You’re off on holiday, not due for a flare up, you’re body is in a pretty predictable rhythm and you’re really looking forward to enjoying your trip. Sods law – you’ll get a flare up.
I always try to be as prepared as possible, so that if a flare up does happen, I can still enjoy my trip. As I’m writing this, I’m preparing for our weekend break and I’ve got a flare up – 5 days early. This is one of those rare occasions where my bodies ability to keep me guessing and flare up when least expected is actually a gift, as my flare up was due for the day we are flying!
This is everything I bring with me on a trip to make sure that I cover every aspect of a potential flare up:
TENS machine
Magnesium oil/bath salts
Heat patches
Tiger balm for neck and shoulder pain
Tiger balm for headaches
4head
Migraine patches
Painkillers
Everyday medication
Heat packs
The best advice I can give is to bring a mini kit in you hand luggage with you, in case you have a flare up during travel. Also, make sure that there is enough in your kit to be able to sustain you until you find a shop in case your luggage is lost.
Know your limits – never let endo rule your life or ruin your trip, but make sure that you rest if you need it and you don’t push yourself too much. Its worse to wipe yourself out early on in the trip and not be able to join it, than to take more breaks than usual or leave earlier than planned.
Everyones triggers are different, I find stress to be a big one of mine, and I find travelling really stressful. To combat this I make sure that I plan to get to the airport/station with more than enough time so that delays on public transport don’t affect me too much. I will plan as much as I can to make sure that all factors I have control over run smoothly, and I use the app Calm to help me if I end up stressed or have a panic attack.
When travelling I bring something to help me sleep. For long distance flights, I will take a sedative so that I can sleep through the flight, and for most places I visit I will take my This Works deep sleep pillow spray, and yes it really works! I find that I get tired quite quickly, especially with the stress of travel, and tiredness also triggers flares for me. By using some of these techniques I can help myself to get a better nights sleep, and improve my condition and ability to enjoy the next day.
These are just some of the tips that I use when I travel, but everyone is different, so the things that work for me may not work for you. If you use any different techniques to help you cope when travelling I’d love to hear them!
I am not medically trained in any way; any information in this article has been taken from my personal experiences, or from my doctor. Make sure to discuss any new treatments or medications with a healthcare provider before using them.
