I have a short hour flight this weekend and was just wondering what to expect from others experiences. Although i know everyone has different symptoms. What are some issues you encountered with flying? Im 4 weeks out. Also, i was supposed to fly cross country in july on a 6 hour flight.....has anyone done one that long? Im worried that much time in a pressurized cabin may be too much for me and contemplating canceling that trip. thanks for your input.

The situation flight causes are two fold. First, there may be a claustrophobia issue. The visual over-stimulation due to the close quarters of so many people was difficult for me. I learned to sit in the first row on the isle. The over-stimulation that can come from an airport can also be a problem. The echoes and voices and for me the stress of getting through security all are a struggle for me.

The other issue is the prolonged time at a cabin altitude of 8,000 feet. A one hour flight should not be a problem but 6 hours may leave you with a head ache and fatigue the next day. Plan to get plenty of rest before hand and plan for the same after. I plan the first day at my destination as a rest and recover day.

Take good ear plugs or noise attenuating head phones like those made by Bose. Maybe you can rent or borrow a pair.

Hope this helps.

My best to you.

About 6 months post-injury I traveled cross country the first day (5 or 6 hours) then to Germany the next day (8 or 9 hours), took a few days to recover and acclimate to the time zone change, then to southern Italy which took 1.5-2 hours (my husband had a work assignment there and we all went with him so I wouldn't be left alone with the kids and house for 3.5 months, I would not have planned a pleasure trip at that point!). I had my husband to help and "shield" me which was great, so it didn't matter too much that I wasn't all there. I used earplugs (regular or noise cancelling) most of the time and needed recovery time at each stop, more after we finally got to our destination.

Pretty much the same going back home 3.5 months later, except I felt like I was doing well enough to go on a solo trip with my kids to visit some family in Sweden (2 hour flight). The family were very understanding about my frequent abrupt departures from the crowd to rest in my room. Attempting the travel without my husband was a big deal for me and a bit scary. My desire to see them while I could finally won out over my fear. My oldest son is 12 and he was a big help. It went just fine.

So, overall, I weathered the travel pretty well and it didn't cause any lasting setbacks. I would recommend to be prepared well in advance so you have time to remember all the things you'll forget before you leave, assuming you have memory issues like most of us. Lists are good. I would just add one item to what Mark recommended: a sleep mask so you can block out light as well as sound on the plane. You'll most likely do fine, just be sure to plan on some recovery time after you arrive and get home. I hope you have good trips!

I've flown 2 different flights to California this past July. It's true what Mark has said about some of the issues, however, I found that if I put my headphones in, closed my eyes, and either watched TV or listened to music I was able to get through the flight. It was also my first time flying so there was some added anxiety. It is possible, just make sure you do give yourself some time to rest.

Hello.

I was wondering about the claustrophobia issue that Mark mentioned.

I noticed that I get claustrophobic now, and it is a reason why i haven't been on a plane yet.

I live in Hawaii so any flight I get on will be a long flight.

I was also worried that I would get an increase in my headache.

I try not to think about it (being claustrophobic) or worry because I don't want to make it worse.

Does it get better with healing? Any comments?

Thank you.

Being claustrophobia is another issue for me. Even sitting at a small doctor's office with bright lights I feel like I am going to faint and gets nauseated.

That is the reason for me too. Only way I can think is taking some Xanax and even that I am not sure how effective will it be.

Hi!

I took a short flight recently and just thought I'd share how it went.

I was feeling pretty optimistic about the flight and had been reading lots of posts that say it is fine to fly.

But, I was kinda surprised at how nauseated I was and how much my headache increased.

For other headache connoisseur's out there, I got a major migrane headache, different than my usual constant daily headaches. It lasted untill a few hours after the flight.

The nausea was surprising to me, I was so happy that I didn't have anything in my stomach. I have never been sick on a plane before. And my nausea from my pcs has really improved so much. My sister said that I was gray the whole time. I literally had to close my eyes and just concentrate on breathing.

I had to take Zofran on the way back which made a HUGE difference. Please don't forget to bring an anti-nausea med with you.

I was a little claustrophobic, but it wasn't at all as bad as I imagined. I was so happy with that

And one more thing that I highly recommend is the Bose noise canceling headphones. I was hesitant to buy them because of the price, but they were a lifesaver. Honestly, they helped me so much. I was surprised at how loud the plane engines were to my sensitive ears.

Just walking through the crowds in the airport and at the security gates was overwhelming.

I know other people have a hard time with crowds and being over stimulated. If you do you should really try to get these. I think that I would have cried a couple of times without them. I kept them glued to my ears. Granted, they don't eliminate all noises, but for me they were priceless.

Best wishes.

we took a flight back from Bahama's about 10 days post concussion for my hubby, but we didn't know at the time how serious it was, and he thought his head was going to explode on our way back. he'd only had some outbursts, and irrational anger prior to that, but i guess the pressure of the cabin, etc. was the real catalyst for the pain.

I have flown lots of times since I got my first concussion both short and long flights. For me, I never got sick on airplanes before, but I do now. Sleeping helps. The most important thing for me is being cool on the plane. I try to dress very coolly with shoes I can kick off and short sleeves even in the middle of a cold Wyoming winter. I bring a sweatshirt to warm up with, but the key is being able to be cool.

I think the claustrophobia comes from the lessened ability to deal with multiple stimuli. For me the best way to cope with this is to sleep, and even if I do not actually fall asleep, closing your eyes and resting helps a lot.

Good luck!
Margarite

Good info about flying here. I haven't flown since my TBI. I don't fly much.

On the subject of transit, I do take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train many weekends- including through tunnels.

I always get a seat since I'm near the end of the lines, and off-peak hours.
But it might cause setbacks from prssure, noise, etc.

Anyone ever take public transit with a TBI? Thanks!