Medical denied?

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Needhelptofly

Guest
About 6 month ago I took Elavil for a condition known as Globus. I took the meds for 4 weeks and the condition resolved. I explained all of this to the FAA (backed up by a letter from my doctor), but still got a denial letter in the mail. I am baffled. What do I do now. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
From Wikipedia:

Amitriptyline, sold under the brand name Elavil among others, is a medicine primarily used to treat a number of mental illnesses.[2]These include major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, and less commonly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder.[2][3] Other uses include prevention of migraines, treatment of neuropathic pain such as fibromyalgia and postherpetic neuralgia, and less commonly insomnia.[2][4] It is in the tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) class and its exact mechanism of action is unclear.[2]Amitriptyline is taken by mouth.[2]

You say you're baffled, but based on what Elavil is about, I'm not surprised. But I am also curious what your AME said to you when this condition and medication was discussed.

Did you do any pre examination research about having the drug in your medical history before you saw the AME?

For the "what to do know" question, You will have to wait for Doctor's Lou and Bruce and their input. @lbfjrmd @bbchien
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
My googlefu fails me when I search for Globus. Anyone?
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I found https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_pharyngis

As well as

1CA48BB6-15C3-43DC-85BD-538422BA48F1.jpeg
 
Needhelptofly said:
About 6 month ago I took Elavil for a condition known as Globus. I took the meds for 4 weeks and the condition resolved. I explained all of this to the FAA (backed up by a letter from my doctor), but still got a denial letter in the mail. I am baffled. What do I do now. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get ready for a minimum of 6 months of going back and fourth with the FAA. You are probably going to have find a HIMS AME near you and present them with the reports from your doctor. They can probably help you thru this process. Did the denial letter mention the reason for not certifying you?
 
I was prescribed Elavil by my gastroenterologist. I only took it for 4 weeks and the condition was resolved. I had no idea this med was not on the approved list. It came up when responding to a letter from the FAA concerning another condition I was being treated for and they asked for a letter from my doctor which asked about medications I had taken. My Gastroenterologist responded to the FAA letter by stating that I was being treated for Globus and not depression and that she felt that their assumption that I was being treated for depression was offensive. I was only taking 10mg. Maybe she ****ed somebody off!
 
Also I applied for the medical back in December of last year. I didn’t see the gastroenterologist until after I saw the AME so no research on the drug was done. This condition came up in January. I haven’t taken the Elavil since March. Seems very unfair to me to pull my medical for something that happened months ago and has been explained by my Doctors. I have not flown my Plane since January.
 
your denial letter would have the steps you need to take to redress this. Get an experienced senior AME, or better a HIMS-AME to guide you through a re-application.
 
I had globus as well. My gastro wanted to prescribe me a trycyclic and I said no way. Oddly (as with many of my other issues), this was tied to allergies and a more aggressive treatment of that solved the problem. This I only found after dealing with a doctor who was just guessing and spending a lot of money on tests with the gastro.
 
Needhelptofly said:
I had no idea this med was not on the approved list.
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Take this as a big lesson learned.

A big mantra around these parts is "Own your Medical" which means (1) health first and fly later, and (2) when you seek medical attention and the doctor wishes to prescribe a medication, look it up on the FAA list to learn what they will want to know. And then if it says not allowed, find out (a) why not allowed, or (b) if there is an approved alternative that the doctor says that works too.

Just like FAR 91.103, Preflight Action, says that the PIC, before beginning a flight, must become familiar with all available information concerning that flight, "Owning Your Medical" has you taking control and learning everything you should about your health conditions and medications and what the FAA is going to want to know.
 
The dirty secret in big pharma (okay, one dirty secret) is that many medications being marketed are rebranded anti depressants.
These are medications that outlived their marketing usefulness but have side effects which can be exploited. No studies needed because it has already been FDA approved.
Chantix is one such example, so if you took it to quit smoking you were using an anti depressant. Did you report it?

Any product which has one of those long winded "may cause thoughts of suicide" are likely similar products.

Doesn't matter if you took it for toenail fungus.

Buyer beware.
 
Best thing to do, as already suggested, work with a senior HIMS AME to get all the tests, exams, and paperwork in order. Then apply. Then wait about 6 months.
 
Thanks for everyone’s help and suggestions. I have a meeting with my AME next week. Funny thing is I had a meeting with him before sending in all of my documentation, he looked it all over and said “ Everything looks in order you don’t have any disqualifying conditions you should be fine”. 3 weeks later DENIED! Oh well. It’s a good thing I don’t fly for a living.
 
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