Xanax for flying panic attacks, how much should I use?
Question:
My doctor prescribed me Xanax for my trip in .5 mg piles. instruction are to take aqs needed.
I'm curious from experienced users, how much should I consider taking. I want to be really calm, so 1 mg? Maybe more? And if I get a high enough dose, is it guaranteed to prevent me from having an attack?
Answers:
I have the same fear. I was also given xanax .5 mg. I took one an hour before the flight. In your case i would take one 3 to 4 hours before your flight, if you are still having trouble take the other, on the hour before. So within four hours you will have taken two.. it will cool you down enough to get on the plane. How about taking one tonight to see how you react to it?
You may only need one
Xanax is funny. A month from now you may not even remember the flight, or how you felt. Or even what you did on the plane. I have flown a handful of times. Because i am so scared to fly. My last trip on a plane was the first time i had taken something for it. It helped so much. People really don't want to sit next to me when i panic on a plane. It's a white knuckle, scream fest. I don't panic on anything else in the world but a plane.
Yes go with the guys answer below me. If you don't have anyone with you, please tell an official on the flight that you have attacks and are on medication for it. They wont let you miss anything important.
You can take maybe 1mg. , but ask your Doc. I was on xanax for a long time. I was prescibed 4mg. a day. Take a.5 and if you are still having problems take another.5 it should help you get through the flight.
Have your taken this drug before? If not, I would start out with 0.5 mg of xanax and not take more than one tab every 4 hours. No guarantee that it will prevent an attack. Medicine is a science. If you haven't taken this medication before, you won't know how your body will react to it.
You must be a "REAL JEWEL" to have on board. The crew must "LOVE" you ! Please don't sit next to ME ! Take a train !
Xanax is a two sided sword..on one side, it is amazing for panic attacks, etc..but,..if you try to come off of it, even on low doses, it can cause seizures...so...only take it when you need it, it has one of the best calming effects around. and is just fantastic for anxiety or panic attacks...just remember, that if you take it on a regular basis, to wean yourself off a little a day, for a long period of time, and you will be fine..I have .01, and take a fourth of that one when I can't sleep...you really won't need more than that, or you shouldn't..try the low dose first, and then, if you need a little more, go for it..but just try not to make a 'habit' of it. Have a safe trip!
If you have never taken Xanax before than only start out with the recommended dose. Take it roughly 1 hr before your flight. If you really feel like you're gonna have a panic attack then take another. I hope you have someone with you though because it's powerful for most first time users. 1 mg. may make you feel really tired and even blackout a little so make sure if you do take more than .5 you're careful. I wish you the best!
Take the recommended dose a while before the flight and bring it with you. If it's still bad you can take another. If your body isn't used to the medication it doesn't take much. I took either .25 or .5 mg once and it completely knocked me out for about four hours. Psych meds effect everyone differently, so your body will have its own reaction.
I feel your pain.
I am petrified of flying. I mean, I was supposed to go to Maui and I literally ran from the airport gate and never went.
I was on Xanax regularly for 5 years up until a few months ago and I still take it intermittently so I know a bit about xanax and a tad about the fear of flying.
IMO, and I am NOT a doctor, .5 is not going to cut it and as you know, once you have an attack, it is that much harder to bring yourself down. In my experience, you should take a full mg (2 of those) about 45 minutes before boarding. If you have never used them, that should do it. But again, fully understanding the unbelievable anxiety of flying, if the 1mg doesn't do it, 1.5 will knock 99.9% of people out. You could just sleep most of the flight away. When and if you wake during the flight, there probably won't be much time left and if there is, you will probably be feeling the xanax hangover grogginess new user experience and be ok.
Good luck.
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