How do I talk to my doctor about meds for a plane trip?
When I developed my fear of flying, I made an appointment with my GP. I had no idea that there were drugs for such things, but I was hoping that she could recommend some breathing techniques or refer me to a psychologist. I don’t know what I was expecting – I just needed some help. When I mentioned it, she thought it over for a split second and said, “Oh! Yes! I’ll give you a small dose of Xanax and that will do the trick!” I was stunned at how casual and unsurprised she was that I mentioned my fear of flying to her and how easy it was for her to simply write out a prescription like that. Yet, in her own way, she took it seriously and I was incredibly thankful that for the first time ever, someone actually empathized with me on this issue and offered me help. The Xanax did help, by the way. It really numbs your fears and helps you stay level-headed. It will also make you good and groggy, so if you have a connecting flight, don’t take so much that you won’t be able to get your ass acros
This is definitely a common request. However, you may run into the same thing I did with my doctor – she was really reluctant to prescribe me any meds without having me spend some time with a counselor working on some sort of relaxation / anti-anxiety / deep-breathing / whatever. So you may want to be prepared for what you’ll say if that comes up. I told her I was willing to consider that but in the meanwhile I had this upcoming trip and was really freaked out about it and did not have time to embark on a course of therapy before then, and she was completely fine with writing me a small prescription on the spot.
I am a doctor. I ask my doctor for Xanax for plane rides. It is an extremely common request. Once when I ran out on a trip, I went to a pharmacy and prescribed myself enough pills to get home. Pharmacist had no problem with it. Also, just so you know, the right medicines fix this problem, and that is my favorite ‘fear of flying’ advice.
I can’t imagine walking in, sitting down, and asking for that kind of prescription. I’m terrified of being called a drug-seeker. It’s a shame the doctor-patient relationship has come to this, where patients are afraid to ask for help because of fears of being labeled a drug-seeker, and doctors are afraid to prescribe, because of fears of abuse or the DEA. In this case, don’t worry about doctor judging you. Look at it as a chance for you to evaluate your doctor. If you have a good doctor, here’s what they should do (with the caveat that IANAD): 1. Reassure you this is a common problem. 2. Write you a small prescription, around 2-8 pills, usually for a benzo like Xanax. If they prescribe a bottle of 90, that’s not a good sign. If they won’t prescribe anything, it’s usually because of the doctors personal opinion that benzos are too dangerous or too often abused, don’t interpret it as being your fault. 3. Warn you about driving after taking the medication (benzos usually cause drowsiness)
