8 Travel Tips for Ulcerative Colitis

But some pre-trip planning can help ensure that you’re prepared, while also reducing stress levels. “I always encourage speaking to one’s doctor about what worries them the most about the trip, and brainstorming ways to make that easier,” says Tenzin Choden, MD, a gastroenterologist with a focus on inflammatory bowel disease at University of Chicago Medicine.

Here are eight expert tips to help you prepare for a trip if you have UC.

1. Pack an Ulcerative Colitis Travel Kit

• Any medication that you might need, including regular prescription and over-the-counter drugs, in their original packaging with clear labels, as well as those you might need in case of an urgent situation, such as loperamide (Imodium) for diarrhea.
• Your care plan in case of a flare (ask your doctor for one if it isn’t written out).
• An “I Can’t Wait” card for bathroom emergencies, which are available for free from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
• A medical translation app, such as Care to Translate, can be helpful in case of an emergency when you don’t speak the language.

• A clean change of clothes (including underwear)
• A plastic bag for transporting dirty clothes
• Plastic bags for trash
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Wet wipes, tissues, or both
• Incontinence pads or underwear
• Hand sanitizer and soap
• Barrier cream for sensitive skin
• Air freshener
• Electrolyte drink packets
• Safe snacks
• Any routine or emergency medications you might need for the day
  

2. Manage Medications on the Move

Making sure you’re all set with medications and vaccinations before you leave is crucial.

Schedule Vaccines, if Needed, Before You Travel

• COVID-19 (Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax)
• Flu
• Pneumococcal (Vaxneuvance, Prevnar 20, Pneumovax 23)
• Recombinant herpes zoster virus (Shingrix)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) 9-valent (Gardasil 9)
• Hepatitis B (Heplisav-B, Engerix-B, Recombivax HB)
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR II, Priorix)
• Varicella zoster (Varivax)

Make Sure You Bring an Adequate Supply of Medication

Do what you need to avoid running out of medication during a trip. “Missing medication doses can cause flare-ups of your colitis, which we want to avoid,” Dr. Choden says.

Schedule Infusions or Injections for Before or After Your Trip, if Possible

If you’re receiving infusions or self-administering injectable medications, make sure you have them scheduled, so you can travel without risking increased symptoms or a flare.

“This is about working with your care team,” says Joanna Melia, MD, a gastroenterologist specializing in inflammatory bowel disease at Johns Hopkins Medicine in the Baltimore area. “In general, for patients on infusions, I readily allow a dose one week early or one week late to accommodate travel. My preference is generally to give a drug earlier rather than later, especially for drugs [that cause more of an immune response], like infliximab [Avsola, Inflectra, Remicade].”

And Dr. Melia says that there’s no reason to adjust the schedule of your daily oral medications — you can take them at your usual times, unless that schedule would be inconvenient to keep up in the time zone you’re traveling to.

Consider Bringing Emergency Medications

It can ease fears to travel with specific emergency medications in reserve, should you need them. “For some of my patients, taking a prescription for prednisone provides a level of ‘just-in-case’ security that gives peace of mind,” Melia says. “But the patient-provider relationship is really important, as is education about signs and symptoms ... that would warrant therapy other than prednisone.”

The antidiarrheal loperamide (Imodium) is also something that Melia says people with UC will want to have on hand, though she suggests talking to your doctor about when to take it versus when to avoid it. One such example is if you’re having bloody diarrhea, which might indicate an infection requiring immediate medical attention rather than antidiarrheal medication. “I also consider anti-emetics [medication that helps prevent nausea and vomiting] for select patients,” she says.

“Depending on where patients are traveling, it is also important to discuss with your care team about specific destination-focused advice,” she says. Melia also recommends discussing other medications with your healthcare provider in certain situations, including antibiotics (in case of traveler’s diarrhea), or preventive medications for malaria, if either are common where you’re traveling to.

Ensure Prescriptions Are Labeled, and Consider Getting a Doctor’s Letter

Generally speaking, as long as your name is listed on the prescriptions, there shouldn’t be any issues during travel, Choden says.

3. Safeguard Your Sleep While Traveling

Getting adequate sleep is important for everyone, both Choden and Melia say. “It is reasonable for patients to try to ensure that they are well-rested heading into the travel days and then work on the new time zone schedule ... depending on the length of the trip,” Melia says.

Common sense tips, like avoiding alcohol and practicing good sleep hygiene (like putting electronics down in advance of bedtime), can help maximize sleep quality, as can incorporating your usual daily habits, like exercise, while you’re traveling, says Melia.

4. Soothe Your Stress While Traveling

Stress, which is common during travel, can exacerbate UC symptoms, Choden says. Doing your best to manage stress can help you avoid disruptions to your itinerary. She recommends planning in advance, ensuring that you have adequate supplies of medication, and staying on track with hydration and fiber goals as ways to ensure that your trip is as low-stress and enjoyable as possible.

Melia agrees. “Stress can absolutely worsen any GI symptoms, so as much as patients are able, limiting stress is of value,” she says. She recommends preparing your body and mind in advance of stressors — like those you might experience before and during a vacation — by getting quality sleep, taking medications as prescribed, limiting exposure to the stressors under your control, and getting adequate exercise.

• Breathing exercises (aka breath work)
• Meditation, such as mindfulness, mantra, or loving-kindness

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• Guided imagery (aka guided visualization)
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Yoga nidra (yogic sleep)
• Restorative yoga
• Tai chi or qigong
• Dance
• Making art (such as coloring, drawing, or watercolors, all of which are portable)
  

5. Optimize Nutrition On the Go

• Packets of creamy nut butter and rice cakes
• Soft-textured protein bars with ingredients you know you tolerate
• Dry cereals low in sugar
• Instant oatmeal packets
• Squeezable fruit and vegetable pouches
• Liquid meal replacement drinks or powder, in case of a flare
• Electrolyte drink mix or oral rehydration solution powder

Bring enough snacks to last throughout your trip. While you may not need to use all of them, it’s better to be well prepared and have some leftovers than to run out halfway through your trip and not be able to find replacements.

6. Protect Yourself From the Sun

7. Protect Yourself From Infections

It’s important to stay on top of any infection symptoms you may develop. “Obviously, the standard advice of seeking medical evaluation for fever and bloody diarrhea remains important for our UC patients,” Melia says. “It can be very difficult to distinguish infection versus UC flare.”

One clue that indicates you may have an infection, she says, is whether other people traveling with you are experiencing the same symptoms. “Of course, infection can also trigger UC exacerbation, so both processes can be at play,” says Melia. It can be tricky to determine the best course of therapy, she says, and it’s best when local providers can consult with your care team. So, make sure you have their contact information with you, just in case.

8. Emergency Care When Traveling

It’s not a great idea to travel if there’s a good chance you’ll need emergency care. “In general, we recommend avoiding travel if you have poorly controlled moderate-to-severe UC, given the risk of hospitalization,” says Melia.

In most circumstances, you’ll still want to devise a plan for urgent situations with your care team, however. “I do advise making a plan for what to do in an emergency, especially if one’s UC control remains suboptimal,” she says. “In today’s world of social media, many physicians know helpful physicians in many locations. There are also resources like IBD Passport that can be useful to help identify providers where you are.”

Confirm whether your insurance plan offers coverage for emergency care at your destination. “If feasible, especially for extended [international] travel, consideration can be made for travel health insurance and medical evacuation insurance, but this can be limited by expense,” Melia says.