Are jet lag pills effective?

[JanP]

I will fly to Europe in 2 weeks, and since I always need a couple of days to recover, I was looking for some 'help.' I found jet lag pills, but I'm not sure how effective they are. Does anyone have any positive experiences with them?

 

[Cloud9]

Never even heard of these, to be honest, mate.
I'd suggest just having some decent sleep the night before and trying to grab a reasonable nap on the way over. Are you doing a stopover, or is it a straight-through like QF9? If it's QF9, my personal suggestion is a couple of movies, sleep best you can, and then stoke up on coffee.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I will fly to Europe in 2 weeks, and since I always need a couple of days to recover, I was looking for some 'help.' I found jet lag pills, but I'm not sure how effective they are. Does anyone have any positive experiences with them?

Going to Europe most people are ok in terms of jet lag. It’s the coming home, eastbound, that can hammer you!

But in to the pills… depends what’s in them. Homeopathic, no idea. But ones containing melatonin may be useful.

There is - apparently - an ‘art’ to using melatonin for jet lag, which is to go to bed with the curtains open. Melatonin works with darkness and your body clock, so leaving the curtains open and waking up with the sunrise is - allegedly - the optimal use. The melatonin puts you to sleep, but wears off with light. So the theory goes that whatever time you go to sleep, you’ll wake up with your body clock reset at dawn. That applies if you go to bed at 6pm, or 1am.

I have found this to be the case, but only sometimes.

Sometimes the melatonin only works for a short time. Sometimes it really knocks me out and i feel groggy for the whole next day. Sometimes it works perfectly. It’s a bit hard to predict. And doses can be all over the place. The USA sells pills in doses many times higher than allowed in Australia i believe.

Nowadays I don’t use melatonin. If i’m not tired at night time on arrival in Europe I’ll take a sleeping tablet, and hope that it lasts long enough till the morning.

 

[Cloud9]

Going to Europe most people are ok in terms of jet lag. It’s the coming home, eastbound, that can hammer you!

But in to the pills… depends what’s in them. Homeopathic, no idea. But ones containing melatonin may be useful.

There is - apparently - an ‘art’ to using melatonin for jet lag, which is to go to bed with the curtains open. Melatonin works with darkness and your body clock, so leaving the curtains open and waking up with the sunrise is - allegedly - the optimal use. The melatonin puts you to sleep, but wears off with light. So the theory goes that whatever time you go to sleep, you’ll wake up with your body clock reset at dawn. That applies if you go to bed at 6pm, or 1am.

I have found this to be the case, but only sometimes.

Sometimes the melatonin only works for a short time. Sometimes it really knocks me out and i feel groggy for the whole next day. Sometimes it works perfectly. It’s a bit hard to predict. And doses can be all over the place. The USA sells pills in doses many times higher than allowed in Australia i believe.

Nowadays I don’t use melatonin. If i’m not tired at night time on arrival in Europe I’ll take a sleeping tablet, and hope that it lasts long enough till the morning.

Genuinely intrigued to read this. Not surprised by the yanks with ridiculous dosage pills; nevertheless, interesting info.

Full confession, I find keeping myself gently sloshed for the whole day/multiple days of the trip is genuinely the best thing to help me doze off and just keep going. Not much help if someone's tee-total, that's true; but, y'know...

Edit to concur: Yep, East is always the bloody worst for me as well.

 

[Seat0B]

I like melatonin! I take it on the plane to help me off to sleep. I take it on arrival to help me reset to going to sleep at a socially acceptable time, and it find it really good for both of those uses.

But as @MEL_Traveller says, it does tend to wear off suddenly and I sometimes wake up feeling wide awake after about 5 hrs. This is when I take the US version 5mg available freely everywhere there. I was recently prescribed some Aussie 2mg slow release, so will try that before my next trip to see how it performs. Supposed to avoid the sudden wake up I experience with the US ones.

 

[Justinf]

I like melatonin! I take it on the plane to help me off to sleep. I take it on arrival to help me reset to going to sleep at a socially acceptable time, and it find it really good for both of those uses.

But as @MEL_Traveller says, it does tend to wear off suddenly and I sometimes wake up feeling wide awake after about 5 hrs. This is when I take the US version 5mg available freely everywhere there. I was recently prescribed some Aussie 2mg slow release, so will try that before my next trip to see how it performs. Supposed to avoid the sudden wake up I experience with the US ones.

I take the 2mg every night. I have a prescription.
It has helped me immensely.

 

[RooFlyer]

I like melatonin! I take it on the plane to help me off to sleep. I take it on arrival to help me reset to going to sleep at a socially acceptable time, and it find it really good for both of those uses.

But as @MEL_Traveller says, it does tend to wear off suddenly and I sometimes wake up feeling wide awake after about 5 hrs. This is when I take the US version 5mg available freely everywhere there. I was recently prescribed some Aussie 2mg slow release, so will try that before my next trip to see how it performs. Supposed to avoid the sudden wake up I experience with the US ones.

Another melatonin fan, and not just for jet lag. Never an issue with it. Unlike Phenergan which I do take after flights and can leave me groggy.

I often take a 2mg slow-release melatonin 1 hr before closing eyes but if I wake up at say 2am, I take another. Max as recommended by GP. But I also like the USA version! Used to bring back bottle-loads and looking forward to getting some more there later this year.

Don't need a prescription anymore but my pharmac_ likes a script every 3 or so dispenses and always checks that yes, its for me and yes, I am over 60 )

Always fly westwards and ideally keep going RTW if I get to Europe. Eastwards (like when I went to Chile last year) has me destroyed for about 3 days.

@JanP what's in the 'jetlag' pills?

 

[Seat0B]

I take the 2mg every night. I have a prescription.
It has helped me immensely.

I’ve been putting off trying it as I was worried that the 2mg might not be enough as I’ve been taking the 5mg. I am encouraged by your experiences!

 

[Justinf]

Another melatonin fan, and not just for jet lag. Never an issue with it. Unlike Phenergan which I do take after flights and can leave me groggy.

I often take a 2mg slow-release melatonin 1 hr before closing eyes but if I wake up at say 2am, I take another. Max as recommended by GP. But I also like the USA version! Used to bring back bottle-loads and looking forward to getting some more there later this year.

Don't need a prescription anymore but my pharmac_ likes a script every 3 or so dispenses and always checks that yes, its for me and yes, I am over 60 )

Always fly westwards and ideally keep going RTW if I get to Europe. Eastwards (like when I went to Chile last year) has me destroyed for about 3 days.

@JanP what's in the 'jetlag' pills?

It’s for 55 and over in Vic to get it without a prescription.
I take great pleasure in telling my wife that I don’t qualify (yet) but she does.

 

[Cloud9]

It’s for 55 and over in Vic to get it without a prescription.
I take great pleasure in telling my wife that I don’t qualify (yet) but she does.

Pains me to admit openly there are some things the old country does better. Like free prescriptions for everyone.

 

[JanP]

@JanP what's in the 'jetlag' pills?

It is homeopathic, I found it when searching online.

The five homeopathic remedies listed below are the active ingredients in No-Jet-Lag.

Arnica Montana 30C (Leopard's Bane), Bellis Perennis 30C (Daisy), Chamomilla 30C (Wild Chamomile), Ipecacuanha 30C (Ipecac), Lycopodium 30C (Clubmoss)

or link here (if it is allowed)

Buy No Jet Lag Online - 32 Tabs

No-Jet-Lag is raved about by satisfied travellers from around the world, including business executives, sports teams, tour operators, and flight crews. It is safe & easy to take.

www.mynaturalhealth.com.au

 

[JanP]

Are you doing a stopover, or is it a straight-through like QF9?

SYD-CGK , staying at hotel for 1x night and then CGK-DOH and DOH-VIE. Ideally I would like to sleep on CGK-DOH.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Big Melatonin fan.
If you are going to Europe with a SIN stopover it’s available over the counter in pharmacies there.
Funnily enough manufactured in Australia

 

[Justinf]

Big Melatonin fan.
If you are going to Europe with a SIN stopover it’s available over the counter in pharmacies there.
Funnily enough manufactured in Australia
View attachment 407417

Is it available airside?

 

[RooFlyer]

It is homeopathic, I found it when searching online.

The five homeopathic remedies listed below are the active ingredients in No-Jet-Lag.

Arnica Montana 30C (Leopard's Bane), Bellis Perennis 30C (Daisy), Chamomilla 30C (Wild Chamomile), Ipecacuanha 30C (Ipecac), Lycopodium 30C (Clubmoss)

or link here (if it is allowed)

Buy No Jet Lag Online - 32 Tabs

No-Jet-Lag is raved about by satisfied travellers from around the world, including business executives, sports teams, tour operators, and flight crews. It is safe & easy to take.

www.mynaturalhealth.com.au

The claim "No jet lag" puts me off, straight away. But as long as those ingredients aren't harmful I guess it can't hurt.

 

[RooFlyer]

Who remembers when melatonin came in capsules, with a piece of horse ?pineal gland in it. Am I remembering correctly @Princess Fiona ?

 

[SYD]

SYD-CGK , staying at hotel for 1x night and then CGK-DOH and DOH-VIE. Ideally I would like to sleep on CGK-DOH.

If you’re on one of the afternoon/evening QR flights CGK-DOH, you ought to be able to sleep (especially if originating from Oz East Coast - it’ll be approaching normal bedtime anyway).

Coming home (just did it last weekend) can be a double whammy. Eastbound flights, but also relatively short hops that make it difficult to get a decent sleep. Not sure 29 hrs stopover in CGK was a good or bad idea - as far as jet lag goes.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Is it available airside?

IDK but if there is a pharmac_ I imagine it would be. I’m there next month and will take a look if nobody reports back sooner.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Who remembers when melatonin came in capsules, with a piece of horse ?pineal gland in it. Am I remembering correctly @Princess Fiona ?

Oh I don’t recall that ?

 

[justinbrett]

I’m a Stilnox fan. But I only take in J when I can get proper sleep.

Definitely requires a ground trial to make sure it doesn’t make you paint your doors or eat the contents of your fridge while sleeping. I’ve never had any effects and I started taking it 15 years ago for shift work. Only use it for red eye flights now.