To ask GP for diazapam

[MUCHtodoAboutSomething]

For flying. I haven't been on an aeroplane in years. I have asked the GP for acouple for flying there, and back. The GP rang me up, gave me a huge condescending lecture on addiction, and made me feel like a cross between a naughty school girl, and a drug addict. I have been directed to website links. I go on holiday in a fortnight's time!

I have said there isn't meditation, or anything that can help. It is like when people go to the dentist and they're just scared. I'm not on other drugs, and haven't asked for anything before. I know they're addictive, but I'm not sure 2 or 3 tablets will cause me to have a drug problem. If I'm honest I doubt they'll take the edge off. I took more than this years ago for a car accident, and forgot about them, and found them in the back of the cupboard, I don't have an addictive personality. What are they even for, if they won't give them out at all?

Then maybe they don’t want to prescribe when it’s not a medical necessity. Doctors are awfully budget conscious nowadays.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all OP. I use Xanax for flying and it's the only thing that makes it manageable for me. Propranolol doesn't work and gives me low blood pressure/slow heartbeat. I agree re: the alcohol point as well, plus I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to suggest drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism. There's a big difference between a couple of prescribed tablets for a specific use and being plastered. It also doesn't completely sedate you if you're taking the correct dose so not sure why this should be a concern. I'd echo what others have said and try a private GP; I did read somewhere recently that prescriptions of benzodiazepines are generally being reduced on the NHS as a cost-saving measure so that may also be playing a role, although whatever the reason it sounds like your GP was patronising and rude - I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I hope you can find something that works before you fly.

I agree with your point, but they're two different scenarios.

The reason GP's reluctant to prescribe is because it could potentially be harmful - you could argue that the benefits outweigh the risks, but ultimately that's not your call to make.

Alcohol may well be more dangerous (and probably is) but it's nothing to do with your GP whether you drink before a flight, nor can they potentially be held responsible if you drink yourself into oblivion and get harmed as a result.

Yes I made a comment further up, I took it years ago after a car accident, 5mg infact, I was fully functional, absolutely fine. Back then they prescribed larger quantities. I took what I needed, then I forgot about it, and found it out of date years later, it wasn't addictive in the slightest for me personally.
It is only propranolol that didn't agree with me, not anything else.

It does seem from a Google search they don't prescribe it for flying anymore. You can't drink or take propranolol, perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea to take anything else either but...What do you think you should do? I can't think of a better option. If it were me id probably try to find something OTC that would be sedating.

Thank you, I go through the doctor because I have epilepsy, this is why I don't drink. The meds I take for my epilepsy aren't in the benzo family, which is why I am still safe to take diazapam, it wouldn't cause an over sedation issue if that makes sense. I feel if anything it could reduce risk of seizure activity, in case the stress of flying had an impact. Maybe a health professional could come on here, and explain this. Stress, and tiredness are major triggers.

Oh well, quite a few doctors are expert on moral high ground 😉
So much easier to berate a reasonable person for seeking help than to help an actual addict.

The weird thing is, OTC meds are IMO way more sedating and zonking than a couple of 2mg Diazepam. I tried Phenergan once I passed the exam to get it and felt awful and tbf, yea, if there would have been an emergency I wouldn't have been as quick to react as I would on diazepam.

Op honestly go private. Well worth the money to not sit there shitting your pants for 5 hours 🤣

I find these rules utterly outrageous. I've taken Diazepam 5mg for over 25 years, ad hoc, as and when my emotions are unable to be curtailed (Propranolol, most SSRI's and (Kalms 🤣) do absolutely nothing. I have never taken more than 10mg in one day, apart from once or twice when my back spasms. I am not, and never have been, addicted, and without them, my quality of life would have had me over a cliff at times, being suicidal from insomnia and months of no sleep. For me they are a complete life saver and I'm so lucky to have a GP that understands. Like PP, I would have used alcohol for majorly stressful situations on a regular basis had I not been prescribed the Diazepam, and quite frankly, suffering from GAD/chronic insomnia for years, would have had more potential to render me a raving alcoholic/breakdown/lose everything as in my home and my business. Go privately OP; a couple here or there will do you absolutely NO harm. Good luck.

Thank you, exactly, they can. An antihistamine triggered my epilepsy once, it had an ingredient in that should be avoided for epileptics. The GP told me it was fine to take, it wasn't. They then had to prescribe the nasal spray they should have prescribed in the first place which had absolutely no risk to my condition.

You try to do the right thing, and then get put more at risk imo. They misdiagnosed my epilepsy, gave me meds that I didn't need eg propranolol, and a sleeping tablet, hence them not agreeing with me. And now I feel they're putting me at risk yet again. This was the same GP that said my son didn't have whooping cough, he was in the highly contagious stage where you're supposed to have antibiotics. I am extremely grateful we didn't go near a newborn baby, or a toddler. He was at school with it though, so I was absolutely mortified incase it had been passed on to siblings etc.
I will price private.

Even more ridiculous. Told off for being proactive at taking responsibility for your own health. How does he propose you manage the anticipated stress then?

My GP surgery will no longer prescribe diazepam for flying, and a lot of surgeries are the same. Personally I think it’s a bit over the top. Some people benefit hugely from a one-off prescription.
I haven’t read the whole thread, but does alcohol calm you down? I had two glasses of wine of my last flight and found it to be just as effective as diazepam for calming me down, if not more effective.

Thank you for your understanding. He directed me to websites about meditation. If only they could control breakthrough seizures, it would be amazing, I could just come off my AEDs. Who needs anything, meditation can control it all apparently.

I was prescribed diazepam a few times by my GP who would give me 6 x 2mg tablets each time. Then about 6 years ago I saw a different GP who gave me a huge lecture about how I needed to find different ways of managing. I told her I'd been on 2 fear of flying courses and had hypnotherapy - believe it or not I don't actually want to be afraid of flying! But she would only prescribe if I paid for my appointment as a private one. It upset me at the time then I got a bit annoyed about it as it is a real and serious form of situational anxiety and it bothered me that she wasn't interested in helping me.
I then moved abroad to a European country and the first time I asked my doctor about help for my fear of flying she gave me a full pack of 30 x 5mg Diazepam, no further questions asked 😅

I've done that exact thing and received about 5 tablets with the GPs blessing. How weird your GP is!

I also have a fear of flying .. no GPs won’t perscribe it for flying, in car of flying emergencies . It ridiculous .. you can still react.

I did toy with buying it off the Internet, but, was worried that I’d get something dodgy. So I’m using Phergen .. and maybe melatonin (which will knock me out a lot more than Diazepam)

Has anyone used a Private Prescription? I don’t really know how to go about it.

My GP suggested I do yoga and mindful breathing, or some bollocks.

Yea, I'll just downward dog in the aisle shall I?

Patronising twat.

It is absolutely crazy isn't it? The whole thing is so contradictory. Everything is back and white, no grey. It can take years to conquer fears, a course and couple of sessions of meditation etc aren't going to cure it. Even years of therapy doesn't always work.

Take a swig of night nurse before you get on the plane…that should knock you right out OP.

My area do not prescribe for fear of flying anymore. Although I believe there is a black market for it if you’re desperate. An (ex) friend of mine ended up at black market when she needed some for fear of flying a year or so ago.

Promethizane is available over the counter and is non-addictive/kinder to your body.

😂 some are so condescending, it's like you're just making it up. All the lovely GPs are full up through everybody requesting them. The one I spoke to is conveniently always available. 🙄

If I hear propranolol one more time as well, I think I'll scream. I understand it works for some, but it isn't a miracle drug and can have adverse effects for many people.

We usually fly once a year for a summer holiday. Our NHS gp practice happily prescribes 4 diazepam (2 for flight out, 2 for flight back) to DH. He says it just takes the edge of the anxiety enough for him to get on and through the flight. He certainly has no wish to take it at any other time of year and the possibility of him becoming addicted seems remote. I would try another gp at your practice if possible.

Yes, I would be interested in this as well. It was the comments he made that really angered me, "what would you do if you take 2mg, then need 5, then 10 and so on. You could become dependent on feeling so serene, that when you go back to normal you won't cope with everyday life, you build a tolerance, and this is hpw dependency occurs..." He kept me on the phone for ages, I felt shell shocked after it tbh. It was 2 x 2mg I requested, one for the way there, and one for the way back, not a bloody repeat prescription. 😱

Actually for some countries, you need more than your prescription and labelled box for drugs that are banned.
I had to get permission and paperwork from the narcotics department for co-codamol prior to entering Japan.

They are no longer allowed to prescribe it for flight anxiety as a PP has explained.

It's a controlled drug but not banned completely because it still has some uses in serious illnesses. I have schizo-affective disorder (a type of bipolar) and diazepam can stop me escalating into psychosis.

There are much better ways to manage anxiety.