Pack an HCM Travel Kit
A travel kit should contain your medications, important documentation, and other essentials that you need to keep with you while you’re in transit.
Medications
These should always be in your carry-on bag, and it’s recommended that you carry prescription meds in their original containers, especially for international travel. Bring enough to last the entire trip and then some, in case you run into delays.
“Many HCM patients are on medications like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers to slow the heart rate and reduce the force of contractions, or diuretics to manage fluid,” says Dr. Kos. “Missing even a single dose can lead to a rapid return of symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations.”
Be aware that it may be difficult to obtain certain drugs if you forget them or run out. “Some of the medications, such as cardiac myosin inhibitors, come from specialty pharmacies and are not available at a local pharmacy,” says Patrycja Galazka, MD, a cardiologist and co-director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. “If you lose or forget this medication, make sure to call or message your clinic right away so medication can be delivered quickly.”
Documents
Have with you in writing:
- A summary of your condition, including whether you’ve experienced an irregular heartbeat, severe obstruction, or advanced heart failure symptoms, and whether you have any kind of implantable devices, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
- A list of all medications you take, dosing information, and drug allergies
- Emergency contact information, including your cardiologist
- Copies of your prescriptions
- The device card, if you have an ICD
“A copy of your baseline ECG can also be helpful to doctors taking care of you,” says Victoria Parikh, MD, an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford Medicine in California. “It is also helpful for your travel companions to know about your condition and (be able to) communicate about your HCM diagnosis to doctors in a new location.” She recommends wearing a medical alert bracelet if you’re traveling alone.
Infection Prevention
Monitoring Devices
Snacks and Drinks
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