How to Travel and Fly with your Victoza pens: Tips & Advices!

Victoza (liraglutide) is a non-insulin self-injectable medicine prescribed for the management of type 2 diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar levels along with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise. 

Your Victoza pens are highly sensitive to temperature changes and extreme temperatures. As such, they do require some specific storage conditions. Traveling with Victoza pen is no problem at all. But whether you’re traveling by land or air, whether you’re away for one-day or a few months, you should prepare your trip and be aware of a few things.

What you should know before traveling with Victoza

Don’t worry: your Victoza pen can go everywhere with you! Diabetic supplies and medicines are allowed through airport security screenings, and you’re allowed to cross international borders with your medical supplies. However, like with any chronic disease, traveling with diabetes is much easier if you’re well organized.

Traveling with diabetes

Traveling with diabetes can be intimidating at first. Away from our home, habits, and comfort zone, we’re scared to face situations where our blood sugar levels are harder to control. Managing diabetes out of a well-established and reassuring routine is challenging. But if you’re traveling, you’re already up for the challenge!

Millions of people travel with diabetes every single day around the globe. They’re doing just fine. The key to traveling with diabetes is organization. Preplanning your trip and organizing your medical supplies, documents and travel snacks guarantees smooth and hassle-free travels.

Related article: How to Find Travel Insurance for Diabetes?

Traveling with Victoza

There are three situations where you need to take some extra precautions when traveling with Victoza:

1. If you’re traveling to places where the outside temperature gets higher than 86°F (30°C).
2. If you’re traveling with stocks of unopened Victoza pens that need to be refrigerated.
3. If you’re flying with Victoza pen, needles, and other diabetic medical supplies.

Related article: How to Properly Store and Refrigerate Ozempic in all situations?

How to keep Victoza cold while traveling

Remember: Victoza is a highly sensitive to extreme temperatures. When in-use, your open Victoza pen should never be exposed to temperatures above 86°F (30°C). Like insulin, it should never freeze either. When not in-use, your unopened Victoza pens should be kept at fridge temperature between 36°F and 46°F (2°C - 8°C).

Related article: Does Insulin Really Need to Be Refrigerated?

Controlling Victoza temperature on excursions

The issue of keeping Victoza cold can be faced whether you’re traveling to the other side of the world, or simply going on a nearby afternoon excursion. It’s summertime and you’re spending a day at the beach. You’re going on a hike under a strong sun. Or maybe you’re strolling around town. Or you are "victim" of a power outage and your fridge isn't working anymore... 

In all these situations, you need to protect your Victoza pen from the heat and direct sunlight. At least whenever the outside temperature is above 86°F (30°C). Several solutions are available to you, depending on what situation you find yourself in:

1. If you’re only gone for the day and you usually take your Victoza injection in the morning, you can do it before departing. Leave your pen safe and cool at home or in your hotel room.

2. If you need to carry your Victoza pen with you (in case you injection time occurs during the trip or in case you’re going for more than one day), you need a cooling case.

Victoza pen travel cases: the most convenient solution!

To keep your Victoza pen cool while traveling, you can make your own travel cooler. Put some ice cubes in an insulated lunch bag. Wrap your Victoza pen in a towel and place it in the lunch bag. This is the cheapest solution, but it’s not the most efficient, nor the most convenient.

If you’re often traveling and going on excursions with your Victoza pens, it’s highly recommended you get yourself an actual medical-grade portable cooler. The ones we have at 4allFamily are perfectly suitable for Victoza pens. They keep your medicine cold at fridge temperature or cool at room temperature and come with various options depending on your needs: USB-power, temperature display, auto shut-off, anti-freeze security, etc.

4AllFamily's medicine coolers are designed for travellers!

Flying with Victoza: Diabetes rights at the airport

Flying with diabetes is much easier than it used to be. First and unfortunately, there are more diabetics than ever. Second and fortunately, airport staffs have been trained and know about diabetes supplies and diabetics’ rights at the airport. 

Your Victoza pen at the airport

All diabetes-related medical devices and equipment are allowed through airport security checkpoints. Insulin, insulin pumps, injector pens, needles, syringes, vials, oral medications, lancets, blood test strips, glucagon emergency kit, juice for hypoglycemia, snacks, blood glucose meters & continuous blood glucose monitors, blood test strips, alcohol swabs, infusion kits, urine ketone strips, sharps disposal containers, diabetes medications, pills, and any injectable medicine like Mounjaro, Ozempic, Victoza, Trulicity, or Byetta.

You are allowed to take your Victoza pen with you on the plane, along with the needles and any other medical element. Actually, it’s even recommended you do. You should not put any medication in your baggage checked in the hold. of Hazardous temperature and atmosphere conditions during the flight could damage or freeze your meds.  

If you’re wearing a CGM (or an insulin pump), you have the right to request a pat down search. These electronic medical devices risk deterioration if screened by the full 360 body scanners.

Related: TSA regulations for diabetics at the airport: flying with diabetes supplies

Should you carry a prescription or a doctor’s letter?

TSA (Transport and Security Administration) does not officially require you carry a medical prescription nor a medical certificate to travel with your diabetic gear. However, having these documents can really make things easier, especially if you’re being attended by new or non-compliant agents.

It’s advisable you download and fill out the free TSA notification card for individuals with disabilities and medical conditions. Specify that you have diabetes. It will help and expedite the security screening process.

It’s also a good idea to have these documents in case you’re crossing borders. Most of the time you’ll be just fine and won’t even have to show the letters. But it can save you from unexpected stressful events in some countries. If you’re traveling to a non-English speaking destination where you might have problems explaining yourself at the border, having your medical certificate translated into your destination’s language is also a good idea.

Your Victoza pen on the plane

Air pressure changes during take-off and landing can affect your Victoza pen. Due to these changes, prefilled injectable pens may accumulate air bubbles. Before proceeding to injection, you need to prime your pen. Turn the dosage knob to 2-3 units and push the knob with the pen facing upward. Drops of Victoza should appear and be released. If not, repeat and prime several times until there’s no more bubbles and the medicine is released.

Be aware that flying may affect blood sugar levels. Many factors, including stress, altitude changes, dehydration, and others, can raise your blood glucose more than usual. You might need to adjust your dosage or limit your sugar intake. While on the plane, always keep fast-acting sugars close to you in case you experience hypoglycemia too.

Victoza injection and time zone changes

Victoza is injected once a day. Your medical care team has probably advised you inject it around the same time of the day. When traveling to different time zones, you might have to make some adjustments. Talk to your doctor before departure and ask for advice.

Related article: How to Travel with Mounjaro Pens?

We hope this article has provided you with the information you were looking for. You can share your own experience or ask our team any questions in the comment section below. Have a nice and safe trip!