People often request diazepam for fear of flying or to assist with sleep during flights.
Diazepam in the UK is a Class C/Schedule IV controlled drug. The following policy outlines the issues surrounding its use with regards to flying and why after careful consideration the surgery no longer prescribes such medications for this purpose.
Diazepam is a sedative, so it often does make you sleepy and more relaxed. However, there are several reasons why prescribing this drug is not recommended:
– According to the British National Formulary, diazepam is contraindicated (not allowed) for treating phobias such as fear of flying, and it is an inappropriate treatment for short-term ‘mild’ anxiety. Prescribing against these guidelines poses a significant legal risk.
– Diazepam reduces awareness and reaction times, which could be dangerous in the unlikely event of a flight-related emergency.
– Sedative drugs can cause unnatural non-REM sleep, increasing the risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) during long flights.
– While most people do find diazepam sedating, some people experience paradoxical agitation, aggression and disinhibition, causing you to behave in a way that is very different to your normal state, which can be problematic on a plane, potentially impacting on your safety or others.
– Diazepam and similar controlled drugs are illegal to posess in some countries, risking confiscation or legal trouble.
– It is important to declare all medical conditions and medications you take to your travel insurer, not doing so can nullify your insurance policy.
Given these reasons, we no longer provide diazepam or similar drugs for flight anxiety. Instead, we suggest a longer-term approach as recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), focussing on overcoming your phobia, take a look at these aviation industry-recommended flight anxiety courses:
– Flying Without Fear (https://www.flyingwithoutfear.com/)
– Fly and Be Calm (https://thefearofflying.com/programs/fly-and-be-calm/)
– Fearless Flyer(https://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com/)
– Flying with Confidence (https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-assistance/flying-with-confidence)
Flight anxiety does not fall within NHS General Medical Services as defined in the NHS GP contract, so we are not obliged to prescribe for this.