How I’ve Lived Abroad for 5 Years with an Autoimmune Disease

I’ve been living abroad with an autoimmune disease for over five years.

I’m not going to lie and say it’s been a walk in the park – it hasn’t.

There have been so many times I’ve been frustrated by unknowledgeable doctors, difficulties obtaining my medications, and the overpriced (yet limited availability of) supplements and health foods here in Spain, compared to the U.S.

I refuse to sugar coat it because someone with one autoimmune condition may be at risk to develop a second or even third, especially if left untreated. Now, this isn’t a given – it happens in around 25% of patients – but it is important to be aware of.

However, with a lot of planning and dedication, living abroad with an autoimmune disease is not only possible – it has the potential to actually improve your health.

Here are my top 5 tips on how to live abroad with an autoimmune disease:

1) Get your autoimmune disease under control before you move abroad

This is non-negotiable. Do whatever you need to do to find a doctor with expertise in autoimmune disease (typically Functional or Integrative doctors are best).

Work closely with them to try to discover the root cause of your autoimmune condition and be religious about following the health plan they lay out for you.

Moving abroad can be a stressful experience in itself; you do not want to overwhelm yourself by moving while you do not have your symptoms under control, especially because stress is often a trigger for people suffering from autoimmune disease.

2) Ask your doctor for video or phone consults

Most doctors will not have an initial visit via phone or video, but it’s increasingly common for them to agree to a virtual consult after you have been a patient for a certain period of time.

It’s important to have this option available to you, at least in the first year of your new life abroad while you are still searching for a knowledgeable practitioner in your area.

If you have a flare-up while abroad and have yet to find an autoimmune expert, your doctor from home should be able to advise you on your ideal treatment and send you a lab request to show to a local doctor, who should be able to order the lab test for you.

3) Research health insurance options abroad

If you’re from the U.S. you are likely used to health care being extremely expensive. Luckily, most countries around the world have significantly lower health care costs, so if you plan to purchase private health insurance you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here in Spain I pay around $60/month for a comprehensive private health insurance plan with reasonable copays. Before moving abroad I researched insurance options in New York State and a comparative plan would have cost me over $800/month.

Keep in mind: Functional and Integrative Medicine practitioners may be even more difficult to find abroad (this has definitely been my experience living in three different cities in Spain).

If you do find a suitable doctor, similar to in the U.S., they may or may not accept insurance, so be prepared to pay out-of-pocket (although their fees may be much more reasonable than the inflated U.S. prices). Of course this goes for any alternative practitioners, although many insurance companies in Europe do offer supplemental coverage for alternative therapies.

If you struggle to find a local integrative medicine practitioner, you may need to work with a conventional doctor in Endocrinology/Neurology/etc. while still occasionally consulting with your doctor from home.

4) Save enough money

Although you may save money on your health insurance premiums by living abroad, and real estate prices may (or may not) be cheaper than home, you definitely want to save enough money to live off for some time (one year if you don’t have a job lined up, maybe less if you do).

Your health supplements may be significantly more expensive, especially if you order them from home due to shipping and customs fees.

A common favorite, iHerb, does deliver internationally, but certain countries may experience delays or issues with the importation of certain supplements.

>> Note: Click here for 10% off your iHerb order! <<

Unfortunately, iHerb no longer delivers to Spain due to customs issues, and many of my usual supplements cost 2-3 times what I’d pay if I were living in the U.S.

Availability of gluten-free, organic, grass-fed foods is increasingly worldwide, but depending on the country, perhaps not at the same rate as the U.S., so be prepared to pay extra.

5) Consider the ‘quality of life’ in your new country

Before moving abroad you should do some serious investigating into the quality of life you can expect in your new home.

Reach out to fellow expats via Facebook groups, Meetup.com or AngloInfo.com to learn from their first-hand experiences.

Assuming you have either saved enough money to live on for some time or have a job lined up (remote or otherwise), be realistic when examining how much ‘down time’ you will have to rest.

The experience of being in a new country is exciting and stressful, meaning your system may be overstimulated at times and you’ll need to budget plenty of time for self care to avoid a flare-up.

Many countries are inherently slower paced than the U.S., which may turn out to be a great thing for your autoimmune condition!

When I went from high-paced and stressful corporate NYC to working remotely in Spain, my autoimmune symptoms actually improved, despite the fact that I was being more lenient with my diet. It was likely the significant decrease in daily stress that helped.

Keep in mind: the more planning you do in the beginning, the less stress and difficulty you’ll experience when living abroad with an autoimmune disease.