If you have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis (the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD) you may find the thought of travelling daunting. A change of climate, water, or food can upset anyone’s bowels. Yet many people with IBD travel widely, both in the UK and abroad. They may go for a short break or a long holiday lasting several weeks or months. With careful planning ahead it should be possible for you to travel to most places. This series of articles sets out to answer some of the questions that you may have when thinking about going on holiday or on a business trip.
How do I treat Traveller’s Diarrhoea?
Traveller’s diarrhoea often passes within three to four days. Drinking plenty of liquids replaces the fluids lost by diarrhoea, and prevents dehydration, but be careful of ice-cold, alcoholic, caffeinated, or citrus drinks, which can aggravate diarrhoea.
As you improve it may help to eat bland food, such as bananas, plain toast, boiled rice, soup, chicken and potatoes. You may wish to avoid products containing milk, even several days after recovery, as some people can get temporary lactose intolerance.
Rest should help you to feel better. If you have to keep travelling, you could take an anti-diarrhoeal to help stop the symptoms. However, these are not recommended if you have a flare-up of your IBD. If you do not get better within a couple of days, or you develop a fever or any other symptoms associated with your IBD, see a doctor or go to a hospital. Bloody diarrhoea could either be down to a flareup of your IBD, or a bacterial infection which needs treatment with antibiotics.
UK doctors generally recommend taking a course of antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin for at least five days. If amoebiasis (a parasitic infection) is suspected or confirmed, metronidazole (Flagyl) may be prescribed. If you feel that you might be at risk of traveller’s diarrhoea, it may be worth discussing these treatments with your doctor before you leave on your trip. For more suggestions on how to cope with diarrhoea, see our information sheet Managing Diarrhoea.
How can I avoid Dehydration?
In hot weather you will need to take care not to become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, a dry mouth, headaches, dark coloured urine and tiredness. It helps to avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest hours and to drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids (at least 8-10 average glasses). More information on how to avoid and treat dehydration is given in our leaflet, Dehydration.
What do I do about sun exposure?
While it is important for everyone to protect themselves from the effects of the sun, you will need to take even more care if you are on immunosuppressive drug treatments for your IBD. These include azathioprine, mercaptopurine and methotrexate, any of which will make your skin more sensitive to sun damage, and may increase the risk of skin cancer. You should use a high skin protection factor sunscreen (SPF 25 or above).
For all the information contained in these articles, see our information leaflet Travel and IBD.
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