Provigil and helo ems
 

Brief scenario:
Helicopter pilot performing emergency medical service. Seven day tour, consists of 4-12 hour days, followed by 3-12 hour nights. Flights assist requestors with rudimentary training in preparing a place to land and interacting with a flight crew. Requestor usually fully occupied with his own emergency.
Flights performed as requested, no advance scheduling.
Flights very seldom utilize any aviation infrastructure- I don't go to airports. I don't use airways, and very, very seldom even talk to air traffic control.
The landing site is unfamiliar.

Issue (if it's not obvious):
This schedule doesn't allow time to adapt to day/night schedule change.
On night duty, I'm attempting to perform hardest part of the job- night scene calls- when I'm at my lowest mental ability. I'm supported in my decisions to fly or refuse.
I know I'm impaired when I make some of these decisions- many of my "patient-passengers" end up aboard my aircraft through drink, which promotes a similar mental state as the one I'm attempting to deal with.
My hazard is that I may over-extend myself because I don't allow adequate margin for the fact I'm impaired because I'm impaired.

I attempt to deal with this issue by sleeping late on my the change-over day, nap opportunely and use caffiene cautiously and discretely.

Provigil is not a permitted drug for civil flight crews. Why?

Suggestions for dealing with this sleep disruptive schedule also welcome.

Have you thought about posting this on the Rotorheads forum? Not the medical question, but the rest, especially I would have thought that among the mob there, you'd find others who have worked through similarly difficult rosters.

Devil 49..thanks for the thread. We have quite a bit in medical archives on sleep issues and disruptive schedules, might be worthwhile having a bit of a search.
cheers
H :ok:

Why Provigil?
 

Not sure whether this will help but I took Provigil for over 12 months to overcome fatigue and muscle cramps. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Feb 97 but my flying days now over.

It DID help me off to sleep but there were a couple of unpleasant side-effects. .. may I suggest you read a copy of the explanatory leaflet supplied with that drug?

Anyway..... good luck with your problem.... work cycles should not be like those you describe! bm

TheStormyPetrel-
Not a new problem in the fling wing world. Lots of talk and no progress and that's why I'm looking around a bit. I've read the whatchamacallit sheet that comes with meds, and it sounds benign, especially compared to the issue I think it would improve.

Hawk-
Read the search results, and I've got a pretty good laymans handle on sleep- as I said above, this isn't a new issue in the helo world. However, Provigil is new to me.

BoeingMEL-
Actual experience appreciated, if you\'d care to share.