My 5-Month Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Travel Journey

From Flare-Ups to Flights

Travelling with Immunosuppressants (Azathioprine) & Biologic (Adalimumab) injections and my LifeinaBox

First Things First

Hiya – I’m Louise (pictured left, witnessing another amazing sunset in the Philippines). I have Ulcerative Colitis (IBD), which I manage with a combination of immunosuppressants (Azathioprine) and biologic injections (Adalimumab). In summer 2024, I had a tough few months with consistent flare ups, which resulted in multiple hospital stays and a change in medication to both immunosuppressants and biologic injections. Prior to my 2024 flare, I was in the middle of planning a five-month trip, beginning winter 2024 with my partner Alex (pictured on the right, at his happiest in one of the many beautiful seas we swam in). As you can imagine resuming plans for this trip with all that had happened in summer 2024 felt pretty overwhelming.

I’m so happy to say the adventure went smoothly—my health held up, and everything went well with my medication while I was away. It truly was the trip of a lifetime, and I feel incredibly lucky to have made it happen despite setbacks. I’m writing this blog to share my experience in the hope that it helps others with IBD who are planning extended travel—especially those navigating medication that needs to be kept in the cold chain (refrigerated between 2-8°C).

Before my trip, I searched everywhere for stories like mine and came up short on those that felt relevant to my circumstances I hope this post fills that gap and offers some reassurance and practical tips for the IBD community.

Destinations

• Shanghai
• New Zealand (Wellington, Taupo, Queenstown, Fiordland)
• Australia (Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Sydney)
• Thailand (Chiang Mai, Phi Phi Islands, Koh Lanta)
• Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Koh Rong, Kep)
• Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Sapa)
• Philippines (Moalboal, Boracay, El Nido)

Wins Worth Sharing

I had no trouble taking my medication into any of the destinations – In my experience, as long as you’ve got your documents in order, such as a doctor’s letter, your prescription, and the meds in clearly labelled packaging you’ll be fine. See here.

I found airport security and border staff in all airports to be more curious than suspicious.

Most places are happy to provide power – Whether it’s cafes, airport lounges or hotel staff – if you explain you have medical equipment that needs charging, people are generally very accommodating. See here for additional batteries for your LifeinaBox.

IBD teams in different countries can provide support – If something goes wrong or you need help while abroad, many countries have specialist IBD clinics or teams that you can contact. Your home IBD team may even be able to send over a summary or help coordinate care.

Lessons learnt along the way

Weather extremes can be tricky – Heavy rain and intense heat happened, and as you can imagine weren’t great conditions to be carrying around a mini fridge. Keep your medication fridge dry and cool whenever possible – but don’t stress, it won’t immediately break down when exposed to a bit of wet or hot weather.

Power in accommodations isn’t always reliable – Some hotel rooms cut power when you remove the key card. That means your fridge might stop running while you’re out. Ask ahead if you can keep a key card in the slot, or check if there’s a fridge plug on a separate circuit you can use instead. When in doubt, power banks are your best friend.

Running low on injections or tablets? – Don’t risk it—take what you need for the time you’re away. With proper documentation, I had no issues bringing everything through security, despite possible restrictions on amount of medication allowed that the internet advised me on. Better safe than stuck without your medication abroad.

Top Tips

• Treat yourself – spend a little more for a smoother ride, both in terms of transport and accommodation. You can still have the “travelling experience” even with these adjustments!
• Bring the right amount of medication, regardless of possible restrictions (future you will be grateful)
• Don’t wing it – have your health insurance ready. It’s worth doing a google search around providers that cover IBD. Make sure you read the small print!
• If the food looks like a gamble… maybe don’t roll the dice with your stomach. Food poisoning was my IBDs worst enemy.
• Get Your Medical Paperwork in Order: Ask your doctor, specialist, or IBD team for a travel letter that explains your condition and lists all the medications you’re taking. To play it safe, I’d advice even taking a prescription with you.
• Know the Rules at Your Destination(s): For all the destinations I visited, my medication was allowed in. However, not all medications are welcome everywhere. Do a little homework on each place you’re visiting.

Lifeinabox medication fridge

What is it:

LifeinaBox is the world’s smallest refrigerator, designed for the safe transport of medications such as insulin or medication used for IBD (I fit 6 of my Adalimumab (Humira) injections inside the fridge comfortably). This fridge keeps your medication at a temperature between 2 and 8°C at all times. You can also connect the fridge to a Smartphone application to keep track of the fridge temperature at all times.

How it helped me:

When I found out I’d need to start injections to manage my Ulcerative Colitis just months before a five-month trip, I was really worried. Most products I came across were only suited for short-term use or required re-freezing—totally impractical for my plans. After some digging, I discovered LifeinaBox. Without it, I couldn’t have kept my injections at the right temperature for the duration of my trip.

Benefits

• LifeinaBox is compact and travel-friendly, fitting easily within most airline luggage allowances.
• It charges via power banks or mains and includes a 6-hour internal battery, so it doesn’t need to stay plugged in.
• The Lifeina app (iOS & Android) tracks real-time temperature
• You’ll be alerted when the battery drops below 20%.
• Compatible with various international adapters and plugs

Challenges

• When traveling, you’ll need to keep the fridge elevated to avoid blocking the fans (the travel bag will solve this). When stationary you’ll need to ensure there’s space underneath for proper air circulation.
• It doesn’t include a USB or USB-C travel cable to use with a power bank and some plug adapters. You’ll need to purchase one separately.

Shanghai

• If you’re travelling from London grab a Sunflower Lanyard at the Airport, it makes getting through security a lot easier.
• Don’t stress about charging your medication fridge – Airports and accommodations are full of charging ports.
• My medication wasn’t questioned by London or Shanghai, just be prepared with your documentation.
• Keep the fridge upright and ventilated – Fridge fans get blocked if it’s placed flat on a surface for too long.

New Zealand

• Declaring your medication – You’ll need to declare your medication at customs, which takes a bit of extra time, but everyone is really helpful and as long as you have the necessary documentation, the process is smooth. Medsafe (New Zealand’s Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority were very helpful when I reached out to them).
• Storing my Biologic medication in New Zealand – I was lucky enough to stay with friends and in places with fridges I could trust, so I didn’t need my medication fridge during my time in New Zealand. As long as you either have a fridge or socket in your accommodation then your meds should be fine.

Australia

• Border control & passenger declaration forms – I had to fill out a passenger declaration form on the plane to declare my medication. At passport control, they briefly asked what the meds were and how much I take, but didn’t ask for documents or question the quantity based on my length of stay. The experience was a lot less stressful than information on the internet made me believe it would be!
• Van life challenges – We rented a van for a 15-day trip around the Sunshine Coast, living in a rooftop pop-up tent—an incredible experience for us, though not ideal for my medication. Thankfully, the van had a new app-controlled cooler that stayed cold as long as we drove daily. But after a 9-hour Whitsundays boat tour, we returned to find it had hit 22°C. Luckily, it hadn’t been warm for too long, and the meds were fine—just something to keep in mind!
• Long-haul flight struggles – Not all low-cost airlines have strong enough power sources to keep the fridge charged, keep this in mind for long flights & journeys.
• Reach out to local IBD teams – I highly recommend contacting local IBD services ahead of time. I was so grateful to hear back from an Australian IBD nurse team before my trip. They gave great advice and offered backup support in case anything went wrong.

Thailand

• Medication at the border – Customs were only curious about the fridge and power banks. Once they saw everything, they had no concerns.
• Hotel power sources – In Chiang Mai, our hotel had a fridge power source that stayed on even when the room key cut the power to other sources. This isn’t always the case … it’s always good to find accommodation where power can stay on when you leave!
• Food poisoning & flare – Unfortunately, I got food poisoning in Chiang Mai, which triggered a 2 week IBD flare-up. My advice? Play it safe with food and swimming in areas that animals may also swim in!

Cambodia

• Bringing medication in – I had no issues getting my medication into Cambodia. Security didn’t ask any questions, and I didn’t need to declare anything.
• Power cuts – We experienced a few power cuts during our stay, but luckily, they never lasted longer than an hour, so the fridge was fine.
• Transport tips – We occasionally took cramped, cheap minivans, which didn’t have power sources and were longer than expected. If you’re traveling with medication, I recommend spending a little more for comfort and peace of mind.

Vietnam

• Bringing medication in – I had no issues getting my medication into Vietnam via bus. Border control didn’t ask any questions, and my bags went through a security belt without raising any concerns.
• Weather challenges – Extreme heat and occasional rain made it tricky to keep the fridge at the right temperature, but stopping in places with aircon and power outlets helped keep it cool. Just stay vigilant, and you’ll be fine!

Philippines

• Entering the country – By this point, I had run out of Adalimumab, so was only using my Azathioprine tablets. Therefore, I can’t speak to bringing injections into the Philippines, but based on my research, as long as you bring documentation and ensure medication is labelled you’ll be fine.
• Heat & power challenges – Expect similar issues with heat and inconsistent power sources for your meds, just like in other destinations.
• Adjusting without meds – Knowing I was missing some medication, I made sure to schedule in some rest time and stick to food I trusted.

We are committed to building on these partnerships and creating more opportunities to promote medication safety, independence, and peace of mind—no matter where life takes you.

Learn more about Medactiv and LifeInaBox at www.medactiv.com.au.

Explore our website at Medactiv Australia to discover our range of products tailored to enhance your health experience. Join us on this journey towards better health and well-being, and let MedActiv be your ultimate health companion. Together, we can make health management accessible and convenient for everyone!