Been to Europe several times but going this time as a diabetic taking insulin. Mostly concerned about the syringes I'll be packing. Do I need to carry a prescription or a letter from my doctor? I'll be rather obvious since the insulin will be on ice in some kind of container. Any help would be appreciated.<BR>John

My brother is type 1 and was told not to worry about it. Unlike some states in the US (came from NY where they were always very strict) needles themselves are not considered any big deal. It's medicine in them they care about, and you need your prescriptions for those. But otherwise he has never been hassled any where in Europe.

The needles are probably a big deal on planes now, so take a copy of your prescription, and a letter from your doctor, and make sure everything is in the container in which it came from the pharmacy. Good luck!

Hi,<BR><BR>I agree with Barbara. Follow her advice and you should have no problems.<BR><BR><BR>Regards<BR><BR>Gregory

I urge you to consult the airline you will be flying to Europe and see what their requirements are. Just traveled with a friend who has an insulin pump but had to carry syringes as a back up. He was required to inform the airline ahead of time so it could be added to his record and then he had to have the proper letter from his doctor, etc.

As a diabetic educator, I can tell you that there is usually not any problem with carrying diabetes supplies; HOWEVER, we have had some patients tell stories of being detained and going through a bunch of heck when travelling even in the US, let alone outside of the US. This is rare, but to be safe, I would defintiely be sure to have your prescriptions with you. I am confused as to why you are putting your insulin on ice. Insulin needs to be kept room temp, which should be fine if it is on your person and not in checked bags (which is a bad idea anyways). Seem like the ice could be a huge mess. I'm not sure what kind of insulin you are using, but you might check with the manufacturer, probably Lilly or Novo Nordisk, about proper handling. Lilly has a wonderful website at http://diabetes.lilly.com

John<BR><BR>I recently flew from Athens to London carrying my insulin pen, needles and a good number of insulin bottles all in my hand luggage. I let the security staff at Athens know just before my hand baggage went through the x-ray scanner. The staff there were very courteous, opened up the baggage and checked it all (including my blood testing machine) then re-packed it all for me.<BR><BR>In London, I again let the staff know before the hand baggage scan and they followed almost the same procedure as Athens (at Heathrow a supervisor was summoned to check the needles out). I was never asked for my prescription or doctor’s letter but they were with me just in case.<BR><BR>I'm with Emily about not packing your insulin on ice. A cool-bag perhaps for the journey but definitely no direct contact with ice. Also, it’s worth taking the pharmaceutical name of your insulin as there’s a chance it will have a different product name in the UK. That should help if you need, in an emergency, to buy some whilst on your trip.<BR><BR>Thanos

We have never had any problem with the pen and needles, although we do carry a letter, but have never been asked for it. We carry everything in an insulated lunch bag, I know that you do not need ice - at least with the 3 types of insulin that we carry.

I ,too,travel with meds and needles (prepackaged)--the meds are in a styrofoam container on dry ice- the needles are in the same container-<BR><BR>I DO carry the perscription with me and I DO call the airlines ahead of time to make sure they put it in my "histor" on their computer....<BR><BR>Have NOT had any trouble at all-- it goes right thru the scanner and it is opened up and re-packed--So far, no one has asked for the perscription,but I carry it JUST IN CASE...<BR><BR>I don't think your average druggie or terrorist person is going to announce to the world that they have needles etc--so being honest does have it's good points.

I am planning to leave for Italy tomorrow, and I do carry a letter from my doctor. I have never been hassled about my syringes (although that does surprise me a bit), and I don't worry at all about keeping my insulin cold. In fact, I even took a bicycle trip through China in mid-July! My insulin worked fine, and it must have been over 100 degrees everyday. Of course, this isn't the ideal way to treat insulin, but I really don't think it's that unstable. In fact, at home, while I keep unopened bottles in the refrigerator, the ones I'm using stay out on top of my vanity for up to a month. So don't stress too much over the temperature, and have a good trip.<BR><BR>I did have a question to ask: In Italy, if you need to purchase insulin, do you actually need a prescription? I know that here, in the US, you don't need one. Of course, if you don't have the Rx, then you can't claim it on your insurance, but you can buy it anyway.

Thank you for the great advice. Feel very comfortable now that I have been educated. Especially about the ice. Since I was advised to keep the Insulin refrigerated at home, I just assumed it needed to be in a cool atmosphere while I traveled.<BR>Many thanks.<BR>John