Xanax for flying

[QueenElinor]

Thanks! I should be OK then. We have a 3 hour flight, them Magical express to resort, then lunch, then we are shuttled to go pick up rental car.

The Xanax will be gone by then. You should be fine.

Just call your doctor, ask for a dose to go out and one to come back, plus a trial dose if you're worried about a possible adverse or paradoxical reaction- which can happen with any medication (including over-the-counter drugs like Bendryl or Sominex).

There is no reason to suffer. For some people it really is super scary to fly and the solution is easy. This is what is known in the biz as "better living through pharmacology".

Good luck & have fun

 

[RebeccaB]

My dh got xanax to deal with travel anxiety. I actually use to take 1/2 dose of his xanax if I couldn't sleep at night. (yeah, yeah...I know, don't take someone else's script, however I did have my own prescription at one time if that makes it any better). I myself found that I can't take xanax on a long term basis as it made me CRANKY to the max.

Funny xanax story: First trip to Disney. Dh, who has NEVER in his life, taken any prescription meds, pops a xanax the night before we leave, then another one the morning we are on our way -as prescribed by physician. He was driving, and the inlaws were riding along to bring the vehicle back so we didn't have to park at MHT all week. About 20 mins from home, dh decides to stop at a quick stop for gas/potty break. After he had been in the store for about 20 minutes I start to be concerned about him, and he comes staggering out of the store with this wicked goofy grin on his face.

He gets in the drivers seat, then turns to me and says, "You wanta hear something super weird?? I can't feel my feet!" Then proceeds to laugh like a loon. OMG I was crying laughing at him.

Fil drove the next 2.5 hours to the airport where I had to get drugged hubby, myself and 5yo through security - and we'd NEVER flown before!!!!
Dh slept the entire plane ride. He was pretty alert en route to the resort, but as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out.

6:30 in the evening, I'm at Disney for the first time, and he's passed out for the night.

 

[chimo2u]

I'm somewhat discomforted reading about all the people who take Xanax when they travel.

I wonder how they'd react in a true emergency, like a rapid decompression or fire on board?

I'm a very nervous flyer....I really don't like it AT ALL, especially nervous take off, turbulence and landing, but I think I prefer to calm myself by myself instead of drugging myself up! I'd be more scared how I'd react to the drugs. I talk myself through my anxiety in my head by telling myself how many planes fly in a day, how many people are in airplanes and end up safely at their destinations......I try to think about where I'm going and I just try to work through it.....I think this is much better than being all groggy, disoriented and perhaps worse...I want to be able to function still and that's why I'm scared to go the prescription method

 

[ppony]

Glad this was brought up. I've been debating it myself. Not so much that I can't cope w/ the anxiety (though I'm HORRIBLE w/ it), but I'm a bear to be around going anywhere. Wound tighter than a drum, so I bet my family would appreciate the stress reliever. It'd be nice not to be so freaked out for once.

 

[honeydiane1953]

For those who watch RHONY I hope you don't act like Aviva. She's ridiculous about the smallest of EVERYTHING!!! Flying to her would be like me flying into a Hurricane.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm a very nervous flyer....I really don't like it AT ALL, especially nervous take off, turbulence and landing, but I think I prefer to calm myself by myself instead of drugging myself up! I'd be more scared how I'd react to the drugs. I talk myself through my anxiety in my head by telling myself how many planes fly in a day, how many people are in airplanes and end up safely at their destinations......I try to think about where I'm going and I just try to work through it.....I think this is much better than being all groggy, disoriented and perhaps worse...I want to be able to function still and that's why I'm scared to go the prescription method

Obviously you don't need the med if you're able to calm yourself with self talk and reason.

The meds are there for those of us who can't because the anxiety and stress are so great that no reasoning in the world can allay our fears. I would say that if an anti-anxiety med knocks you out or makes you groggy, then you probably don't need it or you'll need something different. It's really no different than someone with depression taking an anti depressant. We can't talk ourselves better, no matter how much we want to.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

If you have never taken this before I DO NOT recommend you driving. I am 240 pounds and I take ONE pill and it knocks me out. Its not always by weight how the medication will effect you.

 

[cyb]

It's a sign of the times, there are so many people that take a daily med to get through the day. I think the average person would be shocked to find out that so many people they encounter on a daily basis are taking an anti-drepressant or an anti-anxiety med.

I certainly don't enjoy having panic attacks, I know that my fears and panic are not rational thoughts, so I take xanax maybe a couple times a year to help me with it, I'm thankful there is something that will calm me down when I'm anxious. I can't understand why anyone feels like they need to make comments about it, man I wish we could all be as perfect as you are.

 

[cyb]

If you have never taken this before I DO NOT recommend you driving. I am 240 pounds and I take ONE pill and it knocks me out. Its not always by weight how the medication will effect you.

You don't say the mg's of the pill you're taking as it comes in several strengths.

 

[ttigger81]

I have .25 dose but can take two at a time. Over the summer my doctor suggested taking one when I leave for the airport and then the second right before boarding! It worked great (just really calm and slept a bit) and I was good when we arrived at our destination...although I didn't need to drive!

 

[honeydiane1953]

I take med regularly but cutting a Xanax in half and I am walking like a drunk person. I am not petite by any means. Xanax is too powerful for me even a half one. noooooooooo

 

[JennyDrake]

Another funny story--I take no meds. I am 5' 115# and I tend to be very sensitive to meds. I was to have my first MRI and the Dr. wrote me an Rx for .5 xanax. You know those super hard, plastic chairs in hospital waiting rooms??? I fell sound asleep across them. I have NO memeory of getting up, the procedure--nothing. When it was over they got hubby to come CARRY me from the room to the car. Again--NO memory. Once home (30 minutes later) he just left me in the car with the windows rolled down as I was snoring so loudly!!!

OTOH, Valium before Lasik didn't do SQUAT.They even gave me a second dose. No effect.

Funny how we all react differently! So, yes, please try at home before flying!

 

[Irene12345]

After reading a couple of recent posts, I have some questions for some of you who have used Xanax for flying. I got an Rx from my provider for .25mg for the trip.
My questions are...
1. How long does it take to become effective?
2. How long does it take to wear off?
3. How long before you are able to drive after taking it?

I took .50mg of Ativan - similar to Xanax , 30 min before my flight from NYC to LA .. Knocked me out about 10 min after takeoff... I wanted it to kick in faster ... I don't like take off... It lasted for 5.5 hours I would say ... Was groggy for about 2 hours .... But I took a 1mg from LA to Sydney Australia and it took the same time to kick it ... Dont remember take off at all , my husband said I was drooling, woke up after 6 hours and took another .50 - slept for another 6 hours ... Was pretty groggy for the next 2 hours getting off the plane ...

 

[DiannaVM]

At the risk of being redundant, as others said, talk to your doctor and try it out a few days before.

I can only speak for myself, but I am 5'8" female and weigh roughly 140 lbs. I take the same dosage you have prescribed and I usually find that for me it takes effect within 30 minutes. As far as driving is concerned, I dont find it impairs me (then again Benadryl and the like don't affect my driving), but I say this lightly because we don't drive on highways here the way you do in the US (our speed limit is 30 mph). I usually don't drive though until an hour after the medication has started taking effect.

 

[Boski]

Bringing back a thread from 2012?

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

Bringing back a thread from 2012?

It's the effect of that Ativan.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Pretty sure the Ativan effects have worn off after 3 years: closing.