Anyone have any real "down side" effects to taking an Ambien before their International flight? I want to be able to "function" when reaching Shannon. Feeling hung over has no appeal at all...How about it?

Be sure you try Ambien well in advance of your trip. It doesn't work for me at all, and may not work for you. I use prescription Lorazepam or Xanax. My DH likes Melatonin.

I've only tried it once on an International flight, and by then I was so stressed from inadvertently cancelled tix, Alitalia strikes, etc. that I fought it off. I had heard good things about it, but was too strung up to let it work, I guess. Not the info you wanted, but it is possible that it won't work. I second the "try-it-before-you-need-it" idea. Perhaps your Dr. can give you a sample...

I tried Ambien for a long flight back to Europe from Chicago. Instead of helping me sleep, it had the opposite effect--I felt more jittery and awake than I had on the trip over. I have had similar reactions to OTC sleep aids.
Agree with moondoggie and AHaugeto and suggest you try Ambien before you take your trip to see how you react.

I'd like to tell you, but can't remember a blessed thing about the flight.

Seriously, try it once or twice before your flying to see how it effects you.

Hello, I work night shift (12 hours) 11p to 11a and so am on a wierd clock anyway. I use Ambien when I travel for the trip over, 1st night there and 1st night back. I get 10mg. and take only 1/2 tab, less expensive, Rx lasts longer. The trick to ambien really working well is not to take it on a full stomach. If I eat just before or just after, forget it. I have finally figured out the perfect timing for a flight. I take it when they serve the 1st round of drinks and pretzels, etc. Take the ambien then (not with alcohol) and skip the snack. It has time to really start working before the meal comes. I am drowsy but awake enough to eat. After I eat, I am really sleepy. I usually sleep until the 5am or so little breakfast is served.

I have no hang over feeling at all. I occasionally use it on my first day back to work when I need to go to sleep at 3 in the afternoon. I sleep til 10pm and awake refreshed.

The only problem I had was on one of the 1st trips I used it, I had a really difficult adjust. Used it several nights in a row. The week after that at home I had some trouble sleeping, lots of dreaming and frequent awakes. I think it was adjusting to not using it. It can be habit forming so do not to use it too much.

It has made a huge difference for me in enjoyment of first days of travel the adjustment when rturning home.

you could try sonata instead. it stays with you for only four hours, and i believe ambien is six. i used it recently for a flight to france, sort of dozed the whole way, and was fine when we arrived.

regardless, definitely try it first.

I've used it twice. I took a half of a either a 5mg or 10mg tablet and slept for 4 solid hours. It was restful and I woke up with no ill effects. I was alert and ready to go.

oh, I ususally took it about an hour into my flight after the excitment of being on our way to Paris wore off slightly. I was alseep with in about a half hour.

Thanks for the good advice. I'll try it here at home first. Sounds like the "empty stomach" method works best.I don't like to eat a big meal much past 6 PM. Most airline food really isn't worth the calories anyway!

The advice to try it at home before hand is very good. It is a fairly potent drug that gets prescribed too easily. I'm a nurse and we have a patient right now in the hospital because he got so confused after taking an Ambien that he got lost, fell down and fractured his arm. And this was not an elderly or sick person to start with. So I just wish everyone who takes meds to help them sleep on trips is very careful. Not that for some people, some of the time, they can't be helpful but in my opinion they are used way too casually. Just be careful.

I love this drug. It is the perfect long-flight med for me, with absolutely no hangover or grogginess. I take 5 mg (took 10 mg the first time and found it knocked me out more than I wanted), although I still had no groggy feeling and could wake up fine upon my arrival.

For me, I think I could take 5mg and stay awake if I had to. If I take it and close my eyes and act like I'm going to sleep, then I do. I find it gives me a very light sleep, and I usually wake, go to the bathroom, return to my seat and doze again several times over 6-8 hours.

I sometimes tell people that it doesn't make you sleep, it makes the hands on your watch go around faster.

However, the same dose knocks my husband out pretty good, and he outweighs me by 50 lbs. So you absolutely need to try this at home and see how YOU respond to it. I know that some amnesia can be a side effect, but I have never had that at all. (I will refrain from the obvious joke.)

I also agree with the recommendation to try it at home. Ambien hs worked very well for me.

I take 10 mg when I board an overnight trans-Atlantic flight, have what passes for a meal, and go to sleep.

I also take it the first night in a European city.

Marilyn~ "I love this drug" LOL !!
I think I have to try some Ambien

I use some interesting mix of drugs that my doctor gave me years ago for tension headaches. It has Milltown in it (Mothers little helper) and between that and being exhausted anyway-I usually doze at least, sometimes I am lucky enough to actually sleep for an hour on those overnight flights.
Watch out though, I have never fallen down, but do not drink with any of these meds! Once I drank a sip of the Yankees Bloody Mary and my face was instantly numb and I grinned like an idiot for the rest of the flight~
Was that more than you wanted to know?

I took 5 mg of Ambien last flight and dozed some but not enough. Next trip I am going to try 10 mg. I weigh about 105 so maybe weight doesn't have much to do with effects.

I can not sleep on planes ever. I've used ambien on 3 trips. @ I slept really well, and the other I was mostly awake. The problem is that I wait to take it until after the meal is served which is usually a little too late into the flight. I think I am okay when I am awakened for the breakfast; however, my husband thinks I am a little spacy for the first half hour or so.

That's OK julies, my husband thinks I am a little spacey the first half hour or so too, and I don't take drugs

Personally - I think ambien is the best. I travel to Europe about every other month and before I take off I take one, sleep on the plane and wake up refreshed. I also take one the first night in Europe and therefore I rarely get jet lag. I do suggest trying it before hand - sometimes 1/2 is enough.

Have you just tried a glass of red wine? I was really stressed about the "jet lag" factor but found that it really wasn't an issue if I could sleep on my way to Europe.
I drank 1 or 2 glasses of red wine on the plane with dinner along with alot of water. At the hotel.. had a bottle in my room and had a glass at night.. along with a book. I didn't need any drugs and really didn't have any noticable jet lag.
Hope that this works for you....no side effects!

FYI: The usual adult dose is 10 mg. For the elderly or debilitated the recommended dose is 5 mg. ( Of course, if 5 mg. is enough to work for you, then great! )

For me, Ambien has been a great help!
Before, I couldn't sleep at all on the plane, and would end up getting "restless legs" and being miserable.

Now I take10 mg. of Ambien right after takeoff, and sleep like a baby! It doesn't MAKE me sleep, it ALLOWS me to sleep.

I take one the first night in Europe, and also the first night home, and it helps ease the transition.

For me, it's like adding one extra day to my vacation, because I can actually enjoy the first day there.

funinNY, The only reason I don't take it until the plane takes off is that I had a friend who took a sleeping pill right when she got on the plane (Not Ambien-- something stronger) and then there was a problem with the plane and they all had to get off.

She was so out of it that they had to hoist her into a wheelchair like a sack of potatoes and wheel her off, with her head lolling to the side and drooling! Not a pretty picture! Later, of course, she was mortified, and all her friends have teased her about it for years!!

(Honestly, Ambien wouldn't do that to you, but that made me want to make sure the plane takes off before I take mine!)