Summertime is the ultimate season for vacations for most families. In theory, the idea of vacation is awesome. But for IC patients, vacations can cause stress. And stress can cause flares. Flares are the last thing anyone wants to deal with on vacation. Honestly, we don’t even want to deal with IC on vacation, but it follows us everywhere. However, preparing ahead of time, knowing what to pack and what to do when you’re there can make your next vacation a lot more pleasant, even if you can’t leave IC and its symptoms at home!

1. Pick the right destination.

Set yourself up for success from the very beginning by thinking practically about what you can and cannot do. Figure out a destination that matches your physical needs as well as your budget. While you don’t want to keep your travel companions from having fun or doing what they want to, you also don’t want to push yourself and end up miserable. Come up with ways to compromise and manage your health and your fun.

For example, my family traveled to Las Vegas last year. We spent two days exploring the city and doing lots of walking. Then we spent two days at a cabin beside the Grand Canyon taking in the view and relaxing. We finished the week with a couple of more days exploring the city. Being able to break up being on my feet so long really helped my symptoms remain manageable.

2. Research your best options.

Once you’ve decided where to go, research your best options for your bladder on the trip. When you’re looking for accommodations, consider somewhere with its own kitchen or kitchenette for easy food preparation. At the very least, try to get a room with a small refrigerator so you can bring along your best water choices and have them on hand during your stay. If you’re dining out, look at restaurant options and their menus ahead of time to get an idea of what you can eat. And if you’re traveling to a large venue, like an amusement park, scope out a map to be familiar with where restrooms are located. Most places have their own apps with maps built into them now. Download the apps ahead of time to make navigating easier.

3. Prepare your body ahead of time.

Before you even leave home, reduce your vacation flare risk by treating your body well. For a few days to a week ahead of your trip, manage your IC symptoms as much as you can. Avoid trigger foods, drinks and activities. Take your medications as scheduled. Get good rest. Anything you can do (or not do!) ahead of time to help your bladder be at its calmest at the beginning of your trip can help you have a happier bladder and better vacation.

4. Pack what you need.

Though you are hopefully not in a flare before leaving for your vacation, packing like you’ll have a flare while away is a good idea. That way no matter what your IC decides to do on vacation, you’ll be prepared. Make a packing list that includes your flare tools to help you remember things such as:

  • a heating pad
  • cold packs
  • pain medication (OTC, prescription or both)
  • phenazopyridine or other bladder analgesics
  • panty liners
  • comfortable clothes
  • seat cushion for hard chairs
  • IC friendly snacks and drinks
  • a good book or video access on a device
  • an extra couple days of your daily meds (just in case)

5. Talk with your family or friends before you leave.

If you are traveling with people you don’t usually travel with, this is especially important. Understanding IC and how symptoms can wax and wane or be impacted by seemingly insignificant factors is often challenging. (This is true even for us ICers!) Explain ahead of time that you will need some extra bathroom breaks or may need downtime. Come up with ideas on how to compromise if you find you’re unable to do something that everyone else wants to do. Basically, the people with whom you’re traveling will most likely be more understanding if they know ahead of time what’s going on with you.

(For help with knowing what and how to talk about IC, check out these 10 Tips for Talking IC with Friends and Family.)

6. Use the bathroom when you get a chance.

We already go to the bathroom a lot, but when traveling, we can’t always guarantee immediate bathroom access. There can be stretches of highway or interstate with nowhere to stop. Or you can find yourself seated on a runway for an extra half hour and unable to get up. For these unpredictable reasons, going to the restroom any chance you get is a good idea. Consider getting restroom access cards before you leave so you can use them to gain access to a non-public restroom if needed.

For road trips, consider travel johns for times you can’t get to an actual restroom. (If necessary, you can open both the front and back doors of a 4-door vehicle and stand between them for a bit more privacy. You could also take along a blanket or sheet for a companion to hold up in the remaining opening to help conceal you even more.) Utilize apps on your smartphone to help you find bathrooms as you are traveling. Your basic map app should help you with locating nearby rest stops, gas stations or restaurants which usually have public bathrooms.

(For more tips on road trips, check out these 15 Tips for Long Car Rides with IC.)

7. Keep yourself on schedule.

When we’re on vacation, our schedules are askew. Our normal routines are certainly interrupted, but we still need to take our medications at their regularly scheduled time in order to benefit from them. Figure out a solution for how to best make this happen. I pack my medications in small zip-top bags that are labeled for AM and PM. Then I put all the bags into one large zip-top bag. If I’m eating breakfast out of the room, then I can stick my morning meds in my pocket to have along with some food. Or if I know we’re going to be out later, then I’ll take along with evening meds in my pocket to take on the go. I combine that with setting reminders on my phone for my medicine times to help me remember.

8. Take steps to avoid travel constipation.

A variety of factors make us more prone to constipation when traveling. Having regular bowel movements is associated with numerous things including when you eat, what you eat, when you sleep, when you exercise and what environment you’re in. (1) All of these things are disrupted when we travel, so many people end up with some level of constipation as a result. Aside from just being miserable in general, constipation also causes extra pressure in the pelvis and can flare IC symptoms. Having to strain to have a bowel movement can often flare symptoms. And none of it bodes well for the pelvic floor.

Reduce your risk for travel constipation in some pretty simple ways:

  • drink plenty of water (which also helps dilute your urine and improve your bladder symptoms!) (1)
  • eat fiber-rich, IC friendly foods such as blueberries, green peas, broccoli, popcorn, potatoes, gala apples and nuts (2)
  • eat foods with probiotics in them, such as IC friendly yogurts
  • take a stool softener (avoid anything containing senna, which is not usually IC bladder friendly)

(For more tips about managing and dealing with constipation, check out Are Medications Making You Constipated? Ten Smooth Move Tips.)

9. Pace yourself.

When we’re on vacation, we want to see all the sights and do all the things. But that isn’t always what is best for us. Be conscious of what your body can handle and when you need breaks. It might be tempting to push through, but sending yourself into a flare means you’ll miss out on even more things. Take time to rest and recharge. If you need to, pick an activity you’re willing to miss and let the others with you do it while you rest.

A couple of years ago, we visited a Native American museum with a large mound. It had hundreds of stairs to climb to the top. I opted to sit in the car while my husband and children climbed all the stairs. I needed to rest after all of our other walking and knew we had more to do. Taking the risk of setting my bladder off at the beginning of vacation and missing even more wasn’t worth it. Listening to my family describe their adventure was fun when they returned to the car!

10. Avoid pity parties.

Dealing with chronic pain is hard even during regular times. We can feel left out and like everyone around us is able to do things we can’t. Vacation can certainly cause these feelings. While it’s OK to recognize the frustration of having to manage chronic pain, don’t get stuck there. For example, as I sat in the car while my family climbed the Native American mound, I gave myself a couple of minutes to feel frustrated and even sad that I couldn’t join them. Then I made myself look for the positive. My family was having a good time, which is what I wanted most. I was in a cool, air conditioned car with cold water to drink. I had a good book to read. It maybe wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, but it was good. And I found I could feel grateful in spite of the struggle.

References:

  1. Jewell, T. How to Deal with Travel Constipation. Healthline. April 13, 2020.
  2. Top 10 High-Fiber Foods. Benefiber.

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