Anti TNF

If you are travelling abroad and taking your anti TNF therapy with you, it's important to make plans to keep it at the correct temperature during the journey and at your destination. You can buy special cool bags and even travel fridges. A useful company to try to purchase these products is MedActiv.

In addition to your anti TNF medication you will require a travel size sharps box. Do discuss this with your Clinical Nurse Specialist or your delivery team.

Ankylosing spondylitis in a foreign language

It may be worthwhile finding out what ankylosing spondylitis and other medical conditions you have are called in the country you are travelling to in case there's an occasion (such as a medical emergency) where you need to let people know you have AS. 

Assistance

Always tell your airline, travel agent or tour operator when you book if you are going to need assistance when you travel.

Booking

When you are thinking about booking your holiday don't forget the Give as You Live website. This is a service which allows you to raise money as you shop. Simply go to www.giveasyoulive.com and when you've set up an account you'll be ready to shop! A wide variety of travel companies are involved retailers are involved such as British Airways, Monarch, Thomas Cook, First Choice and Expedia. Each gives a percentage of the purchase price to NASS.

Codeine based medications

Some prescription medications, including codeine based medications, are illegal in some other countries. Check with the embassy or consulate of the countries you are travelling to and find out if any of your medications are illegal there.

Copies of your prescriptions

Carrying copies of your prescriptions in your hand luggage will be important if you are stopped and questioned about the medications you are carrying.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are travelling to Europe, the EH1C card will entitle you to free or low cost healthcare in most countries.

Food poisoning

Anti TNF therapy and some other medications may make you more susceptible to food-borne infections which can result in food poisoning and other serious illnesses.

Infections and communicable diseases

These can be more severe in people who are on anti TNF therapy or other medications which affect the immune system. Therefore you may need urgent assessment and treatment, if you have come into contact with someone who has one of these infections. Remember different parts of the world have more risk of certain infectious diseases than others.

Medication

Make sure you have sufficient medication to cover the entire period you will be away. It may be an idea to take double the amount you'll need for your trip and put one set in your hand luggage and the other in your checked-in baggage. This way you'll have a back-up if you were to lose some of your drugs during your trip. Always carry your medication in a correctly labelled container as issued by your pharmacist.

Travel insurance

Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover your trip, and carry copies of your insurance documents with you in case of an emergency. Download the list of NASS member recommended insurance providers.

Vaccinations

If you need vaccinations for the country or countries you are planning to visit, you'll need to remember to go for them in time to develop immunity to the diseases the vaccinations are for. If you are on anti TNF therapy do be careful about which vaccinations you have, as certain ones are not recommended for people on anti TNF therapy.

We would love to hear your comments and suggestions on travelling and any experiences, good or bad, that you have had. You can write as much or as little as you want in the box below. We receive all the comments and publish them on the page, usually within 1 working day so your comment won't appear immediately.

If you have any queries contact our Information Officer.

Last reviewed: November 2012