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Travelling with weight loss injections: Your holiday checklist
Holidays are time to relax, recoup, and de-stress from the pressures of everyday life.
So don’t let your treatment stress you out. Here’s how to pack, store, and take your jabs while you’re away.
Medically reviewed by
Alexandra Cristina Cowell, Writer & Clinical Content Reviewer
The basics
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re travelling with weight loss treatment. Where to store it, how to keep it cool, and when to take it if you’re going to a different time zone are just a few things to think about. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with everything you need to consider.
Here’s a quick reference checklist for travelling through an airport with your weight loss injections:
- Always keep your treatment on your person in handheld luggage.
- Keep it in a clear plastic liquids bag for travelling through security.
- Make sure your treatment is in its original packaging with the pharmacy label that has your name on it.
- Carry a letter from your prescriber or a copy of your prescription with you. It’s rare you’ll be asked for it, but it’s better to be prepared just in case.
1. Packing: Hand luggage only
It’s really important that you keep your treatment in your hand luggage, and not in your checked-in hold luggage. During flight, aeroplane cargo holds can drop to below freezing, and this can break down the structure of your weight loss treatment. This means that it won’t work like it should, and could even be unsafe for you to use.
2. Keeping it cool
Most weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro need to be refrigerated until you start using them. But it’s not always easy to find a fridge to keep them in when you’re away – especially while you’re travelling.
The good news is that your pen can last a while out of the fridge, but the amount of time will depend on the type of injection you’re using, and whether or not you’ve started using it yet.
Your Wegovy pen can last out of the fridge for up to 6 weeks. Mounjaro, on the other hand, can be unrefrigerated for up to 30 days.
What should I do if I’m going to a hot country?
If you’re travelling to somewhere that regularly exceeds 30°C temperatures, you’ll need to keep your pen cool. Insulated insulin carry cases or cooling pouches are really handy for this. Some contain crystals that are activated when soaked in cold water, keeping the interior at a cool temperature suitable for carrying ‘fridged’ medication.
Just don’t put a freezer pack in with your medication, as this could cause your pen to freeze and become unsafe to use. When you arrive at your destination, make sure to move your treatment into your hotel’s mini bar or fridge so it stays cool.
3. Changing time zones
Heading somewhere in a different time zone? How far you’re travelling and how different the time zones are can make it tricky to know when you should take your next dose. But the good news is you’ve got a couple of options for how to take your treatment. The most important thing to remember is that you leave at least three days (72 hours) between your doses.
Option A: Stick to your home schedule. If you’d usually take your treatment at 9 in the morning UK time, work out what time that would be in your current time zone, and take your treatment then.
Option B: Change your injection day. If you’d normally take your treatment on the day you fly, you can take it a day earlier or a day later to make the change easier – as long as your previous dose was at least 72 hours ago. Try and take your injection at this new time each week while you’re away, and then when you’re headed home you can either maintain this new schedule, or switch back to your old one.
4. Holiday food and side effects
When we’re away it’s only natural to indulge a little more than we would at home. Eating richer food, drinking more alcohol, and different meal times are just a few changes you might make to your diet while away.
Weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro slow down how quickly you digest food, so eating rich, heavy, or greasy foods can cause side effects like nausea and heartburn – even if you haven’t had any side effects in weeks.
To try and minimise any unpleasant side effects by:
- Staying hydrated. Drink more water than you feel like you need, especially if you’re somewhere hot. This is the best way to help relieve side effects like nausea and headaches.
- Packing ‘just in case’ meds. It can be tough to find specific meds to relieve side effects while you’re away. Packing some heartburn relief medicine, anti-diarrhoea tablets, and over-the-counter treatments for pain, like paracetamol, can come in handy.
Can I skip a dose while I’m on holiday?
Technically, yes, you can. But be careful – missing a dose can lead to your food cravings coming back. If you’re somewhere with a lot of unhealthy food on offer, this can derail some of your weight loss progress. This is especially true if you skip more than one dose in a row.
And if you do skip two or more doses in a row, you might need to move down a dose when you start taking your treatment again. This is to avoid any side effects from taking a higher dose when your body isn’t used to it any more.
Do I need a special needle bin?
Yes. You should never throw away used needles in general rubbish bins, especially in a hotel. Bring a small sharps bin or a sturdy sealable container to store your used needles in safely until you get home. If there’s a local pharmacy near where you’re staying, you could ask them to dispose of your needles for you, too.
What if I lose my pen?
Don’t worry if you lose your pen. Missing a one or two weeks of treatment won’t ruin your progress, so long as you do your best to stick to the healthy lifestyle changes you’ve made. Try to eat as healthily as you can in the meantime, and you can restart your medication when you return home.
If you’ve missed two or more doses in a row, get in touch with your clinician when you’re home. It might be best to move back to a lower dose and work back up, to reduce the risk of any unpleasant side effects.
Do I need a travel letter from a clinician?
It’s a good idea to have one with you, just in case. It’s rare that you’ll need one to take your treatment abroad, but if you get asked for it, it’s better to have one than not. Most healthcare providers will be happy to provide you with one on request – so just ask for one in advance of your trip.
Reference Popover #ref1
Treated trusted source
Koprowski, B. Taylor, O. (2025).
Does Mounjaro need to be refrigerated? Medical News Today. 29 May.
Reference Popover #ref2
Treated trusted source
Novo Nordisk A/S. (2024).
Wegovy FlexTouch: Package leaflet: Information for the patient.
Reference Popover #ref3
Treated trusted source
Eli Lilly Nederland B.V. (2025).
Mounjaro KwikPen: Package leaflet: Information for the patient.
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