Class 3 Medical and Past Medications

L

LoganLee

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I was searching doing a bit of research online regarding a class 3 medical and medications which lead me to a few post on this site. I read a lot of them where someone was taking things they weren't prescribed, diagnosed with things etc. But I have a more specific questions as it relates to my situation. Now let me first say I have NO intention of lying about anything, trying to get away with anything etc. It's always been a dream of mine to get my private pilots license but if its not meant to be then it is what it is... on to my concern.

I'm 40 now but a few years back I was having a rough time at work staying concentrated. Working 12+ hours a day and just had a ton of stress on me that normally I wouldn't have but it was a rough time at the company. A buddy at work noticed and told me he had similar issues and he ended up having ADHD. I say I don't think that can just spring up on me and I don't think I have that issue. But he got it in my head and while I don't go to the doctor for just anything I felt well hell I should make sure I don't have an issue. Told the doctor how things were at work and I told him I just didn't want to get to a point where maybe I'd lose my job when maybe there was a medical issue I neglected which could have fixed things. Through our talks (theirs a bit of a language barrier with this doc also) he asked if I smoke, I said I used to but I quit and started using an eCig. He said well I'm going to prescribe you WellButrin which can help with some of what your dealing with and make you not want to smoke the eCig either. Great. Well that medicine made me sick to my stomach. So the next month I went in, told him I can't take this stuff. He then prescribed me Adderall. He never said I had ADHD, I never talked to any other doc, never seen a psychiatrist, was just prescribed these meds. All they did was make me super awake at work. Some weeks I wouldn't even take the stuff. Eventually things calmed down at work and whatever was causing my focus issues wasn't an issue any longer, I wasn't even taking the Adderall anymore and told the doctor I didn't need these things and wasn't going to be filling them any longer. I looked at my eChart medical history today and ADHD is not listed on there either. No idea why he went from WellButrin to Adderall to begin with.

I was also being prescribed Percocet for lower back pain as well but I hate being on medication so eventually I got in the gym, strengthened my lower back, started yoga, got a standing desk and got off those horrible things!

Today I take nothing but a multivitamin.

I've been saving money to finally do all this. Next week I was going to do a discover flight and signup for flight school. While researching what all I'd need to do, making a list, I ran across all this and that got me wondering if I'm screwed before I even get started? If I'd be denied a class 3 due to previous medications? I guess I could still do a sports license if I can't get a class 3 medical but I'd hate to just stop there with that being my ceiling.

Sorry this had to be so long, just wanted to provide context and not excuses, I don't feel I've done anything wrong. If anything I'm happy I recognized they had me on medications I simply didn't need to be on and got off them. Thanks for reading it even though I"m sure you probably saw the title, rolled your eyes and though "oh another one of these questions" :)
 
Not a doctor, but am in a similar situation. Pill happy PCP.....it’s really going to depend on what the doc diagnosed you with. If it’s not in your Echart it most likely exists somewhere, if it were an insurance billed visit there must be a diagnosis for the script.

When I went into my records and researched, I was horrified with what was listed. Mind you, I have never been referred to nor sat with a psychiatrist or psychologist, it was simply 10-15 minute pcp visits, and some of the diagnosis were out of left field for scripts for Xanax which were used to help sleep on long airline flights.

In the future it’s best to seek help from people other than MDs first. Perhaps it’s something small that all you need is a different point of view or someone to talk out what you’re experiencing and that will be all you need, or they’ll help reinforce your suspicion and then perhaps you can/should seek out the services of a specialist.

I’m still gathering info on a path forward to proceed. I think at this point my only recourse is to sit with a psychiatrist, get all the appropriate evals to either confirm or disprove my PCPs diagnosis and hope that the FAA agrees with what is provided.
OR

Sport pilot is a last resort for me as I would prefer to fly with the privilege and ability to carry more than one other person.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey, and hope it all works out for you.
 
Beaker’s on the right track. It’s all going to boil down to what was coded for insurance. Unfortunately, there are many who have been bitten by this one. If you can find that out, you have a better chance of learning the path forward.
 
The application doesn't ask about medications other than those you're taking. But it does ask about diagnoses. So look at your chart, figure it what you were diagnosed with and disclose it. If it's something concerning, fill out the form, and then call an AME for a "consult," not an exam. Do not schedule an exam until you and the AME are confident that you will qualify for a medical. If the AME you contact doesn't do consultations, find a different one.
 
Lindberg said:
The application doesn't ask about medications other than those you're taking. But it does ask about diagnoses. So look at your chart, figure it what you were diagnosed with and disclose it. If it's something concerning, fill out the form, and then call an AME for a "consult," not an exam. Do not schedule an exam until you and the AME are confident that you will qualify for a medical. If the AME you contact doesn't do consultations, find a different one.
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Do you think I should just look at my chart and make that determination? Or as previously mentioned should I dig in much deeper with my GP to determine what they wrote as a diagnose elsewhere than my eChart, which does appear to list everything else just nothing that related to Adderall. Also my script never went through insurance since they don't cover this medicine, but my appointments do of course.

I imagine if I look at my chart, and I don't see something like ADHD listed and thus don't mention such a thing, which again I'm not lying about, I don't have ADHD nor was I ever told I did, that as a result of getting my medical they themselves would dig into my medical history and may find something listed that I didn't know about?

Thanks.
 
LoganLee said:
Do you think I should just look at my chart and make that determination? Or as previously mentioned should I dig in much deeper with my GP to determine what they wrote as a diagnose elsewhere than my eChart, which does appear to list everything else just nothing that related to Adderall. Also my script never went through insurance since they don't cover this medicine, but my appointments do of course.

I imagine if I look at my chart, and I don't see something like ADHD listed and thus don't mention such a thing, which again I'm not lying about, I don't have ADHD nor was I ever told I did, that as a result of getting my medical they themselves would dig into my medical history and may find something listed that I didn't know about?

Thanks.
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The information you provide the FAA must be accurate to the best of your knowledge. You're not required to dig for things you wouldn't otherwise know about or scoure the earth to find out what some doctor once wrote in his notes that he didn't tell you about.
 
LoganLee said:
What does this mean exactly?
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When you fill out the MedXpress form online, at the bottom of the form you save and then print is a confirmation number.

It is this number that the AME or his staff will enter into the FAA medical certification system to retry your application and add the AME’s notes. Once the number is entered, the examination is considered “live” and has just three outcomes: issue, defer, or deny.

For consultation visits to an AME, it is not uncommon for the doctor to ask the applicant to fill out the MedXpress form and have it available during the exam.

If the confirmation number is not removed, a staff member could inadvertently enter the number, making the consultation for a disqualifying condition become a live exam. And because the condition is disqualifying, this kills the airman’s hopes of acquiring a lesser certificate.
 
LoganLee said:
What does this mean exactly?
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this means when you fill out the MedXpress (remember to print it at the time of filling out...it’s your only chance to do so) and take it to your AME for a consultation, make sure you cut off the confirmation number so the AME or nurse, or whoever can’t open your MedXpress in the FAA system. Once they do that, it’s “live” and no longer a consultation. At that point a decision is required by the AME. You don’t want that until you are SURE all ducks are in a row
 
RussS said:
Lol, like AggieMike says.
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