Traveling is not easy when living with ulcerative colitis. Flying and being overseas is difficult while coping with ulcerative colitis symptoms and the associated anxiety.
If you wish to travel, and are well enough, there should be no reason why you cant enjoy a vacation. As with just living life in general, UC is always there and we have no choice but to get on with it – vacations are no different.
So if you are well enough and have booked a trip or are planning to, here are my tips to make things a little easier.
Drink plenty of water while traveling with ulcerative colitis
Your body loses water and electrolytes when you have frequent diarrhoea. It is important to drink plenty of water to replace what is lost. This will keep energy levels up. I also carry electrolyte drinks which are useful to replace lost electrolytes.
What to eat and food hygiene
I am extra careful where I eat while traveling. A stomach issue from nasty food can trigger all kinds of symptoms and is the last thing you need while overseas. I use tripadvisor to research all restaurants before I eat. For the first few days of a trip I eat little and often. This ensures if anything is going to disagree with me, at least its only a small amount to mitigate symptoms and I can rule out anything problematic. Also cooking oils can be different when abroard and can make symptoms worse. I Keep a mental food diary of what I am eating and how I feel so I can rule anything out quickly.
Stick to bottled drinks while traveling with ulcerative colitis
I avoid any tap water, draught beers, soft drinks or sodas. These pipe systems can be dirty and poorly maintained. I always stick to bottled or canned drinks while traveling with ulcerative colitis. I also avoid ice as this can be made with tap water and could contain harmful bacteria.
Emergency Supplies
I always carry a bag with spare underwear, anti bacterial gel and wipes. I also carry water and hydration drinks at all times. This ensures I am never caught off guard and also helps with anxiety when going out and about.
Take care of yourself traveling with ulcerative colitis
It can be easy to not sleep as much while away. I always make sure I get adequate sleep. If you are travelling long haul this is particularly crucial. I was experiencing mild symptom’s once which worsened due to jet lag and lack of sleep. Prioritising sleep and rest is key to maintaining a healthy immune system. I use herbal sleeping aids and also meditate, listen to podcasts/books etc to relax and sleep better.
Ulcerative colitis is very unpredictable and my flare ups were always stress related. At times my symptoms were just simmering along and any little trigger could worsen them. Traveling can be one of those times we let our guard down. These tips are the essentials that I used to stay on top of symptoms and mitigate a flare up.
I have written some more detail about how I try to reduce flare ups in this article – 5 things I’ve learned in therapy that help ulcerative colitis