jazee
Newbie
Reged: 09/16/04
Posts: 47
|
|
I took a new position that requires me to do significant business travel. I have anxiety flying on planes. My travel schedule will probably average 3 flights a week, (sometimes 1 out and back flight that week for a total of 2 flights, sometimes 2 out and back trips for a total of 4 flights). Some of the flights will typically be a long cross country trip like 4-5 hrs. Some will be more closer to 2 hrs. I have two questions:
1) What would be the best benzodiazepine drug to use for the anxiety that a) lasts for the flight but then a couple hours later doesn't leaving me feeling too slow or 'stoned' at the meeting I'm attending, and b) inteferes the least with my cognitive thinking so I can try to get some work done? I guess I'm looking for like a short-medium acting benzo that will relax me without making me a zombie that can't use the spreadsheets in my notebook computer. Of the recommended drugs, what do people recommend for the dosage level in my case? (I know that effects very from individual to individual but I'm just curious what people recommend based on their experience. I'm an average size guy.)
2) There's a lot of talk about these things being addictive and having the potential for serious withdrawl symptoms. If I'm taking 3-4 doses per week with a rare occurence of 2 doeses the same day, with some days no dose when note traveling, I would guess I am at little or no risk for long term withdrawl symptoms developing over time as long as the doses are infrequent (and inconsistent). Is there a possibility for short-term withdrawl, like being grumpy at meetings after the drug whears off?
P.S. I hear Ativan is a little less addictive than Xanax because it has a slower onset and lasts a bit longer. Can anyone confirm this?
|
d989
Newbie
Reged: 12/19/01
Posts: 30
Loc: Connecticut USA
|
|
No offense, but you should go to a doctor an talk to him/her about your anxiety to flying. You are doing yourself a dis-service by polling strangers and asking them what medication and dose. 20-30mg of valium 2-3x a week and up to 2x a day is a huge dose and should not even be considered by someone who is not a regular benzo user. Also, what works for some people might not work for you or worse, knock you out. Do yourself a favor and go see a doc. Usually docs have no problem prescribing benzos for fear of flying.
-d
|
jazee
Newbie
Reged: 09/16/04
Posts: 47
|
|
Already talked to a doc. Two actually. One recommended Xanax, the other Ativan. Then I started reading up on all this and decided to get some more info before deciding which one to ask for, or at least get some information that I learned here confirmed.
|
emtp3
Journeyman
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 65
|
|
I know a few people that are pleased with Ativan for flying, some have the jitters over flying and some use it because they have anxiety about not being able to smoke and they tell me ativan works great for them.
--------------------
Fighting the "DOOM Dealer"
|
jsumner
Newbie
Reged: 08/17/04
Posts: 37
|
|
If it is just about the jitters of not being able to smoke, I use chewing tobacco to solve that on flights. Nicorette might also work if you are not interested in the spitoon. Just do it discretely as I have had a flight attendant tell me I could not use tobacco products at all. Just a thought.
JS
|
Suomalainen
Stranger
Reged: 12/30/02
Posts: 13
Loc: Western Europe
|
|
Exactly my profile .. we might be 'twins'  For me ONLY Ativan (lorazepam) works, but be careful not to over do it, very careful ! Others like Valium, Xanax etc does absolutely nothing to me .. but then again, we all react differently. I've been flying around the world for years with Ativan with great succes. But as I said; be careful, they work slow so take 1 couple of hours before the flight (otherwise you feel 'Gee, they don't work, I better take another one .. and another one' .. endding a complete zombie. I always am completely relaxed, but my 'nerves' are parallysed, so no fear at all. But test the effect at home, better safe than sorry !
Good luck, I am sure you can find the suitable med.
|
Listvoer
Board Addict
Reged: 01/14/04
Posts: 384
Loc: New America
|
|
I'd think that if you're going to be flying that much you're just going to have to get used to doing it, and it'll probably happen easier than you might think. After your 5th or 6th week of flying back and forth a time or two each week, it'll be about as scary as the drive to the airport. You might want a xanax on hand "just in case" for your first few weeks, but after that i'd only use them if I were flying overseas or elsewhere where you just want to be knocked out for the long 12+ hour flight. I know that when I have to travel to Europe I like to take 2mg xanax right after takeoff, then I put on those dorky looking eye-masks and can usually sleep quite relaxed for the majority of the flight, which is a Very Good Thing if you have ever been stuck on a crowded airplane for that long and not been able to sleep!
Good luck with getting over the flying fear. Try to look at it as a fun thing, because you gotta admit the feeling at takeoff acceleration feels pretty cool. 
L - trying to look on the positive non-med side of life
Edited to add - if you chose Ativan, you might want to test it out before-hand. Personally I found ativan/lorazepam to be a MAJOR mind-eraser with me having a horrible time remembering anything if I had to memorize it in a situation such as a business trip where i'd take ativan to relax on the long flight, take care of whatever new business I flew for, then take ativan again on the flight home. When i'd return i'd be in big trouble if i'd not taken extensive notes on what was said & done on the trip because the med seemed to make the whole event fuzzy, from start to finish. I avoid lorazepam at most costs these days.
L
--------------------
Due to PM spam I rarely check mine so if you send me one, make sure to let me know...
Edited by Listvoer (09/22/04 01:09 AM)
|
Opie_Yates
Old Hand
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 458
|
|
Quote:
No offense, but you should go to a doctor an talk to him/her about your anxiety to flying. You are doing yourself a dis-service by polling strangers and asking them what medication and dose. 20-30mg of valium 2-3x a week and up to 2x a day is a huge dose and should not even be considered by someone who is not a regular benzo user. Also, what works for some people might not work for you or worse, knock you out. Do yourself a favor and go see a doc. Usually docs have no problem prescribing benzos for fear of flying.-d
With all due respect, d989, have you asked a doctor for a benzo recently...for anything? That is the reason a big chunk of us are here. For one reason or another, we find our problems consistent or have been diagnosed with particular maladies (emotional or physical), but can't get our doctors to treat us. Thus, we seek to treat ourselves. After four years, I was just now fortunate enough to find a doc who will write me generously for intractable pain. It takes awhile unless you are very, very blessed.
--------------------
Better living through the pharmaceutical sciences.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit 
Reply 
Quote 
