Diazepam in the UK is a Class C/Schedule IV controlled drug. The following short guide outlines the issues surrounding its use with regards to flying and why Lister House Surgery will no longer prescribe such medications for this purpose. Patients who still wish to take benzodiazepines for flight anxiety are advised to consult with a private GP or travel clinic.
Patients often come to us requesting a prescription for Diazepam for fear of flying or assist with sleep during flights. There are a number of very good reasons why prescribing this drug or similar is not recommended:
- Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed and causes longer reaction times. If there is an emergency during a flight it may impair your ability to concentrate and be able to act in a manner which could save your life, or that of a co-passenger.
- According to the prescribing guidelines which practitioners follow (British National Formulary) diazepam is contra-indicated in treating phobic states. It states that the use of benzodiazepines to treat short term mild anxiety is inappropriate.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance states that benzodiazepines should not be used in significant anxiety related states, except as a short term measure during a crisis. If this were the case you would be deemed not fit to fly.
- These drugs can induce non-REM sleep which tends to be a type where the person does not move in their sleep, and therefore increasing the possibility of sitting without moving, this can put you at an increased risk of a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). This risk is even greater when a flight is greater than 4hours.
- There is also a paradoxical increase in aggression which may occur and has the potential to put other occupants in the aircraft at risk.
- Standard medical indemnity does not cover practitioners for treatment initiated outside the UK.
- In some countries it is illegal to import these drugs. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police. You will need to use a different strategy for the homeward bound journey and/or any subsequent legs of the journey.
We appreciate a fear of flying is very real and can be debilitating. However, given the above we will not be prescribing Diazepam or similar medications for flight anxiety and recommend aviation industry flight anxiety courses which are easily accessible:
Face to face courses are also available at various UK airports.