Hi all!
Looking at travelling to Hurghada, Egypt for honeymoon in August and am of course doing my research, but if anybody with RRMS has been, any advice on travelling with medications, copaxone injections, vaccinations etc?
Like I said, I promise I’m doing my research but feel like it’s a good place to ask for first hand experience- and I’ve got an air conditioned room of course!!
Thanks in advance!
Betty 
How exciting for you!! It’s an amazing part of the world to go to, I went on a very last-minute holiday and it was incredible.
I have travelled abroad with Copaxone, and it all went really easily although I can’t remember where it was I went. My consultant wrote a letter for me explaining what the Copaxone was, how it needed to be kept, and that it was vital. I did expect to have more problems with it in my hand luggage, but it wasn’t as unusual as I thought it would be and all of the check-in staff and security staff were really nonplussed by it and didn’t seem to be bothered at all.
I don’t take Copaxone anymore but I did have to travel recently with other medication and my consultant wrote another letter for me listing all of the medication I was taking with me. As I was going to Singapore I decided not to take Sativex with me as it is cannabis and they have a very very very strict regulation around drugs. I also was taking diazepam at the time, and left that at home after reading what the Singapore government website said about what was allowed and not allowed. I travelled a bit with work which involved getting vaccinations, so I just made sure that the doctor giving me the vaccination understood what MS was and what he needed to be aware of. I think I did the rabies, yellow fever, typhoid, and a couple of others and they were all fine. It’s also something you should ask your MS nurse about, because sometimes there’s more than one drug available to be a vaccine and one of them might be better tolerated and they can tell you the names you should be aware of.
So have a check on the Egyptian government website to see what they say about travelling with medication, if you’ve used a travel agent then get their input as well. Don’t forget to make sure your travel Insurance is up-to-date with the latest situation regarding your MS.
Where you are staying in Egypt is great for Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, I stayed an hour or two north of there and one of the best best things we did was to take the organised trip to Cairo. We flew up in the morning and came back later that evening, and did the pyramids, the souk, the mosque, and the Egyptian museum which was breathtaking. Since then the museum has been redone completely and is supposed to be spectacular so I would really really recommend doing it. Flying is much less hassle, going by bus takes hours and involves an overnight stay.
I hope you have a fantastic time, tell us all about it!
Thank you so so much for your message- you have really reassured me and got me excited for the trip! This is the kind of thing I assumed MS would never allow me to do!!
Crazy I know, but I hadn’t actually thought about contacting my consultant so they can explain the medication so I will do that pronto. They of course have a lot more awareness about copaxone than the GP. I’m not on any weed products (although on a different topic, do you mind me asking if you were able to get sativex on the NHS?) The only other med I know has tight restrictions is gabopentin, but I will make sure I get the letter and take an up to date prescription receipt.
Again, thank you so much!!
You’re very welcome😊
Yes, I get sativex on the NHS. I’ve been on it for a few years now, Wales has a more favourable View of it than what I hear about some English Health boards. I still had to jump through hoops, because it was quite soon after it was approved. I avoided the first though, because I happened to have gone on holiday to California where weed is legal. I bought some edibles and some CBD spray, and mentioned to my consultant after getting back about how my legs weren’t spasming after having one of the cookies. She said that was brilliant to hear because not everybody gets any benefit from sativex, and the first Barrier to getting it was not knowing whether it would help. It really does help though, it’s fantastic for spasms but I also find it helps knee pain - the pain almost vanishes within 30 seconds of having a spray. CBD oil did nothing, though.
By the way, I really would recommend California for a holiday too. It’s possibly the most accessible part of the world I’ve ever been to in a wheelchair. Even the trams in San Francisco are wheelchair accessible!