Bild daily reported last week that Lubitz told his doctors he was on anti-depressants and Lorazepam, a mild tranquiliser used to treat anxiety.
'Mild' is putting it mildly. One side effect of long-term use of benzodiazepines like Lorazepam is impaired short-term memory and recall. This is one of the principal reasons many doctors avoid prescribing benzodiazepines as a long-term solution to general anxiety. Another issue is the tolerance-building effect of the brain's chemistry to adapt to them, requiring an ever-increasing dosage to achieve the same efficacy. Heavy users of these drugs can find themselves in a state of perpetual withdrawal if they don't increase the dosage, while increasing the dosage compounds the debilitating memory effects. And the side effect of this tolerance is increased anxiety and even increased depression. Even within this class of drugs there are safer (but still problematic) alternatives. WIth their relatively short half-life, Lorazepam and Alprazolam are two of the more problematic ones.
Benzodiazepines must be severely controlled in professions such as this. They are relatively harmless in low doses if taken occasionally but they must never be used chronically. They are also one the most abused pharmaceuticals, with many users exceeding their prescribed dosage. The compounding effects of increased anxiety and mental confusion contradict everything that is vital in piloting. A pilot on a daily regimen of benzodiazepines should never be considered fit to fly.
'Mild' is putting it mildly. One side effect of long-term use of benzodiazepines like Lorazepam is impaired short-term memory and recall. This is one of the principal reasons many doctors avoid prescribing benzodiazepines as a long-term solution to general anxiety. Another issue is the tolerance-building effect of the brain's chemistry to adapt to them, requiring an ever-increasing dosage to achieve the same efficacy. Heavy users of these drugs can find themselves in a state of perpetual withdrawal if they don't increase the dosage, while increasing the dosage compounds the debilitating memory effects. And the side effect of this tolerance is increased anxiety and even increased depression. Even within this class of drugs there are safer (but still problematic) alternatives. WIth their relatively short half-life, Lorazepam and Alprazolam are two of the more problematic ones.
Benzodiazepines must be severely controlled in professions such as this. They are relatively harmless in low doses if taken occasionally but they must never be used chronically. They are also one the most abused pharmaceuticals, with many users exceeding their prescribed dosage. The compounding effects of increased anxiety and mental confusion contradict everything that is vital in piloting. A pilot on a daily regimen of benzodiazepines should never be considered fit to fly.
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