5 Tips for Traveling with OIT
School’s out, the weather is warm, and vacation season is in full swing.
Buuuut, the last thing you want is for all the hard work you put into allergy treatment to go to waste, so let’s talk about traveling with OIT. I’ve traveled to and from college and gone on vacations and church retreats both while updosing and on maintenance, so here are my best pro tips for ya.
#1. You ask for a note for TSA from your doctor so you can fly with OIT solution. The solution needs to be kept cold, so it’s best to have it in a carry on in a cooler with ice packs. A doctor’s note will let you bring the solution without it getting confiscated by TSA (which would kinda suck).
#2. You can skip a day of dosing for travel. This is super helpful if you’d rather not dose while flying or driving. It’s also helpful if you’re crossing time zones and all the math to make sure your doses are equally spaced makes your brain hurt. Just skip the dose the day you are traveling and resume dosing the next day. I personally don’t skip when I’m doing a one day road trip, but that’s something to discuss one on one with your allergist.
#3. Make sure you’ll have refrigeration where you’re staying. This is super important if you’re in the solution phase or the food phase with something perishable like cows milk or egg white, so call ahead and ask. Most hotels and cruise ships will have mini fridges (again, always double check!), but there have been times I’ve been at a retreat/camp style places where I’ve had to store my dose in the cafeteria fridge!
#4. Scout out local grocery stores at your destination. If you’re saving suitcase room and not traveling with your dose, you’ll want a supply as soon as possible. You may also need refills if anything spills, spoils, etc. Sometimes OIT dose foods are brand specific because of the amount of protein per serving, so if you’re traveling internationally, you might want to look for American food stores.
#5. Set dose alarms on your phone. You may feel like you’ve got your dosing routine on lock, but nothing throws off a habit like new environments and surroundings. I’m an 8 hours of sleep, 96 ounces of water every day kind of gal, but the minute I go on vacation, so does my memory of when to drink water and go to bed.
Hope this helps!