Prescribing for Fear of Flying

Article Date: 20th August 2024

Sedative Prescribing for Fear of Flying

Mount Farm Surgery no longer prescribes sedative medication (e.g. diazepam) for fear of flying. This decision has been made by the GP partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working at the practice. There are a number of important reasons for this:

• Sedative medication may result in inability to react appropriately in an emergency situation
• Increased sedation during a flight may result in less movement increasing the risk of a venous thromboembolism (e.g. deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus)
• Increased sedation could increase the risk of respiratory depression. In a passenger cabin where the oxygen level is lower than at ground level this could affect breathing function
• Sedative medication can cause paradoxical hostility and aggression, the effects of which can be potentiated by alcohol
• Some sedative medications are not permitted in other countries, increasing the risk of contravening local laws

We appreciate that fear of flying is a very real and very frightening issue. There are a number of airline run courses which can help with this. Two of these are listed below:

easyJet www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com Tel 0203 8131644

British Airways www.flyingwithconfidence.com Tel 01252 793250