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?

Thank you @TheDarkPinesOfYourMind I am so sorry you have had that experience in Scotland. I think it is confusing, when it seems very much under the discretion of the GP you talk to, on the given day. Propranolol as I believe controls the physical effects of anxiety, which helps your mind follow suit (something along those lines). I have low healthy blood pressure, and it plummeted, and made me ill. Another GP at the time took me straight off it, and said i should not have been prescribed it. They honestly just all say different things ime.
Diazapam didn't have this effect on me. I agree, it may work for speeches, musicians etc, but for a lot of people it doesn't work enough.
It's horrible they have left you struggling, I know i asked for only 2, and was made to feel like a drug addict.

I am given it for my back but my GP knows how severe my back problems are and also how sparingly I use it. However, the last time I did need some it was a locum doctor and she refused. I was pretty furious considering she clearly hadn’t read my notes. That said, it was quickly cleared up and I got what I needed.

Your gp sounds like he could have handled it better. A gentle explanation as to why this is no longer good practice would have been better, not a ‘telling off’. I wouldn’t risk my registration by going against recommendations- it is more important to me than a patient believing I am over cautious. I m also certain that ‘the patient insisted’ would not be a defence if I had to explain ANY decision I made. It sounds like some gps also feel this way, although there are clearly others who are still prepared to prescribe diazepam for flying ( going by this thread) . I think rather than contacting a gp practice to request benzodiazepines specifically, it would have been better to request a consultation to talk through options.

You could take a huge dose of codeine and then probably not.poo for a week. Only half kidding

Years ago after dental trauma,my lovely dentist prescribed diazepam. Then a GP for flying,(and a frozen shoulder) my DH had lots of phobias and anxieties. He would come out of the house,rush down the garden and stay in the summer house
He was prescribed dothiepim, regularly, and diazepam for an acute anxiety attack which could last weeks, unlike a panic attack. About 5 years ago,we were told by several GPS, they are not allowed to prescribe it anymore..it was beta blockers. If he had a really major attack, he would have to go to the ED for treatment. I stopped flying,it wasn't worth it.

I think they have to tell you about the addiction aspect. I have needed them for severe back spasms occasionally over a couple decades and different doctors have always told me they are addictive, I think they are just keeping you informed. Just tell them you understand and you would only like a few for the flight.

Yes. they can still prescribe diazepam for fear of flying but many won’t because we have been advised not to. I’m a Dr- there has been specific guidance issued re prescription of benzodiazepines for flying which states they should not be prescribed for fear of flying. Main reason given is the potential for the sedating effect to render a patient drowsy enough to make it difficult for them to react in an emergency situation. It’s also in the BNF as a specific contra-indication.

Of course, as with any drug, a prescriber may choose to ignore/go against guidance and prescribe anyway. In doing so, they are exposing themselves to medico-legal risk should an adverse event occur- but it is a choice they can make.

As a result, many GP practices have just put a blanket “ban” and saying no to all patients. Individual Dr’s may be making their own decisions though, as yours clearly is. Part of the reason for this stance is that because a Dr would have prescribed despite specific guidance not to, it would be very difficult to defend in the (probably extremely) unlikely event that something untoward were to happen and we could (probably would) be held legally responsible and potentially face medical negligence claims.

I’m not arguing as to whether the guidance is right or wrong, just stating what the guidelines say and why many Dr’s are not keen to prescribe diazepam for phobia of flying.

I understand that. I was just explaining about it plus the other issues as in drug testing also. My GP does as do others in his practice but it’s independent. We still do also at the drug and alcohol clinic I work for, not regularly but it doesn’t happen

Ours gives it to my husbamd for flying

You should 100% go private. This is surely not what the NHS is for.

I'm completely terrified of public speaking. I avoid it all costs. I would never go to a GP to ask for a drug to get me through that. I'm sure there a many better examples to illustrate the point.

And for the record, I'm not against valium per se, it's great stuff in terms of desired effect and I hear the point on alcohol comparison. But that's a wider discussion.

But bitterly complaining about the GP not prescribing valium to everyone who asks due to fear of flying seems a bit off when other people with genuine medical needs, unavoidable day to day life needs....cannot get a GP appointment.

Oh that is awful @Nannyfannybanny your poor dh, and i can't imagine how stressful that must be for you as well! It is a pity they can't invent something better for taking as and when, especially for cases where an everyday medication isn't needed. Betablockers don't react, or work well for everybody. All the CBT and talking therapy sessions in the world with no medication, doesn't work for everyone either, not to mention it is such a lengthy process for sometimes a fleeting rare instance.

I was responding to the fact that someone mentioned that the medication would be taken from someone if they arrived in a country with it. Most places would just accept a prescription, I wasn’t referring to each countries different requirements

you are welcome 😊 I think your GP is being way too much of a stickler. It’s strange as to be honest someone having a few drinks is more likely to have an issue then someone having 1 or 2 Valium. It does take the edge off but wouldn’t make you comatose.
It’s ridiculous he mentioned about addiction, you weren’t asking for a bag of coke 😂
Have you tried Valerian? You can get it from a health food shop or a pharmacy too. It may help a little. I hate flying so I sympathise greatly with you

I've struggled with a severe fear of flying for years and I would get annoyed when people would suggest various fear of flying courses, but I eventually tried an online one run by easyjet and was really surprised that it actually helped me a lot. https://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com/?easyjetstaff=true I hope you find something that helps!

It must be lovely to not have to do public speaking than. Some people are in jobs where they need to do this, and get medication, and rightly so.
You can't surely be suggesting that you only go to the GP for physical ailments, and not anxiety, panic attacks etc. I put an e-consult in, had a telephone appointment on order of the locum/GP that processed my e-consult. I rarely go to the GP, and should have been a lot more over the years. Having undiagnosed epilepsy for years, putting up with it for fear of wasting NHS time, CBT, meditation, then when i finally did go to the GP i was misdiagnosed, and put on 2 different medicines to treat something I didn't even have in the first place, which put me at greater risk, and made me worse. When I blacked out and hit my head off of a sink I went again. So yes, if there is anything that could trigger me I now go! You don't get to pick and choose what chances others take with their own personal health.

It is attitudes like this, that stop people seeking treatment sooner.

OP for future reference:

1. Go to urgent care and say you’ve woken up and your neck is stiff and frozen. You have an osteopath appointment in two days but can they give you any pain killers to tide you over or is there anything they can suggest. They won’t give you pain killers but they will give you diazepam. DONT ask for it

2. Go to a private GP

3. Buy it online

I use it maybe 4 times a year for flying or high stress and can’t sleep.

Fuck off with their gatekeeping and mindfulness 😠

Do people get valium from the GP for public speaking? I doubt it.

I'm not saying I, or anyone else should only go to the GP for physical ailments. Please don't put words in my mouth.

It's a choice to fly. Many people aren't even able to chose that. I have sympathy that you have fear to this extent of flying, it must be awful. If you chose that you must take these flights, then go to a private doctor and ask for what you need.
That's all I said.

To me, it seems self entitled to expect the NHS to cover treatment for this.

No, the earlier reference to public speaking was a beta blocker. You used this example saying you shouldn't go to the GP for something of this nature. A quick econsult request was not wasting gp time, esp when I have an additional condition I was worried would be triggered.
I am very careful over what I take because of this, don't drink etc I didn't know I had this fear of flying when I booked the holiday, It is the first holiday in over a decade, I have only noticed the fear building as it is getting closer. My dcs have never been on a plane, and I will not let them pick up on my fear. After losing my close parent last year it is needed, and I am very lucky we are going.
I don't think it is fair that people should be limited in what they can do, because of MH. The GP is there to guide, so even if they direct you to talking therapy, or what ever it may be (it helps some people) they should still seek out the help imo, whether thay be for flying, public speaking, a piano performance etc.

It sounds like you need a good holiday. Hopefully the change in situation with having dc's with you, looking after them/not wanting to show your fear etc may change the dynamic a bit for you, even if its just because its a distraction. I don't say that sarcastically, I do hope for you it will change things. Valium or not.

Hope you have a good holiday.

Sorry just thought I should add to my earlier post about the fear of flying course - I have previously taken diazepam for flying (prescribed by one GP, but then refused by another so I think it's hit or miss) but found it brought on a migraine during the flight so just something to watch for if you're prone to migraines.

They are still able to prescribe it, the issue is that by doing so they would be prescribing it offlicence and against recommendations. This in itself does not mean a medicine is unsafe, but it means that medicolegally the prescribing doctor is in a more precarious position. Different GPs and GP practices will have diferent levels of comfort with risk, but at the end of the day, they are medicolegally responsible for their prescription, so they have discretion to prescribe or not. In this situation, making a complaint won't make a difference, it's completely different from saying "the guidelines say I should be prescribed this drug, there is no reason why I shouldn't, and it's a drug that GPs would normally prescribe"

With respect, being a substance abuse nurse means that you care for a somewhat different subset of the population.

I work at a GP surgery snd it's no longer prescribed for flying

Thank you everyone for all of your opinions, and advice. I will have a look at OTC meds some people mention on this thread, and said worked well. I wish it was as simple as just having a beer, unfortunately not an option for me! I don't think fhe bereavement has helped things, probably made me worry about the fragility of life a bit more.

I think the GP's biggest flaw was explaining it badly. It was poor patient communication. Instead of lecturing you about addiction, which really won't happen with a couple of tablets, they should have explained the new guidelines to you and why it's no longer considered appropriate to prescribe diazepam for flights.

I have had lorazepam for some involved dental work, but the dentist thought it was a good idea (based on previous experiences) and of course I was in a dentist's chair while I was on it, not a plane.

There’s always one who suggests lying to get what you want.