Do you suffer from…Jet Lag Disorder?

July 8th, 2009. By AbiK

Remember when jet lag was this annoying little consequence of jet-setting it over to London for some business meeting or to Paris for that over-hyped romantic getaway? It was something everyone universally experienced. Sure, there were those who’d put on a good face, tough it out, and boast about how great they felt on day one of the trip east. Little did anyone know…jet lag is apparently now a (drum roll, please) DISORDER.

That’s right. There was press release from Cephalon, Inc. on June 30th (prnewswire.com) that I had to read a few times. Seems Cephalon is seeking FDA approval for a new drug, Nuvigil, that’ll serve as the antidote (my word) to Jet Lag Disorder (my initial cap’s).

The press release states that Nuvigil is

for the indication of improved wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with jet lag disorder resulting from eastbound travel. Jet lag disorder is an acute condition that occurs when a person’s internal body clock becomes disrupted as a result of rapid travel across several time zones.

Oh my gosh—all those years of travel and I had no idea I suffered from Jet Lag Disorder. How did I manage? I’ll tell you how. It was this little natural remedy called sleep. My approach to jet lag management was holistic, too—I planned my flights to allow for some shuteye. Barring an adequate allowance of time for sleep, my other little helpers were cold water in the face and some coffee.

Here’s the gem of the press release though:

Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications to improve wakefulness in travelers who experience the excessive sleepiness commonly associated with long flights.

Really? No FDA-approved meds for this condition? Hmm. Could it be because it’s not really a condition requiring drugs? In fairness, I have not tried Nuvigil. The name along makes me feel like I’d still be half-comatose standing vigil over my would-be life. But I’m sure there’s a market for it—just as on the flip side there’s a market for sleeping pills to take en route to pre-empt jag lag. One thing I do know is what it’s like to artificially create “wakefulness” and what it’s like when the artificiality wears off and turns into reality. Not pretty. And guess what works for that? SLEEP!

Tags: Cephalon, Jet Lag, Nuvigil

This was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 8:26 pm and is filed under Drugs/Medical . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.