EAJuggalo

I'm a Type-2 insulin dependent diabetic and will be flying for the first time since I got my diagnosis and was put on medications. What do I need to know to get through the TSA with a minimum of hassles? I will be bringing 4 insulin pens, 50 pen needles and a two week supply of 4 different pills. I also will need my glucose tester, lancets, test strips. All of which has to be in my carry-on. Am I okay with my pills in a pill dispenser or am I going to have to bring all of the prescription bottles with me? This will be my first flight since 2009, so what other changes can I expect getting through? If it matters I am flying from MKE to MCO and back.

Often1

You will have no issues with any of the medications or the accompanying items. Having nothing to do with the checkpoint, it always makes sense to carry a copy of all prescriptions because it can be difficult to get those filled if something goes wrong. A TSA Officer may ask to see those, but I would not be remotely concerned that he will and certainly would not offer it.

Make sure that you have a small collapsible bag inside one of your carry-ons. In th event that your larger carry-on needs to be gate-checked, you will still want to carry on the medical items, so have something into which you can dump them.

There are thousands of people traveling with insulin and other similar drugs every day. This is not an issue.

Boggie Dog

I've had no issues with pills in a daily pill sorter, glucose meter, and supplies. I don't use insulin but TSA's guidance indicates you should not have issues.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures

If your insulin must be chilled I encourage you to read the info at the link above. Lastly have a fall back plan. A TSA screener can disallow anything for any reason or no reason. And there is no reason to expect a TSA screener to actually know TSA rules.

Good luck!

Bear4Asian

I've carried all the things you mentioned on domestic, TPAC and TALT trips for many years in a briefcase. I print out all my prescriptions as well. I've never had TSA in the US or security in any of the countries I've gone to ask about or look at it.

I used to carry the pens in a cooling sleeve, but haven't done that for years as most pens are effective for 30-60 days or more. I do refriderate them at my destination.

One problem I've had is running low of test strips. If, for example, I go on a long flight 10-14 hrs I find my blood sugar tends to go lower than normal because my eating schedule is 12 hrs or so off. And meals are smaller or nonexistent on ones flight. Consequently I test my sugars more often and use more strips for a few days until it's normal. So I'd recommend taking more strips than normal and take protein snacks to make sure your sugars stay in a good range.

Also consider taking more pills than needed in case your trip is delayed. It's not always easy to find the same medications in different countries.

Enjoy your trip.

EAJuggalo

I just bought a cooling sleeve, more to have with me while I'm working outdoors in Orlando than for the flight but I will use it for both. Really the only thing I'm real concerned about is having my meds in a pill dispenser rather than the original containers.

Boggie Dog

I think the pill dispenser should be the least of your concerns.

N1120A

It is illegal for the TSA to deny your carriage of insulin and illegal for them to ask for a prescription.

catandmouse

I've been diabetic for many years and wear an insulin pump. I don't take the pump off whilst being scanned. It will alarm the primary scan about 50% of the time which results in a pat-down. I've never had any issues with medical supplies, whether it be insulin or pills. I don't take any particular precautions to cool my insulin whilst travelling, but cool it when I reach my destination.
I believe that most insulin is much more robust than it used to be and I've never had any go off when travelling.

AZ_MISMAN

Resurrecting an old thread for updated info.

I just started wearing a Dexcom G6 CGM. According to the website, the sensor/transmitter is ok going through the checkpoint metal detector (no AIT,) but none of the equipment should go through the X-ray scanner. Supposed to hand it to the TSA agent and have it manually inspected. There is also the suggestion of using TSA Cares to help facilitate.

What are your recent experiences with CGM and/or TSA Cares?

chrisl137

I'm bumping this again to see if you got any updated information or can provide any from your experiences.

I have a relative in her early 20s who is Type 1 and has a pump. She normally flies one round trip per year at the holidays, and she's always had to request pat-down because the manufacturer says not to take it through the scanner and has had some bad experiences with the excessive groping from TSA. Her pump can go through the magnetometer, and from the few posts that come up in a search it sounds like it may or may not set off the magnetometer, but if it does she'll likely just get a wanding rather than full grope. I offered to cover her pre-check fee, and will get her signed up this summer, but it would also be helpful to know what experienced fliers' experiences are, and if there are keywords/phrases to use to minimize the amount of hassle she gets.

DataJunkie

I would just tell the TSA agent that she is wearing an insulin pump and hope for the best. Maybe see if you can get a medical card from a doctor specifying what it is and where it is. My mom has an implant over her heart that monitors rhythm. At LAX it set off the magnetometer and she had a card from a doctor and no further questions were asked. At another airport (maybe EDI), she set off the alarm at the magnetometer, but the agent seemed to know what was going on and just waved her through. At Heathrow and Schipol, no alarm at all.

My dad is a Type 2 diabetic and carries insulin. He is stubborn and refuses to run his supplies through separately. Surprisingly he was not stopped at LAX, LHR, EDI or AMS. His continuous glucose monitor stopped working though. We've read mixed things about x-rays and these readers.

This is just my opinion, but it really feels like enforcement has changed. It seems profiling is being used more and not every alarm is being investigated, especially with medical devices and liquids.

Section 107

Tthis pretty much explains it all:
Passenger Support | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov)

Click the request for assistance link near the bottom and all will be easy - you will not need to go through the metal detectors and your medical equipment, supplies and drugs will not need to either. They will be checked and swabbed. Just be sure to arrive 1 hour earlier than you normally would to allow for the different screening.

EAJuggalo

I'm the OP and I will update here with my experiences. I've had Pre for a few years now and have never had a problem with my supplies or in the last few months with my CGM. I wear a Freestyle Libre 2 and it has not set off the magnetometers at any of the airports I've been through, including ORD and ATL. I think if she goes through and it alarms, most are pretty reasonable if you tell them it's an insulin pump. I'd be more worried about non-TSA contract screeners than actual TSA agents. They seem to have some metric of hassle they have to hit. Every issue I've had in the last few years has been contract.