I am dreading my trip to London because of the plane ride. I never had a problem like this until I had a pannic type attack on the plane back from Jamaica druing the summer. I even went to Europe before and this was NEVER an issue in my life.
I have planned the European vacation and put the plane ride out of my head but lately I have been thinking about it obsessively. Tomorrow I am going to the doctor in hope that she will write me some kind of perscription that will knock me out for most of the ride. (It is about 8 hours from Chicago to London)
Is there anything that you take when flying? Do you have any advice or suggestions for me?
Thank you very much.
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I feel your pain. Bring water and snacks. Bring a good book. Bring your own pillow and an extra blanket. Watch the movies. Try and get some sleep -- but it is hard in coach.
I wish there was a magic button, but I don%26#39;t think it exists.
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Gina,
Oh, I do wish you the best of luck. I too suffer from panic attacks, but they have not hit me on the plane. I get wigged out in small rooms when we arrive at our destination. And just forget a bed with mosquito netting over it...that%26#39;s where my problem began about 6 years ago. Anyhow, I start getting panic ridden worrying I will have a panic attack on the plane. But so far I have done fine. I bring several magazines I really want to read. I watch the movies. I try to sleep, but I just can%26#39;t. I try to get an aisle seat to give me more space around my body. I haven%26#39;t taken any meds. When an attack hits I breath with my belly not my lungs--big breaths--I pretend I am blowing out the stress, each time I exhale. Try some yoga breathing techniques. Good Luck.
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Have you been able to figure out why the panic attack last summer? If you have time, perhaps your doctor can recommend a shrink type person who deals with this sort of thing. That way you wouldn%26#39;t have to be doped up and be dealing with after-effects on your first day of vacation. I can%26#39;t imagine sedative left-over combined with jet lag would be fun.
If you%26#39;ve flown long distances before without issue, I would be very surprised if you can%26#39;t get back to that %26quot;state%26quot; again with some help. Good luck.
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Panic attacks are no fun. I%26#39;ve had them all my life but never on a plane so far. I have pre-flight jitters for days before I fly but once I%26#39;m on the plane everything seems to cool out. The advice I%26#39;m giving are things that have worked for me on the ground but are probably what I would do if one happened in the air. And I do plan ahead in case one happens.
Remember that the attack is chemical in nature. It is an excess of adrenalin (sometimes called %26quot;adrenelin rush%26quot;) in the system producing what is called a %26quot;fight or flight syndrome.%26quot; During the attack I find it helps to remember that it%26#39;s a chemical reaction and that it will be over with.
Knowing that, I try and do things that get rid of excess adrenalin. Exercise is the best one. When I wake up at 2 AM with a full blown panic attack the first thing I do is an exercise routine. Then I find a %26quot;real%26quot; problem to work on instead of dwelling on imaginary %26quot;what ifs.%26quot; If it can be physical all the better. At home I do spring cleaning type chores. Clean out that cabinet I%26#39;ve procrastinated on. This can be hard on a plane because there are times when you must be in a seat but there are times you can get up too. So, get an aisle seat. I always go online and choose an aisle seat at the back of the plane. My rational is that if I did have an attack, I could use the space before the rest rooms to do light excercizes, knee bends, twisting etc. I%26#39;d tell the stewardess I have a circulation problem. I also make sure I get plenty of exercize in the days leading up to the flight.
Avoid caffeine. Get enough sleep the days before. Try and not do anything that will give you excess stress the day before or the day of the flight.
The other suggestions about what to do on the plane are excellent. Bring things to do that you can get mentally involved in if you can%26#39;t sleep. Work on your itinerary. Bring a challenging crossword puzzle. Watch the movie.
As for medication I%26#39;m sure you can find someone to prescribe something for you. I usually have 5 mg. of Valium on hand which I rarely take. What I do is hold it in my hand. I find the thought of having something to take as good as actually taking it. Don%26#39;t get something to knock you out though. In the research on Deep Vein Thrombosis there is a much higher percentage among passengers who were knocked out for the flight. Something about being drugged preventing the normal leg movements that occur during sleep.
I also find that it doesn%26#39;t help me if I fight the attack. I can do things to reduce the effects or to head one off but if I see that it is just getting full blown I close my eyes and ride the rush. Otherwise, for me, it just makes it last longer.
I hope some of this is helps. As you can see I%26#39;m posting at 1:25 AM because I can%26#39;t sleep and I%26#39;m flying out Tuesday. I need to practice my own advice here. :)
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My MiL takes Ativan for flying and my husband always brings along a Valium, but never takes it (he has now had the same pill for years) somehow having the option close at hand in his pocket is all he needs to keep the panic at bay.
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Hi Gina, i can totally understand what ur going through as i had no problems flying until i had a really bad flight last year, the next flight i was on i was absolutely terrified and couldn%26#39;t stop shaking, i had flown plenty of times before this even from Ireland to Australia with no problems,
On my last flight which was roughly 4 1/2 hours I used Bach%26#39;s Rescue Remedy, i found it terrific, i was still a bit nervous but even when we hit turbalance the fear was very manageable, The Bach range are all herbal, so there is no drowseness or side affects, you can get it in Pharmacies in Ireland so hopefully they do the range in US, look at the website www.bachcentre.com,
Good luck
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Gina,
The doctor should be able to give you something to help. A travel agent I used to work with traveled quite a bit but started getting panic attacks every time she thought about her upcoming trip to Australia. She didn%26#39;t even know if she would go because of it. She went to her doctor and he gave her some medication to start a few days before her trip. She did that and was fine. I was a travel agent for years and it%26#39;s weird that this panic thing can happen any time to anyone. Hang in there, take the meds and have a great time.
Judy
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We leave Friday - I have gotten more nervous again in planes, not sure why - but I am taking some Tylenol PM. I plan to take a couple an hour or so prior to the flight, and if needed, I%26#39;ll up it by 1 more after boarding. I would rather have something for anxiety from a doctor, but this works like alcohol for me - without having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes.
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Oh...once we are in the air and cruising for a while, I am okay. Landing is okay for me generally too - it%26#39;s the taking off and changing altitudes for the first bit that bothers me the most.
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Try Xanax. I use a half a Xanax before I fly. I don%26#39;t have panic attacks but get really scared if there is turbulence, etc. If I wait till I%26#39;m scared, it%26#39;s too late because it takes about 20 min. for the pill to take effect. This just takes the edge off, doesn%26#39;t make you dopey.
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