Top Travel Tips for Flying and Making the Most of Your Holiday Abroad With a Stoma!
- Stoma Warrior
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Travelling abroad can be challenging enough with today's rules and regulations, but flying with IBD and an Ileostomy Stoma can be even more daunting but it need not be!
In this short video blog I share many tips, from medical bag allowance to passing through security and ways to manage hydration and bag adhesion in the sea and heat!
Here is a little more info for you and links!
Special Assistance at the airport and a courtesy Free Medical Bag (some not all airlines)
Airport special assistance provides support for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, ensuring a smoother travel experience. This assistance is available from arrival at the airport to boarding the aircraft, and also upon arrival at the destination airport. It's a free service, legally mandated in the UK and EU, though charges may apply elsewhere.
For me this has proven invaluable as the staff are used to dealing with people with different needs and have always shown me respect, care and support even when I travelled with 5 day’s worth of liquid diet, scanning it and allowing me to continue in my journey as quick as they could. https://www.stomawarrior.com/post/flying-with-a-liquid-diet-ensure-diet-on-easyjet
The free medical bag allowed me to overpack my stoma supplies and medication to cover all eventualities! Heavens forbid I get a tummy bug and need to change once or more in any day or I need to start a medication if in flare (I always carry steroids and things to help with blockages and pain just in case!)
Travelling though a scanner at the airport via Special Assistance, I wear a sunflower lanyard so they can see I may need special help and consideration and it removes the need for me to explain myself to staff. I have once been asked to show my bag in the past, now I find they all know what it is on the scan display and treat me with respect, in all countries I have visited in Europe so far.
Foods to avoid before the flight! – I always found when I travelled it sparked a flare up, for years I dreaded that and thought it was just a result of flying and a different diet when away, I had no clue until my Dietician recent educated me, that fried/greasy food can cause your gut and bowel to swell in flight… no wonder it sparked a flare up! So now its NO greasy foods before flying…
Staying hydrated in hot climates!
At home I live on St Marks Hydration Solution which I make myself (See recipe below) however I don’t fancy taking containers of white powder through security, so I use a shop version. There are many available on the market but the closest I found was one from a company called Hunter Gatherer (link below) but there are many out there, just ensure they have no artificial sweeteners and additives as these can trigger rather than help us Ostomates!
Spending as much time in the water as you like!
Essential especially if visiting a beach resort or a hot climate! Stoma bags are totally waterproof (obviously or we would be covered in poop) but some can lift if left soggy and waterlogged after a swim, to dry my base as fast as I can I use towelling premature baby bibs! That simple, I wear one between the bag and base to absorb any reside sea water and to dry it fully. For me this has meant my bags last as long asthey do at home which is 3 days without lifting or leaking!
If its really hot I often wear a stoma bag cover made of cotton to stop it feeling like I am wearing a plastic bag stick to my abdomen which can cause me to sweat and itch! It also looks fun!
If you are worried about the base plate lifting you can get Flange Extenders for extra piece of mind, I carry the Coloplast Elastic Tape (info below) however I find they stick a little too well and are harder to change so only used once when I caught the edge of my baseplate when drying so added for piece of mind until my next bag change.
There are many more tips and tricks out there so please share here any you feel will help others!
Safe travels and wear that bag with confidence and pride!
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