Hi, I am undiagnosed with CFS but am pretty sure this is what I have got. I have been sick for about 2 years now (after a viral infection) with all of the common symptoms of CFS and M.E. Been tested for so many other things but they find nothing. I have kind of diagnosed myself from identifying with so many CFS suffers on the net. Currently if I do very very little, I am ok. My husband and I are planning a holiday that involves a long haul air flight - 20 hours. Has anyone with CFS travelled by air or know of what this can be like, side-effects or tips on how to travel and be well? Much appreciated and with thanks.
I would think that you will need a lot of recuperating time, once you arrive at your destination.
I would also like to know how anyone can possibly even travel or make any plans?? I have been feeling so unbelievably "sick and tired" for so long now, but I keep hoping and looking forward to the day that I can go somehwere (as something to look forward to) - but then I wonder if that day will ever even come.
Drink plenty of water on the flight, I do a four hour flight each year and it wears me out, also by the second week of my hols I am sleeping 3 hours a day as I am worn out, good luck with your hols
I make 1 1/2 to 2 hour plane rides about once a month (roundtrip). I just make sure that I am WELL hydrated. There is no doubt in my mind that I am even the slightest bit dehydrated. I also try to travel at times that would not overlap with my normal sleeping times. On a long flight that really isn't possible though.
Hi, I have CFS too and have been planning on taking a trip to Europe and the Israel which for me would be a long plane ride. I'm a little discouraged however, as I was just reading that people with CFS often relapse heavily when taking long air flights. I've heard it has to do with the pressurization, there's just not enough oxygen so it's actually like exercising. Supposedly drinking a lot of water is helpful as well as having a supply of oxygen with you. However, how to go about the latter I don't know if they even allow personal oxygen tanks on flights.
God Bless.
Hi,
I have cfs and fibro and find air travel very difficult, but I'm not willing to stop living my life completely, so I still do it every so often. I won't lie to you, it's hard. What I do is try to time it so my flight gets to the destination at a time when I can check into my hotel and go straight to bed and rest up. This cuts trips by a day but at least I can regain a tiny bit of energy and enjoy the rest of the trip.
I have a trip planned for the end of this month, my first one in a long time, and I shoudl be excited but instead I'm tired just thinking about it. But I have to force myself to not give up too much of my life, because I'm afraid that will lead to depression which will make the cfs and fibro worse. So far I've found no doctor who knows how to treat me effectively, and I hope someday I will, but till then I have to keep keeping on, as they say. I make concessions, I arrange my days as best I can so I don't overdo it, I have changed my whole life due to this illness. The last thing I want to do is hole myself up inside the house and allow it to take over my existence, even if it extremely hard not to do that.
Good luck, and I hope you are able to rest when you arrive at your destination and then are able to enjoy your trip!
There is always something to look forward to, even if it's not what we would prefer.
I find any travel debilitating too; I always plan for "resting days" preferably every other day. It does shorten the trip but it's better than staying home!
CFS and air travel 
