Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Snowkr]

Hi all/ya'll

I'm headed home in a week and I got an Rx for sleeping pills from my doctor here for the flight.

Just wondering if anyone out there has taken sleeping meds during their time here or specifically for a long flight. I was told it was completely safe and there were no side effects but I still feel a little hesitant.

opinions or experiences?

[mole]

I have some prescribed sleeping pills, but I only took one. Felt pretty crappy when I woke up.
You should ask for motion sickness medicine. One I've used for countless trips overseas is available at any Korean pharmacy and over-the-counter.
It's a little packet of powder called Bo Mi Rong. Knocks me out for the entire trip, but able to be conscious for meals and movies at will.

Deja vu. No. I've recommended this many times here.

[Milwaukiedave]

I take sleeping pill regularly. I have a hard time staying asleep sometimes and take a half or whole one depending on how I feel.

I've taken them on flights as well. My best advice is avoid caffine, alcohol and any other stimulants before the flight. If you take a pill just before the first meal is served you can probably sleep for five hours. Bring a pillow and try to get comfortable.

[Snowkr]

Thanks

I want to sleep the entire trip.
I have a quick stop in Japan and was advised to take the tablet there.

From there I fly to Chicago and wanted to be completely knocked out all of that flight. My concern is waking up in Chicago and feeling really sick or something. I will have to catch another connection flight to D.C. before I reach my final destination.

Has anyone had any really BAD experiences with Korean prescribed sleeping tablets?

oh and thanks for the info on the motion sickness powder. I'll check into it tomorrow!

[Milwaukiedave]

I was told by a doctor to avoid the over the counter kind.

That's going to be a long flight, good luck.

[LateBloomer]

Whatever you decide to take, I would recommend a "trial run" before you go--just to see how you react.

I once had a reverse reaction to an over-the-counter sleep aid. It got me "wired" and dizzy. I found out that kind of reaction is not uncommon. And when I took a prescribed sleeping pill, it didn't seem to work, so the doctor told me to double the dose.

[OiGirl]

[spinario]

try Melatonin.

It's natural. Meaning, your body already produces it when it senses darkness.

Works for me. good luck.

[Little Laura]

I have restless leg syndrome and have tried many kinds of sleeping medications prescribed by a neurologist here. I recommend what's known here in Korea as Stilnox. In the U.S. it's called Ambien. The generic name is zolpidem. It's a "non-benzodiazepine hypnotic indicated for short-term treatment of insomnia." Why I like it is I can wake up easily from it, not heavy/groggy. So I think for your purposes it would be ideal.

When traveling back and forth to the States, I often use it the first night or two to make the switch over easier.

[Snowkr]

I'm familiar with Ambien but was told it has some pretty scary side effects. I guess I was hoping to avoid that by taking a Korean drug.
I've had nothing but good results from Korean meds over here but I've never relied so much on something as I will be relying on this sleeping pill on friday.

I know meds affect everyone in different ways, just wondering what the experiences of others have been. I'll worry about how I feel when I'm awake after I'm on the ground in the U.S. All I really want is to be out during the flight...

[Little Laura]

I don't know much about "Korean" meds per se; most of what I've taken here, though prescribed by Korean doctors, were Rx that are known internationally and probably developed by the big drug companies in the west. All drugs that are not natural (and some that are natural, I would hazard a guess) have side effects. The only way to know if one works for you is to try it. Some drugs I've taken along the way have irritated my stomach, others have made me feel dizzy...this is why I think it's a good idea, if you're concerned about The Big Flight, to try out your options in advance, as another poster suggested. You've still got a couple of days to play around with in case you don't like what you have.

Don't forget to bring earplugs in case there are any screaming babies, and eye shields to help your own body's melatonin kick in. If you don't have the eyeshields, you can sometimes successfully wheedle them out of a business-class flight attendant, or get your attendant to advocate for you.

Anyway, good luck, and pleasant flight dreams!

[Little Laura]

P.S. Part of my time-tested strategy is to stay up the night before I leave packing, or at least make sure I get less than four hours of sleep (which works out easily anyway 'cause who ever has time for packing in advance? Certainly none of those who scored high on the sloth sin, as I'm sure I would!) That way I'm really ready to sleep on the flight over. If you take a sleeping pill while you're wide awake, that may not be enough to knock you out. It wouldn't me. You need to give it something to work with. You don't want to take enough sleeping pills to knock you out like anaesthesia...without an anaesthesiologist on hand!

[Marlboro]

Try One a night 'Nytol', but take more than one and theres afew others i take,which are prescribed and quite strong, and leave you feeling quite good in the morning, but i cant think of the name right now, so will post the name once it pops into my head.