Alertness Pill
 

Now that this is widely available over the counter in many countries, I am just looking for some feedback from the Guys and Gals that use this - particularly on these Middle East flights. I've spent the last couple of days trying to find some feedback, and my Family Doctor only shrugged when I pressed for further info.
Is this the best way forward?

Do Sleepy Shift Workers Need Cephalon’s Pick-Me-Up Pill? - BusinessWeek

I would not touch it with a bargepole.

Do you really need to ask?

Self medication, especially sleep control drugs are a no no. Not very professional.

The solution to these ME patterns is to get them changed and not tolerate dangerous practices . How that's done is another matter.......

I'm afraid your approach to this problem is well intentioned, but flawed in the extreme. I'm sure others will feel the same. Sorry.

a no no?

Just about everyone I know is taking sleeping pills to handle the time changes.

Its completely normal.

Last time I heard of pilots taking these, a Canadian ground unit in Afghanistan ended up on the wrong end of a pair of MK82s from F-16s. These drugs impair judgement. I would not take them unless I were alone in the cockpit and unable to stay awake. That is how they are prescribed by military flight docs for single-seat ocean crossings behind a tanker.

PS- They are a wonderful party drug though if you are looking to push through the night after drinking on the back side of the clock. Not that I've ever done such a thing.

cxorcist,

You obviously know as little about these pills as you do about the pilot involved in the aforementioned friendly fire incident, and the reason his court-martial held him responsible rather than the pills he was prescribed. Then again, I did notice you tend to disregard evidence about other topics about which you falsely claim proper knowledge, so this is not surprising.

Uppers and downers are in widespread use by military pilots today, and have been for a long time.

''Uppers and downers are in widespread use by military pilots today, and have been for a long time.'''

Yes, but that doesn't mean they're safe. I remeber using them during a period of extended operations. It became too much hassle going to the doc everytime you needed them, so we were given a large bottle for the ops officer to hand out. After a while I found one pill wasn't enough, so I started taking two. When two didn't work, I stopped taking them!

A friend of mine (not a pilot) got addicted to Stilnox in a very short time. She now cannot sleep at all without the drug and it's seriously affecting her health.

This is my strategy when I am too tired to work...

"Hello CC, this is XXX, I'm calling to let you know that I am unfit for my next duty".

Works every time to return the sleep that consecutively tiring patterns takes away. I am shocked and appalled that we have crew who would rather resort to narcotics than to common sense.

Here is a shocker for you. All drugs have side effects. They don't fix things, they "move" things around and suppress one condition by sacrificing another. That is why they should be handled as a "last resort" option - when the condition is so bad that their side effect risks are lower than the immediate risk.

So when you are using drugs to deal with sleep deprivation, it is the same as taking drugs to deal with lack of food. You are masking the symptoms, which in many cases means you are making it worse because you are ignoring the signs your body is giving you. Taking drugs that help you ignore these warning signs is NOT GOOD. It is a temporary solution to be used very cautiously. It is NOT a long term solution.

If you ignore a red light you will get to your destination sooner, but is it the healthiest option for you? :hmm:

Read this!
 

If you are a professional pilot then you should know that drugs, alcohol and flying don't mix. Some guidance here:
http://www.hkatc.gov.hk/HK_AIP/aic/AIC33-03.pdf

CX pilots don't care about no stinkin' "rules"!

They wave their private parts at rules...

Recent history
 

Yes indeed Underpants; and where did willy waving get a CX pilot recently?

Good post Sq 7700 :D
They are only good for the H.K. 7"s weekend.

Speaking as someone who was prescribed medication by military doctors in an operational environment to adjust my sleeping patterns and have therefore experienced the issues involved, I must say this:

No, it's not normal. It might be common amongst your peers, but it's not normal.

When I read that, my first reaction was "what f%*king drugs is this guy on?". Then I realized, I'd sort of answered my own question.......

Skillet,

Have you taken them? I have, and I can tell you without hesitation that they alter your mental state in a much more serious way than caffeine. That is why their proper use is closely monitored by military flight surgeons. My squadron's pilots had to take them in a non-flying capacity and report back any side effects before they could be prescribed. The effects vary between individuals.

While you are correct that the aforementioned F-16 pilot was ultimately court martialled, it would be obtuse to say that these pills and poor AWACS/JSTARS control did not contribute. Have you seen and heard the tapes from this incident? I have.

Did you ever consider that there might have been considerable pressure from the Canadians to see someone held accountable for this incident? These two pilots were the squadron commander and weapons officer in their squadron. Neither position is typically filled by incompetent or inexperienced pilots. This was a "fog of war" incident where the F-16 pilots had just deployed into theater and thought they were being shot at.

Have you been shot at Skillet? I have, and it is disconcerting to say the least. I'm sure you will require the last word, so have at it...

CXorcist

PS - Nice use of #2,3,5,&21 in your above post to me... Hypocrite!

I almost miss this post....guys, bring one dozen to atcx when you meet our president of atc union........he needs this very much. :E:E

An Aussie base and a payrise!!!