heidiangel Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 I have to fly to Africa from usa and I am so frightened. What can I do to help prepare myself for this trip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 (edited) I've flown to Europe. Here's what I did: I talked to my doctor ahead of time, and she gave me ambien, a sleeping pill, so that I could use to help sleep at the right times, including on the plane. I also used Enada (aka Nada) in the mornings to help me be more alert. I drank lots of water and ate enough salty snacks to keep my hydrated. Stayed away from alcohol and caffiene, which are dehydrating. Also, once you get there, try to spend sometime out in the sunshine for at least a bit each day to help re-regulate your body clock. Coming home was harder for me than going there and took me longer to recover from.Nina Edited February 1, 2004 by MightyMouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 The suggestions above are excellent! If you could possibly confirm with your doctor, I would add wearing firm compression pantyhose under some loose cotton pants and cotton socks with comfortable shoes. The aircraft cabin is less pressurized so with compression you'll not pool fluids and have less chance of swelling. Get up and walk around during the flight or at least do some in seat exercise like rotating your feet and stretches. Also, try buying some electrolytes to have with you. Both in flight and while you're adjusting to the hotter climate you'll really need to replace water, sodium and potassium. When I went to Kenya I took along "Kaolectrolyte" a dry electrolyte mix sold in packets that are easy to mix in a cup of water and sip. You'll find them in the baby products isle of a pharmacy. Have a wonderful trip and bring back some stories to share!tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Here's a link that's been shared before--you can buy support hose that don't look like old-lady ugly socks here:http://ameswalker.com/amwalsigcol.htmlIf those are too expensive, I've done pretty well with some of the ones you can find at the grocery--not quite as useful as the real deal, but better than going without.Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnicornIsis Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 I would suggest a lot of the same things. I went to Italy pre-NCS and POTS. But remember I'm new to the diagnosis and still not making any progress treating it, so take what I say with a grain (or handful for us) of salt. I would take salt tablets with you so you can up the salt if you don't have a lot of salty snacks. I agree with the sleep thing. That was the worst problem for me when I flew. Take something to to pep you up when you need to be awake, I would normally suggest a caffine pill, but not for us. Also take a motion-sickness drug. The 2nd neuro I went to told me I had vertigo basically and that the nerves in my ears were hyper sensitive. Anyway he put me on meclezine -- don't know if that's spelled right. It helped a little, especially in the car--which I'm dizzy all the time in the car. He was going to up me to scopalimine (sp?), but I'm allergic to adhesives and it's administered in a patch that you place I think on your neck. Also he wanted to put me on it long-term and it can cause nerve damage for long-term use. But I would suggest some kind of motion-sickness drug. The flight will probably feel horrible, so try to sleep as much as you can during it. I would also definately take pressure hose. I've only had them one day and they were great that day. I would also take light cloths as it's summer for them and going to be hotter. Heat is worse for most of us so take cloths that are easy to take on and off like a sweater for when you get to strip off and easy to put back on once you cool down and get cold. Something that helped me in hiking class at school (pre-sick) was a camel-back. It caries water on your back and keeps it really cool/cold. It's very light weight and that way a lot of water is always around you. Plan to sleep a lot once you get home too! :>) That's all I can think of for now, hope this helps!! And I hope you get to have some fun on your trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmom Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Suprisingly, I have never had a problem flying since my diagnosis- I always do a few things just to make sure that it stays that way... getting plenty of rest the night before, support hose (as mentioned before), drink PLENTY of fluids before and during the flight, preferably some type of electrolyte drink, take your meds on time, and be sure to exercise your legs a lot during the trip. Staying calm and relaxed is hard, but for me it's the only way to get through it. I think walking through the airport is the hardest part Good luck on your trip!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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