Humira travel question

[bjraggie10]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to get your opinions on traveling with the Humira pens. I'm supposed to give two injections this Thursday. I'm leaving for a conference (driving) tomorrow, and I won't get home until Friday. The problem I recently discovered is that my hotel room does not have a refrigerator. So, my options are 1) bring the Humira pens with me and keep them on ice for 5 days, or 2) take the injections one day late when I get home on Friday.

So, anyone have any advice/stories about keeping the medicine cold while traveling? I have a small ice chest and ice pack bags I can use, but do you think this will work if I keep refilling them with ice every day? Thanks!

 

[PsychoJane]

I suppose you just started your humira treatment since you have to get 2 injections this thursday? And are your injection weekly (that's what I understand from your post). If so, it should not be a big deal if you are to take it on the friday instead of thursday. In fact, I believe delaying of one day would probably be safer than handling the product with ice and risking "freezing" it or exposing it to temperature variations. The nurse from abott actually told me (for the every two weeks injections) that the rules was +/- 3 days is ok, stating on example if I had to travel.

 

[bjraggie10]

Cool, thanks for the info! I talked with a Humira nurse today, but she wouldn't really give me a recommendation. And yes, I did just start the injections - I took 4 on day 1, now I'm supposed to take 2 on day 15 (which is this Thursday). But I was leaning towards just waiting until Friday anyway so I wouldn't have to risk freezing, warming, or breaking the pens while on travel.

 

[MikeinBklyn]

I concur, waiting an extra day is not a problem, that's what I would do.

Cheers.

 

[littlemissh]

Ask the hotel to put in their fridge if in a suitable container? This is what I plan on doing when I get to go away and my injection is due.

 

[Moggs]

Hi everyone,
I know this is too late for Baraggie's trip, but for future references. If the hotel has refrigerators, most do for an extra charge, they are obligated to provide you with one, for free, according to the American's with Disabilities Act: Public Law 504, more commonly know as the wheelchair ramp law. If they don't have small refrigerators, but have one that they keep food in a kitchen then they have to allow you to use it to store you meds as long as you understand that you do not have exclusive access.
I use to be on other meds that I injected daily that had to be refrigerated. Traveling was a problem. I did have a travel pack for my pens that had freezable gel packs, but I put the whole travel pack into an ice chest too because the gel packs would thaw after 6 hours or so if left out.

 

[Aura]

Hi, again this is too late to help - But here in NZ on the Humira I got a Humira handbag and in it was a special refrigerated wallet that holds to injections/pens. You cool the bag first before you travel and then put the pens in and it keeps them cool at fridge level for 48 hrs while you travel. I also got a DVD on Humira, icepack, info booklets and sharps bin, I also got a wallet card telling people I am on Humira.