Drugs and fear of flying: pitfalls to avoid

Thinking of using medication to treat your fear of flying? Sedatives, antihistamines, antidepressants and more: many preconceived ideas circulate about them. We tell you all about their side effects, when to use them and when they can keep you from a lasting cure.

Medication: a crutch against fear of flying...

Medication is one of the most frequently mentioned solutions to airsickness, and motion sickness in general. Are you one of the 20% of passengers who experience discomfort, stress or anxiety when flying? In France, self-medication or prescription medication (particularly anxiolytics) is a widespread reflex.

Recommended by pharmacists or prescribed by your doctor, here are some of the active ingredients most commonly used to overcome fear of flying.

The main anti-fear-of-flight medications

Medications for fear of flying are broadly the same as those used to treat motion sickness. They are just as well prescribed for in-flight stress as for discomfort in boats, cars, etc.

Among the most widespread are antihistamines:

• Mercalm
• Nausicalm
• Nautamine

Based on their active ingredients (dimenhydrinate, or diphenhydramine for Nautamine), these drugs are designed to prevent nausea. They can be sold without prescription, on the advice of a pharmacist. However, they are no longer available over the counter, as their side effects are significant. Vogalib is also sometimes used to prevent vomiting. On prescription, some passengers use Scopoderm. This patch diffuses Scopolamine behind the ear. It acts on neurotransmitters and acts as a tranquilizer.

Finally, other passengers opt, on prescription, for drugs not directly linked to motion sickness: antidepressants and anxyolitics.

...to be avoided in most cases

These well-known medications are often recommended for airsickness, and are considered effective. However, most of them are not at all recommended when the patient is seeking a lasting cure for fear of flying.

First of all, some of these drugs are associated with side effects. This is particularly true of antihistamines, which can cause dry mouth, drowsiness and reduced alertness (it is forbidden to drive after taking them). Problem: the onset of side-effects in flight can itself create anxiety in some patients.

Anti-motion sickness drugs also have contraindications linked to age and state of health. They are not recommended in cases of glaucoma, prostate-related urinary disorders, the elderly, pregnancy or breast-feeding.

Nevertheless, they should not be ruled out in all cases. According to Thierry Merle, a psychologist specializing in the treatment of phobia of flying, "there are cases where pharmacological treatment is indicated, in particular antidepressants, which can help the patient to take the plunge when confronting the situation is impossible".

Why we advise against most anti-fear-of-flight medications

The fact remains that taking medication is rarely part of a long-term approach to improving psychological problems associated with flying. The main risk with these remedies is that they may distract you from a lasting cure, by masking symptoms and preventing you from confronting their cause.

Repeated use of fear-of-flying medication can become an indispensable crutch. This can lead to dependency: if the flight went well thanks to antihistamines, the passenger may dread flying again without pharmacological help. The prospect of a flight without medication (or alcohol) then becomes an additional source of anxiety, adding to the pre-existing fear of flying.

What's more, medications such as anxiolytics offer a workaround to the problem, but do not provide a lasting solution. According to Thierry Merle: "We advise against taking anxiolytics mainly because they prevent exposure to the situation, and their side effects can sometimes aggravate symptoms."

Like alcohol, medication provides a second state that masks symptoms without addressing them. On the contrary, it is exposure to the flight in a state of consciousness that allows us to conclude a true therapeutic process and heal our fear of flying.

For a lasting cure of fear of flying, exposure to flight completes a multi-stage treatment. They enable you to treat the root causes of your fear of flying in depth, to counteract negative thoughts and anxieties, and to control your emotions... And soon you'll be flying again without anxiety - and without medication!