Propranolol for fear of flying

[UnsocialMedia]

Now doctors no longer prescribe Diazepam, will they prescribe Propranolol? I know it works on the physical symptoms of anxiety, but it's not a sedative, is it?

Yes that’s the go-to now. I just have a couple of gin and tonics - one in the airport one on the flight and it stops me overthinking. Is that possible for you? Ps to reassure you - flying feels weird as it’s out of your control but you’re much much much safer on a plane that you are in a car, statistically.

Unless you are troubled by the physical symptoms of anxiety (trembling, racing heart, etc., rather than the anxious thoughts and feelings as such) it probably won't help.

I think doctors often prescribe it just so they can send people away with something that makes them feel like they might have a solution.

If you do use it, bear in mind that it can make you feel quite crummy and fatigued until you have adjusted to it. That was my experience - weak, tired and just as anxious as ever.

Thanks. It's actually for the friend I'm travelling with, not me. Do doctors prescribe it if you say you are anxious about flying, or do you have to say you have anxiety generally?

i think you can get it via pharmacy direct. Put in anxiety about flying.

I had diazepam prescribed by a private GP.

NHS doctors aren’t banned from prescribing it. They do for certain circumstances. But the first go-to is propranolol for situational anxiety.

I loathe flights (long and restless legs, plus a tendency to catastrophise) so I now only fly on up and down flights, but if I needed to take those sort of drugs I think I’d sack it off. The one thing about my conditions is that i would be hyper aware in the unlikely event of an emergency. I reason that if I was drugged (and I personally believe long haul economy should come with an epidural) my outcome would be worse.

My GP surgery, along with others, no longer prescribes it. I had planned to chat to my GP and see if they would prescribe propranolol as an alternative (recalled a friend being prescribed this for similar situation some year back. However, having contacted them at the beginning of December in respect of medication for my holiday immediately after Christmas, they were unable to offer me an appointment until the second week of January. Hence me looking into a private GP. Before this year I had obtained Diazepam for the purpose of flying for nearly 20 years.

Was that recently?

Interested In this as I have flying. I won’t go away knowing I’ve got to get on a plane.

This website? www.pharmacydirectgb.co.uk

Yes or there are others. It’s a non addictive drug so online pharmacy can prescribe as long as you haven’t got underlying medical conditions or prescriptions that would prevent it. Which will be asked about in the online form.

Yes they probably weren’t caught up with guidance. GPs can prescribe if they think it’s appropriate.

Fear of flying is classed as a low key cognitive phobia. It’s akin to fear of wasps. There’s very little risk. But it sends adrenaline racing. Hence why propranolol is effective.

Thanks, we’ll have a look.

I take propranolol for fear of flying and it's great, couldn't do it without.

I have propranolol for flying. It slows my heartbeat so I don’t start to panic.

What wound diazepam do instead?

@UnsocialMediaMy prescription from private GP was last December.

@KaleQueenmy surgery has posted on their website to say they are no longer prescribing diazepam for fear of flying - they have a list of reasons why not - none of which apply to me!

Same. You’ll be calm with both. They just work in different ways. With diazepam you ‘feel’ calm and possibly a bit spaced. With propanol you feel normal at the time but won’t have racing heart etc. but you can feel tired next day. I have used propanol in the past for presentations to big audiences as I’d literally shake otherwise. It’s situational anxiety. Feel fine at the time but as a PP said, it can make you feel tired after.

But ultimately don’t be scared of flying. You’re more likely to be knocked over on a pavement by a random car. It feels weirdly unsafe (i understand) but it’s no more risky than just getting in a car.

To be fair, that’s correct. You don’t need a benzodiazepine to fly. As said earlier - it’s a low level cognitive phobia. If you’re that scared, your heart will race. Therefore propanol will fix that.

I’m not actually scared of flying. I just don’t like the containment, or being strapped in and blocked in by someone next to me.

As soon as it takes off and my seatbelt is off I’m fine.

I feel the same way at the hairdresser, or in a concert. However, I can sit on the end, or get up and move about so I don’t need to take anything for it.