More than a single occurrence? A mental health Q

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Anon

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Hi all. So I was thinking about flying however I didn’t want to waste my time or money if obtaining a medical isn’t possible.

So when I was 15 I was struggling with going to a new school, parents fighting, etc. I went and saw a counselor and recommended lexapro for a time being to help counter anxiety. I was on it for about 2 months.

7 years later, my father died and **** hits the fan in my life and I get on lexapro and Buspirone to help with the anxiety.

from browsing the forums here I’ve seen that a one time occurrence is okay. But seeing that I needed the medication twice in my life, does that make me DQ’d forever?

thanks for your input
 
This is not an answer to your question, and for that I apologize in advance, and it is only my opinion. The problem with the process for people in your situation is that it likely will cost significant time and money just to find out if it’s possible. There’s almost no halfway, you either decide to go all in or might as well stay out (sport pilot and glider is still an option). Again, just my opinion from my observations.
 
This is only certifiable, I think with the "On SSRI" program. FAA's notion will be that you have recurrent disease, and 100% of recurrent disease, untreated and unmonitored, getrs denied.
 
bbchien said:
This is only certifiable, I think with the "On SSRI" program. FAA's notion will be that you have recurrent disease, and 100% of recurrent disease, untreated and unmonitored, getrs denied.
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Even with the dual meds? Isn’t that a rule out?
 
bbchien said:
This is only certifiable, I think with the "On SSRI" program. FAA's notion will be that you have recurrent disease, and 100% of recurrent disease, untreated and unmonitored, getrs denied.
Click to expand...

Thank you Dr.Chien.
So I do know that Buspirone is a no go. So would I have to technically stay on lexapro in order to be certified. No guarantees of course, but I do understand the FAAs view point. I haven’t been on the medication for a year. But if it’s needed I could get back on lexapro and adhere to the psychologist appointments every X
 
Anon said:
Thank you Dr.Chien.
So I do know that Buspirone is a no go. So would I have to technically stay on lexapro in order to be certified. No guarantees of course, but I do understand the FAAs view point. I haven’t been on the medication for a year. But if it’s needed I could get back on lexapro and adhere to the psychologist appointments every X
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Typically having dual Psychiatric medications in the history is a no go. It’s one of the SSRI rule outs
 
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paging Dr @bbchien because inquiring minds want to know! I, for one, never applied for my medical because I was told by you that the simple fact of being on dual medications (even for a short period) was a rule out no go. Are you indicating there's a chance with this airman even with a history of dual medications? Or was that maybe an error in your previous response?

I'm partially gaining hope again after reading your response higher up in this thread, but I'm fearful maybe you overlooked the dual medication part of the OP's message?
 
To the Anons on this thread. Dr Chien will review your records for a pretty modest fee and give you answers relative to your case. His website details how to get things rolling with him. Best bet, is to contact him, find out what he needs to give you an educated answer, then send him the records. You will get a realistic answer as to the prognosis of your ability to get a medical and an idea of what it might take. From their you can make an educated decision. The only caveat is that he is very popular for airmen with tougher medicals, and may be busy. But there is only one way to find out.

He explains this very well on his website.

Aeromedicaldoc
 
PaulS said:
To the Anons on this thread. Dr Chien will review your records for a pretty modest fee and give you answers relative to your case. His website details how to get things rolling with him. Best bet, is to contact him, find out what he needs to give you an educated answer, then send him the records. You will get a realistic answer as to the prognosis of your ability to get a medical and an idea of what it might take. From their you can make an educated decision. The only caveat is that he is very popular for airmen with tougher medicals, and may be busy. But there is only one way to find out.

He explains this very well on his website.

Aeromedicaldoc
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I'm not the OP but I'm one of the other Anons. I've consulted with Dr Chien before and he was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. But he told me any history of dual medication was a disqualifier. That's why I'm surprised he told the OP this case could be approved.
 
No, I apologize for not seeing the buspirone +lexapro together. That excludes him from the on SSRI program. And since “recurrent disease untreated and unmonitored” is always denied, the question now becomes if a HIMSpsychiatrist can credibly call any of this reactive. That’s a lotta trauma.....
 
bbchien said:
No, I apologize for not seeing the buspirone +lexapro together. That excludes him from the on SSRI program. And since “recurrent disease untreated and unmonitored” is always denied, the question now becomes if a HIMSpsychiatrist can credibly call any of this reactive. That’s a lotta trauma.....
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Dr. Chien, I’m aware regional flight surgeons have authorization to issue 3 Class SI medicals even if you’re denied through normal channels. How often do they usually exercise that power for typically disqualifying mental health conditions?

I.E. Aspergers, Mild ADHD, depression with a history of two different meds ect?

Thank you
 
Anonymous said:
Dr. Chien, I’m aware regional flight surgeons have authorization to issue 3 Class SI medicals even if you’re denied through normal channels. How often do they usually exercise that power for typically disqualifying mental health conditions?

I.E. Aspergers, Mild ADHD, depression with a history of two different meds ect?

Thank you
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They don't do that for psychiatry. You have to have a particular qualification within the FAA, to do that.

The only one who could do that used to be Western Pacific RFS Steve Goodman, who has gone to D.C. to be the Deputy Federal Air Surgeon.
 
Wait, now I'm confused on this as well. I was informed through this feed, and through my HIMS AME that being on 2 medications in your history does not automatically disqualify you. I was under the impression that it's a case-by-case situation. That the FAA researches each case as anew, and that if you've been treated and are under the care of a BCP, while being provided 1 approved SSRI, that you still have a path forward. If it's true that you cannot have ANY history of being on more than one script at a time in your entire life, then I'm waisting $3,600 dollars of treatment to get my medical back.
 
The problem with the FAA’s assumption on dual meds demonstrating severity is PCP Drs are frequently med happy, and prescribe multiple meds automatically even when not technically necessary for severity.

When I went on an SSRI for moderate run of the mill depression, Dr immediately wanted to give Zoloft + Wellbutrin (to counter side effects), + Buprion for instant effect. This med happy approach would have been a disaster aeromedically. I declined all the meds except Zoloft because I was aware of the aeromedical consequences of multiple meds. An aeromedical terminator in the making that I averted! Lots of people are being screwed aeromedical by med happy Drs prescribing multiple meds for no good reason.

What I really want to know is, why is it that the military approves Wellbutrin for pilots? But the FAA says it impairs cognition. Two Air Surgeons clearly are not on the same page.
 
bbchien said:
This is only certifiable, I think with the "On SSRI" program. FAA's notion will be that you have recurrent disease, and 100% of recurrent disease, untreated and unmonitored, getrs denied.
Click to expand...
Hi Doc,

I was put on Buspirone in March 2021 for GAD. Will I ever be able to fly? If so, how long do I have to wait until I’m off the medication so I can successfully apply for a medical?

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 
Tantalum said:
That's the catch-22 isn't it. If the OP hadn't sought help (which was the right thing to do) he'd have still suffered, possibly more so, but be "okay" and perfectly safe to fly now per the FAA.
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If you have a condition you have the condition. And it is the condition that makes you ineligible for a medical. So while the condition might not have been detected and given a name and thus not reported on a medxpress form, he would not have been "perfectly safe to fly now per the FAA." But perhaps you would prefer that the current medical system be replaced with comprehensive testing, like astronaut exams, rather than self-reporting.
 
Lindberg said:
he would not have been "perfectly safe to fly now per the FAA."
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If the OP was struggling emotionally but never sought help for it how would the FAA have known there was any issue? People can self report dizzy spells and headaches, but generally aren't able to self diagnose psychiatric conditions. Plenty of people have some form of trauma at some point in their lives, some elect to get help from a mental health professional, others cope somehow else (Church, spirituality, meditation, reading, alcohol, drugs, etc.)..

Lindberg said:
But perhaps you would prefer that the current medical system be replaced with comprehensive testing, like astronaut exams, rather than self-reporting.
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I would not be in favor of giving any government agency more power. My point was simply the messy nature of the current med process. How many people today receive a dubious ADHD diagnoses? "Little Tim has trouble sitting totally still for 8 hrs, let's go and get him some drugs since I'm too lazy to parent" - next thing you know his dreams of flying a plane some day are dashed.



...all the while the dude doing open heart surgery on you might very well be a raging alcoholic with high cholesterol who's one cheeseburger away from dying in the middle of a surgery they're performing..
 
The system is a mess. I would much rather share the sky with someone who knows they need help than someone who just avoids it. I always come back to you can drive a 40' motor home towing a full size pickup down the road with not so much as annual check up and end up killing just as many people if not more than flying a spam can with a medical issue.
 
Tantalum said:
How many people today receive a dubious ADHD diagnoses? "Little Tim has trouble sitting totally still for 8 hrs, let's go and get him some drugs since I'm too lazy to parent" - next thing you know his dreams of flying a plane some day are dashed.
Click to expand...

Many years ago a letter came home from school saying my child needed to be put on methylphenidate (Ritalin). I tried to be polite in my adamant response that no one at that location was qualified to make such a judgment. They said the child seemed to daydream and look out the window as if bored. I suggested that perhaps they should consider hiring teachers that had a clue as to how to really engage the minds of children in the activities they were attempting to teach them.

Amazingly enough the child is now in their mid 30's and doing quite well ...
 
Smart kids are supposed to be bored in school. Suggesting that they be drugged to be content with whatever the nonsense of the day is, is reprehensible and should be criminal, in my view.
 
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