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Managing Enbrel or Humira on the move

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Posted 5/9/2007 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, My name is Niall, this is my first post. I have been living with Ankylosing Spondylitis for the past 10 years now and have been taking Humira for almost 3 years now. While this has been an absolute wonder drug for me and has transformed my life completely it has been a real pain trying to keep it cold while on the move.
I was planning to go travelling for a year but due to the fact I need to keep my medication cool I have decided to put off the trip.

My question is simple, are you my fellow sufferers confined to their countries because they cannot travel due to the temperature sensitive needs of their medication!
Does anybody have any good ideas on how to keep Humira or Enbrel cold while travelling? I dont really trust the cool pack I got from my pharmacist.
T

his is a project I am quite passionate about since it relates closely to my own life and experiences and the feedback from this survey would mean an awful lot to me. Below is the link to the survey for you to review.

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=512083799749


I am a college student and this problem area has led me to do one of my final year projects on developing a device for people like us to carry their meds around.

I would really appreciate any feedback you could post me back.

Hope to hear from you all, very soon

Niall

 

Post Edited By Moderator (Admin) : 5/10/2007 10:15:45 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/10/2007 3:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Niall, I've done some traveling while I was on Enbrel at two doses a week and didn't have much trouble. I packed them in a cooler pack while I was on the go as if it were lunch and just made sure that I had a place to refreeze the ice packs and store the meds. Ofcourse, it's been nearly two decades since I'm out of college, so there is probably a bit of difference between my idea of traveling from yours. Twenty years ago, when I traveled I often stayed in youth hostels, now it's hotels and often, I'll take the room with a fridge - just for convenience, never mind the meds.

How do you currently recieve your Humira? Mine comes in one shipment per month. Also, are you on the two week plan, or are you injecting every week? While traveling for a long time, every week would definitely be a problem, but if you're on every 2 weeks, perhaps you could have the meds shipped to or picked up by a friend or family member who could then forward one dose at a time to you at wherever you will be.

Having AS mess up my life was bad enough, but if I had to put off plans like you are doing, it would really drive me mad. I hope that you can somehow work out the logistics so that you can get that trip in. Best wishes!
Posted 5/10/2007 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
Approved.
Posted 5/10/2007 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
ok quick question? i am going to just start the enbrel .... can i miss a dose if i am out of the area? maybe gone for 12-14 days? just not take it? heck i am bad i mess all the time with taking and flipping med schedules cuz i am busy. on mtx if i forget to take it cuz of something or another i give myself a 3 day grace and then on day 4 if i still forgot i just wait til next dose. doesnt happen often i foregt but i do flip with friday sat or sunday if i have a lot on my weekend plate can i do with enbrel?
Posted 5/11/2007 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
well i asked my enbrel rep / nurse this question and fyi no problem skipping a dose just might make it harder at first for tolerating the injection site i guess it is good to keep stabbing yourself vs stab and stop method lol

so lata
Posted 5/13/2007 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi guys well as you know I just took a trip on my motorcycle and I took my Enbrel in the saddlebag! I called Enbrel and they sent me a nice small travel pack that has a compartment for a freezer ice pack. I was travel through 100 degree heat. I also brought zip lock bags and If i thought the freezer pack was warming up too fast I added ice at the gas station. The hotel brought me a small frig. They said they only provide on for people with injectable meds and asked to see the medication. I just showed them the bag from Enbrel and they said fine. For travel in the car I got a small plug in frig from a large chain store it plugs into the cigarette lighter and is about the size if a six pack ( hum handy for later). It is a pain to have something to worry about. I felt like I was carring around a live chicken or something always worrying if it was overheated. I don't know about travel overseas. I guess I will try it sometime but climbing a mountain or streaking the outback would be a problem.
Posted 6/6/2007 1:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Folks,

My apologies for taking so long to get back to you. I have been crazy busy with college.
Thanks for your reply. I suppose I'm just very apprehensive about taking my humira away from the fridge at all. I know if I were to keep a close eye on it and keep the ice fresh I should be ok, but that seems like alot of work and what if there is no ice available wherever I am? I'd like to go on holidays with an easy mind not having to worry about where I'm gonna get my next ice fix!!

Did you get a chance to fill in my survey? I've had a disappointing response rate.
Here's the link to it if ya get the chance.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=512083799749

Thanks again.

Niall
Posted 6/8/2007 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
I almost cut my planned trip down so I wouldn't have to travel with shots, but then said bag that. I looked up how to get a syringe on a plane, and I'm just going to go for it. I will just need the one shot, and I'll take it 6 days into the trip - if I had to carry more then that would be a much bigger issue. I took your survey - if you get that travel-pack worked out I will totally buy one!
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