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Overseas travel

Traveling overseas can be exciting, and you want to enjoy your experience abroad. The suggestions below will help you prepare for emergency situations ahead of time, saving headaches later.

• If you plan to be abroad for more than a few weeks, ask your diabetes care team if it can recommend a doctor where you will be staying, or suggest other options if you need to visit a doctor.
• Contact your insulin manufacturer if you will need to purchase insulin while you are abroad. A foreign country may carry the insulin you use, but it could have a different name. U-100 insulin and U-100 syringes are not available in all countries. The key is to use the same type of syringe as your insulin. If U-40 insulin is all that is available, you also must use a U-40 syringe.
• Ask your doctor to write a letter explaining your medical situation. This letter should state that you have diabetes and list the medications you are taking (using generic names, if possible).
  
  If you have other health conditions that require medication or special accommodations, your doctor also should list those. Keep this letter with you at all times, so medical staff can be quickly notified of your health condition(s). Also, make sure you carry your doctor’s name and telephone number.
• Carry prescriptions for your medications and supplies. Ask your doctor to write prescriptions for all your medications and supplies before your travel, so you will be prepared if you need any replacements.
  
  Keep the prescriptions in your carry-on bag, so you can use them if your luggage is lost or if you need to present them for security reasons. Make sure prescriptions are in their original containers, and clearly state the doctor’s name, address (including the name of his or her clinic or medical facility) and telephone number.

Getting help overseas

United States Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs can help with overseas medical, financial and legal difficulties. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has extensive information about safe overseas travel.

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