Jet Lag

What causes jet lag?

Jet lag happens when your normal sleep pattern is disrupted after a long flight. Jet lag can affect anyone who travels quickly across several time zones. When you travel a long distance, your body’s natural clock (circadian rhythm) is still used to your original time zone, rather than the time zone you have travelled to, which causes jet lag. The more time zones you cross, the higher chance you have of getting jet lag.

While you may get jet lag after a change of three or more time zones, some individuals can be affected by one single time zone. Each person will react differently and not everyone who goes on a long flight will get jet lag.

Other factors can increase your chance of jet lag, such as:

• amount of layovers
• direction of travel
• local daylight hours
• long periods of sitting on a plane
• the total distance of travel

The symptoms of jet lag

If you have jet lag you may have:

• difficulty sleeping at bedtime
• poor sleep quality
• memory and concentration problems
• headaches
• an upset stomach
• drowsiness
• mood changes, like feeling irritated

Any jet lag symptoms above should go away within a couple of days. Symptoms will go as your body gets used to the new time zone. There are several things you can do during your flight that may reduce the effects of jet lag.

These include:

• drinking plenty of water
• keeping active by walking around the cabin regularly
• stretching
• trying to sleep if it is nighttime at your destination
• using earplugs and an eye mask to help you sleep

Can you get jet lag treatment over the counter?

Jet lag treatment like melatonin tablets cannot be sold over the counter in the UK. Melatonin tablets require a prescription. You can use our service that will make sure you get doctor prescribed and approved medication. Once one of our doctors has approved your jet lag treatment, it can be delivered directly to your door, or you can collect it from your local Asda pharmacy.

Jet lag treatment side effects

Like with any medicine, jet lag treatment can cause side effects. However, not everybody gets them.

Some common side effects can include:

• feeling tired or sleepy during the day
• headaches
• feeling irritable
• nausea (feeling sick)
• dry mouth

Uncommon side effects include:

• high blood pressure
• itching, rash, dry skin
• indigestion
• anxiety
• mouth ulcers

Although rare, there are some serious side effects of jet lag treatment, like:

• blurry vision
• unexplained bruising
• feeling sad or low (a sign of depression)
• fainting
• serious allergic reaction to melatonin (anaphylaxis)

If you get any common or uncommon side effects of jet lag treatment, you should stop taking the medicine and see your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Should you get serious side effects, you must visit A&E or seek medical help right away.

Jet lag treatment safety information

While many people take jet lag treatment with no problems, it is not suitable for some individuals.

You should speak to your doctor if you have:

• kidney or liver problems
• lupus
• previous allergic reaction to melatonin
• rheumatoid arthritis
• epilepsy
• diabetes

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or thinking of having a baby, you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice before you take jet lag treatment as melatonin tablets are not recommended. Not enough research has been carried out on whether melatonin tablets are safe for you and your baby. If you plan to drive while away from home, jet lag treatment can cause drowsiness and make you less alert for a couple of hours after you take them. This means jet lag treatment should not be taken before driving or using machinery.

What to avoid when taking jet lag treatment

When you take jet lag treatment, you should avoid too many drinks with caffeine, like tea, coffee, or cola. This is because caffeine is a stimulant, which has the opposite effect of melatonin in your body. Caffeine can reduce the effectiveness of melatonin tablets.

Alcohol can worsen the symptoms of jet lag and affect your sleep pattern, so it’s advised not to drink alcohol while using melatonin.

Check with your doctor if you are using any regular medications, to make sure these are safe to use when taking melatonin. You should talk to your doctor if you are currently taking, have recently taken, or plan to take the medicines below as they may increase the effect of melatonin.

• Psoralens: Used to treat skin disorders like psoriasis.
• Fluvoxamine: Used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.
• Quinolones: Used to treat bacterial infections.
• Cimetidine: Used to treat stomach problems like ulcers.
• Warfarin: Used to think the blood
• Sedative medications

If you take herbal remedies or supplements, you should stop doing so while taking jet lag treatment, as they can make you feel sleepy. Herbal remedies can increase the sedating effects of your jet lag treatment, causing you to feel drowsy.

Medical information for Melatonin 3mg

Each film-coated tablet contains 3mg of melatonin. The standard dose is 3mg (1 tablet) daily for a maximum of 5 days. The first dose should be taken upon arrival at your destination at the habitual bed-time.

Due to the potential for incorrectly timed intake of melatonin to have no effect, or an adverse effect, on re-synchronisation following jet-lag, Melatonin 3mg film-coated tablets should not be taken before 8pm or after 4am at destination.

Food can enhance the increase in plasma melatonin concentration. Intake of melatonin with carbohydrate-rich meals may impair blood glucose control for several hours. It is recommended that food is not consumed 2 hours before and 2 hours after intake of Melatonin 3mg film-coated tablets.

As alcohol can impair sleep and potentially worsen certain symptoms of jet lag (e.g. headache, morning fatigue, and concentration) it is recommended that alcohol is not consumed when taking Melatonin 3mg film-coated tablets.

Melatonin 3mg film-coated tablets may be taken for a maximum of 16 treatment periods per year.

Melatonin must not be used with any other sedative medications or sleeping tablets.

Melatonin can interact with other medications - please check with your doctor if you are taking any other medicines (prescription or over the counter).

Possible side effects of the medication

WARNING: Melatonin will cause drowsiness therefore should only be used at bedtime and not when drowsiness could pose a danger to your safety and well-being (e.g. if driving or using machinery).

Drowsiness/sleepiness, headache, and dizziness/disorientation are the most frequently reported adverse effects when melatonin is taken on a short-term basis to treat jet lag. Drowsiness, headache, dizziness, and nausea are also the adverse effects reported most frequently when typical clinical doses of melatonin have been taken for periods of several days to several weeks by healthy persons and patients. For a full list of side effects, please refer to the patient information leaflet.