have a friend from Italy who is waiting for a kidney transplant in my transplant program and he has been very kind to translate for me how to ask for refrigeration at the hotels and we have typed on prescription pads the instructions for administration and by taking the two one carry on and one in luggage the worst case scenario is we are out one of them. I can't think of another way to do with it.

For the pharmacy minded, spoke with the Lilly pharmacy help line a one Byetta pen can go 144 hours without refrigeration and will not looose its efficacy. So not the end of the world if we loose some time no keeping it cold, so gel pack will stay in luggage. Thanks for your suggestions.