Telling the FAA about a medical conditions can bring your flying career to an end. I know this is a topic written about before, but I think pilots need to understand the implications involved when giving the FAA medical information. I went to my practitioner to get something to help me concentrate more while reading, I’m 60 now so my mind tends to wonder a bit when reading, so I asked for something that could help me concentrate so I can get through my manuals in a reasonable amount of time. He knows I am a pilot, so he prescribed Satarra, which is used ADHD, it is not an opioid, it has no mind altering effects, it’s not addictive nor is it listed on the FAAs list of band medication. So me being honest, I listed it on my next medical evaluation. Well they denied me my medical.
The first thing the FAA does is to deny you a medical, without even first getting any medical records from your treating practitioner. They justified as safety, but grounding a pilot, even a professional pilot, can have serious safety implications. By the FAA own study shows that a pilot can lose 50% of their skills with in 30 days by not flying, imagine being grounded for 6 months. Simulator training will only bring you back up to minimum standards. These knee jerk reaction by the FAA has had me grounded for 4 months, and has cost me unnecessary expense with experts, who did nothing that much more different than my treating Dr. Yet even though these experts found no reason for the denial, I still can’t get my medical back, because the FAA is so antiquated in their process, that even the loading up paper of work to their system, takes them two weeks, and then to add injury to insult, they don’t upload all the documents at the same time. This whole process could have been resolved within 40 days, had they simply requested, documentation from my treating practitioner, and just had me do a drug test. This is why pilots don’t declare their medical condition, because when you do the right thing, the first the FAA does, is ground you, to only make matters worse, for reasons stated above. The the FAA has fostered an atmosphere of distrust,that some pilots opto not declaring their medical condition and/or self medicate, which both can have serious safety implications.
For all the good they do, they tend to do more bad. I think it’s time to change this agency, and the only way to do that is through regulation. I already have meetings setup with my state representative and I will be pushing to put restrictions through the " Mental Health Aviation Act" on the FAA when it comes to medical denials
It is quite normal for government agencies to determine peoples medical status purely by paper-trail. Not declaring a medication, even if not black-listed and prescribed based on patients wish, rather than medical necessity, would have been a melt-down. No question that the ability to focus is affected with age, however I’d personally skip prescription pharmaceuticals as their pure prescription spells potentially hidden neurological issues.
Same happens with depression and anti-depressants. One only gets the hammer treatment upon admitting that there is a problem that is being treated by mild anti-depressants. Until then, we can walk around with a loaded .357 sticking out of the mouth and everyone will nod and wave.
And it’s sad that has to be that way. In my case, it’s just a mild, lack of concentration issue. But imagine how many are out there, that have more serious issues, and are self medicating or not medicating at all, and it may not be for just mental health issues, could be for heart problems, disabilities or some other issues, that people are afraid to come forward with. Very scary indeed.
Too late for you, but for everyone else I would CONFIRM with a trusted AME that a given psychoactive medication is approved by the FAA BEFORE you take it. They are rightly leery of medications that change how your brain works, even if it is for the better.
Remember as far as they know you are a 100% normal happy guy who touches no drug nor drink. One pilot famously lost his medical because he mentioned his dog dying made him sad.
- also note for alternative medications you might look for, anything that actually works can be dangerous. My wife came home with some “relaxing evening tea” that has a warning not to drive after drinking it, it contains Valerian root that has a similar effect to Valium!
That’s my point, mine is a simple fix, but for others it may not be. Do we want someone need medicine to go without, or self medicating, or do we want them reporting it and go through a fair n quick proceeding?
We want the latter and have the former.