Xanax for plane trip

[mickman1962]

I got a prescription for Xanax for an upcoming trip. I really hate to fly and haven't gone up in about 12 years. Didn't get a chance to talk to the Dr. about it, his nurse just gave me a prescription. What exactly does it do? Does it make me sleepy? How long till it takes effect? How long does it last? And most importantly, does it work? Any foods or drinks I should stay away from?

Looking for first hand info, not the 3 pages of technical stuff that comes with a prescription listing every possible side effect.

 

[skiwee1]

I take it for every trip. I pop a pill about 15 minutes before take off. It doesn't make me sleepy and I feel it wearing off about 2 hours later. Perfect when my flight to WDW is only 2 hours. You aren't supposed to have alcohol with it but if I'm really nerved up I have a drink too! I have had no side effects and it really does calm my nerves.

 

[CathrynRose]

Not really sleepy - just calms you down.

I think it makes *some* people sleepy - but I dont really get that.

Take one when you get home from work, when you know you can go to bed if you need to and see how you feel....

I personally think they should have a gumball machine filled with Xanax in all office kitchens. It's make my job a heckuva lot easier!

 

[chris1gill]

I think it depends on the dosage, my dosage is really low, but it still make me tired & starts to work within 20 minutes... Ditto on the no alcohol, if I had a drink with it, I don't think I'd wake up for six hours LOL...

 

[Sonya]

You really need to try it once at home before you leave. The first time I took it I went to sleep. That was a low dose. Since then I have gotten another Rx that is stronger and now that I am used to taking it it doesn't make me sleepy, just relaxed. If I am really would up I can take half of another pill. I have never had to. No drinking and no grapefruit is what I was told. Grapfruit doubles the dose of some meds so you might OD yourself if you drank or ate any.

 

[dcentity2000]

Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) is a Benzodiazepine.

Basically it's a tranquilliser. It'll calm you down, possibly make you a bit dozy and generally make you very mellow.

It's a first line treatment when dealing with an anxiety disorder; specifically, it's used to manage panic attacks.

WARNING! Benzodiazepine medications are addictive - take them very seriously and whatever you do, don't take them more often that your doctor says or you could have some nasty withdrawl symptoms!



Rich::

 

[Christine]

When you first take Xanax it might make a you bit sleepy--that goes away after a few uses. But it won't make you horribly groggly like valium does. It just takes the edge of your nerves. Best not to drink with it. You won't have a reaction or anything--it may just make you more groggy.

I agree with "testing" it out before you go.

Also, it is fairly short-acting so by the time you get to where you are going it should be on its way out.

 

[Blondie]

You didn't mention what dosage your MD prescribed for you. If you find that what he gave you is too strong, break it in half. I agree on testing it out before you need it. That's the only way to know how you'll react to the medication.

I think it's the best med for anxiety, but if you ask for too many refills, you get labeled a "xanax queen" among medical personnel. It is very addictve and if you take it regularly for a while and stop suddenly, it can cause seizures/tremors. Just an FYI!

 

[Christine]

It is very addictve and if you take it regularly for a while and stop suddenly, it can cause seizures/tremors. Just an FYI!

I take a low dose (.25 mg) fairly regularly and never have a problem when I take a break from it. I guess it is only high doses that cause this problem.

 

[imsorry]

I swear by it for all kinds of situations - but most doctors are reluctant to prescribe it.

 

[Christine]

I swear by it for all kinds of situations - but most doctors are reluctant to prescribe it.

GPs definitely don't like to prescribe it but I find that psychiatrists are very generous with it and don't have the "fears" of it that other doctors do.

 

[blowinbubbles]

Xanax was a lifesaver for me on my trip to Istanbul, Turkey in 2002. I was a wreck! It had been many years since I had flown, it was my first over-seas trip and it was in September 2002, one year after 2/11. I had a prescription for 1.0 mg, which I took right before my flight out of JFK. It does make me sleepy, which was what I wanted. I had a good five hours sleep on the plane, which helped for the long trip.

I love my Xanax!

 

[Christine]

Xanax was a lifesaver for me on my trip to Istanbul, Turkey in 2002. I was a wreck! It had been many years since I had flown, it was my first over-seas trip and it was in September 2002, one year after 2/11. I had a prescription for 1.0 mg, which I took right before my flight out of JFK. It does make me sleepy, which was what I wanted. I had a good five hours sleep on the plane, which helped for the long trip.

I love my Xanax!

Yeah, 1.0 mg is a fairly good-sized dose for a "first timer"! I take .25 mg to take the edge of my anxiety and .50 if I'm having a rough time. My doctor prescribes teh 1.0 mg tablets for things like having an MRI done.

 

[dcentity2000]

GPs definitely don't like to prescribe it but I find that psychiatrists are very generous with it and don't have the "fears" of it that other doctors do.

Xanax is used by psychiatrists for one reason: there isn't another class of drugs in existence that you'd want to take.

Example: Trifluoperazine (Stelazine) - non addictive, difficult to overdose, better at controlling anxiety than anything else on the planet save for the most outlandish of medications. It's rarely prescribed though. Why? Because it's an old school "typical" anti-psychotic.

Seriously, be cautios with this drug (Xanax). If you use it for more than 8 months you could get yourself into a heap of trouble; if you use it in large quantities the same applies.

Typically this class of medication (benzodiazepines, including Xanax) is prescribed on a short term basis of one week or less to manage a particular trigger for anxirty.

If you are taking a benzodiazepine regularly and at a high dose, you may want to consult your psychiatrist.



Rich::

 

[smilingmouse]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I have a related question: has anyone with flight anxity ever taken Adavan (sp?)? If so, what did you think? Did it work well, etc?

TIA!

 

[skooniebird]

I got a prescription for Xanax for an upcoming trip. I really hate to fly and haven't gone up in about 12 years. Didn't get a chance to talk to the Dr. about it, his nurse just gave me a prescription. What exactly does it do? Does it make me sleepy? How long till it takes effect? How long does it last? And most importantly, does it work? Any foods or drinks I should stay away from?

Looking for first hand info, not the 3 pages of technical stuff that comes with a prescription listing every possible side effect.

make sure you eat something first. No alcohol of course. It depends on how tolerant you are to meds in general- could put you to sleep, could just make you happy, droopy, loopy. Lasts good for about 4 hours. Takes about 30 minutes after ingestion to start really kicking in. You may be groggy for up to 8 hours or so after ingestion though. Everyone is different. I have never done illegal drugs, avoid aspirin even if possible, but when I had a car accident and got whiplash they gave me a big shot of Demerol, a hefty dose of Vicodin, and said I would be out. LOL I didn't hurt so bad, but I didn't even fall asleep. If it's within FDA guidelines I usually have to get prescriptions 2 to 3 times as strong as the "avg" person to have the same effect. I'm a 5'6" woman,130 pounds. Alcoholism runs in both sides of my family,but I don't drink. Makes you wonder if there's some kind of weird gene working there. Good luck with the Xanax. I would have thought they would give you valium or a valium relative instead. Xanax is pretty heavy duty.

 

[Blondie]

I take a low dose (.25 mg) fairly regularly and never have a problem when I take a break from it. I guess it is only high doses that cause this problem.

I've only taken it sporadically and I've never had a problem either. I think patients who take it every 4-6 hours every day and then suddenly stop cold turkey are at risk for seizures.

 

[nordkin]

I take Xanax-XR to control my panic disorder because I am allergic to all the SSRIs. When I fly or know I facing something stressful that could cause me to have a panic attack, I take Clonopin(sp). It takes about 15 minutes to kick in and workd wonders. I am a little perplexed by doctors who are so free to prescribe Xanax because it is so addictive and has so many effects when someone just stops taking it. My doctor was reluctant to prescribe it for my panic attacks for this very reason, but we had no other options after trying so many other medications and me being allergic to them. Just be careful and do not take this drug casually.

 

[Buckalew11]

As a paramendic, my DH saw many problems with Clonopin (sp). If my doctor prescribed it for me, I think DH would object.

I have taken xanax for about 6 years. I have taken it to fly and for certain situations that cause me panic and anxiety. I usually take .25mg and that takes the edge off. I certainly wouldn't take xanax every day. That would scare me because of the "addiction" thing. The reason I like xanax is because it works for me and I don't have to take it every day. I don't need something every day-just for certain situations and maybe not even all the time then.

I think it is wise to take it before you actually fly but my experience tells me that your body will feel differently taking it before you board the plane compared to taking it at home. I think that has everything to do with the stress and anxiey you will be feeling before your flight. Otherwise, your body isn't having those feelings so it may not feel like it is doing anything for you.

Good luck. I hope it helps you.

 

[RachelEllen]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but I have a related question: has anyone with flight anxity ever taken Adavan (sp?)? If so, what did you think? Did it work well, etc?

TIA!

Ativan is the same class of drugs as Xanax. It just lasts longer. Personally, I would avoid it unless it was a very long flight. I took it once and I slept for 18 hours!