Managing medicines safely will involve making sure you have enough medicines with you, can stay on schedule to take medicines regularly while away, and have a plan on when to use ‘as needed’ medicines.

My Medicine Supply

• Take enough with you to last double the length of time you will be away. This way, if you lose any medicine, you won’t run out.
• Keep the medicine in properly labeled bottles. If you need extra bottles, ask your pharmacist to give you an extra labeled bottle.
• Carry one supply of medicine (enough to last the length of your trip) with you in a carry-on bag. Then put an extra supply in a checked bag. If you lose your carry-on, you’ll have more medicines in your checked bag. However, if your checked-bag gets lost, you’ll still have your carry-on bag. You also want to have a supply available with you during long travel times, so you can take your medicines on time.

Remembering My Medicine Schedule

• Take a written list of medicines with you. It will help you remember when to take your pills, and it may be needed as you go through security checkpoints or if you need to get medical help while you are away. Visit My Resource Kit and complete one of the Medicine Schedules to take with you.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse in advance about how to manage your medicine schedule if you will be crossing time zones.
• People who take the same amount of medicines twice a day can stick to their usual schedule without much difficulty. Usually adjusting the time you take pills a few hours can keep you on schedule.
• People who take medicine three or more times a day, or others who take different amounts of medicine twice a day, may find it difficult to keep to their usual schedule. Sometimes the pill schedule can be adjusted for the day of travel. Or try adjusting the times you take medicines for a few days before traveling - this can help you get onto a new schedule more easily. Since how to do this will vary according to the time changes and medicines you take, work with your doctor or nurse ahead of time to adjust your schedule appropriately.
• Have a plan on what to do if you miss a dose. Usually medicines can be made up if you remember them within a certain period of time, but you want to be careful that you don’t take too much at once. Go over your list of medicines with your doctor or nurse and ask for specific instructions on when to make up any missed doses.
• Know what to do if you have side effects while you are away. For example, make sure you are taking the medicines the same way, such as after or before food, each day. If the side effects persist after you are back on a regular schedule, talk to your doctor. If you have side effects that affect your safety, have someone with you and lighten your schedule if you can.
• To help you remember your medicines, check off when you have taken a dose on a chart or your seizure calendar. Pay extra attention to times you take medicines for the first few days that you are on a new schedule.
• Use a pill box to help you know if you have missed a dose. Then you can make it up more easily. If you are traveling with a companion, ask them to double check the pillbox once a day to make sure you didn’t miss any.

Managing ‘As Needed’ Medicines

• Talk to your doctor in advance about how to manage seizure emergencies. If you have frequent seizures or are at high risk of seizure clusters, your doctor may adjust when you should take ‘as needed’ medicines or your regular medicine schedule. Sometimes taking it before problems arise may be advised. Make sure to update your Seizure Plan. If you don’t have one, visit My Resource Kit and make one now.
• Take a supply of ‘as needed’ medicine with you and check to see if the medicine you take is available where you are going. If you are traveling for an extended period of time to another country, you may need to get refills. Not all medicines are known under the same name or may not be available. Visit the International AED Name Database to find out the name of your medicine in the country you are planning to visit.
• Know how to get emergency help where you are going. If your ‘as needed’ treatment doesn’t work, you’ll need to call for help to prevent a seizure emergency.
• Most of the ‘as needed’ medicines may make you sleepy for a short period. Or you may be tired from having more seizures. Make sure you have a place to rest after having clusters of seizures or taking an ‘as needed’ medicine.
• If you, or your child, use Diastat, work with your nurse or doctor on how to give this while traveling. For example, if you have an extra seat on a plane or train, you can help the child or adult lie down. Privacy can be maintained fairly easily by putting a jacket or blanket over the person when you give the Diastat. Then stay with the person until the seizure stops and let them rest.

For more information:

• ‘As needed’ medicine

Continue to Travel Tips for VNS and Other Treatments

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed:7/25/07