Fly smart: Surviving long-haul flights with a dodgy tummy

Have you heard? I’m off to watch the Olympics in Paris. Frustratingly, there’s a 100% chance that I’ll be taking my IBS on holiday with me. Groan… And the first hurdle is a 16-hour direct flight from Perth to Rome. To ensure I get to my destination in one piece, I’ve been thinking about strategies to survive the flight. Here’s the list I’ve come up with so far, but please – if you’ve been on a long-haul flight recently, let me know what strategies you’ve tried by commenting on socials or emailing me at flora@noisyguts.net

Pre-flight preparation: setting the stage

Dietary Adjustments

Before the flight: In the 10-days leading up to my flight, I plan on reverting to the elimination phase of the low-fodmap diet. This will ensure that I’ve minimised my known food triggers and will get on the plane with my tummy in tip-top shape.

Day of the flight: I plan to eat regular meals on the day of departure and schedule my daily exercise early. As my running coach says, nothing new on race day! I’ll definitely be reducing my caffeine intake and avoiding all carbonated drinks on the day of the flight. And avoiding any last minute changes to my normal routine.

Hydration: While it can sound superficial to say “stay hydrated”, I plan on setting reminders on my phone in the days leading up to my flight. I tend to drink less water during winter, so a reminder system will help me keep on track. Because of airline restrictions, I plan on carrying an empty water bottle through security and filling it up before boarding.

Packing Essentials: my in-flight survival kit

Comfortable Clothing

I plan on wearing loose, comfie clothes on the plane. Much to my delight, you can now buy “travelling pants”. I bought Flight Pants from Kathmandu – a stretchy combo of quick drying nylon and elastane. The goal is to avoid putting any extra pressure on my stomach and nothing that requires a belt. I’ll be using layers to adjust to the changes in aircraft temperature (and borrowing hubby’s jumper because, let’s face it, I’ll be freezing and he wont be!)

First aid kit

I guess it’s the first aid kit which is the most important thing for me to feel confident that I can survive almost any eventuality. I’ll be packing wet wipes, hand sanitiser, a few disposable toilet seat covers (because yes, airplanes have run out on me before), along with Imodium, my fav prebiotic fibre (thanks Superflora Tropical Daily Gut Health Boost!), antacids and Panadol. And a spare pair of knickers. While I’m going to miss my hot water bottle desperately, I hope that pre-downloading some meditation tracks on my phone and using some de-stress essential oils (I like In Essence’s Stress Roll-on with orange, mandarin, geranium, patchouli and bergamot) will help me get through any turbulence. I’ll also be taking some lactase enzymes with me, just in case I over-do the lactose. I’ve packed Gest’s lactase supplements. And while I don’t find peppermint oil capsules to be of any assistance personally, I get that others do so this might be something you might want to try before you fly. Am I overdoing the first aid kit? I don’t think so. I’d rather be over-prepared than overwhelmed in the event of a toilet emergency.

Snacks and Meals

I plan to bring my own gut-friendly snacks. At this stage, I’m thinking nuts, rice cakes and a couple of low fodmap protein bars. I’m still tossing up whether I’ll bring a more substantial sandwich with me. My flight leaves at midnight so I wouldn’t usually eat until morning but I could consider bringing a serve of gut-friendly muesli for breakfast. While I’ve already notified the airline ahead of time about my dietary restrictions, I understand that ‘low fodmap’ is not one of their regular meal options so I chose the least worst option for fodmappers.

It was a toss-up between Jain (a strictly Indian vegetarian option that excludes, among other bulbous vegetables, garlic and onion - my worst triggers) and the gluten and dairy friendly option. Check with your airline to find out what options are available to you.

Surely, with my own snacks, a serve of muesli and possibly a sandwich for lunch, I’ll survive 16 hours. I’ve just finished watching Alone Australia and that mob survived for 60+ days with only minimal food; surely I can survive 16 hours!

In-flight meals explained:

In-flight strategies: managing IBS at 35,000 feet

Moving

I plan on moving, as best I can, throughout the flight (- hopefully not just to and from the toilet constantly!) But given that exercise is one of the main ways in which I manage my IBS-C, I’m really not sure how I’m going to cope with sitting still for such a long period of time. I’m hoping a good book and a few movies will distract me.

Choosing seats

Personally, I’ve chosen an aisle seat so that I have an easy access to the restroom. But I don’t like sitting too close to the toilets in the event that they become a bit smelly. Honestly, long-haul flights are the only time I’ve ever really thought about buying toilet fragrance!

Sleep Aids

Will I/wont I pack a travel pillow? I probably will, despite my husband complaining about how much I’m packing. Would you use a sleep aid like melatonin? Nope, not for me. While there’s still plenty of time to try it before I fly, it’s not my cup of tea. I’ll opt for a travel pillow and an eye mask.

Pressure Regulation

While many flyers will use chewing gum of lozenges during take-off and landing to help regular ear pressure, these often result in me inadvertently swallowing lots of air which exacerbates my bloating. In terms of maximising comfort and stress reduction, I plan to preload books, movies, meditations and pack some compression socks (if I can squeeze them into my backpack without hubby noticing!).

Up, up and away! 

And that’s my strategy to survive my first long-haul flight in years. If you have any tips or advice, please let me know – especially if you’re a fellow IBS-C peep!

And if you too have upcoming holiday plans, happy travelling!