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-   -   Your worst jetlag experience? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1659787-your-worst-jetlag-experience.html)

WindowSeat123 Mar 2, 2015 7:49 pm

Your worst jetlag experience?
 
Over the years, I've learnt that jetlag is something you learned to cope with or mitigate with pills or sleep/activity patterns. But its not something you can really overcome. You try to get around it, but the effects will always be there if you fly across more than X number of time zones.

So, what is the worst jetlag experience you've had?

Gamecock Mar 2, 2015 8:26 pm

Coming back from BKK to CLT earlier this year.

The DW and I were wiped out for days!

JMR1223 Mar 2, 2015 8:47 pm

Coming back from Oz a few years back, MEL-LAX on VA in Z. I think the open, help yourself bar in the VA biz class area contributed... Live and learn!

TravelerMSY Mar 2, 2015 8:51 pm

Anytime I sleep through the entire trip.

Tchiowa Mar 2, 2015 10:31 pm

I spent a large part of my career working at a rotational job site where everyone worked 4 weeks then went home for 4 weeks. 1 1/2 day commute across 3 continents to get there. Every meeting I ever attended included half the people yawning almost constantly and at least 1 or 2 nodding off.

MissJ Mar 2, 2015 11:05 pm

I was so asleep while riding a train in Geneva that when it stopped, I manually opened the door on the wrong side of the train and stepped into the tunnel. It took me longer than I would have thought to realize it.

Just recently, I was in a store not longer after a flight and looked up and literally had no idea where I was. Genuinely started to panic. Had to stop, calm down, and pull out my phone to see where I was.

If I had a dollar for every meeting I've fallen a asleep in...

BuildingMyBento Mar 2, 2015 11:12 pm


Originally Posted by MissJ (Post 24444511)
I was so asleep while riding a train in Geneva that when it stopped, I manually opened the door on the wrong side of the train and stepped into the tunnel. It took me longer than I would have thought to realize it.

No kidding...

During a trip in 2006, I had just landed in Bombay when I got on a train at the Cotton Green station. It must've been the jet lag because I had apparently boarded the women-only carriage. I hastily jumped off the slowly-moving (it never did stop at any station) train, bruised my knee and then jumped into another carriage.

747FC Mar 3, 2015 2:25 am

Your worst jetlag experience?
 
HNL-CDG. Years ago flying F. Thought I would try timing melatonin across two nights of flying. Ended up with worst jet lag ever. The Paris part of the trip is still a blur. Lucky there were three more weeks about the EU.

lhrsfo Mar 3, 2015 6:07 am

The adage that it takes one day for each hour of time change is absolutely my experience. The trouble is that most of my 8-hour time change trips are for only six days so I'm out for basically two weeks.

airmotive Mar 3, 2015 6:37 am


Originally Posted by Tchiowa (Post 24444434)
I spent a large part of my career working at a rotational job site where everyone worked 4 weeks then went home for 4 weeks. 1 1/2 day commute across 3 continents to get there. Every meeting I ever attended included half the people yawning almost constantly and at least 1 or 2 nodding off.

Although technically not 'jet lag', the curse of rotating shifts is horrid.
In a previous life, I worked in the nuclear navy (US). While bringing a new aircraft carrier to life (CVN-74), we were worked to death.
Rotating shifts:
5 days 1st shift (0700-1700), one day off.
5 days 2nd shift (1300-2300), two days off.
5 days of 3rd shift (2200-0800), three days off...then repeat from the top.
On one occasion, I walked into the #2 reactor control room (EOS), and found all five operators sound asleep at their stations.

backprop Mar 3, 2015 7:03 am

My first real jet lag was the first time I traveled to Asia and back to the U.S.

I thought jet lag was just a description for feeling tired or having sleep patterns disrupted for a night or two, so wasn't really prepared.

The day after returning, I slogged through work in that tired but still-amped-up way. No problem.

The next day started out OK, maybe a little tired. I went out for a run and just about fainted. I had to sit down while my heart raced, then walked back home. Then later, I was sitting at a friend's house and again almost fainted..just felt really nauseous and lightheaded.

After that, it was fine. I experienced the same thing each subsequent trip, but was prepared...it's always two days after the return for me.

rstruthe Mar 3, 2015 7:34 am

Your worst jetlag experience?
 
Last year I reputed my ear drum on a trip to Asia, for the flight back I took medication and slept 12 of the 14 hour flight. We landed at 11:30 pm, and I was wide awake. It took almost 2 weeks to get straightened out after that.

travelmad478 Mar 3, 2015 7:41 am

I don't suffer much at all from jet lag, but one trip really got me--flew PHL-LAX and stayed for three days, then flew LAX-SVO. My five days in Moscow were absolutely awful. But generally I am pretty free of problems due to my ability to just stay awake for a really long time on the day I arrive, so that I go to bed at the "normal" time for that time zone. Usually by the second day I'm fine.

mapleg Mar 3, 2015 8:48 am

Mine was YUL-ZRH where I arrived 6am local time...then flew out 10pm local time to Honk Kong. By the time I got to the hotel in HK, I was totally out of it.

VivoPerLei Mar 3, 2015 8:56 am


Originally Posted by backprop (Post 24445892)
My first real jet lag was the first time I traveled to Asia and back to the U.S.

I thought jet lag was just a description for feeling tired or having sleep patterns disrupted for a night or two, so wasn't really prepared.

The day after returning, I slogged through work in that tired but still-amped-up way. No problem.

The next day started out OK, maybe a little tired. I went out for a run and just about fainted. I had to sit down while my heart raced, then walked back home. Then later, I was sitting at a friend's house and again almost fainted..just felt really nauseous and lightheaded.

After that, it was fine. I experienced the same thing each subsequent trip, but was prepared...it's always two days after the return for me.

I've experienced similar issues, physiologically speaking. Sometimes my brain just goes haywire. I also check my blood sugar levels pretty closely and notice that after a significant flight (say anything over a six to seven time zone change), my readings can take weeks to get completely back to normal.


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