Tylenol PM for 10 hr flight?
 

I am a very bad flyer.. I get very claustrophobic and panicky... I was thinking of taking Tylenol PM during my flight to Hawaii.. will it last the 10 hr flight? I am a bit apprehensive about taking prescription medication.

Tylenol PM is not prescription medication.

Personally I'd go with a few Valiums or some Percocet.

Tylenol PM contains an over-the-counter antihistamine, so it should affect you the same way an allergy tablet would, probably 6 hours or so. But drugs affect different people differently, so only practice will prove what works for you.

kayd - are you confusing antihistamine with acetaminophen? Tylenol PM is regular Tylenol with an additional sleep-inducing ingredient.
Karina - I'm assuming you are taking Tylenol PM as an alternative to a presription medicine. If you do, make sure you do not drink while you are taking it. I would avoid any caffeine or other stimulants the day of your flight. I've had bad reactions to Tylenol PM (unable to sleep) if I've had a lot of coffee or a few drinks with dinner. Good luck, enjoy your trip!

I did just what you are considering and it worked just fine. I have doubts that it will make you drowsy for the entire 10 hours. I don't know about you, but I seldom sleep for than 6 or 7 hours a night anyway.
The only drawback I can think of might be the fact that the Tylenol PM might give your cotton-mouth. I always pack a few frozen bottles of water in my carry on.
Maybe a good book can help pass your waking hours. During those anxious moments on the plane (hope they are few) keep reminding yourself what a wonderful time you are going to have when you arrive. Have a super trip. Okie

You might try non-prescription "Slimply Sleep" by Tylenol. I've taken it on 10-11 hr. flights to Europe and it did allow me to doze off a little more then I usually can do. Like anything tho, I'd try it out at home before using it for the first time on a vacation.

Ty pm has both antihistimane (diphenhydramine) and acetominephen ( good for aches, no sleep effect) That antihistamine crosses the blood/brain barrier to make you sleepy. You'll also get a dry mouth/sinuses and possibly feel lousy the next day, I always do. Is that what you want on a flight? Talk to your Dr and get a drug specifically designed for sleep, such as Sonestra or Ambien. I've taken the latter on several occasions successfully. I take 10 mg, my husband takes 5 mg. Be sure to try it before the flight. You shouldn't drink alcohol with any sleep medication. Beats having jet lag for 2 days. And if you plan on sleeping several hours, wear flight socks to prevent DVT>

Have you talked to your doctor?

Tylonol PM and others like it make me so groggy that I no longer use this.

I'm wondering if Xanax, which is prescribed for anxiety, or something along those lines would be a better alternative.

Again, talk to your GP or your OB/Gyn. They know you and can prescribe what would work best for you.

The common name for what is in it is Benadryl. Each one has 25mg - usual dose is 25-50 mg although some people on MDs advice can take 75mg.

It is a commonly recommended sleep inducer for elderly, since it is eliminated from the body in about 6 hours. The difference between it and sleeping pills (Ambien, etc.), minor tranquilizers (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc) and narcotic pain relievers (Percocet, codeine, etc.) is that it generally makes one feel drowsy without any mind or mood altering effects. It generally makes one drowsy in the same way that motion sickness medication (Dramamine, Bonine, antivert, etc.) does.

It will do nothing for that panicky feeling many people get on planes other than making you so drowsy or asleep so you can't think about it.

Side effects are dry mouth, sinuses.

Although rare, it can make some peple feel hungover in AM after taking it. And it acts in a reverse way on a few people - making them wired rather than sleepy. If you drink with it, it just makes you more sleepy - it will not kill you. Mixing alcohol with any other the other medication types mentioned above could kill you.

Some people take it because they do not have access to a prescription anti-anxiety/tranquilzer medication - either they do not have a regular MD or s/he will not prescribe it. So it is not a bad second choice.

If you plan to take anything on flight, try it at home first. And for anything other than Tylenol PM or straight Benadryl, try to have someone else available to drive when you get off plane (especially with Ambien which has the weirdest longer-duration grogginess and sometimes anmesia)

I take either Tylenol PM or Simply Sleep every night, because I have Fibromyalgia and my biggest battle with it is not getting into the REM (restorative) stage of sleep. (My doctor declined to prescribe a sleep aid for me since OTCs do the trick.)

My advice is along the lines of those who have suggested you try it out at home first. I take only 1 pill, which is half a dose, because I'm not very large and a full dose is more than I need.

More importantly, though, is the timing. I take one around 1 1/2 to 2 hours BEFORE I plan to go to bed, because it takes that long for it to start working and truly make me sleepy. Personally, I've never had any "morning after" problems, but everyone is different.

I know this seems obvious, but seriously you might want to consider just good old alcohol for the flight... if you drink at all in "normal life," that is. I tend to get very sleepy and relaxed after a couple of vodkas, especially on a plane. I'm not a bad flyer on larger aircraft, but I tend to get VERY anxious on smaller planes (I do a lot of business travel on little puddle-jumpers, and they scare me). When on these, I have taken Xanax, but it didn't help... however, having a couple of drinks has. I suppose every person has individual reactions to medications, alcohol, etc.

Another thing you might want to consider -- not drug-related -- is loading up an iPod (or other mp3 player) with relaxing music that you enjoy. I find that when I'm anxious while flying, I can put on my iPod, close my eyes and sort of enter my own little world, you know? It really helps, especially on a long flight like yours.

I frequently fly to Europe, and Tylenol PM does absolutely nothing for me. I always call my doctor and ask for Ambien, a sleeping pill. He prescribes me just enough for the vacation (usually 4 or 5). The Ambien helps me sleep for about 6-7 hours. I would definitely try it out at home first though. Some people had adverse reactions to this, and other sleep aids as well, and it would be much better to find that out at home as opposed to on your vacation.

Good luck!
Tracy

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Melatonin. It helps you rest and also helps you adjust to the change in time zone.

Melatonin isn't regulated in any way and it's dosage and efficacy have yet to be established

I also recommend Simply Sleep. Tylenol PM could leave you feeling like you have a hangover (nauseous).

Actualy there have been quite a number of studies on melatonin. A google will yield lots of info, much from major medical schools and research centers. A good google too might be one with percocet, ambien, valium, and melatonin each with 'side efects'.

Lots of those studies are conducted by companies selling it. I have a bio/chem degree, and I know that Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland during darkness (sleep) and that it is natural to the body, however as a supplement the FDA will not recommend it and claims that it hasn't been studied effectively or proven to be safe. I trust the FDA
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-prod.html

Do not take any of these, not even Tylenol PM, without trying it at least 1 week or more before you leave on your trip.

We are all different and have different reactions to even slight amounts of drugs, RX or not.

Tylenol PM does not leave me with effects next day and also takes mere minutes for me to get drowsy. Doesn't particularly keep me asleep though.

I also only take 1 pill - about 1/2 dose. It works on firma terra. But although I've even tried perscription once, I've still never been able to sleep on a plane- not even on a 13 hour flight.

And melatonin has adverse reactions in lots of people. I asked my doctor about it once and he told me never to take any forms of melatonin.

I recommend asking your doctor for an RX or at least a recommendation. Mine gave me a few (low dose) Xanax for flying after 9-11 when I was very nervous and had to fly due to my Mom's terminal illness. Between the two worries, I was a wreck. It really took the edge off and was the one and only time I was able to sleep on a flight.

1. LLindaC is correct about Melatonin. Since it is classified as a dietary supplement (by the manufacturers), they do not require FDA approval. All the manufacturer needs to do is prove that it is safe. There is no efficacy/effectiveness or purity standards to the product.

2. I had and probably still do claustrophobia and panicky issues too. I take a Xanax when I have to fly and it works wonders for me.

Have your doctor write a Rx for 10 Ambien. The low dose you sleep for about 5 hours and the higher for 8 hours. Wake up refreshed. Fabulous for long distance traveling.

To yale (and others). Simply Sleep is a product made by the makers of Tylenol and is exactly the same thing as Tylenol PM WITHOUT the Tylenol - that is, it is just the Benadryl. So we are talking about the same thing and to argue Tylenol PM vs Benadryl vs Simply Sleep is silly.

I thought Ambien had very bad side effects?

For some people it does - my mother acts like a total nut after Ambien. I wouldn't want her on flight like that. She sort of sleep walks and talks.

what about other sleeping pills or ativan?

gail - I know that. But because of the pain medicatin in Tylenol PM you could experience adverse effects. I think it's important to point that out. I speak from experience when I say Tylenol PM may leave you with a hangover feeling the next day. It's not fun.

Try Tylenol PM at home. For me, it has a terrible just awful effect. Makes me wired and jittery.

Personally I go with Valium or another anti-anxiety prescription drug from my doctor, rather than sleep medication.

I say that because the symptoms you describe are classic of anxiety, not necessarily a need to go to sleep.

Since you mention Tylenol PM I would think you have had good success with it at home. I take it occasionally and it works for me. I would never recommend Valium or Percocet to someone who doesn't usually take it - unless the person recommending is a physician... The best thing is to call your doctor and just let the nurse or doc know of your claustrophobia and panic attacks. They will help you more than this site. Try before you fly! The idea is to get off the plane and enjoy your vacation, not be strung out the first few days. Most travel books will tell you to avoid alcohol and caffeine in flight for that very same reason. Is there a place on the plane you prefer to sit? (I always feel more comfortable sitting near the front.)Get your seat assignment early. Also alert the flight attendent that you tend to get paniky. Most will be very helpful in making you more comfortable. If you have a CD player, go to the library and get a good book on tape, if you are into mysterys, then find something by Grisham, or your favorite author; if you like comedy, I suggest "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" by William Kotzwinkle, or anything by Fannie Flagg, or Erma Bombeck. The Millionaire Mind is a good read, etc...ask a librarian for something light to listen to. Once you get into the story, time will fly by. There are things to do along with taking some type of medication. Have fun - envision yourself lying on the beach or dancing the hula!

I read an interesting article on sleeping pills and travel recently, perhaps in a November Travel + Leisure? I know original poster was more concerned with anxiety. But this article was discussing how depending on which way you're flying, east or west, there are different sleep aids that can help you. One can help you sleep on a plane, for example. The other would help you sleep once you arrived at destination. Article said that drugs like Tylenol PM are "messy". The drug clings and gives a hangover effect, whereas modern prescription drugs are much cleaner and leave your system quickly. I was never much of a sleeping pill person, but this article convinced me to talk to my doctor about options if I ever had a trip to, say, Australia, or Hong Kong.

dear traveler,

i have the same problems, the more i fly the worse it gets. i asked my dr. for xanax, and never regretted it. i wasn't panicky, scared, or otherwise bothered. i slept most of the way from maui to chicago, but was able to be up to go to the bathroom, and eat. and i felt fine when i arrived in Mass. i recommend at least talking to your dr about it, and like one person posted, try before hand. i didn't, but i was lucky that it worked well for me. good luck!

I had uncontrollable vomiting from Ambien. But at last the FDA approves.

Hi..
Feel your pain.. That is why they offer you the $2 shot more at the Airport Bar and you betcha I do it..
Going to Europe,love to do a Valium or Ambien..same for Tahiti or Australia..but I hydrate myself with alot of water and a couple glasses of wine and then pop then with the dinner and it works great.. No hangover and I get great sleep..
Tylenol PM never seems to work for me but you have to do what works for you.
Have fun and don't worry..

lizziea06: kayd is correct. The sleep ingredient in Tylenol PM is the same ingredient of Benydryl.

I agree with GoTravel, in that Xanax would probably be the better sleep inducer with less hangover, dry mouth, but everyones different. Maybe you could give these a trial run before going just to see how they affect you?

I'm one of those people whom Tylenol PM keeps awake. It took me three sleepless nights to figure this out. (I'm a slow learner.)

You could also try Valerian. It's an herbal remedy sold at health food stores. I would recommend the Nature's Way brand as it's one of the more reputable herbal companies. Valerian is a natural sedative and also calms you down. It won't knock you out like Ambien or any of the over the counter stuff. It's just a nice relaxing feeling while you're awake, and when you do sleep while taking it, you sleep very soundly. In the morning, there is no 'after effect' at all - you just wake up feeling refreshed. I've also studied herbs for years and Valerian is one of the safest ones out there and there is currently no other medicine that it conflicts with, although I wouldn't recommend taking other sleeping medicine at the same time.

Another recommendation for nerves is Bach Flower Essences Rescue Remedy. It's a very safe and natural stress reliever. I give it to my 15 lb. dog whenever we go to the vet's or groomer's and she's very laid back the whole time. It comes in a liquid or a spray and can be found at most health food stores.

I'm flying 18 hours to Mongolia in the near future and plan to take both of these remedies with me then. Good luck!

Heidi

i too have used valerian and rescue remedy very successfully. what i like best is how quickly they work...not much waiting to get in synch with the remedy's intended effects. also, use them both with my children when there is a need. plan to fly from east coast to west coast with two kids, and will have them both in my purse, just in case.
corwin

The air is so dry on planes it contributes to people getting respiratory ailments. It is important to try to keep your sinuses from drying out when you fly. I wouldn't take an antihistamine unless I had a cold and needed to be sure my sinuses were clear.

I'd suggest you explain your situation to your physician. You can try whatever he or she recommends before you fly and see how you react.

I travel just about every week and SWEAR by Lunesta. I do not use it on planes, but I use it for sleeping in hotels. I typically would wake up every hour or so and I was just exhausted all the time.
Lunesta allows me to fall asleep very quick and sleep sound for 8 hours. I have taken it when I have only 6 hours and feel perfectly fine when I wake up. Never groggy or tired. Alert and refreshed.
When I travel I try very hard to get plenty of rest and Lunesta has been a godsend.
I never take it at home... I am scared I will build resistance to it.
The only side effect I have noted is an odd taste in my mouth. Totally acceptable if I have plenty of mints handy!

I've heard good things about Lunesta also. I've used over the counter Sominex, and it works for a good 8/9 hours. Never used it for a flight though.