Tips for Travelling with an Underactive Thyroid

Your thyroid gland punches well above its weight, given its small size. About the size of a bow tie, it sits at the front of your neck and produces two main hormones – thyroxine and triiodothyronine (T3) – that instruct your body's metabolism on how fast to tick over. These hormones are crucial for regulating numerous bodily functions, including heart rate, body temperature, and how quickly calories are burned. Hormones are chemicals made in one part of the body that travel in the bloodstream to another part to carry out their effect.

What is an Underactive Thyroid?

Between 1 in 50 and 1 in 100 people develop an underactive thyroid, a condition known as hypothyroidism, mostly developing in adulthood and becoming more common as you get older. Like an overactive thyroid, it affects ten times more women than men.

Hypothyroidism occurs when your body doesn't produce enough thyroxine, slowing your metabolism as a result. This can lead to weight gain despite symptoms such as reduced appetite. Other symptoms include tiredness, feeling the cold, constipation, dry skin, coarse hair, aching muscles and joints, mental slowness, and depression.

The causes of an underactive thyroid can vary, including autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, certain medications, radiation treatment, or iodine deficiency. Diagnosis typically involves a blood test to measure levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine.

Treatment for an underactive thyroid involves daily thyroxine tablets for life. It can take a little trial and error to find the right dose, as individual needs vary. Your response will be checked with regular blood tests to ensure your hormone levels are within the optimal range. Once your levels are stable, you can usually keep taking the same dose with an annual check. Maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise can also help manage symptoms and improve overall well-being.

My Essential Tips for Traveling with an Underactive Thyroid

If you have an underactive thyroid, it's important to plan when travelling to ensure you stay healthy and comfortable. Here are some top tips for travelling with an underactive thyroid:

Packing Medication: Keep your medicine in its original packaging, complete with your name, dosage instructions, and other important details. This ensures you always have essential information at hand and helps avoid any potential mix-ups or misuse.

Order More Than Enough: Order your medication well in advance and pack enough to last the entire trip, plus an extra supply in case of unexpected delays. Carry it in your hand luggage and, if possible, divide the supply between yourself and a travel companion, just in case your bag goes missing. However, ensure you personally go through security with your medication, as it will be labelled with your name, not theirs.

READ MORE: Travelling with Medications

Prescriptions: Take a copy of your repeat prescription with you in case it's checked at airport security. This can also be useful if you lose your medication while you're away. In some countries, it's possible to get a repeat supply of medication from a pharmacist without a doctor's prescription, but they will definitely need to know the name and dose of your medicine.

READ MORE: Carry-On Luggage: What You Can and Can't Pack

Plan Your Blood Test: If you're due for a blood test to check your levels of thyroxine, make sure you get them done before you go. Ideally, make your appointment a few weeks before departure so that any changes in dosage can be implemented. If your dose of thyroxine is changed, your doctor will usually want another blood test about 6 weeks later.

Schedule Your Medication: Work out a schedule to ensure you take your medication at regular intervals. This is more of an issue if you're crossing time zones. If you can, you want your timing to be as close to your usual home schedule as possible.

Rest Often: An underactive thyroid can lead to you tiring easily, especially if your thyroxine levels aren't completely stable. Factor this in when booking your holiday – if the activities are too energetic, you may not be able to take part or fully enjoy yourself.

Pack Warm Clothes: An underactive thyroid can also make you feel the cold more. If this applies to you, think about where you're going - a trip to Greenland might not be a good plan! Do also bear in mind that even if you're going to a warm country, planes are air-conditioned and often quite chilly. Ideally, dress in several layers rather than one thick jumper – this allows you to take layers on and off as you feel warmer or colder.

READ MORE: Mastering the Art of Packing

Keep Hydrated and Moisturise: Having an underactive thyroid can also make your skin dry, leaving you prone to a dry throat. Make sure you keep well hydrated – this is particularly important if you're visiting a very hot country, or when you're travelling in a plane (the air on planes is often very dry). Remember to moisturise your skin to keep it from drying out.

Travel Insurance: Even if you're travelling to Europe and have a valid EHIC or GHIC, it's essential to have specialist travel insurance in place. Always declare your condition to your travel insurance providers and look for a specialist provider who will cover your condition.

READ MORE: GHIC, EHIC & Travel Insurance

Travelling with an underactive thyroid requires careful planning and preparation to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable trip. From packing enough medication and keeping prescriptions handy to planning your blood tests and maintaining a schedule for taking your medication, these tips can help manage your condition while on the move.

Additionally, being mindful of your energy levels and packing appropriately for the climate will further aid in having a smooth journey. Lastly, it's crucial to invest in specialist travel insurance, especially that covers your pre-existing medical condition, ensuring peace of mind and safeguarding against any unforeseen medical expenses.