posted
Has anyone flown and noticed a flare in their symptoms while in the air or after? I am just wondering because recently, a friend of mine was driving through the mountains and said he had a flare. I will be flying in May so I will know for sure about myself but I wanted to see if this has happened to anyone else.
-------------------- I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!
posted
Oh yes, my body let's me know every time I fly that it doesn't like it. I fly to my LLMD about every 3 months, it's only a two hour plane ride and I'm completely wiped out for at least that day and probably the next. I have no idea why this is but it gets me every time. I now have to stay an extra day just to make the trip back home
I'm sure this doesn't affect all lymies like this and I have always gotten motion sickness since way back.......good question.
Posts: 69 | From fort collins, co | Registered: Dec 2007
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nenet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13174
posted
Something I recently discovered about this (ok I admit it, my husband explained it to me), is that low-pressure atmosphere can cause your inflammation areas to swell, and therefore hurt like the dickens.
If you are anything like the vast majority of Lyme patients, you wil have inflammation happening all over your body: joints, muscles, nerves, brain, organ tissues, etc.)
So, say a storm front is moving in, well generally that can mean a low pressure system is coming before it (except in rare cases like being on the west coast where the mountains butt against the ocean and you don't get the usual low pressure), so that's why your joints, old injuries, or any number of multiple Lyme symptoms, start to flare up in pain or swelling.
Same thing if you go to a higher elevation, and especially when you are in a plane! Any depressurization or decrease in pressure will flare our symptoms.
In simple terms:
"A high pressure system applies force to the outside of the body, compressing it.
Low pressure allows that compression to relax, which forces fluid to compensate by flowing into joints and such to equalize the difference."
So offtopic a bit, but I started wondering if HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) worked on that aspect, as well as the super-oxygenation they use it for, since it is a high-pressure environment. Never tried it myself though.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
If there is anyway you can get oxygen during the flight, that would help so much.
Your doctor can order if for you but it is very expensive as the airline has to provide it and it costs a certain amount for each leg of the flight. So, if you have a NON-STOP, that would be less expensive.
--
And if you can schedule it so that you have 1-3 days' rest after you arrive at your destination but before you have to pretend to be normal, that would be a big help.
And, on the return, try to really rest up the day before you fly back. Sleep is vital. So is the very best self-care.
quote:Originally posted by nenet: Something I recently discovered about this (ok I admit it, my husband explained it to me), is that low-pressure atmosphere can cause your inflammation areas to swell, and therefore hurt like the dickens.
I am happy to see someone else use the word dickens. :-) Thank you for your informative response.
-------------------- I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!
glm1111
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 16556
posted
You might want to consider taking the herbs "Airborne" specifically developed for people who fly.
Supposed to help keep you from catching others germs if you take them before you fly.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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nenet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13174
posted
quote:Originally posted by Barby:
quote:Originally posted by nenet: Something I recently discovered about this (ok I admit it, my husband explained it to me), is that low-pressure atmosphere can cause your inflammation areas to swell, and therefore hurt like the dickens.
I am happy to see someone else use the word dickens. :-) Thank you for your informative response.
Nice to see a fellow old idioms user... and golly you don't know the half of it. I am a font of anachronistic sayings and exclamations. I have no idea how it happened, except for I am from the somewhat southern part of the country (Kentucky), and I am kind of a goofball.
And I'm glad some of that might have been useful to you. I find when I am up to posting here I go on a bit of a tear and ramble on a bit too much, while sometimes completely missing the point.
quote:Originally posted by nenet: Same thing if you go to a higher elevation, and especially when you are in a plane! Any depressurization or decrease in pressure will flare our symptoms.
Typically aircraft are pressurized to create a 6,000ft to 8,000ft (which is usually the max) environment at the highest cruising levels.
This varies depending on which altitude the aircraft is at and what type of equipment you are on, but if you are currently living in an area that is at about 1,000ft (Cincy,OH) and your body is sensitive to pressure changes, in theory I suppose you would feel it much more than someone living in Denver (5,000ft).
If it is a short flight and they don't need to climb really high it is possible the cabin altitude could only be at 4,000 ft or so.
Posts: 101 | From Living in the Now | Registered: Mar 2009
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
see my newbie package links; see table of contents, and look for FLYING suggestions/comments from stewardess.
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I flew just last week. I'm nearly 4 months into treatment.
Inflammation is a big problem for me, and did make me less comfortable flying than I'd ever been.
I tend to "gel" or seize up when I can't freely move around. I was stuck in a cramped middle seat on the way out (4 hour flight) and it was not a good time!
I didn't get sent into a flare, just had less fun flying. But I've been doing pretty well lately.
My trip was for work. I canceled my previous two trips because I felt I was too sick at the time. I look at it as a risk for a flare, and only decided to take this trip because of my recent improvement.
Listen to your body and don't put more stress on it than you think it can handle. Good luck!
Posts: 455 | From Was in PA, then MD, now in the Midwest | Registered: Nov 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
I repositioned myself frequently. I think that may have helped. I know previously, when going to movies, my legs would be killing me by the time it was over. My biggest symptom is pain. Everyone is different. But I do believe that moving around was helpful in some way. Or maybe it just wasn't as hard on my body. They were all 2 hour flights. If they were longer it may have been bad. I did start getting pain on the last flight.
-------------------- I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired!!!
karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
Keebler, there are new oxygen containers on the market. With those you can be on your own oxygen container at the airport and go on board with it. You also can rent them. It is a problem with International flights, as the voltage is not the same. I am currently working on this topic.
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
I remember reading a LONG time ago that air travel can cause mycoplasma to flare up -- it might have been Garth Nicolson who noted this. Since mycoplasma can be a Lyme coinfection, I wouldn't be surprised if others flared up.
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
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