Anxiety Meds and 3rd Class License

The medical certificate is independent of your pilot certificate -- if you have it before Private, it's still your medical after you get your Private. However, anti-anxiety meds are a big issue for FAA medical certification. The answers to your questions can best be provided by an expert in this field like Dr. Bruce Chien, whom you cannot find here, but you can find either on the AOPA Forums or his own web site.
 
Whatever you do, don't do something stupid like walk into an AME's office to apply for an FAA physical to see what happens - all you will do is lock yourself out of sport pilot and possibly other options if / when the FAA actually does "medical reform" (don't hold your breath).

I can't say for sure that it is impossible to get an FAA medical, but expect a lot of hoop jumping. Or, do the sensible thing and fly under the Sport Pilot rules for now.
 
Speak with Dr. Bruce -

Do not fly as PIC, do not take any more drugs, and speak with Dr. Bruce RIGHT NOW'

If you can possibly change meds to one more FAA acceptable - or something else like that then you may be able to preserve your right to a medical certificate.

www.aeromedicaldoc.com . . .

At least then you'll have a plan - and he is not free - but not outrageously expensive.
 
Going cold turkey on some meds is a bad idea. Best to check with the prescribing doc before suddenly stopping any medicine given without an end date.
 
pilot1956 said:
Going cold turkey on some meds is a bad idea. Best to check with the prescribing doc before suddenly stopping any medicine given without an end date.
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I should be clearer - do not take any additional drugs [keep taking the ones you need] until you speka with the doc -

but keep in mind - Doc Bruce is real big on 'fix the medicine and the medical certificate follows . . . .' meaning get you better first and then you can worry about the flying. . .
 
GreenSkies11 said:
I guess the main questions are.... Will i need to get a new medical when i pass my checkride and get my PPL?

And when I eventually DO need a new medical, will a short term prescription for anxiety meds in the past cause me to be denied, even if it was many months ago or possibly even over a year prior and I have long since been clear of it?
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No. You will not need a new medical for the check ride.

And, no one here is qualified to tell you exactly the impact on your next medical.

Choose your AME wisely. Expect to have to do a lot of testing.

The FAA does not look kindly on pilots who seek help for any sort of mental health issue.
 
If you were proscribed these for a specific event and the event has gone away, the issuance shouldn't be a big deal but as pointed out it does take an AME who's not an idiot.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
Thanks. I currently have the medical for the student pilot license, I always assumed you needed to get a new one once you get the actual license.

The anxiety meds are very short term, probably for another week or two, and it's the first time I've ever been on them. I won't be in near an airplane at any time during this use anyway, and should be off them in a couple weeks max.

I'm hoping to get my PPL this summer or fall, and my current medical doesnt expire until at 2016 sometime.

I'm just concerned that they will look back somehow and see that at one point I was on anxiety meds for a couple weeks and turn me down. Is that an issue or possibility?

I'm just worried all that time, money, dedication, is ruined because i needed to be calmed down for a couple weeks due to a horrible job situation.
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You should be more concerned about having an accident and the FAA finding out you were on these meds without them having known about it. You should not fly again as PIC without talking to Bruce Chien or someone like him. This isn't a situation where you can just stop taking the meds and then return to flying.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
I dont see why if I've only been on the meds for a couple weeks it grounds me for life from flying. I have emailed Bruce Chien, and will wait for his response. But it feels like this may be the final kick in the balls to get me to give up my dream forever. My ****ty job has officially ruined my life.
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Dr. Chien will provide the correct guidance. But I can offer a sliver of hope by repeating what he has written in pasts posts about "situational" use of SSRI's and Anxiety medications.

It is still possible to obtain/retain your medical certification. There is a procedure to be followed, and all steps must be done, and must be done in correct order and to the set standard. Included is having the diagnosing doc write a letter saying something to the effect of "...the episode causing the anxiety diagnosis was transitory. I have examined Mr. GreenSkies and conclude the transitory episode is over and Mr. GreenSkies is no longer affected." Then it is documentation that you are no longer using the meds, have been off of them for at least a certain amount of time with no repeat anxiety/depression episodes. And maybe a few other documented steps.

Dr. Chien has written that if the airman is honest with him, obtains all of the requested documentation in the correct format, then issuance of the medical certificate has a high likelihood.

This is not a closed door. But it has a very narrow and specific opening. So be 100% straight up with Dr. Chien, follow his guidance, and soon you will be enjoying that change of altitude.
 
Unsolicited advice: It might be time to create and invoke a plan to change/improve your income producing situation.

While it might mean working in the undesirable position for many months, cut your personal/household budget to the bare survival level so you can pile up cash to tide you over during the search phase.

And the short term sacrifice might turn up an employment situation that is not only better for your emotionally, but also a higher income level.
 
I wouldn't assume that it can't be done. Just be aware that it may not be trivial. Dr. Chien would have the straight dope.
 
Bruce has weighed in on this before. Temporary use of an anti-anxiety med for a transient issue, exposure less than 6 months, no lifelong diagnosis => AME can issue. If you are an AOPA member:

http://forums.aopa.org/showthread.php?t=52621

By all means though, talk to Dr. Chien. That thread was from 2009 and things may have changed as far as his ability to take care of this in the office.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
I dont see why if I've only been on the meds for a couple weeks it grounds me for life from flying.
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It doesn't ground you for life, but there's a protocol through which you must go before returning to the cockpit.

I have emailed Bruce Chien, and will wait for his response.
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Good idea. Just remember that his web site email system has a powerful anti-spam filter and you may need to go on AOPA Forums to get him to dig it out of the filter.

But it feels like this may be the final kick in the balls to get me to give up my dream forever. My ****ty job has officially ruined my life.
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I think that's rather premature. Just have some patience, tell Bruce all the facts with absolutely no prevarication or evasion, and he'll guide you through the process.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
I ut sometimes life wins.

? Obviously, flying under the influence of any of these meds is terrible
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No it's not. Many millions of Americans take these and perform just fine: driving, working, etc. The FAA's policy on this is stupid, like many of their policies.



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If you are still taking the drug and still flying . . . you are risking permanent grounding.

STOP FLYING.

While you are grounded - go talk to Bruce Chien - get your life fixed - and then expect to spend another $2000 minimum and prob closer to $5000 to get your NEXT medical.

Using benzodiazepines or other anixolotics is easily detectible in urine. DON'T FLY - especially with your name known now. . .
 
Buggsy2 said:
No it's not. Many millions of Americans take these and perform just fine: driving, working, etc. The FAA's policy on this is stupid, like many of their policies.



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it may be- but I do not want to share the skies with a pilot actively taking a central nervous system depressant . . . its bad enough out there.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
5000 to renew a medical after being on them for less than a month? i wonder if it's even worth it.
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A lot of pilots eventually come to the same conclusion. But you might not be in that position. If you don't have an "anxiety disorder" diagnosis, it might require nothing more than documentation that you weren't on the drug for more than 6 months and that you no longer need it.

Don't trust the word of anyone here. Talk to Bruce Chien.
 
Ron Levy said:
...other than when they tell you to contact Bruce. :wink2:
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And GreenSkies, I think now is the time to go "dark" on this forum (at least on this topic) and focus on addressing the issue as we have encouraged you.

Continuing to poke the PoA bear obviously causes you stress. So.... don't do that.

We welcome your questions on other topics. But I think this one has been asked and well answered. Continuing to poke the bear isn't gonna help you.
 
GreenSkies11 said:
Thank you sir. I was just thinking that myself, as this is just throwing an unnecessary stress in an already saturated stress situation.

I will probably be deleting my account soon. I was hoping to get a lot of good info and exposure to aviation on this site but it worked out pretty poorly for me.

Seems like good people on here and I appreciate the advice/feedback. Take care and goodbye.
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FYI: Account deletion on this forum is not possible. And not really a good idea IMO.

There is still value in participating here. Especially asking us questions on topics other than aeromedical. Your participating in other forums is encouraged.

btw; did you check out my book recommendation?
 
GreenSkies11 said:
dude i already said in the very first post that im not flying. Maybe read my posts first instead of just yelling at me.

5000 to renew a medical after being on them for less than a month? i wonder if it's even worth it.
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It was pretty easy conclude from your later posts that you had decided to keep flying - it is very important that you don't. That's all.

as for the $5000 for a medical - thats up to you. The reason why it costs that is because you did not know the consequence to your medical taking the prescribed drug.

And if this is a less than 6 months, and you can get the doc to say what Dr. Chien says is needed - then its not gonna be $5000 . . ..
 
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comanchepilot said:
It was pretty easy conclude from your later posts that you had decided to keep flying - it is very important that you don't. That's all.

as for the $5000 for a medical - thats up to you. The reason why it costs that is because you did not know the consequence to your medical taking the prescribed drug.

And if this is a less than 6 months, and you can get the doc to say what Dr. Chien says is needed - then its not gonna be $5000 . . ..
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Don't worry, as soon as congress passes the PBOR2, he'll instantly become a safe and legal pilot. Until then, he's an accident waiting to happen..

;)


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dans2992 said:
Don't worry, as soon as congress passes the PBOR2, he'll instantly become a safe and legal pilot. Until then, he's an accident waiting to happen..

;)


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The guy is right about his ultimate conclusion . . .

The law is what the law is - and you have to follow it if you want to continue to fly.

That said - taking these drugs is probably grounding regardless of the PBOR I/II/ XLX
 
comanchepilot said:
It was pretty easy conclude from your later posts that you had decided to keep flying - it is very important that you don't.
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It sure wasn't clear to me -- at least, not that he planned to fly as PIC on the meds, just that he was hoping to fulfill his dream of flying AFTER coming off them unless the hoops the FAA makes him jump through to get his medical are just too ridiculous.

It's unresolvable now since he's decided to delete his earlier posts, but I'm not sure why you felt the need to jump on this particular bandwagon. Not that I want someone flying on benzos either, but the perfectly unmedicated morons who fly around in the clouds without bothering to file IFR bother me a lot more.
 
comanchepilot said:
The guy is right about his ultimate conclusion . . .

The law is what the law is - and you have to follow it if you want to continue to fly.

That said - taking these drugs is probably grounding regardless of the PBOR I/II/ XLX
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Pretty sure that this kind of thing is really the whole point of the drivers' license medical.


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comanchepilot said:
The law is what the law is - and you have to follow it if you want to continue to fly.
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Yes. My point is that a piece of paper (or lack thereof) does not make one safe or unsafe.


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azure said:
It sure wasn't clear to me -- at least, not that he planned to fly as PIC on the meds, just that he was hoping to fulfill his dream of flying AFTER coming off them unless the hoops the FAA makes him jump through to get his medical are just too ridiculous.

It's unresolvable now since he's decided to delete his earlier posts, but I'm not sure why you felt the need to jump on this particular bandwagon. Not that I want someone flying on benzos either, but the perfectly unmedicated morons who fly around in the clouds without bothering to file IFR bother me a lot more.
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It is too darn important to not give the FAA [or any other bureaucractic agency] the slightest opportunity to come along and come back after you after you have received your medical - its absolutely crucial to follow the rules that apply to you to the letter. Get their checklist, and check off the boxes.

We can sit here and go pooh pooh pooh pah pah pah, isn't it what the entire point of driver license medical is . . . etc etc etc but that's not law yet. We don't know when it will be law, or when it may be effective or what it will cover, or whom. Until then, we need to follow the unreasonable and stupid to us rules that exist if we intend to fly the least expensive way possible.

If someone does not like the intensity that I responded to him = oh well. Its damn important right now to understand that the 'stupid, hyper-technical idiotic rules which encourage people to not be treated for psychological and emotional conditions' are what the FAA is enforcing.

We all know Bruce would prob have responded basically the same way - if he ever wants to fly to again he can't fly now.

You can convince the doctors to approve a medical based on even medically uncertain information at times . . . . but you will never convince the bureaucrats to issue you a medical if you ignore their rules - regardless what the rest of think.
 
This thread now has me thinking, equines non aqueous

Or we've been nomexed by our resident mad michiganer
 
AggieMike88 said:
This thread now has me thinking, equines non aqueous

Or we've been nomexed by our resident mad michiganer
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:confused:

Let's see, I recommended he talk to Bruce before doing anything else.

I gave the OP a link to an old Bruce post that suggests that things might not be so hopeless as he first thought.

I pointed out that the OP never said he was going to fly on the grounding meds.

That makes me "mad" how ???

Or are you suggesting that I'm the OP ??
 
Azure.... No I am not. I refer to another someone from Michigan who has been known to prank us. Search for Nomex to find the thread.

Equis non aqueous was a horse and water thing. OP was provided info that would help, but the responses and departure/deletions leave me with doubts and the image of a squat figure with big eyes, spiky hair, and craving for goats.

Any perceived attack on your online persona, Azure, is not of my creation.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Azure.... No I am not. I refer to another someone from Michigan who has been known to prank us. Search for Nomex to find the thread.
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Oh, THAT nomex! You mean Nomex was Ed ?? :hairraise::D
Equis non aqueous was a horse and water thing. OP was provided info that would help, but the responses and departure/deletions leave me with doubts and the image of a squat figure with big eyes, spiky hair, and craving for goats.
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I grokked the equis non aqueous thing, I just don't agree that there was anything suspiciously trollish about this one. Sounded like an ordinary person with a common problem, looking for reassurance that his dreams hadn't been ruined, and a couple of people came down on him with the wrath of God, and one (you?) suggested he "go dark", which, when he tried to do that, he apparently found was impossible except by deleting posts. Sounds more like a case of "nothing to see here, move on". :dunno:
 
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