What medication do you take to relieve flight anxiety?

[brigittetom]

I was part of a movie crew that was flown into Jackson Hole. They flew Fats Domino in and when he was supposed to fly out, he refused because there was a hole in the floor of the plane. That was Frontier Airlines. You would think if I went thru all of that, I could get on a normal plane. We live in Hendersonville NC. I remember when my mom came to visit from LA. I took her to the airport and she got her ticket. The same agent was at the next stop to take her ticket, then he was the same one that was pulling something from in front of the wheels of the plane. Her comment "If I get on that plane and he is the pilot, I'm getting off".

[nealberk]

I know I missed getting this to you before your flight, but in case you read thie board before your return, I suffer from a bad case of flight anxiety.

 

What works best for me is music I can immerse myself in. I even have a doctor's prescription stating that I have to have my headset on during take off and landing!

 

I am thinking about getting a pair of the noise cancelling headsets (Bose makes the best set but the cost is $$$$$) since most of my problems come from the sounds of the engines.

 

Good luck, I know it does not make for a pleasant experience.

[brigittetom]

Neal, That is a really good idea. Music. I would go for Rod Stewart but we all get to choose our own. Do we really need a precription for this??

[wv4891]

Neal,

 

 

We bought a set of those Bose noise cancelling headsets for my son when he went to school in Spain this last January. He absolutely loved them. He said they worked so well that he even fell asleep on the plane, a real first for him.

 

Bill

[Kathleen P.]

I wish I never read this post.....flying to Vegas next week on Delta and not looking forward to the 5 hr flight...

 

Anyway..I used to be a nervous flyer - sweaty, shaky.... I am now just nervous before the flight after reading horror flight stories - LOL. I too take Xanax before a flight. i also find that getting to the airport early and relaxing helps too. i get a favorite magazine and a vodka on the rocks once we are seated on the plane. By the time we take off I'm feeling pretty good.

 

 

brigittetom....pretty freightning...

[eboon]

There are many books and self-help options available. One of my favorites is a book written by an airline captain titled "This is your captain speaking." This book was written specifically for people who suffer from anxiety before and during their flight. The Captain who wrote this (his name is Ray Stark) works for Southwest Airlines and knows first hand about passengers who suffer from fear disorders when they fly.

I have read the above book and it's wonderful! I'm also a fearful flyer (am flying from Michigan to Barcelona Spain!! :eek: ). I am also taking a course called 'SOAR' http://www.fearofflying.com/index.html and it has 3 different sections. I'm on section 2 and am feeling less stressed so I'm hoping this will help on the flight. It also has a forum you can chat on and Captain Stark is on that forum alot.

 

Hope this helps!

[brigittetom]

Eboon, Thanks. Even though I found that site so helpful, I didn't go back to it the last few times.

[emilysmom]

I think the only thing that would work for me is to be put under completely!! LOL. I live in NJ and only sail out of New York. I'm no help. Sorry

[brigittetom]

EM, If I had that option, I would do exactly the same. Lucky you. :)

[brigittetom]

KathleenP, Sorry about that. I thought we were basically responding to OCruise and she would have already been on the ship at that point. We disembarked in Miami a few years ago. We got to the airport and were told that our flight had been cancelled months ago but they could get us on a flight leaving in 5 minutes. I about passed out. No time for the screwdriver, no time for a last cigarette and worst of all, no time for the Xanax to kick in. I was so tired from a late night enjoying our new friends for the last time I fell asleep during takeoff. You just never know. :D An extra note, the flight was booked thru Celebrity. Celebrity said the airlines should have notified us, USAir said Celebrity should have notified us. :confused:

[tuggers]

I'm with you on the Xanex and Vodka!! Too bad I don't have a fear of flying as an excuse to take that!

I can fly as long as I have an aisle seat or in first or business class I can do window. Has to do with flight space as in I have to be sure I can get out of there! :D

[flagger]

I smoke a little pot to relieve anxiety.

[nealberk]

Neal, That is a really good idea. Music. I would go for Rod Stewart but we all get to choose our own. Do we really need a precription for this??

Well, most airlines give you the spiel right before the plane is to take off that all trays have to be in the upright position, all eclectonics turned off, and so forth.

 

What they don't tell you is that the whole issue of electronics being hazardous to the flight instruments is generally just a scare tactic (most electronics do not broadcast RF interference) but rather than try to explain and figure out what is good and bad, they just say everything has to be off.

 

I thought about bringing on a full FCC report about my headset, but I figured it was easier to get the Doctor's note. I cooperate and don't play it during the actual two minutes during takeoff, but immediately after that, it goes on. Even better is that some of the newer planes have haeadphone jacks and if I turn on the classical station at a high enough volume, it usually does a very good job.

 

My person choice of songs is the album Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

 

BTW- I have worked on and designed some of the planes. I also keep up on the flight statistics and know how poor the current FAA equipment is (There is a recent story about, no, better not go into that) It was quite interesting when one of the flight attendents tried to ease my tension and I rattled off in quick succession half a dozen stories about the aircraft, the control towers, the computers on board, current flight performances, the number of near misses, and exactly how flammable the fuel was and the probability of living if ANY fuel tank exploded (even if we did get the flane down successfully) :eek:

[Kathleen P.]

Brigittetom...It would be very hard for me to get back on a plane again - honestly....and I love travelling. I have found also that flying first or business makes me feel better...the cramped seating in coach seems to add to my anxiety. Having a full reclining seat with a footrest and great drinks seems to lessen the tension. I really think that sitting in a seat with your knees up against the seat in front you and not being able to move makes you feel "trapped".

 

 

Well, in other words...flying is a necessary evil....we just try to make it as much fun as we can. Flying to Fla is easy for us (we live in LI New york)...the longer flights are the issue. I'm wondering how I am going to do Hawaii and Maui in May and Alaska in July (Summit). The vacations are always fun to book and look forward to....but schlepping there is another story!

[PMC 3-29]

Lucky you, everyone whose doctor will give them tranquilizers. I asked my doctor, and she said to take a benedryl!

[seashells4u]

I have to respectfully disagree with B737CAPT on the subject of refraining from taking medication before flying. I am surprised that someone such as yourself who has both aviation and medical backgrounds thinks that "staying away from drugs", and using other, alternative methods is the way to go here.
I have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), and as a result, for many years, I was hesitant to travel. With the help of physicians, I finally found medications that work for me, enable me to enjoy life, and ease the fear that was keeping me from doing everyday things, like driving, for example. I am taking three medications for anxiety on a regular basis, because GAD is caused by low levels of seratonin in the brain. It is a BIOLOGICAL disorder. If you had heart disease or diabetes, would you not take your daily medication if you had to fly as a passenger on a plane? Of course not. Anxiety medication, such as mild tranquilizers, like Atavan, will not cause an anxious patient to be so out of control of his/herself that he/she would not be able to react in an emergency situation. In fact, the anxious person would do better in a situation like this, since he/she would not "panic", or hyperventilate.
I certainly see your point, however, that perhaps uneducated people may abuse this medication by taking too much, or mixing it with alcohol, and clearly those people need another kind of help. Please understand, however, that people like me need to take this medication in order to function and to BE HEALTHY. Psychological exercises such as behavior modification and visualization may help for people who have a phobia, such as fear of flying...but it is not the answer to treating a biological disorder such as GAD.
Thanks for reading.

[tlmlb]

you sail out of amsterdam flagger??

[sasset]

As often is the case, many of the responses to the original post were attempts at humor.

OCruise, if you are still there ask your doctor about (Lorezepan, I think). My wife was totally wigged about a serious surgery. Her doctor prescribed Ativan for the day before and she was totally mellow...and that was quite a feat.

Regards