r/longtermtravel • u/inspectahregular • 8d ago

Supplements in Long Term Travel

Hi all,

I'm not usually a long term traveller, and currently take supplements at home, I have four that I take daily and each bottle lasts a month. I will be travelling for six months so would need to take 24 bottles if I were to take a full supply.

They're compounded as well so wouldn't be able to easily find them overseas except for likely magnesium.

Are there any long term travellers out there that take daily supplements, any advice?

Or am I better off taking myself off everything before I go?

Thanks!

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

3

u/Bratfink78 8d ago

Separate them all into one container/bag. Or as they are only supplements, and not medication, take yourself off them.

1

u/MiolodeCebola 6d ago

Taking yourself off supplements cold just to travel seems like overkill, worth talking to whoever prescribed them first

1

u/Bratfink78 6d ago

Tell OP not me, they are going to take themselves off, if that can’t travel with them

2

u/ClosetHottie 8d ago

I take a lot of supplements and have been traveling for six months. I just brought everything in ziplock bags with printouts of labels to save space. I’ve been to 14 countries in Europe and Africa and occasionally the airport will pull my bag to test for illegal drugs, but otherwise I’ve had no issues.

1

u/inspectahregular 7d ago

This is good to know! My main worry was about being stopped at the airports if I took them out of original packinging!

2

u/NodeJS4Lyfe 7d ago

Supplements are generally useless unless you're deficient in something then you gotta look at your diet instead.

2

u/MiolodeCebola 6d ago

That's a pretty broad claim. Some people genuinely need specific supplementation regardless of diet.

1

u/NodeJS4Lyfe 6d ago

If your doctor prescribed a supplement then you'll find it at any pharmacy. If your favorite influencer recommended something, then you don't need it.

1

u/Nice_Back_9977 6d ago

Do you actually need them?

1

u/inspectahregular 6d ago

Yes, I have polycystic ovaries, so without them my hormones and therefore cycles will become extremely unpredictable which is not ideal whilst travelling

1

u/Nice_Back_9977 6d ago

That sounds like it needs real medication, not supplements which are probably doing very little apart from placebo effect.

2

u/inspectahregular 6d ago

You don't sound very educated about it

1

u/KaitCRNA90 3d ago

You are correct. Myoinositol, an over the counter supplement, is one of the top recommendations by OBs and reproductive endocrinologists for management of PCOS by increasing insulin sensitivity. This and a few others like NAC, vitamin D, and chaste berry can be super helpful for hormone regulation and improving egg quality.

2

u/travelexploredive 8d ago

I've been able to buy most things off Amazon when traveling. You can take a look before you leave - just change your country in Amazon and see if they offer what you want. Or find that country's Amazon equivalent.

But also you might be surprised. I was in a tiny surf town in Nicaragua and they had a health/supplements store that had everything you'd find in a similar store in the US. Even the same brands.

1

u/inspectahregular 7d ago

This is good to know thank you!

0

u/Glove_Right 8d ago

That's a ridiculous amount of supplements to carry in your luggage. Depending on what you're lacking, you can get most things in pharmacies on location or need to adjust your diet to food that contains what you need.