legionnaire

A family member is traveling through SFO with a child. They need to carry Pediasure with them as a supplement. In addition, the child seems to be coming down with some kind of fever.

Ideally, they would've preferred not to travel at all, but that's not possible.

They are going to try and clear security with Tylenol and Motrin at SFO. The child is also asthmatic and needs an inhaler plus mask.

Any experience with TSA at SFO?

• Do they allow OTC Tylenol, Motrin?
• What about Pediasure? Will they trash it?
• Do they need to decant these liquids it into 3 oz containers to clear security?

uastarflyer

YES

I'd recommend a doctor's prescription (note) for this - this is the clear electrolyte correct? I'd suggest they take powdered Tang with them as an alternative, in addition to the option of juices served onboard.

You do not need a prescription note for the OTC medicine.

NO. The OTC medicines are fine in the container they come in.

CDTraveler

There's no similarity between Pediasure and Tang - Pediasure is a high protein liquid food for children that can either be used as a complete diet or nutritional supplement.

To the OP: what do you mean by "traveling through SFO"? Departing from, arriving at, or transiting? If they are traveling into the SFO area, I'd bring only enough Pediasure for the actual trip + a spare, as it is widely available in this area.

I have travelled with Pediasure in my carry-on for my son for at least 2 years now, and not had a problem with it. However, since the liquid ban, I carry a doctor's RX for it, and a copy of the TSA rules on medicines and special formulas for kids. My son also wears a MedicAlert bracelet, which sometimes seems to carry as much weight as the doctor's note.

I would agree with keeping the OTC medicines in the original container, both to show clearly what they are and to prevent contamination.

maples

Over the Christmas break, we traveled with a 1.5 year old asthmatic child.
We carried liquid capsules (prescription meds) to be used with a nebulizer (which was in our carry-on too) and the inhaler vial with spacer. We told the first TSA person that we had this medicine and machine in our bag and asked whether we should take it out for inspection, and they politely told us no and to continue on our way. We ended up needing to use the nebulizer between flights because the first leg of the trip set off our kid's asthma

We also had infant tylenol and motrin in our baggie (i think those bottles are under 3 oz) and had no problems.

Best bet is to get a doctor's note if possible for the pediasure.

uastarflyer

I was confusing it with PediaLYTE...

skAAtinsteph

OTC Meds are fine, just leave them in the original containers

Pediasure I wouldn't think would get through. It's the same as Ensure for older people, Pedialite for hung over people, Gaterade for athletes....

3.4oz or less containers of Pediasure should be fine.

CDTraveler

A more accurate comparison would be baby formula, which is allowed, than Gatorade - there are some children (like mine) who are on Pediasure because they can not derive enough nutrition from food (even if the airline served anything safe for them to eat). So far, nobody has tried to take it away from me after I showed the RX, and I usually have 3 (8 ounces) bottles of it in my bag - next the nebulizer and a whole raft of meds, which may sway their opinion.

legionnaire

They were departing from SFO. Not transiting or arriving into. So, their first leg starts at SFO.

They only needed enough Pediasure for the journey (2 bottles). That too as a backup.

TSA cleared the lot:

• OTC Children's Tylenol
• OTC Children's Motrin
• Mask
• Asthma inhaler.
• 2 bottles of pediasure.

No questions were asked after explaining why Pediasure was needed. They did not check the Rx for the asthma inhaler.

jonesing

We flew out of SNA on our way back from Christmas break. Our standard travel kit for the baby includes the usual baby stuff but insofar as liquids go: a bottle of Infants Mortrin, Infants Tyelnol Cold and some small bottles of infant juice. Well my wife also had a large, unopened bottle of apple juice and sent the backpack through the x-ray. The big juice bottle was in the outside water bottle pouch and a TSO said she couldn't take it inside the airport but could drink it if she wanted. She said she didn't want to drink it because it's for the baby. The TSO repeated that it couldn't go inside and then she got irate (she's half Italian and a redhead ) and laid into the guy about how stupid is it that the x-ray guy said NOTHING about the 4 bottle of apple juice INSIDE the bag...yet they are overly concerned about the bottle they actually saw?!?!? When a female TSO saw this exchange she said to just go on since we had a child with us.

jmp

We just flew JFK-TLV and back with our 11 month old. When we departed NY, he was on oral antibiotics for a minor infection, so we were travelling with the medicine bottle in an insulated pack with an ice pack to keep it cold during travel. We also had about 4 bottles of formula, some baby food, and a gallon ziplock bag filled with tubes and bottles of Balmex, Childrens' Tylenol, Benadryl, Baby Anbesol, etc.

We made sure to get a letter from our pediatrician confirming that we did indeed need to travel with the antibiotics.

During LY's pre-checkin security interview, when we were basically done with the interview, our interviewer asked in passing if we had any liquids in our carry on bags. I mentioned that we had things we needed for our son, including the antibiotics, and I mentioned the letter. She said that they really didn't care about the liquid ban, and that it was between us and the TSA.

When we went through the TSA screening, as I put the diaper bag (containing all the baby-related liquids) onto the conveyor, I told them that there were various liquids in there for the baby, including the antibiotics. The Xray operator asked about the bottles and I started to offer to get out the letter at which point another TSA officer actually said "they already cleared El Al security. If they say they've got a letter, it'll be good enough for us."

On the return from Israel, none of the TSA's restrictions on liquids are in place. Furthermore, unlike the TSA, which makes us remove our sleeping child from his stroller and remove his jacket to carry him through the metal detector while running the folded stroller through the Xray, Israeli security let him continue sleeping in the stroller and did a rather thorough hand search of the stroller without waking him.

Now if only it hadn't taken the folks at JFK a half hour after we got to the gate to get the gate checked strollers to the crowd of us who were waiting...
-JMP

legionnaire

Don't you wish that the TSA got trained by Israeli Airport security? It would be more effective. But then, efficiency is not the real goal, is it. Perception is good enough.

Sprite

Probably lucky irate wife wasn't pulled aside for much more checking. With the current rules (agree with them or not) there is a BIG difference between a LARGE bottle and the little 4oz baby bottles. The bottles in the bag were supposed to have been made visable and put in a seperate tray for inspection anyway. How much is this baby going to drink on the flight? Usually laying into TSA personal is NOT a good idea.

The op's family followed proceedure and thankfully it all worked out for them.

coleson

We recently flew from SMF to MSP with two small children. I placed the following items in a gallon ziplock bag: 2 boxes of apple juice, 2 individual containers of applesauce, milk, water, & OTC Tylenol.

Also in the diaper bag was fruit bars, raisins, and other snacks. We had no problems clearing security.