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Does UC hold you back from traveling abroad?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/14/2019 12:45 PM (GMT -6)
Is it reasonable to want to avoid areas where foodborne illness is likely if you have UC? I would love to travel abroad but fear Montezuma's revenge. I used to visit the Caribbean and Mexico but have written them off due to UC. Maybe this is not necessary. Thoughts?
Posted 12/14/2019 1:14 PM (GMT -6)
We are at greater risk, especially if you are on immune suppressing medications, but I think if you really want to travel abroad, just take precautions and be extra careful.
Posted 12/14/2019 4:43 PM (GMT -6)
Since being diagnosed with UC I have traveled from the US to the Caribbean and Europe. Other than not paying enough attention to time changes and meds, I haven't had any issues. My older son got Zika the last time we went to Puerto Rico, but he was the only one and has no auto immune issues that we know about.
I would drink bottled water and I don't think I would eat street food anywhere, just to be safe.
Posted 12/14/2019 5:56 PM (GMT -6)
I've gone, and it's been fine. In Spain, there was no need to watch for food borne illnesses, so that wasn't an issue. Elsewhere, I just am even stricter than I was about what to eat. I also always carry Cipro, but that was even before UC. I am more concerned about access to clean, Western-style toilets than anything else.
Posted 12/15/2019 7:45 PM (GMT -6)
I went from Germany to Florida and from the US to Nicaragua. I was flaring really badly both times but I went anyways. I just made sure to have extra toilet paper on me at all times. Antidiarrheals don't work when I'm flaring. For my second week in Nicaragua I only ate ramen noodles because I couldn't eat their local food.
Posted 12/16/2019 8:31 AM (GMT -6)
I've traveled abroad from the USA to St Lucia, Antigua, and Costa Rica while on immunosuppressing meds. No probs. Traveled domestically from New England to Florida, and to California with no issues.

Certainly advisable to only drink water that's bottled, not local tap water.
Posted 12/16/2019 9:27 AM (GMT -6)
I think it depends on the severity of your UC. I personally had such a severe case that I definitely had a lot of trouble traveling, not just internationally, but domestically. Even without the added complication of being immune-compromised, it was just too risky considering I only had a few seconds to get to the toilet. I couldn't see enjoying a trip in that state. Thankfully, I feel confident that I can travel now that I am healed from surgery.
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