GP refused me Valium for a long flight

[MinesaBottle]

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!

Propananol is good with 2 glasses of wine.

Propranolol is not necessarily safer. I suffer from low blood pressure and propranolol makes me feel very bad indeed while doing nothing for my anxiety or its physical symptoms.

I know GPs are discouraged from prescribing valium (I suffer from bouts of severe anxiety and I am familiar with the guidelines) but sometimes there is no alternative to treat anxiety. Other than staying at home I guess

They don't necessarily knock you out either - in my case I feel a lot more focused when on medication as my thoughts aren't racing madly. Travelling while suffering from severe anxiety is dangerous in itself - at my worst I wouldn't have been able to answer questions in an airport, follow instructions, let alone look after my kids or react in an emergency.

in the 1960s my Mum was prescribed vallium for driving lessons :)

If you've not got any indicators for DVT, howabout antihistamine Nytol.

My GP reccomended them for occasional sleep problems - they'd certainly make you dozy.

So does propranolol make you drowsy? How long does it (10mg) last? Should I take one tonight to see how it feels?

It shouldn't do. You probably won't feel anything, but that's sort of the point. I took it for my third driving test because I couldn't cope with the anxiety of it, I felt completely normal nerves during the test as opposed to the stomach churning heart racing shaking I'd had before. I took it an hour before the test.

What’s a sensible GP

Using Valium for flights has risks even if you have rushed it before and it also risks the GPs registration and livelihood if something goes wrong because it is completely indefensible

At the end of the day you don’t HAVE to fly
Funeral or not you can choose not to fly
There are also loads of very good fear of flying courses that you can go that get great results

The risks of Valium are respiratory depression, collapse, DVT as stated above, confusion and rebound aggression. None of them good at altitude and away from medical care.

GPs are strongly advised not to and told they won’t be supported if any litigation occurs. Older GPs are not so clued up ok the new rules so may still issue but any who value their work and have their patient’s best interests at heart won’t issue

The fact people are telling you that Push Dr will issue without any drama shows what a dodgy set up that all is but hey it feeds into those willing to pay for whatever they want.

I am guessing this is due to new policies in regards to addiction and over prescribing. Look at the US. To be fair to the Doctor she probably gets a huge amount of flack from some patients when she refuses due to addiction (this would never happen to me etc) so it is easier to mention about dvt. I know a gp in my hometown tells people that he will not prescribe it for travel in case it delays their reaction in advent of a accident. He gets alot less abuse.

I’ve read the NICE guidelines and there’s nothing specific about flying - there’s a caution against prescribing for phobic states but I wouldn’t say it’s a phobia; I can get on a plane fine, I just get anxiety attacks at the slightest bump! The not being able to sleep I can (just) deal with. It’s the racing thoughts and the feeling I might lose control of myself.

I could choose not to fly, yes, but as it’s FIL’s funeral I doubt DH would ever forgive me!!!

Whilst I understand why GPs are reluctant to prescribe benzos due to risk of addiction, I think its ludicrous that people who actually NEED it on a short term basis are unable to get it. Also- they usually do it in 2mg- thats a very low dose and not likely to make you unable to get out of your seat. I get you OP. Its not like you're asking for a 3 month prescription FFS- 2 or 3 tablets for a flight is completely reasonable. Propanalol does absolutely nothing for intrusive mental thoughts and anxiety- it simply slows the heart rate down. I'd make an appointment with a private GP. It does make me angry though- no-one would suggest someone in pain should just deal with it because they dont like handing out painkillers. Mental anxiety can be just as awful.

I would just go private and get the valium. No point fucking around with other meds when you know they work for you. I've had propranolol for panic attacks and it only really works to reduce the symptoms of anxiety such as increased heart rate, blood pressure etc. It's not a relaxant like valium is. There's no way you would be passed out with 2mg. Took me 10mg and a couple of g&t before I felt relaxed on last flight to Aus

She might be suspicious that you seem to go on quite a few flights - it's all too easy for somebody to say that when they aren't actually flying, but are struggling elsewhere and want something to take for other reasons because they remember how they felt when they were on a flight, etc.

I've got them without any trouble on a couple of occasions because the circumstances were fairly exceptional (and verifiable if they chose to check), but even so, the GP was very clear that they had to be extremely careful with prescribing. As it turned out, benzos were of no help at all and they were happy to switch to a Z drug on that basis - but I have a long medical history of refusing habit forming/psychoactive medication and coming off it when it's been absolutely necessary as soon as possible.

Propranolol doesn't make you sleepy at all - by calming down the physical responses to stress, it reduces the racing heart, the tightness in your chest, the feeling hot and claustrophobic, etc. That gives your mind a chance to realise that actually, you're not in any danger/don't have to run away and if you're tired, you're feeling calm enough to sleep, but if not, you're calm enough to be rational, comfortable and not sedated. It also has less likelihood of dangerous interactions (alcohol makes it less effective, whereas with benzos, alcohol increases sedation to dangerous levels, for example).

And if you are able to fly without benzos because of it, it's useful, as you're learning subconsciously that you don't have to rely upon a tranquiliser.

It seems like you are psychologically dependent on Valium, even if you're not currently physically dependent on them.

Try the propronol or get some Valerian tablets from Holland and Barrett to deal with your anxiety.

My GP did prescribe some for me in August without batting an eyelid. She knows I have it very infrequently for flying (and I still move around- more so than DH who tends to sit and watch films).

I don’t have any ill affects from it but it sounds like it varies depending on GP. I should add that my GP isn’t particularly old (late 40s maybe).

Be wary about taking Nytol or other antihistamine sleeping tablets on a plane. I take them occasionally when dh has a cold and snores his head off. Thought I’d take one on a flight to help me sleep and it was awful - horrific restless legs, couldn’t relax but couldn’t concentrate either, really felt like I’d been drugged. I stupidly did it again a few months later thinking it may have been a one off but it had the same effect. I don’t know if the altitude makes it react differently or something but it’s awful. Normally Nytol works brilliantly for me though.

If you really feel like you need something to relax you, you could always get some co-codamol OTC and take one of those. Not ideal obviously but they have a small amount of codeine in and knock me out.

@beautifulstranger101 of course people in pain are told they should just deal with it. We are told to go to “pain clinics” or “talking groups” where we all sit around and hold hands and sing kum-bay-yah like that will get rid of our fucking chronic pain 🙄.

No-one NEEDS diazepam to get on a plane, because no-one NEEDS to get on a plane. Flying will always be a life choice not a necessity. Doctors aren’t refusing to prescribe anything, they are advising against benzos. Doctor shopping until you find one to give you the drugs you want is the behaviour of an addict.

Completely disagree. Wanting valium once or twice a year for flights does not make a person an "addict". What a ridiculous and stigmatising statement.

Many things are life choices- having a baby is a life choice and not a necessity, maybe we should do away with epidurals in that case. Good grief.

There's no way you can get it nowadays. The GPS are dead against it.

That's not true. I have been prescribed Valium in the past year, as has a close family member.
It can still be a useful drug.

I don't think you can buy Valium in chemists.

In my experience and that of other members of my family, Propanolol works really well for anxiety and makes you feel very calm.

For all of us, the first time we took it, it had the best effect. My DD was blown away by how well it worked the first time. It had been a very long time since she had been anxiety-free and she loved every second. She uses it sparingly now to preserve the effect.

Most chemists are fairly accommodating with this sort of thing. Just have plenty of cash (in your hand!)
?????

(Valium also only impacts the physical - it slows the heart and calms the body, which in turn helps you relax! Poprananol - although a beta blocker so no quite the same, also calms the body which impacts the mind. Personally I'd rather have the Valium, bit saying one impacts the mind and the other the body is not really true! They both impact the body and thus the mind)

She could be worried about addiction as you have had other prescriptions this year. However at the end of the day your an adult so what happened to patient choice?

Oh poppycock of course OP is not an addict. Low dose diazepam makes more sense than getting sloshed and necking antihistamine or some other OTC stuff

(Sorry, that was to @gingersausage)