Jet Lag..How do you Cope

[Hawk]

How do you manage crossing time zones, disruptions in circadian Rhythm? Does it effect you differently as a passenger? How about when you fly as tech/cabin crew?

Any hints/tips or personal experiences..or it it just something we have to put up with. :ugh:

cheers
H :)

[Dantruck]

Speaking only as a passenger...
Be well rested to start. Formulate a simple sleep/awake plan (dependent on what you have to do when you arrive) and stick to it. Bring a big bottle of water and be sure to drink it. Eat lightly and, of course, avoid the booze, unless as an aid to get you to sleep at a certain point. Get up and walk around regularly.
Years ago (before the days of flightdeck visit restrictions) I spent a very enjoyable trip Amsterdam-to-Tokyo with KLM. The crew swore by fresh fruit as the key. On the throttle box was balanced a bowl of peeled, mostly citrus fruits such as orange and strawberries. A box of cocktail sticks was wedged close-by, for the use of. The cabin crew also introduced me to a drink variously called a Thames Water...a 50/50 mix of orange juice and coca-cola. Looks gastly, but the mix of vitamins and sugars keeps you awake.

[Circuit Basher]

Again, as passenger:

For around 2 years, I was commuting between Canada and UK on a monthly basis (both East Coast and Mid West) and was rarely in a single time zone for more than 2 weeks (sometimes as little as 24 hrs). Over a prolonged period, this was very exhausting to the point of feeling ill (but not taking any time off work). My body sort of adjusted to a mid-Atlantic zone and I survived like that, never really fully adjusting to a specific zone. It meant that I basically let myself sleep when tired and read / worked / watched TV if I happened to wake up in a hotel room in the middle of the night.

If I go on travel with my wife, I am sort of forced to comply with some semblance of normality re: time zones and adjust a lot quicker!

PS Hawk Was fascinated by your 'Test Pilot for Annick Goutal' personal message and finally got to look it up! Expensive tastes, hey??!! ;) ;)

[Vizsla]

Try Melatonin - used by most aircrew [allegedly]
It available without prescription in the USA - 300 tabs $9.00
Simple explanation is that is a sedative which is triggered by darkness. It does not work for everyone but worth a try

[Hawk]

..thank you Circuit, I'll take your word for it..I don't buy it for myself. :E

[min]

Wish I'd known about the "Thames Water" when I was doing night shifts not so long ago!

M.

[slim_slag]

A mate of mine swears by 10mg zolpidem (Ambien, sleeping tablet) when he takes off, and 10mg Prednisone (natural steroid) taken a few mornings after he lands.

I've never done the prednisone, but the zolpidem is a cracking sleeping drug and works a treat. I used to take it when first taking my seat, until we had an engine problem on climbout, we had to return to the airport, by which time I was so out of it I had to be helped off the plane. Now I take it when we are at altitude, and less likely to have to head back.

I fly from Pacific coast to London two or three times a month, an eight hours time change, and I've tried everything. Nothing seems to work consistently, best thing IMO is to avoid the booze (yes, the free stuff too) and I try to pound at least 3 litres of water on each long haul flight. Eventually the bladder pain breaks through the Ambien, and I have to head to toilet, then I drink as much water again before falling asleep. Never peed myself yet, but as I get older its bound to happen.

Jet lag is miserable, and in my case causes physical manifestations like GI upset and occasional bursts of increased heart rate. I take something like cimetidine for three days before I leave together with a junior aspirin for the DVT prevention. I have a 33cm titanium rod in my ******ed up right leg, so at higher risk. Problem with the aspirin is increased tendancy of nose-bleeds when up in the dry air of the plane.

I am falling apart.

I think pilots are somewhat luckier as they don't have to immediately force themselves into the new time zone like some of us passengers do. I still feel for them though, especially after a long boring flight when they have to land when their body clock is telling them to sleep. I guess that should worry us passengers, but I'm not really awake to know.

So no booze and loads of water is best, followed by whatever therapeutic agents you can get hold of :)