By Dr. Matsen

I flew from Vancouver, Canada to Brisbane, Australia via Singapore in December of 2004. This was a 36 hour event—28 hours of flying and 8 hours of waiting in airports—which should have laid me low with jet lag symptoms.

Jet lag symptoms are mainly attributed to passing through different time zones which disrupts circadian rhythm, but also to air pressure changes, stale air, dehydration worsened by alcohol and coffee, lack of exercise, nervousness and apprehension and, sometimes, exposure to pesticides.

The symptoms of jet lag that flight attendants reported in a survey were as follows: 94% reported lack of energy and motivation; 93% complained of disrupted sleep patterns; 90% reported fatigue for five days afterwards; 73% complained of dehydration; 70% had ear, nose and throat problems including colds and flu; 53% experienced disorientation; and 32% had swelling of their limbs.

When I arrived in Brisbane I was a little spacey after 36 hours without any real sleep. However, after a good night’s rest, I felt no lingering effects from the trip. When reversing the trip back to Vancouver I might be expected to have more jet lag symptoms as I would be flying against the rotation of the earth and therefore going through time zones faster. However, again after one night’s sleep, most of the symptoms disappeared, though slight drowsiness did reoccur several times over the next few days.

I can give credit to the reduction of jet lag symptoms to a homeopathic product which I took during the flight both ways. It consists of five basic remedies:

  • Arnica Montana for physical and mental strain
  • Bellis Perenis for muscular soreness, congestion of veins and sleep disturbance
  • Chamomile to relax and soothe
  • Ipecacuanha to alleviate dehydration and nausea
  • Lycopodium to relieve apprehension and anxiety

While many still consider improvements attributed to homeopathics as placebo effects, this combination of homeopathic remedies was tested in a blind study by Professor K. Kumar of the College of Pharmacology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The study involved nineteen skiers flying from New Zealand to Europe; those who took the homeopathic formula had significantly fewer symptoms of jet lag compared to those who took the placebo. This is good news for long-distance airline travelers!