SSRI+Buspar

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Anon

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Was prescribed Zoloft+Buspar long ago. Took Buspar for maybe a year. Haven’t been prescribed Buspar, nor taken Buspar in many years. Continue to take Zoloft. Want to go through Zoloft continued use protocal. Does the long ago use of Buspar + Zoloft disqualify this pathway?
 
Short answer: possibly forever, but Dr. Bruce will tell you what your chances are. Multiple different stints of treatment with multiple drugs do not bode well for you.
 
To be clear, been on Zoloft the whole time. Not sure if that is multiple stints.
 
For what it's worth, I've been told by an AME there is ZERO path to a medical EVER because I was put Buspar (in addition to an approved SSRI). I was only on Buspar for about 30 days at the beginning of the pandemic due to situational anxiety related to the pandemic. The AME said even though I have been on an SSRI for about 10 years at a low dose for general anxiety, the 30 days of Buspar usage is a lifetime disqualification form obtaining a medical certificate.

Hopefully your mileage varies from what I was told.
 
Interesting - at least based on the linked thread above, it doesn’t quite seem like a lifetime disqualification. But that is why I am asking, I guess. The linked one is a bit different because that person pursued discontinuation of Zoloft pathway, whereas I am asking about the continuation pathway.
 
Anon #2 back with ya...

I'm going to follow this conversation to see where it leads. My AME told me:

1) SSRI Decision Path 1 isn't EVER possible because of multi-use medication (long-term approved SSRI plus short-term Buspar)

and

2) Coming off the SSRI for >60 days isn't an option either because I was on the SSRI for greater than 6 months, and as such, they will dig into records and see I had a short course of Buspar (multi-medication treatment) and it will be denied.

I hope I'm wrong because I'd resume flight school tomorrow if I found out otherwise...
 
Interesting - at least based on the linked thread above, it doesn’t quite seem like a lifetime disqualification. But that is why I am asking, I guess. The linked one is a bit different because that person pursued discontinuation of Zoloft pathway, whereas I am asking about the continuation pathway.
Please wait for Dr. Bruce Chien to comment. As one of the four authors and sponsors of the SSRI protocol, he is one of the best sources for the correct information
 
Please wait for Dr. Bruce Chien to comment. As one of the four authors and sponsors of the SSRI protocol, he is one of the best sources for the correct information

Well, there are restrictions to the use of the ON SSRI protocol and having been ever on two anti-depressives at once is verboten. It's a severity indicator, and FAA doesn't not want you, even if dual meds at once was distant. It means that you needed "amplification" in the past.

The restrictions to getting off meds are:
(1) it might bet a terrible life choice for you going forward, and,
(2) After a 5 year history, you will have no success getting anyone @ FAA to believe that you don't have disease that is reasonably expected to recur. Recurrent disease, untreated and unmonitored is 100% a denial.

So you may have no pathway to certification.
 
So Buspar is considered a psychotropic? It’s crazy, because my doctor long ago wrote out those prescriptions before I could even finish explaining what my problem was. I didn’t know any better. After maybe 6 months I decided to not take the Buspar anymore and just stick with the Zoloft. There didn’t seem to be any good reason to ever get off of it. Boy if I would have known way back then that this would be a problem.
 
Doesn’t mean you can’t fly, but you’ll be limited to light sport aircraft or gliders (including motor gliders). Just don’t apply for a medical, as a denial will take away the light Sport option.

Light sports are capable aircraft. You’d be limited to daytime VFR and only one passenger but that’s how most private pilots fly most of the time anyway.
 
Thanks everyone. I’m probably going to go the LSA path. I guess that’s not the worst thing in the world.
 
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