Vacation! And Flying is Scary...

I am going on vacay for a week at the end of the quarter... I'm flying to North Carolina for about a week.

My first question is: I am totally scared of flying. Like it feels like a panic attack the whole time. I'll still do it, but I am not a fan. I'm flying there with a friend, but my flight home is alone. Has anyone ever taken sedatives for this kind of thing? I mean, I want TWO, one there, one back, not like start taking them regularly. That and I get soooo airsick

Second question is how do you get a catsitter? I cannot afford a professional company, but I could pay someone maybe 50$ or so. I was thinking about posting a flyer at work. All my good friends will be with me at the beach!

About flying... Gary has SUCH a phobia that he won't fly anymore. Period. (And he was airborne infantry - he's got 385 jumps out of an airplane!)

The last couple of times we flew he got Valium from the Doc. They now have a more "advanced" version of valium called Ativan. Ask your Doc for a 2mg prescription - that's the mid-range one. It should make you sleepy and not care so much - and it will avert that panic attack. It may also help you sleep on the flight, which if you're scared is the best way to go.

As to the cat-sitting, I'd ask your vet. Much better to have someone good with animals that has references that someone from work.



Laurie

You might see about something that would calm you without making you too sleepy... I hate to be the least bit impaired when I fly, because if something does happen, I want to be alert and able to do whatever needs to be done!

get something from the doc, but the flight from NC to here is not that long, try to sit in the middle of the plane far from the windows.

is there some friends or vet that can watch Zissou?
i would trust a vet or something far more then most friends i know.
lol heck if i lived a little more near, i would do it for you.

Hey hun when I feel panicky or have sleeping trouble, I take Baldrian. It's a completely herbal sedative, so it calms you down (possibly makes you sleep as well, depending on the dose) and then when you get off the plane at the other end, you should feel completely fresh. I use it mostly because of my sleep problems - because personally I love flying - and when I get up in the morning, I feel like I've had the best night's sleep ever. But I've recently taken it for a panic attack and it really did the trick. In these cases, I don't really feel the need to fill my body full of chemicals that could really knock me sideways. If you can't find Baldrian - you can ask a herbalist for valerian root. They'll be able to tell you.

Fingers crossed you can find someone for Zissou

The only time I feared flying was my trip to London after 9/11 (like 4 mos after on a non-stop flight). Luckily they had plenty of Merlot at the airport and I had just enough to put me to sleep the rest of the flight

I hope you have a great time on your trip!!

As far as the flying goes...I never suggest taking sedatives. If you take too many and appear dopey the airline may deny you boarding for safety reasons. My mom is terrified of flying as well and once she gets on an airplane she has 1 drink to calm her nerves (and she's not a drinker).

Just remember it truly is much safer than driving a car...or walking across the road and the crew is highly trained and qualified.

You could use some aromatherapy while on the plane say like the scent of Lavander..

Have a great trip..It sounds like fun..

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

I hope you have a great time on your trip!!

As far as the flying goes...I never suggest taking sedatives. If you take too many and appear dopey the airline may deny you boarding for safety reasons. My mom is terrified of flying as well and once she gets on an airplane she has 1 drink to calm her nerves (and she's not a drinker).

Just remember it truly is much safer than driving a car...or walking across the road and the crew is highly trained and qualified.

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my sister was once denied boarding because she took sedatives and it is not a long ride, see if there is something more natural you can take to calm your nerves perhaps?

Perhaps you can try a Bach Flower Remedy. Rescue Remedy is a mixture of all of them and is good in real stressful or emergency situations. There may also be a specific remedy for this, but I'm not sure which one off hand. Check www.bachflower.com for more info. I'm thinking about going away for vaction this year, but I'm more worried about carrying the wrong item (such as saline solution for my contact lenses) in my luggage.

Whether you use a sedative or an herbal remedy, I just remembered something else. You can usually get your seat assignment in advance - tell them that you want the aisle seat at the emergency exit. That way you can easily move around if you need to, and you get extra leg room because that particular row of seats has a lot more space than any other (unless you're flying first class).

Good luck!

Laurie

Originally Posted by LDG

About flying... Gary has SUCH a phobia that he won't fly anymore. Period. (And he was airborne infantry - he's got 385 jumps out of an airplane!)

The last couple of times we flew he got Valium from the Doc. They now have a more "advanced" version of valium called Ativan. Ask your Doc for a 2mg prescription - that's the mid-range one. It should make you sleepy and not care so much - and it will avert that panic attack. It may also help you sleep on the flight, which if you're scared is the best way to go.

As to the cat-sitting, I'd ask your vet. Much better to have someone good with animals that has references that someone from work.

Laurie

Click to expand...

You're very right about the Ativan, Laurie! I feel so fearful and panicky while flying that for the past few years, my nurse practitioner has written me prescriptions for Ativan to take when travelling by air. In my experience, the Ativan makes it a little hard for me to focus but I don't act "loopy" or feel/appear intoxicated. While I could never totally enjoy flying, it calms me enough to read, watch a movie, and sleep while in the air. I definitely recommend it as an option!

I have to go to the doctor anyway in about a week, I will talk to him about all of these options. I have my seat assignments, I actually like the window... weird? I am not afraid of the height so much as the idea of being in a sardine can hurled through the air that seems intuitively impossible

Thank you guys for all the suggestions!

Do sedatives have different effects in the air? I know alcohol does.