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Contraceptive pill on travel - tips on heat and time difference
Summer time is vacation time. If you go on a journey, the necessary medicines must not be missing. Important is the correct safekeeping. This should especially women who have birth control pills. Also the regular intake must be followed; However, this is difficult if the destination is in a different time zone.
Protect medicines from excessive heat
On many packaging or package inserts of medicines, such as birth control pills, it should be noted that they must not be stored above 25 degrees. In the summer, in principle, one should protect medicines from high heat. In Germany, this is usually also well feasible. But when you start your holiday in the south, it gets a bit more difficult. Another problem that can be added when traveling is that one is suffering from nausea and vomiting due to changes in diet, changing climate or other factors, and vomiting taken pills again. Last but not least, many women are not sure how to handle the pill when their holiday destination is in a different time zone. Do you have to get up for taking in the middle of the night? In a message from the news agency dpa, the Vice President of the Federal Chamber of Pharmacists, Thomas Benkert, has some tips ready.
The pill may be affected by excessive heat in their effect. (Image: Brigitte Meckle / fotolia.com) Keep the pill in the minibar
Whether it's a tropical safari or a visit to Rome: According to Benkert, the pill usually does not do anything a week a few degrees more. But if the journey takes longer and takes place in areas with higher temperatures, it can be problematic. In no case - even for half an hour - you can put the pill on the dashboard in the car. It can get really hot very quickly, even if you drive and the air conditioning is switched on. For those who stay in a hotel while on holiday, it is advisable to use the in-room mini bar. There you can stow your pills in the heat, advises Benkert. When camping you can pack the pill, for example, in the cool box. In the car, it should best be stored in a bag in the footwell.
After vomiting you can refill
A common problem on vacation is the travel sickness. In some cases, vitamin C or ginger can help prevent it. But even with fresh air and other simple tricks, the nausea can often be avoided. However, women who have had to vomit up to four hours after taking the pill run the risk of reducing the effect. According to Benkert one should take a pill in such cases afterwards. But only if the nausea has subsided. The expert also addressed the problem of time difference: women who take a mini-pill should be very close to the time of taking it. His recommendation: In order not to have to get up in the middle of the night, you can take another twelve hours after taking the last pill. Afterwards one takes again every 24 hours a tablet. (Ad)