1. Packing: Carry-on only
It’s really important that you keep your treatment in your carry-on luggage, and not in your checked baggage. During flight, airplane cargo holds can drop to below freezing, and this can break down the structure of your weight loss treatment. This means that it won’t work like it should, and could even be unsafe for you to use.
2. Keeping it cool
Most weight loss injections like Wegovy and Zepbound need to be refrigerated until you start using them. But it’s not always easy to find a fridge to keep them in when you’re away – especially while you’re traveling.
The good news is that your pen can last a while out of the fridge, but the amount of time will depend on the type of injection you’re using, and whether or not you’ve started using it yet.
In the US, your Wegovy pen can last out of the fridge for up to 28 days (4 weeks). Zepbound, on the other hand, can be unrefrigerated for up to 21 days.
What should I do if I’m going to a hot country?
If you’re traveling to somewhere that regularly exceeds 86°F (30°C), you’ll need to keep your pen cool. Insulated insulin carry cases or cooling pouches are really handy for this. Some contain crystals that are activated when soaked in cold water, keeping the interior at a cool temperature suitable for carrying ‘fridged’ medication.
Just don’t put a freezer pack in with your medication, as this could cause your pen to freeze and become unsafe to use. When you arrive at your destination, make sure to move your treatment into your hotel’s minibar or fridge so it stays cool.
3. Changing time zones
Heading somewhere in a different time zone? How far you’re traveling and how different the time zones are can make it tricky to know when you should take your next dose. But the good news is you’ve got a couple of options for how to take your treatment. The most important thing to remember is that you leave at least three days (72 hours) between your doses.
Option A: Stick to your home schedule. If you’d usually take your treatment at 9 in the morning Eastern Time (or your local home time), work out what time that would be in your current time zone, and take your treatment then.
Option B: Change your injection day. If you’d normally take your treatment on the day you fly, you can take it a day earlier or a day later to make the change easier – as long as your previous dose was at least 72 hours ago. Try and take your injection at this new time each week while you’re away, and then when you’re headed home you can either maintain this new schedule, or switch back to your old one.
4. Holiday food and side effects
When we’re away it’s only natural to indulge a little more than we would at home. Eating richer food, drinking more alcohol, and different meal times are just a few changes you might make to your diet while away.
Weight loss injections like Wegovy and Zepbound slow down how quickly you digest food, so eating rich, heavy, or greasy foods can cause side effects like nausea and heartburn – even if you haven’t had any side effects in weeks.
To try and minimize any unpleasant side effects by:
- Staying hydrated. Drink more water than you feel like you need, especially if you’re somewhere hot. This is the best way to help relieve side effects like nausea and headaches.
- Packing ‘just in case’ meds. It can be tough to find specific meds to relieve side effects while you’re away. Packing some heartburn relief medicine, anti-diarrheal tablets, and over-the-counter treatments for pain, like acetaminophen (Tylenol), can come in handy.
