Travelling With a Catheter or Stoma: Supplies, Security and Staying Comfortable

Travelling with a catheter or stoma comes down to three things: enough supplies, packed where you can always reach them, a short letter that explains them at security, and a plan for how heat and long days will change your routine. I have used intermittent catheters since my spinal injury, and in more than forty countries the bladder has caused me more quiet planning than the wheelchair ever has. Readers with stomas tell me the same. None of it is complicated, but it does have to be done before you leave, because a pharmacy abroad at nine at night is the wrong place to discover you packed half what you need.

How much to pack, and where

Pack roughly twice the supplies you use at home for the length of the trip, and split them between at least two bags so that one lost case cannot strand you. NaTHNaC, the UK’s national travel health service, notes that many support groups suggest double the number of supplies used at home ¹, and the same margin works well for catheters, leg bags and pads. Heat changes output, a new diet changes it again, and a delayed flight home adds days you did not plan for.

The working supply belongs in your hand luggage. NaTHNaC’s advice is that stoma bags and related supplies should go in the cabin, and that you may need an extra hand luggage allowance, so contact the airline well in advance ¹. Many airlines carry a medical supplies bag free if you ask; the request sits naturally alongside your airport special assistance booking. The rest of the stock can go in the hold, ideally split between your case and a travelling companion’s.

My own rule is a day bag that would get me through 48 hours on its own: catheters, wipes, gel, disposal bags, a spare pair of trousers and a pad. It goes under the seat in front, never in the overhead locker, and it comes with me when the chair goes to the hold.

Getting through airport security

Security staff see stomas, catheters and continence products every day, and a calm word before you go through plus a travel certificate in your hand makes most checks quick. Stoma charities and supply companies issue certificates that state the holder has a medical condition, wears a stoma and may need urgent access to a toilet ¹; the same kind of letter, from your GP or continence service, works for catheter users. It is not compulsory, but it turns a conversation into a glance.

Two practical points catch people out. First, if you use cut-to-fit flanges, cut them before you fly, because scissors are restricted in the cabin ¹. Pre-cut a few more than you think the journey needs. Second, gels, adhesive removers and barrier sprays count as liquids; carry what you need for the journey and declare anything over the limit as medical, with the letter. The general rules for medicines and medical liquids are set out in travelling with medication.

You should not normally be asked to remove an appliance or a catheter. If a scanner flags it and a closer check is needed, most airports will let you ask for a private room, usually with an officer of the same sex. Assistance staff can also take you through a quieter lane if you ask, which the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s guidance on assistance covers ².

On the flight

Plan the flight so the toilet is a convenience rather than a necessity: empty or change just before boarding, know whether your aircraft has an accessible lavatory, and keep the day bag within reach. On short-haul aircraft the lavatory is often too small to use from a wheelchair at all. On most long-haul wide-body aircraft there is an accessible lavatory and an onboard wheelchair, but using it still means a transfer with crew help; I go through the whole trade-off between fluids, catheters and comfort in long-haul flights in a wheelchair.

For stoma users, the specific nuisance in the air is ballooning. NaTHNaC suggests avoiding gas-producing foods and drinks before and during the flight, and notes that an extra flatus filter on the bag can reduce over-inflation ¹. A drainable or higher capacity bag for the journey is a common choice too. Ask your stoma nurse what suits your own output before the trip rather than experimenting at 35,000 feet.

Heat, fluids and the warning signs

Hot weather, long days out and a change of food all increase fluid loss, so plan your drinking as deliberately as your packing and know which symptoms mean you need help. NaTHNaC points out that travellers with a stoma can lose fluid and electrolytes through increased output, particularly in hot and humid conditions or during exercise, and that an ileostomy produces semi-liquid output continuously, which makes dehydration a real risk ¹. If you cannot keep fluids down, or you notice signs of dehydration such as dizziness, very dark urine or a much higher output than usual, seek medical advice early rather than waiting it out.

For catheter users, a common holiday worry is a urinary infection: drinking less than usual because toilets are hard to find, the heat, and a slightly less clean routine in an unfamiliar bathroom can all add to the risk. The fix is the boring one. Drink steadily through the day, keep hand gel and wipes in the day bag, and if your continence service has given you a plan for suspected infection, take a copy of it with you. Steph’s point in review was that fever, new pain or a sudden change in how you feel should be treated as a reason to get seen locally, not as something to manage until you get home.

Finding toilets you can use

The bigger your margin of reliable toilets, the less the bladder or bowel shapes the day, so map them before you go and carry whatever key or card opens doors at the destination. In the UK the National Key Scheme, the Radar key, opens more than 10,000 locked accessible toilets ³, and keys are inexpensive to buy. The Just Can’t Wait card, which is free and available as a digital card, asks participating businesses to let you use a staff toilet; it does not guarantee access, but many places with the sticker will help ⁴. Both are UK schemes, so don’t count on either abroad; there your best tools are the tourist office, your hotel and the maps covered in accessible toilets and Changing Places abroad.

If you run out or something goes wrong

Keep the product names, codes and sizes in your phone, along with your supplier’s phone number, because a code is what a pharmacy or distributor abroad needs to match your products. The big stoma and catheter brands are sold in many countries, and your supply company may be able to advise on local stockists or help in an emergency, so ask them before you go. Government travel advice for disabled travellers recommends checking provision at your destination before you travel ⁵, and the time to find a stockist’s address is at home with a cup of tea, not on the last morning.

Insurance and the paperwork to carry

Declare the stoma or catheter, and the condition behind it, to your travel insurer, and check that the policy covers your medical supplies and the treatment you might need. UK government guidance says you must declare pre-existing medical conditions or risk a claim being refused ⁶, and NaTHNaC adds that the policy should cover your equipment and the activities you plan ¹. Specialist policies for disabled travellers are often better at this than standard ones; travel insurance for disabled travellers has the questions to ask.

Keep a small folder with the travel certificate, a copy of your prescription or supply list, your stoma or continence nurse’s phone number and your insurer’s emergency line. It weighs nothing, and on the one day you need it, it is worth more than anything else in the bag.

---

General information, not individual advice. How you manage your catheter, stoma, fluids and infection risk away from home is for your stoma nurse, continence service or GP to advise on, because they know your condition and your routine. Airline, security and insurance rules vary and change, so confirm the current position with each provider before you travel.