International travel with a pump

I’ve been wearing a pump for about 6-7 years and travel frequently all round the world. I keep the pump on me as I go through security, so it never goes through an X-ray. About half the time the pump alarms the primary security (usually a WTMD) and you get a secondary, generally a pat-down.
I occasionally get someone asking me to remove the pump which I decline.
Quite honestly it’s pretty much no deal these days. I take maybe 30 seconds more getting though security than others.

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Thanks!

I live near Toronto and traveled to London last year. I haven’t been to Paris in about 15 years but was on a pump then, too, and haven’t had trouble in any of those places. In Toronto and London for sure, the security staff know what insulin pumps are and aren’t bothered by them. Canada in general is nice about it - I’ve had more trouble with TSA in the US (though not all of them, and it’s better now than it used to be.) I just tell them what I’ve got, go through the metal detector, and if it beeps they do the hand wand thing and swab my pump to test for explosives.

Have a great trip!

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Since on pump I have traveled twice to Seoul, Korea. I took twice the amount of supplies I would need as there would be no way to get any Animas supplies there. Because I won’t go through body scanner with Dexcom, I always have the pat down and the test for explosives. Once I was told that I could go through the scanner with Dexcom, but not the pump! Going to Korea is more an issue than leaving Korea.

Oh, and going through the security of the Native American museum in NYC, the guard by the metal detector kept insisting that I take off the pump and Dexcom. Finally a guard by the door convinced him to let me pass.

Noticed this thread is pretty old, but I figured maybe I’d share some of my own travelling experience/tips, since I’ve done quite a bit of it!

I wear an Omnipod and use Novolog insulin, which I always keep in my carry-on, and haven’t had a lot of trouble with it! Sometimes (and I’ve noticed it happens more frequently now than before) I’ll get pulled aside during the security check to have my pump inspected and my hands scanned (for material of some kind??). I’m personally not a big fan of when this happens, but it doesn’t take long and it’s harmless, so I suppose that’s all fine and dandy.

I’ve never been stopped for having insulin in my carry-on, either, but I always keep a letter from my doctor with me just in case. The letter should state that you have diabetes and be signed. (tip: you can use that as an excuse to get juice and stuff like that in as well.)

I also have a special basal plan that I use when flying for longer times (over 6 hours) that will help my blood sugar levels stay down. This may vary for different people, but I found that a flat rate works for me! I also try to avoid snacking/drinking sugary drinks while flying (though maybe that’s something I should just do in general? Oh well.).

And before you go anywhere, you should do some math on exactly how much supplies you’ll need for the period of travel. You should always carry extra supplies in case something goes bad, but making precise calculations will ensure that you don’t pack too much extra stuff!

Well, those are all the ones I can think of that I’ve used! Happy travels to whoever reads this! ^^

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I’m traveling to Australia in May 2018 with pump and CGM. Flight times are 22 hours total (to Darwin WSA), then 11 day boat trip before return to Sydney for two days, then only 13 hours to return to Tucson. Jealous?

I really appreciate all the tips here! Will check Medtronic travel site and get a letter from my endo ahead of time, and ask Mr. Google about Australian TSA regulations (though the airline should also be a good resource). Thanks again, all!

The pump and hand inspection was for trace of explosives.

I’ve flown within the US quite a few times and from US to Europe twice with insulin pumps.

TSA, between 9/11 and about 2 years ago, was very intrusive. I’d get a pat down that not only embarrassed me but it embarrassed my wife on my behalf. Those agents knew me better than most doctors know me. Calling it uncomfortable is an understatement. I wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone.

It has gotten better. The last few times, I had to swab my hands for the explosives test, a metal detector wand, and they run their hands over my pockets, and that’s about it.

Interestingly, Spanish and French security don’t even seem to care at all; they are much more friendly to deal with, even though I don’t speak their language and am a foreigner in their land.

I always pack extra supplies, just in case. It means my carry-on bag is packed full of stuff, as I never trust my diabetes supplies to checked baggage, not even the stuff that isn’t temperature sensitive. Medtronic loves some bulky packaging for their CGM sensors, for example.

My biggest troubles really are from the rush to get to the airport, through security, and to my gate – which has led to me going low a time or two, though not often. And then the long sit-down at the gate before loading and on the flight – which usually leads to me going high. (Airport food, which typically isn’t as healthy as it ought to be for me, doesn’t help anything at all.)

If I’m travelling somewhere where the time zone changes, I usually wait until I arrive, then switch to the local time – unless I’m only going a single zone – 1 hour – in either direction. Then I usually don’t bother.

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I can relate, travel is always a mystery ingredient for D management.