Holidays and travel

Have a plan before you go

Before a trip, ask the clinician who knows you what to do if a flare starts while you are away: which medicine, whom to call, and when to get local care. The time to ask is before you leave, not on the first night of a flare in a hotel.

If you take a urate-lowering medicine, ask how to keep taking it on schedule while traveling. NIAMS says taking urate-lowering medicine regularly, as prescribed, is key to preventing flares.

What to pack

• Your medicines in their original containers, with enough for the trip.
• A written list of all your medicines and supplements. MedlinePlus suggests carrying that list in case of emergencies.
• Your flare tracker, so a flare away from home still gets recorded.
• Your clinician’s name and phone number, and the plan they gave you.
• Comfortable shoes with room at the toes, and something soft for the evening (see slippers and sandals).
• A refillable water bottle.

Big meals and drinks

The NHS lists drinking too much alcohol, eating a very large meal, and getting dehydrated among things that can trigger a gout flare. NIAMS names alcohol (including nonalcoholic beer), sugar-sweetened drinks, red and organ meats, and certain seafood among foods and drinks to cut back on. Holidays bring all of these at once.

Ordinary ways people handle that: fill the plate with vegetables and grains first, go easy on the rich main dish and on drinks, and keep water within reach. None of this guarantees you will avoid a flare, and it does not replace a medicine plan.

Flights, long drives, and shoes

• Keep water within reach on a long flight or drive; the NHS names dehydration as a trigger.
• Wear shoes that fit and do not press on the toes, and pack a second pair. Travel days can mean a lot of walking.
• If a foot or toe starts to flare, rest it and raise it when you can. NIAMS describes rest, ice, and elevation as steps for a flare.
• Ask your clinician before a long trip if you have had blood clots or leg swelling; this site does not advise on compression for flights.

If a flare starts while you are away

Follow the plan you made with your clinician. If a joint is hot and swollen with fever, you cannot bear weight, or this is unlike your usual flares, get care locally. Do not take someone else’s prescription.