Re: Traveling with Enbrel?

[Guest guest]

So I should carry it with me? Do I have to get a special permit to carry it on the plane with me. Should I check the needles? Is there a reason I shouldn't check the Enbrel?

(poly JRA and Spondy, 19)

[Guest guest]

,

You should not check the enbrel. Carry it with you in a small cooler. Make sure that you pack the box with the label on it. Just flatten the box and stick it in the cooler. Did you get the one that Enliven Services will provide? You do have to request it, and it generally takes a few weeks to get it. If you don't have it just get a small, soft lunchbox (That's what Enliven provides) and an ice pack. Let the airline know that you might need extra ice to keep meds cool. Another idea, given to my brother when he was travelling back to Uzbekistan with meds unobtainable there, was to use dry ice in the cooler. You have to be especially careful, though, if you choose this method, that you don't allow the enbrel to freeze. I remember my brother having to wrap the meds in a fair amount of newspaper to prevent freezing.

Have a safe and fun trip!

Liz

Traveling with Enbrel?

On the third of January I am leaving for Pennsylvania, I'll be gone till the 11th. (that's a week so I have to have two of the little Enbrel packets with me) I'm staying with my sister, brother in law and neice and nephew.. The plane ride from California is 6 hours. The cooler that Enbrel sent says that it will keep items cool for 3 1/2 hours, but that's suggesting the normal temperature would be like in the 60's and I believe that the bottom part of the plane is cooler then that. Or should I carry a cooler with me on the plane? Any ideas on how to travel with Enbrel.. lol sort of sounds like a math problem. I'm really excited to go. Remember my post about feeling better? Yeah went full on flare after that.. why does that always happen? Did I ginx it? My joints are really swollen.. and the swelling where my broken rib is has increased even more, it looks kind of gross. So I'm really excited to be going away to see my sister.. maybe a change of location for a week will take my mind off of the JRA.. Who knows. But yeah enough of my ramblings if anyone has any ideas on how to travel with Enbrel that would be fantabulous.

(poly JRA and Spondy, 19!)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You don't want to check the Enbrel because checked bags have a

potential of being lost. You always want to carry your meds on you,

in your carry on bag because of this. When my daughter travelled we

brought her extra needles, all her meds and her Enbrel on board. We

used a lunch cooler soft type with an ice pack, the kind that you

can put in a lunch bag (you know soft type that freeze). You need to

bring the box that the Enbrel comes in with the prescription label

on it. I also went to the doctors office and had them write me a

note that she needed to have the medication on her while she

travelled. We use different needles than are provided and we brought

those too. We did not have any problems with travelling with it and

the Enbrel stayed cool enough. I packed several of the ice bag type

things in there and did not open it to keep the medication cool.

That worked just fine for us. You could also bring some ziploc type

bags with you if you are worried about it getting too warm and get

some ice from the flight attendants to keep in there.

Have a great trip. Oh, and my daughter recommends getting up and

stretching. The airlines don't want people up and about after 9/11

but she found she could walk to the bathroom once an hour or so.

e

P.S. I am slow on responding. Thank you for your insight into living

and dealing with JRA. I really appreciated it.

> So I should carry it with me? Do I have to get a special permit

to carry it

> on the plane with me. Should I check the needles? Is there a

reason I

> shouldn't check the Enbrel?

>

> (poly JRA and Spondy, 19)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Take your cooler on board with you and bring a zip lock bag full of ice.When it starts to melt go to the freaky,creapy bathroom dump it out and ask a stewardess to please fill it up with ice for you.Another thing is our pharmacy got s Enbrel and just put it in a bag with all the appropriate stickers and put it in the pick up box.I came to get it and new immediately that it wasn't brought out from the fridge and it wasn't cold.The head pharmacist started freaking about having to eat the cost.They called Amgen who told them that even though it had been 2-3 days that by being at room temperature it was ok.If it had been left out with no air conditioning there would have been a problem.I think the insert says it can be left out of the fridge for 6 hours so you should be ok with just the cooler.

Hugs

Becki and 5 systemic

[Guest guest]

Thank You everyone for all of the advice. My dad's brillant idea was to check it..and I was thinking that didn't sound like a good idea. I called United Airlines and they said to bring it in its little package and that I needed the box saying it was mine.. and probably just to get a note from the clinic saying I needed it. So now I have to call the on call Rheumi and have her write me a note. I have the cooler and the inserts and hopefully everything works out great.. Thank you all so much.

(poly JRA and Spondy 19)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/30/03 10:36:27 AM Eastern Standard Time,

Arthurnator@... writes:

<< go to the freaky,creapy bathroom >>

Becki, I do love the way you explain things with such descriptive words LOL:)

Take care.

Patty