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threeputter
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geomclain30
Did you have to notify anyone other than your doctor that you were going to be off the medication? what other paperwork are you referring to? I am doing the same but have only told my prescribing doctor that I am going off the medication. any advice would be helpful. thank.s
There IS an underlying diagnosis for the SSRI. People love trying this one...
bbchien
Touchdown! Greaser!
...and it never works. Same dance the young attorneys do, who pleaded ADD to get Ritalin for 1st semester exams...."But I was never diagnosed".
"Hey Rocky, Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat"
"Again? But that trick NEVER works...."
For onetime-in-one's-life reactive depression, it will. But that's a diagnosis. "I was never diagnosed, and given an SSRI?"--->doc goes before Board of Medicine and gets his license suspended.
Well, I'm getting close.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
There are some docs that will put a diagnosis in the record or on insurance paperwork but never tell the patient. You have to be up front and ask the doc. About everything. Or you may find a nasty surprise in the future.
bbchien
Touchdown! Greaser!
...and there are some would be pilots who need meds, throw their meds away and say, "I'm fine!".
Rushie
En-Route
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Rushie
Yes. I suspect this happens a LOT. I'm one who found such a nasty surprise. I started getting junk mail about managing my diabetes. I never in my life been diagnosed with diabetes and do not have it. I have PRE-diabetes. When I confronted the doctor about how she was coding my visits she said the office was using the old system which has no code for pre-diabetes, you either have it or you don't so she codes that I have it so my insurance will pay for my a1c tests. I informed her that I want my records to accurately reflect the truth about me, even if I must pay out of pocket for tests and visits. She said she would get it corrected as they were transitioning to the new coding system but it was too late, the code had already leaked into third party databases and it's never going away.
Understand this: the clerks managing the electronic databases containing your health info will never take the trouble to chase down where the data went and correct it. I'm not getting a medical anymore but if I were I think I would need to prove to the FAA that I don't have diabetes against what the records say.
In my misguided doctor's defense she was trying to help me avoid full on diabetes by doing my a1c 4x per year (and lecturing me about it) but assumed I was like most of her other patients who apparently expect healthcare for little or no cost.
One would also have to inquire as to what point in the system your diagnosis codes (correct or not) got out to marketing people (or by junk mail do you just mean stuff sent by your own provider).
I had one of those goofy situations. A provider suggested I try one of the acid pills to see if I had reflux (I don't, been previously endoscoped, it's just likely post nasal drip from seasonal allergies). I try to get an express appointment for a colonoscopy (the gastros around here let you go straight to the procedure without an unnecessary preliminary appointment for the routine ones). I get turned down because of my "reflux." One, what the hell does my esophagus have to do with getting a colonoscopy and who said I had reflux. Sure enough, my idiot PCP put down prevacid on my profile which got sent along with the colonoscopy referral. I had rather unkind words with the office staff at the PCP over that one.
I had one of those goofy situations. A provider suggested I try one of the acid pills to see if I had reflux (I don't, been previously endoscoped, it's just likely post nasal drip from seasonal allergies). I try to get an express appointment for a colonoscopy (the gastros around here let you go straight to the procedure without an unnecessary preliminary appointment for the routine ones). I get turned down because of my "reflux." One, what the hell does my esophagus have to do with getting a colonoscopy and who said I had reflux. Sure enough, my idiot PCP put down prevacid on my profile which got sent along with the colonoscopy referral. I had rather unkind words with the office staff at the PCP over that one.
Rushie
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Rushie
Exactly... I think this sort of thing is probably rampant. Most people are probably unaware of the mistakes in their records until it affects them such as what happened to you. I do not see many legal protections either to give us recourse to fix this kind of thing.
The junk mail is from third party contractors to my insurance company. I do not think it has gotten out into the general marketing world. But even if the doctor corrects the diagnosis with the insurance company, getting the insurance company to go on down the pipe and correct it with their subcontractors (for lack of a better word) is almost impossible.
wsuffa
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yes, I agree.
Most docs take the time and talk with the patient, some don't. The one my dad used (that's another story) booked elderly patients on the order of 40-50 per day and spent but one or two minutes with them. Part of that is the low Medicare reimbursement rate.
I amd NOT blaming all docs - most are good - but unless a patient stays on top of things they may well find a nasty surprise later on. I have seen the result first-hand. I have also had very good docs that take the time....
S
Steve Brik
Guest
Any update from the original posters or anyone else who has gone through Path 1 recently? Trying to determine the expected timeline for FAA review once the 60 days off meds has been completed.
D
Doug Ventura
Guest
Hello Dr. Bruce and All,
I have found this thread very helpful and I hope someone will reply. I'm a student pilot going for 3rd Class. I was on Lexapro for 2.3 years for general anxiety for the pressures of life: Kids moving away; new wife; stressful job. Didn't really need it, but doc recommended it. I stopped 60 days ago and didn't even notice a change. I will have my PCP write up the situation. What words can I ask him to use that might clarify the situation best for the FAA? I know I'm right on the 2 year cusp. Any advice is welcome! Thanks, Doug V from MA
Craig Mulcahy
Filing Flight Plan
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Craig Mulcahy
Similar situation regarding not really needing it. Dr suggested I take it when my job halted during covid. I’ve been on a small dosage for 6 mos and am considering stopping it as work has picked up again.
My Question is if it would be quicker to get the cert if I just stayed on it longer or should I stop and wait the 60 days? I don’t want to keep burning money in lessons if I can’t solo yet. Frustrating process for something that has had little to no effect on Me.
bbchien
Touchdown! Greaser!
Doug, the FAA will give no credence to the PCP if you have been on for more than 2 years and in some cases if on onverf a year. You are going to need a board certified psychitrist's take on it. Get referred to one (which is now tough becuase the psychiatrist can no longer bill "Medication adjustment"....). You may have to pay for a forensickpsychiatrist's full detailed life history and write up, characterization compelte with al lthe bellss and whistles to allow an assesmsent of recurrence risk.
Sadly many PCPs "just don't know when to stop".
B
Or when to not start.
Dry Creek
Pre-takeoff checklist
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Dry Creek
I see what you did there!