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!

@Sonypony- I agree thats wrong. It's disgusting. It just shows that many GPs do not take people's ailments seriously. I include anxiety in with that too. Just because some people abuse benzos and painkillers does not mean they shouldn't be prescribed for people who genuinely need them.

I was told you have to taper off propranolol...

What @XXcstatic said - you beat me to it! Current guidance is not to prescribe due to the risks even with a low dose and there are other safer medications or the easyJet course as alternatives. That means that GPs can prescribe but won’t have a leg to stand on and won’t be covered by their insurers if something were to happen. Things like DVT can happen to anyone and can kill so even if I had sympathy for your situation I wouldn’t risk my registration and your health I’m afraid.
A bit like prescribing the contraceptive pill for someone who is over 35 and smokes - a doctor can, many will, but risks being strung up (and feel pretty shitty) if something terrible were to happen.

Just out of interest, are alcoholics still prescribed benzos for the withdrawal?

I wonder if my friend knows this, she normally takes 20mg to get on a plane
Propranolol is very good for anxiety and shouldn't affect you other than to calm your physical symptoms .

I honestly think 2mg diazepam is just placebo. I'm fairly petite and need 5mg before any edge is taken off my anxiety (not a regular user so definitely have not built up tolerance). I need to double that to 10mg before it would induce drowsiness. I can't see how 2mg could have any noticeable effect on an adult, and I think it's just placebo effect.

Propranolol can be very effective. It can be more effective actually, than a dose that is essentially just a placebo! It also likely to have less of a side-effect profile and be safer for all the reasons people have mentioned. You can take is and when.

*as and when. You don't have to taper off it (propranolol), you won't get withdrawal from it even if a regular user.

Also I would like to point out that if your GP has prescribed you 10mg as a single dose, she thinks your 2mg diazepam is placebo and has replaced it with a safer drug as a placebo. 10mg is far below the usual dose for relief of anxiety symptoms in an adult.

I would imagine that a low dose valium prescribed by a sensible GP would actually be far safer than randomly mixing prescription medication, strong OTC anti histamines, and alcohol (which people have said they do in this thread). That combo can also make people very drowsy, and less likely to move around therefore, more at risk of DVTs.

Great, now I’m going to worry because it’s apparently a placebo!! I hate anxiety.

Definitely wouldn’t recommend phenergan or nytol for a flight. It won’t help with anxiety and just makes you drowsy and feel shit unless you’re able to properly sleep for around 5 hours.

I don’t think OP is unreasonable in wanting a low dose just for long flights. At that dose you’d be able to walk/move around just as anyone else would do to minimise the risk of DVT surely? The last time I had diazepam was for court sessions going through divorce with vile and vindictive ex. I wouldn’t have managed to keep it together like I did without them. They need to be prescribed with caution but that shouldn’t mean those who would really benefit in taking them very infrequently, shouldn’t be able to have them.

It doesn't make you drowsy just calm. Takes about 45 minutes to work and its like this wave of enforced calm. One minute you're tied up in knots and the next you realise your stomachs stopped churning, your heart isn't racing and theres not a drop of adrenaline to be seen.

Doesn't stop anxious thoughts but your body doesn't react if you see what I mean. 10mg is a low dose so maybe try it when you're stressed about something else and see how long it lasts. You're not used to them so it will work, it's just how long it lasts that I would test. I think its every six hours you can take them and 20mg is fine as long as you don't have any conditions that affect your breathing. I take 40mg 3 times a day but I'm pretty much always anxious otherwise.

Great, now I’m going to worry because it’s apparently a placebo

That's one way of looking at it. Another way is that you have already mastered your anxiety when flying. You gave the credit to diazepam but, in reality diazepam was never doing anything to help.

I found diazepam to make me drowsy but still anxious! I much prefer propranolol.

I take propranolol, I wouldn't recommend taking the first dose in the evening as it can cause sleeplessness. It did for me for the first few months if I took it later than around 6.30 or 7pm.

You can take it as and when you need it (I think you need to be more careful if you take high doses everyday, such as if you take it for high blood pressure, obviously follow your doctors advice), I do as the anxiety is linked to my periods so I take it for 5-7 days a month. 10mg may be effective if you've not taken it before, it was for me at first, but it quickly rose to 20mg then 30mg.

@MinesaBottle

It’s not a great idea to ask for specific medical information online. You should be asking your GP.

@WitchesGlove yes it is the first line medication for this to avoid seizure

Go to another GP if you can. A dose that small will not affect your safety in an emergency. I take 3 times as much as that.

I did ask her but she wasn’t very forthcoming about what to expect and how long it lasts. I know I’m a layperson but I’m capable of understanding that much.

@WitchesGlove someone I know is given benzos whenever he's in hospital alcohol related. Never outside of hospital however.

I think GPs are VERY strict now around prescribing Benzos.

Honestly take a propranolol at home first.. they slowed my heart and lowered my blood pressure to the point I couldn’t take 5 steps without fainting. And that lasted hours! I panicked more in that space of time than I had in years bloody things convinced me I was having some serious reaction n must’ve been dying. Valium doesn’t do anything similar to me, I’m awake, alert and able to walk about.. so no dvt risk.

Doctor shopping is not always the mark of a bloody addict, I had to do it for a contraceptive pill for years... only brand that didn’t cause migraines n vomiting (makes the damn thing ineffective) but forever told “oh just try this one it’s the same!”

Oh fuck off @messolini9. I’ve used diazepam for years for flying. I don’t judge anyone for using any legally prescribed medication given to them by their GP who has knowledge of their medical history. It’s obviously OK for you to judge me though 🙄.

Just out of interest, are alcoholics still prescribed benzos for the withdrawal?

Yes, usually chlordiazepoxide (Librium), during inpatient detox. Some people are prescribed it for a home detox, but the dosage is tightly controlled.

I would strongly recommend a few drowsy antihistamines prior if they don't interact, or take a couple of codydramol/paracetamol & codeine half an hr before.

I take Propronalol, it doesn’t give me any side effects. It does slow your heart rate, that what it’s supposed to do as anxiety makes your heart beat fast. It doesn’t really make you sleepy but you won’t be buzzing with energy either.