Community Forum

Have a question, or want to share your own tips and experiences? Join the discussion in the community forum. You must be registered to participate. Our forums are moderated by Crohn's & Colitis Foundation staff to facilitate a safe environment.

Previous Topic Next Topic

Plane Travel while on Immune Suppressing Drugs

Tue, April 22, 2008 8:05 AM

I am leaving for vacation this weekend and taking a plane. Has anyone had any problems with getting sick after flying due to being on Immune System Suppressing drugs (prednisone, humira, remicade, etc)? I just know regardless of being on the drugs or not i almost always seem to come down with a cold to begin with after a flight. I am nervous i will catch something worse with my immune system down and not sure what i can do to prevent that?

erind
Joined Mar 13, 2008

Thu, April 24, 2008 4:05 PM

Reply posted for brenmixon.

I have the same concerns. I wear a face mask on the plane, I know it looks dumb but I'll never see any of those people again so I don't care what I look like. :-) I don't know if it helps or not but it makes me feel like I did as much as I could.

I also carry hand sanitizer in my pocket and use it constantly while traveling. You can also minimize what you pick up by not touching your eyes, nose or mouth unless you've just washed your hands. Finally, I recommend the NeilMed sinus rinse system for nasal irrigation. Seems gross but it works great.

I know some of these approaches may seem silly, but I have managed to get only two head colds in the last three years since I started this regimen, which is a dramatic reduction for me. In all I have found that I get sick less often than ever before now that I'm on immunosuppressant meds. I attribute that to my vigilance mostly, but the irony still amuses me.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

zimbop
Joined Apr 24, 2008

Tue, April 22, 2008 12:28 PM

Reply posted for ErinD.

I personally have flown many times and not once had a problem being on steroids & immune suppresants. I think we stress ourselves out wrrying too much causing our self diarrhea or what not but they have restrooms on the flights. The steroids will usually keep you from getting somethings because of the anti-inflammatories in them. Breath deeply, relax & enjoy. Take meds with you for anything & everything. Expect the unexpected. Most doctors will give you what you might need like a antibiotic to take on a trip just don't abuse it.

brenmixon
Joined Apr 22, 2008

Related Topics

Camping with a flare up?

DPE
Joined Jul 31, 2021

Hey, I am off on an amazing trip across Scotland w....

read more

Stelara in Costa Rica

thomas2000
Joined Jan 24, 2022

I will be travelling to CR in the near future and ....

read more

Humira for TSA security (...

luciapastorino
Joined Jun 28, 2023

Dear members of this community, my name is Lucia,....

read more

Welcome to the Crohn's & Colitis Community!

This website is associated with CCFA.org and is supported by an educational grant from AbbVie.

Please read our Top 12 Rules before posting messages and sharing stories. Always be courteous and sensitive to others!

Intended audience. The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Online Community is intended for patients and their caregivers, family and friends. The Community is not intended for industry representatives or advertisers and these individuals are not permitted to participate on the site.

Meet the Crohn's & Colitis Community! Browse our site to see what our community is talking about and find issues important to you.

Join in and share your stories. After you feel comfortable with our site, register to share your thoughts on a regular basis.

Stay secure. Remember that our site can be viewed by anyone on the Internet. With the exception of our registration and personal pages, search engines are available within this site. To guard your privacy, follow these simple rules: do not share your address, phone number, details about your family, or anything else you would feel uncomfortable with others reading. If you post your personal email, be aware that you may receive spam e-mail from spammers who gather addresses off of the web.

Read and react to posts with care. If you don’t agree or are offended by someone’s post, take a step back and think before you reply. Since we can’t talk in-person to each other, we must recognize that we may be misunderstanding stories or posts. Please be sensitive to others’ feelings and ask for clarification before acting out.

Search before starting new topics. To keep our message boards easy to use, please use the search bar to locate topics of interest before starting a new thread. If you start a new thread, please use obvious subject headings and words that will catch the attention of others. Topics will be archived after 21 days of inactivity. To view past topics and posts, click on archive topics within each of the forums.

Stick to our guidelines. To keep this site safe for everyone, please do not post: doctors' names, treatment facility names and treatment specifics, contact information for others without their consent, links to websites with uncertain content or advertisements, requests for fundraising, items for sale, requests for study, survey and/or questionnaire participation or provocative information.

Sharing photos. Please use good taste and appropriate images when adding photos to your profile or personal stories. Photos should be in .jpg format.

Not following the rules? Crohn's & Colitis Community moderators routinely scan the message boards and will delete tasteless posts. If you post inappropriate messages or pictures or use offensive language in a post on multiple occasions, you will be notified via email and your account will be inactivated.

Report foul play. Help the Crohn's & Colitis Community moderators by reporting anyone that posts inappropriate messages or pictures by clicking the 'Report Abuse' button under the message or emailing ccfacommunity@ccfa.org.

Questions or concerns? Please feel free to email us at ccfacommunity@ccfa.org with any questions or concerns. We want you to feel comfortable here.

Terms & Conditions. By posting your story, questions, concerns and other information on the Community, you grant the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation or its authorized agent permission to publish, reproduce, record and use your stories as Crohn's & Colitis Community or the authorized agent sees fit in any medium or forum in a manner which helps to further the Crohn's & Colitis Community mission. You agree to release and hold harmless Crohn's & Colitis Community from any and all liability by any third party that may arise from the release of information to any third party or by any third party and agree that all text and other content made by you, for you or the person for whom you are the parent/guardian, shall be the exclusive property of Crohn's & Colitis Community. The Crohn's & Colitis Community cannot verify every claim made by a third party contributor to our Community and is not responsible for the authenticity of information posted.

Thank you! The Crohn's & Colitis Community is successful because of members like you!

Thanks!
The Crohn's & Colitis Community Team

*Any postings on the Crohn's & Colitis Community site should not replace your physician's advice. Always check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health.