Xanax or Ativan for Paranoid Flyer?

[inkkognito]

I am planning to use Xanax on my flight to Barcelona, and I did a trip to Chicago (first time in almost a year...and last flight before that was BAD) as "practice." I took enough Xanax to put me out for a while on the plane...going out was fine, but coming back it wore off just before the end, and I could tell that I would have had a panic attack if the plane had been diverted or if the landing had been aborted (that was part of what made me paranoid about flying after the two bad flights). I think I'll be okay if I keep my Xanax level up, but I'm wondering how it compares to Ativan. I have to take a LOT of Xanax to get an effect because I am naturally "resistant" to it, and it takes an hour to kick in. Does Ativan work better? Worse? Same difference? My doc recommends Xanax, but he is a HUGE fan of it in general.

 

[dis-happy]

Barb, I'm right there with you, had two HORRIBLE scary flights in a row (engine out and landing gear problems, then incredible turbulance flying over tornados in TX)---honestly, it has scarred me for flying (even with years of flights under my belt). My aunt gave me a xanax but it didn't seem to do a thing for me. Instead, I now fly with regular (not the non-drowsy) Dramamine. It knocks me out quickly and completely and I guess you could always take more if the flight goes longer (just don't try to drive afterwards). Wishing you the best on this issue!

 

[cbrfan]

I think your best bet would be to discuss the situation with your dr. He/she would be able to make recommendations based on your personal medical information.

 

[lynninpa]

Of course this is just my personal opinion and you will need to discuss it farther with your doctor, yet Ativan does the trick for me! For me, it takes about 45 to 60 minutes to really "kick in" yet it stays effective (for me) for probably about 6 hours.

 

[inkkognito]

I've talked to my doc, and he recommends the Xanax...but he tends to be a Xanax fan in general. That's why I was curious about others' experience with Ativan. He didn't tell me much info about Ativan, just that Xanax is better. But I know that can be subjective, so I appreciate the info. from people who have some experience with either/or!

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

im sorry if this is long........but.............i have severe panic attacks , so for at least 8 or 10 trips we took the AMTRAK TRAIN to disney. oh god, when my youngest dd was younger it did not bother her. she was so excited to get to go to disney. then the last few years, shes says thats it. no more trains....now my oldest dd does not like flying, i dont know who she takes after............but when my son in law got home from iraq, they moved to texas this past Jan. she took adavant , not sure how to spell it. she takes enough though so she sleeps. she has flown a few times with that medicine. now for me,i was missing my daughter and baby grandson so much, that in March we FLEW to texas to see them all. My family, friends and coworkers thought i was joking about flying. what i did was to get adavan also. i tried 1/2 pill at a time to see how i would feel. i did fine. the night before i took 1/2 pill, and also early like 330 when we got up. then 1/2 before taking off. i was fine, not nervous or nothing. i was awake , had diet coke and watched a movie , and i also did sleep. when we arrived in texas i still could not believe that i flew again. but i was determined to see my daughter and grandson. please ask your dr. about this medicine to. i am so sorry this is long, but seriously i would fly again tomorrow if i had to go see my family. hope this helps.

 

[inkkognito]

Thanks...that helps a lot. What I think I will do is ask if he has any sample packs of Ativan. That way, I can try it out beforehand and see which one seems to work the best. I just have to figure out a stressful condition to simulate the flying, since I have no more fights scheduled till the Aug. transatlantic.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Barb-

I have been afraid of flying forever, but we took off in 60 mph winds in Feb of 02, and....holy crap

I am an Ativan person. I have OCD, and have a prescription on hand at all times for panic. The generic name of Ativan is lorazepam (in case you have insurance like mine that only covers generics in full).

Ativan is the sedative of choice for most hospitals for pre-surgical sedation. They also give it to alcoholics to ward off the DT's. So it is good stuff!!!

For me...it has a kind of anti-emotive effect that I never had with Xanax. I don't really get comatose...more like it mellows me out to the point where I am aware of what is happening, but feel like saying "Oh well"

Normally I get all wiggy about whether we forgot something. In Feb, we were on the plane and DH told me he thought he forgot something. I had already Ativan'ed up for the flight and I said "well, not much we can do about it now. We'll live without it or buy it in FL"

My mom was next to me and said "You took your pill, already, didn't you?"

 

[lynninpa]

Barb-

I have been afraid of flying forever, but we took off in 60 mph winds in Feb of 02, and....holy crap

I am an Ativan person. I have OCD, and have a prescription on hand at all times for panic. The generic name of Ativan is lorazepam (in case you have insurance like mine that only covers generics in full).

Ativan is the sedative of choice for most hospitals for pre-surgical sedation. They also give it to alcoholics to ward off the DT's. So it is good stuff!!!

For me...it has a kind of anti-emotive effect that I never had with Xanax. I don't really get comatose...more like it mellows me out to the point where I am aware of what is happening, but feel like saying "Oh well"

Normally I get all wiggy about whether we forgot something. In Feb, we were on the plane and DH told me he thought he forgot something. I had already Ativan'ed up for the flight and I said "well, not much we can do about it now. We'll live without it or buy it in FL"

My mom was next to me and said "You took your pill, already, didn't you?"

Exactly! Well said.

 

[pbharris4]

Barb-

For me...it has a kind of anti-emotive effect that I never had with Xanax. I don't really get comatose...more like it mellows me out to the point where I am aware of what is happening, but feel like saying "Oh well"

Normally I get all wiggy about whether we forgot something. In Feb, we were on the plane and DH told me he thought he forgot something. I had already Ativan'ed up for the flight and I said "well, not much we can do about it now. We'll live without it or buy it in FL"

My mom was next to me and said "You took your pill, already, didn't you?"

Gimme one of those! Seriously. When we flew last summer my feet and legs were numb because I was pushing them to the floor. My DD 10 at the time was afraid somewhat and kept asking me things like what if we crash, what if we crash over the ocean, and everything pertaining to the plane and crashing. I really wanted to be calming for her, but she was making it worse for me. Finally, we did a puzzle book together to get through the flight. Coming home we were so tired I didn't care. DD did more puzzles etc and it was better. I may hit up my Dr. for some antivan for our June flight.

 

[MEK]

A T I V A N ...... It is spelled Ativan. Both drugs are benzodiazepines and having similar antianxiety properties. Ativan is better for elderly people - probably something to do with metabolism. Both are dosed every 6 - 8 hours.

Ativan 1mg - can try .5mg. If ineffective, take the other half

Xanax .25mg. Resistant people or people with a tolerance can take .5mg.

Ativan is used for pre-op sedation and it is the drug of choice for alcoholics.

I guess it depends on personal preference, which to take for a flight. Don't drink while taking them.

Personally, I find Benadryl pretty good for relaxation and sleeping as well as managing allergic reations. It is over the counter, so no need for a prescription. It is an antihistamine. There may be a little bit of a hang over, but it works rather quickly - 20 - 30 minutes.