Recently I read on one of my other BB’s about physicians prescribing the hypnotic Halcion for their patients who have a fear of flying. Apparently, they prescribe only enough for the flight, but their patients report drug induced amnesia during which they apparently function normally during the course of the drug, but then lose hours out of their lives (this is what the drug is designed for , after all) and are surprised when they “come out” from under its influence and have no remembrance of how they got to where they ended up.
For our resident medicos: What is the reasoning behind prescribing such a strong drug and doesn’t the physician risk a law suit if the patient has committed a crime while under its influence?
Personally, if I were afraid of flying to the point to where I needed this drug, I’d keep my ass at home.
Thanks,
Quasi
Didn’t Bush Senior take halcion when he flew, including that time he barfed on the Japanese PM?
It’s a common practice, the drug is a benzodiazepine like valium, librium and xanax. It can cause some retrograde amnesia, but not as much as versed. And people under its influence generally wouldn’t do things that they wouldn’t normally do, such as get up and try to hijack the flight attendant, or some such. It’s general function is to put people to sleep, but first it calms and relaxes them. Works good for selected individuals, but I tell patients who request it (I generally don’t offer it) that they have to lay off the booze while taking it, as halcion is generally a lot like booze in pill form.
I have taken diazapam (valium) for meniers and have never had any problems. (my dose is 2mg or g or whatever the littlest is.)
It never made me sleepy or anything. Is Valium that much different from Halcion. My mini PDR says it causes traveler’s amnesia and should be avoided.
Sounds pretty scary to me. Could you take it if you were travelling alone??
Talk to your doc about this. - Jill