DH and I are flying to Australia next week for a family funeral. I don’t cope well with flying at all, and for the last few years I’ve gone to the GP and been prescribed a few 2mg Valium for the flights (we’ve already been to NZ this year - another funeral) and last year (dsd’s wedding). Which is a way of saying I’ve taken it on long flights before with no issues. I don’t drink alcohol on flights either.
I went to the GP today to ask for some Valium or similar and she flat out refused! She said she won’t prescribe Valium for flights because ‘you won’t move around and you’ll be at risk of DVT’. How much did she think I’d take?! I’ve flown on it before and always been conscious (I can’t sleep on planes anyway) and moved around; I always get an aisle seat so I can get up. She prescribed propranolol instead; I’ve never had it and it only calms physical symptoms of anxiety, not mental ones (is what she said). I’m also worried it might interact with paroxetine; she said not but didn’t actually look it up!
Weirdly I was in tears when I got in—I think because of the disruption to my usual routine when flying. I feel like she was judging me too. But regardless, should I see a private GP (there’s one near work) and see if they would prescribe five or six Valium or similar? I need the mental calming too. I have ADHD and my thoughts race at the best of times, never mind on a long flight heading to a funeral!