Is oestrogel counted as a liquid for air travellers?

[Chrestomanci3]

I thought you knowledgable people might know about this.

I know that in order to take liquids in hand luggage when travelling abroad, they must be in containers of 100ml or less. I use oestrogel in a pump bottle - nowhere on the bottle or in the leaflet does it have a volume measurement. It says 750 micrograms/80 gram/0.06% I expect that the bottle capacity is greater than 100 ml (2 pumps per day last a month) based on the size of some toiletry bottles.

The obvious answer would be to pack it in hold luggage, but I'm worried about what happens if the suitcase gets lost. I suppose the answer may be to attempt to get a copy of my prescription from the GP (and hope that would be enough to allow it in cabin baggage) but I don't receive a paper prescription - it is electronically sent through to the local chemist, and is not a repeating prescription, so the chemist does not provide the repeat prescription form.

If you have travelled abroad with pump-dispensed gel, what did you do?

Not the gel, but a liquid medication. I needed to have a copy of the prescription and the medication had to be in the original bottle with my name etx printed on it.

There is 80mls on the carton- I think it says this somewhere on the packaging.

@Chrestomanci3 In liquid form, grams and mls are the same, so it's 80mls. (Look online for confirmation! I've just checked for you.)

This has come up many times on other forums over the years. Just put it in your hand luggage.

Thank you.

I travelled a few times with it and had it in my hand luggage. I was challenged once but once they looked at the packaging they were satisfied. I didn't have my prescription with me.

This is OK to take as hand luggage. I've only been challenged once when they thought it looked bigger than 100 mls.

Useful to know

I travelled last month with regular liquids in one clear plastic bag & medicines - including oestrogel - in another, both in hand luggage. I kept them all in their original boxes with the prescription labels intact. I wasn’t asked for my prescription & never have been. I have been travelling with prescription meds regularly for at least 19 years.

Hi, I realize this is a late response but it might be useful for others. You should always carry prescription meds in hand luggage. This must be permitted. The Oestrogel container I have is marked with the text ‘prescription medicine’ and this should be sufficient. Check your container just to make sure. In the past I have also taken the actual prescription as proof but there have never been any questions so probably no need, unless the container is not marked.

Put it in your hand luggage and it's only 80mls anyway.

I traveled hand luggage only with my Oestrogel a couple of months ago. Security at T5 Heathrow took it away 'for testing'. Thankfully it was then returned it to me. I did say it was a prescription medicine, but he told me that made no difference, 'the computer' highlighted (via the scanner) items randomly to be tested. Previously I've had a hair product 'tested' and disposed of because it didn't pass the test. No idea what sort of test they do!

I did have a copy of my prescription and it was in it's box with the label on. Security guy said it would have been better not in the box! Confused now!

I flew from Stansted earlier this week and didn’t take my oestrogel with me as I had just been prescribed it so held off starting it. I was given a tiny bag in which all liquids under 100ml had to fit, with the zip seal done up. There is no way the oestrogel would’ve fitted in that bag on its own, yet alone with anything else, so we definitely need to try to carry separately as medicines.

Even if you don’t receive a physical copy of your prescription if you go to the pharmacy you collect them from they will be able to print off a copy of your repeat slip for you.

It won't stop them hoiking it out and testing it, though, mine was separate from my liquids!