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Bipolar and international travel

International travel requires careful planning when you live with bipolar. It’s important to consider practical things like travel insurance and how you can get foreign healthcare if you need it. You also need to plan ahead to manage any jetlag and stick to your medication routine while you’re away. Here’s everything you need to know…

The effect of travel on bipolar

Your destination may affect your bipolar symptoms and stability due to factors like the time difference and hot weather.

How can jetlag affect bipolar?

Travelling across time zones means that your waking up times and going to sleep times are disrupted. This can increase the risk of a mood episode.

Read more about why sleep disruption is a key trigger for many people with bipolar – and how to manage it.

The bigger the change of time at your destination, the more likely it is to affect your sleep patterns.

  • Flying across multiple time zones east to west is more likely to increase symptoms of depression – from the UK to LA, for example.
  • Travelling west to east increases the likelihood of mania symptoms – from the UK to Japan, for example.

How can hot weather affect bipolar?

High temperatures can increase the risk of dehydration. If you’re taking lithium, it is important to avoid dehydration as it can affect your blood’s lithium levels. Read more about the dos and don’ts of taking lithium.

Sunshine

Getting lots of bright sunlight can increase the chance of hypomania and mania symptoms in some people with bipolar. One piece of research suggests it usually takes a few days before this happens.

High temperatures

Higher temperatures have been linked to an increase of symptoms for both depression and mania. The difference between the lowest and highest temperature in a day can also affect mood for some people.

Can I get travel insurance if I have bipolar?

Finding the right travel insurance if you live with bipolar can be challenging. This is because many standard travel insurers do not cover pre-existing conditions – and those that do usually charge higher prices because you have a pre-existing condition.

However, it is important to tell your travel company about your diagnosis of bipolar. If you don’t, it is unlikely you will be fully covered if you need healthcare while you’re abroad.

Finding travel insurance when you have bipolar

When you’re shopping around for a deal and comparing quotes, companies that cover pre-existing conditions include:

  • Free Spirit provides specialist travel insurance for people with medical conditions of any age
  • Howdens helps to find specialist policies to cover pre-existing conditions

Four questions to ask your travel insurer

  1. Do you cover pre-existing bipolar disorder?
  2. Can I cancel my trip and get the costs back if I become unwell with my bipolar and can’t go on the trip?
  3. Will the policy pay for treatment abroad if I get ill while I am away?
  4. Will the policy cover early travel back home if I get ill while I am away?

Four questions your travel insurer may ask you

  1. Are you currently stable and taking medication?
  2. Are you travelling alone?
  3. Have you recently been in hospital, or sectioned under the Mental Health Act?
  4. Can you get a doctor’s note to confirm you are well enough to travel?

Can I get a visa to travel abroad if I have bipolar?

In most cases, depending on your individual health history and current health status, you will be able to get a visa to travel abroad if you live with bipolar.

If you have bipolar and you’re worried about travel restrictions, remember that every country has its own rules.

Can I take bipolar medication through customs?

The rules about taking your medication abroad depend on which country you’re going to – and whether your medication, or any of its ingredients – are considered to be controlled substances in the UK.

Controlled substances – found in both prescription medications and over-the-counter medications for bipolar – have special requirements for taking them abroad.

Five things you need to do before travelling with bipolar medicines

1. When you’re travelling overseas with medication, government guidelines recommend you carry a letter from your GP or psychiatrist that includes:

  • your name (the name on your passport)
  • address
  • date of birth
  • dates of travel
  • destination
  • medication details, including dose and total amounts
  • the generic names of all your medications – this can be helpful during border control checks, or if new medications need to be prescribed

Depending on where you’re going, you may also want to consider getting the letter translated into the language of the country where you are going.

2. Ask your GP or psychiatrist whether or not any of your medications contain any controlled substances. If any of your medicines include a controlled substance, you can check what you can and cannot take with the embassy of the country you are planning to visit.

3. Many countries allow visitors to take up to a 30-day supply of medication. If you’re travelling for longer and need to take more medication, you may need to see a local doctor to get a new prescription or get a personal export licence from the Home Office. This is free and will remain valid for the duration of your trip.

4. Pack your medication in your hand luggage even if it is in liquid or gel form and more than 100ml (in case your bag in the hold gets lost of delayed).

5. Keep all your medication in its original pharmacy packaging.

Top tips for travelling with bipolar

Before you go

  • Give yourself a few weeks to gather all your travel documents, including your travel insurance, visa and a letter from a healthcare professional with details about your medications.
  • Check what mental health services, treatments and care are available at your destination – and research the addresses of the nearest pharmacy and medical centre. Having a plan in place in case you need any support while you’re away will give you peace of mind.
  • If you’re travelling across time zones, work out in advance when you’re going to take your medication – both during the journey and when you arrive. You may find it helpful to set a medicine reminder on your phone. It can be easy to lose track when you are out of your usual routine. Take a pill box with days of the week on it and use it, so you can be sure you have taken all the right medicines every day.
  • Speak to your doctor about managing your sleep schedule and any jet lag. They may be able to prescribe medication to support sleep on a long flight or suggest a way for you to adjust your sleep patterns slowly in the run-up to the trip. This will help your body get used to the new time zone more gently.

On the trip

  • Keep using Bipolar UK’s Mood Tracker app while you’re away. This can help you notice any changes in mood early, which then means you can manage them.
  • Be prepared to be flexible if you get any symptoms. If you’re feeling tired, you’re finding it hard to sleep well or you notice you’re feeling over-excited or irritable, for example, you might want to cancel your plans and have a rest day – or do whatever you need to come back into balance.

When you get back home

  • If you can, arrive back home with a day or two to spare before you go back to work or pick up any other responsibilities. That will give your body clock time to get back into a good sleep routine and a regular pattern with your eating and exercise.

Bipolar and sleep

If you live with bipolar, getting good quality sleep is one of your key protective factors.

Learn more

Bipolar and money

Here’s a practical guide to preventing and managing money problems – and getting the support you need.

Get information and support

Other conditions

It’s common to have a ‘dual diagnosis’ and live with another condition alongside bipolar.

Learn more