Dr refused anti anxiety meds

[anxiousflight]

Long history of depression and anxiety, it is mostly under control but something can set my anxiety off and I'll be bad for a couple of weeks.

I've recently moved drs surgery as moved house and my old GP would always give me about 10 diazepam or lorazepam a year, to help me through anxious periods.

I hate hate hate taking off on a flight and this has triggered my anxiety the past couple of weeks as I fly tomorrow first thing.

I booked an appt with new GP and first appt available was yesterday, the duty Dr said she was not happy to prescribe any diazepam as if there was an emergency I wouldn't be able to get off the plane??? I said, they help me rationalise and keep calm, they don't knock me out. She wasn't happy so said she'd get my actual GP to call me today. The receptionist called me at 4pm and said that my GP isn't happy to prescribe them either. Not happy that I was promised a call from my GP but she avoided the conversation and asked the receptionist to call me so I couldn't speak to anyone medically trained to help me. My medical records are there for drs to see so I cant understand at all why they couldn't issue me a small prescription.

I can't take propanalol due to an adverse reaction with my asthma a few years ago. So now I'm stuck without anything at all and I'm so panicky, I leave my house at 1:30am tomorrow morning.

Does anyone know if I call 111 will they be able to prescribe anything?

I do think there is a risk from benzodiazepines prescribed for long-term, regular use, at least for some people, especially if these are then discontinued too suddenly.

However it does sound like the erring on the side of caution has gone too far in the other direction as a short course or occasional usage for specific situations won't create that physical dependency.

I think it's almost viewed as a moral issue as some people find taking them pleasurable. SSRIs can also cause major issues on discontinuation but as they aren't a "fun drug" there doesn't seem to be the same judgement around them and they are prescribed very freely.

Fewer and fewer GPs are happy to prescribe this now for fear of flying. Giving the clear guidance against it, it would be silly to risk your professional license and 10+ years of training through blood, swear and tears because a patient is unhappy.

Your Dr is an idiot.

2mg of diazapam would not stop you being able to get off a plane in emergency what a really stupid thing to say.

Also it is impossible to get addicted to benzos if she just prescribed a couple of 2mg for a plane journey.

That's not quite true. People with HIV if on other medication are often monitored more and checked for DDIs (drug-to-drug interactions). Taking such medication and using too much can lead to forgetting to take HIV meds so dose and prescription are carefully monitored.

@HIVpos
Hi, just picked up your message. Without wanting to seize the last word, am only reporting on my own experience, which may fall short of the clinical guidelines and best practice. I think long-term HIV+ patients, who made it through the darker days when people didn't survive long, have perhaps been treated with a lot of latitude by healthcare staff.

Hope the OP got sorted anyway.

It's that age old thing isn't it wrt prescribing - if it's not your name next to it it's so easy to say oh just prescribe it. If it were harmless then it would be over the counter!