To ask GP for diazapam

Your gp sounds like he could have handled it better. A gentle explanation as to why this is no longer good practice would have been better, not a ‘telling off’. I wouldn’t risk my registration by going against recommendations- it is more important to me than a patient believing I am over cautious. I m also certain that ‘the patient insisted’ would not be a defence if I had to explain ANY decision I made. It sounds like some gps also feel this way, although there are clearly others who are still prepared to prescribe diazepam for flying ( going by this thread) . I think rather than contacting a gp practice to request benzodiazepines specifically, it would have been better to request a consultation to talk through options.

I am given it for my back but my GP knows how severe my back problems are and also how sparingly I use it. However, the last time I did need some it was a locum doctor and she refused. I was pretty furious considering she clearly hadn’t read my notes. That said, it was quickly cleared up and I got what I needed.

I'm with you, OP. Our lovely GP who we had for years gave me a prescription for my anxiety. I never abused it. A box of 20 (or however many it was) 2mg tablets would last me for up to six weeks, but it was so helpful in taking the edge off on days when I was really struggling. Then we moved to Scotland and our new GP recoiled in horror at the very idea. Put me on, you guessed it, propranolol. Which works to an extent, but it's nowhere near as effective, and now I'm largely back to struggling.

It's ludicrous that you were made to feel like an addict for requesting TWO 2mg tablets. Go private!!

I take lorazapam when I need it for anxiety (not for flying) and although I know they are addictive, I've not found taking them as I do a problem. I used to probably have 1 or 2 every day but now more like one a week at most. I think the problem is different people react to them differently.

I find other medication I take more addictive than lorazapam to be honest.

Sorry I missed that you have had it before, safely. That should make it easy to get privately at least.

I’m scared of flying, used to take diazepam but now I’m no longer able to get a prescription I don’t book holidays that require flying. It’s a simple enough solution! If I did want to start holidaying in places that require a flight again I would look into getting therapy to tackle the fear first. Why on earth did you book a holiday which involved flying when you have a known fear of flying? You should have booked something that didn’t require a flight!

Hypnotherapy did absolutely nothing for me.

A good hypnotist will cure your fear of flying in one session, a mediocre one might cure it in 2 or 3 sessions if you’re lucky, but I wouldn’t bother trying them.

I have done .. Hypnotherapy, Fear of Flying Course, the “easy way” to get over your fear of flying, breathing exercises, CBT … Nothing works.

Maybe my GP thinks a Panic Attack at take-off is better for my health ..

I mean they might turn to alcohol, but given the Dr didn’t prescribe it the onus is on the individual who is drinking the alcohol!
Medicine is practiced defensively nowadays for fear of complaints and litigation due to a heavy handed regulator.

You can get a private prescription for £70

Ditto!! Lots of this on the internet if you google it. I wouldn't prescribe it now for flying either

I'm sorry OP, that's shit. I've used them for dentist visits before and I've always been made to feel awful for asking.
Weirdly, my Mum used to get them regular as if she was asking for sweets and I never did find out why.

I'd ask to speak to another GP if you can and stress how much the last GP upset you and how much you struggle with your fear.

You could discuss this with your GP and see what services are available eg CBT, alternative medications such as anti depressants or anti - psychotics

Am rather confused why you think diazepam should be banned just because you didn't get the pills when you demanded them. I'm just trying to explain to you that there are some serious disorders eg schizo-affective where those medications are essential rather than for plane trips.

If you can afford it, definitely try a private GP. I see one for menopause issues and haven’t been sleeping well because of anxiety - she was adamant that i should have a stash of diazepam “just in case”, plus some melatonin. I left the surgery clutching a prescription for 28 of the little beauties…

The NHS is very punitive to clinicians who step outside guidelines. The GMC can suspend almost on a whim. The ability to be creative and tailor treatments to individuals is slowly reducing. Yes I am in favour of evidence-based medicine. But I think it’s going the other way now, where doctors cannot use their expertise, experience and common sense to make clinical decisions based on the patient they see in front of them. I am not convinced patients are better off for this. It’s also defensive medicine.

Doctors should not be patronising. But they need to be upfront about guidelines and explain why their hands are tied.

Plenty of reasons not too… they’ve probably gone against prescribing advice if they’ve given you some for flying!

Yanbu and I'm talking as someone who had a benzo addiction that started from prescribed diazepam. 2/3 tablets will not cause an addiction and your gp is being dramatic and actually sounds ridiculous

NRFT but a gp won’t give you diazepam for flying. You’d have to go private..

My gp happily gave me temazepam years ago for a one off dental issue which really helped and has given me diazepam more recently for pet scans.
However I found for extreme anxiety I feel in scans the diazepam did nothing for me. 10mg might as well be a smartie.
I was swapped to ct scans instead which I can just about tolerate.

My GP gave me diazepam for flight nerves. No reason not to.

Yeah, they're very protective of the valium these days! I take them for MRI scans and have done for about a decade. And yet every single time I have to have an appointment to check I'm not actually an addict trying to score. Presumably they suspect that I am sneakily persuading my neurologist to book me an MRI every year or so just so I can get my druggy mitts on two 5mg diazepam. Which will then tide me over for the next year or so. They're definitely on to me - and they're most certainly not going to tricked into enabling my torrid habit, no siree!