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Traveling Europe and getting supplies (SALT black bags come to mind)

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cygo
 cygo
(@cygo)
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 103
Topic starter  

Hi,

Planning a trip to Europe and wonder how one would find / buy general ostomy supplies in EU countries as well as the UK.

Trying to keep luggage to one carry on and a personal item with no checked luggage. With this in mind I am looking for the best way to get ostomy supplies while traveling.  My assumption is I will be purchasing these all out of pocket.

I suppose I could ship items to friends overseas and have them hang on to them till I get there but that sounds like an expensive hassle to me plus my friends location will be the last stop on the trip. 

Has any one bought ostomy supplies on the road while traveling?

Also I would love to get my hands on some of the SALT brand black bags while over there any ideas of how to manage that.

Thank you.

cygo

cygo
Ileostomy


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 4375
 

How long do you expect to travel for? Are you planning to purchase while you're there for any particular reason, or do you have the option of bringing supplies from home?

For anything short term (less than two months), I'd personally opt for taking my own supplies, especially since some countries may not have the same products you're used to, and who knows how/if they'll work well for you. 

But it'll be interesting to know what the process might be for purchasing supplies while abroad.

One suggestion would be to contact SALTS or whatever brand you currently use, and I'm sure they'll have some insight for you. All major brands will have offices throughout Europe.

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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cygo
 cygo
(@cygo)
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 103
Topic starter  

@veganostomy 

Hi,

Plan to be on the other side of USA for a week or so then three weeks give or take in Europe. We will be hiking / paddling / going out in the evenings as well as traveling to different climates. Pretty sure I will have an over full carry on bag as I tend to be an over packer.

In the research phase of the planning right now.  Biggest issue is probably going to be the liquids (adhesive remover / barrier spray / lubrication ) as I prefer the sprays to the wipes.  Not sure how the little aerosol cans of spray would do on a flight.  So I figured if its not too much of a hassle then I will buy a months worth of supplies over there.  

But for sure I want to find a way to buy some of the SALT black bags!  That would be the highlight of the trip. lol 

Hoping someone here has some experience, if not I will reach out to SALTs and Coloplast to see what I can get in Europe and post what I find out.

Have a good day.

cygo

cygo
Ileostomy


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 4375
 

@cygo Sounds like a wonderful trip!

And those black Salts bags look amazing. I have a sample that I never wore, but it's exactly the type of appliance I'd like to see more of. Good luck getting your hands on them :)

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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(@haydengough)
Joined: 2 years ago
Posts: 2
 

It's great that you are planning ahead for your trip to Europe and considering how to obtain ostomy supplies while traveling. You should be able to purchase ostomy supplies in EU countries as well as the UK, either over-the-counter at pharmacies or by prescription from a doctor.

If you have a prescription, you can take it with you to a pharmacy and explain what you need. Make sure to bring the name of the product you use in your home country or a description of it, as it may be sold under a different brand name in Europe.

If you don't have a prescription, you can still purchase supplies over-the-counter at a pharmacy, but you may need to try different brands or products to find ones that work for you.

As for SALT brand black bags, it may be difficult to find them in Europe as they are a newer brand and may not be widely available yet. You can try contacting the company directly to see if they have any retailers in the countries you will be visiting. Alternatively, you could bring a supply of bags with you from home or consider using a different brand while traveling.

In terms of packing, it's a good idea to bring enough supplies for your trip, plus a few extra in case of unexpected delays or issues. You can pack them in your carry-on luggage or personal item, but make sure to check with the airline for any specific rules or regulations regarding medical supplies. You can also contact the airline ahead of time to let them know that you will be traveling with medical supplies.


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1561
 

@cygo ... Wow! This trip...!! I'd love that! I hope when you go that everything works out great & with no complications anywhere.

Maybe when you get back you could give a bit of a run up in the lounge area or back here I guess regarding supplies & how you managed, lol, ...and activites.

I'd love to travel like that. I have family in Belgium I've never met. Good heavens a trip like yours would be fun!! Please enjoy it extra for me too!  

Linda


   
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Cat momma
(@cat-momma)
Joined: 2 years ago
Posts: 94
 

SALT is not the only brand with black bags. I was sent a goodie box as a soon-to-be ostomate. It had a brochure in it from Laprocare, also black bags (and available in my country :) ). 

I think it might be hard to just go and purchase stoma materials in Europe, since they will usually be covered by socialized health care. That means you won't be able to just walk into any pharmacy and buy some bags. Maybe in some countries, Eastern Europe comes to mind.. Buying out of pocket is very unusual to us, not sure if even medical suppliers are able to accomodate that.

You might have to contact some medical suppliers first and see if you could arrange an out-of-pocket purchase somehow. And I'm assuming that out-of-pocket purchases will be quite the cost.

Incontinent in a better way, since 12 July 2023


   
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