3rd class. historical alcohol. what will FAA find ?

V

VoiceOfReason

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Sep 27, 2022
Messages
23
Display Name
Display name:
VoiceOfReason
a few flights in and about to schedule a 3rd class med exam.

I quit drinking a couple years ago. I got some counseling, attended an outpatient thing... it's not been hard for me at all. Zero desire to go back to that way of life.

But in the before / during process, doctors gave me sertraline and bupropion for depression/ anxiety. Bad diagnosis, all my anxieties were alcohol related. Once that was realized, it was obvious no other issues lurked.

I stopped taking meds a couple years ago and zero alcohol for nearly 3 years, i'm a no-risk guy re: booze for sure

Really dont want to hold up my exam or fail my exam. Do they have a way to cross-check any of this ? What will they find out on their own if I dont bother them w/ all this detail ?

What about my occasional CBD (yes, some THC is in these) will they be testing for that ?
 
To your last question, I do not believe a drug test is part of the third class exam.

But to your others, nobody here is going to encourage you to lie on the medical forms. And you should not lie on them. But congrats on your recovery though.
 
Baked Potato said:
To your last question, I do not believe a drug test is part of the third class exam.

But to your others, nobody here is going to encourage you to lie on the medical forms. And you should not lie on them. But congrats on your recovery though.
Click to expand...
Thanks !
Does the FAA have access to medical files of yesteryear somehow ? Will they even see old prescriptions or counseling records ?
 
The alcohol stuff doesn’t seem as though you would reveal at all. Meds for depression (correctly prescribed or not) could quite possibly.

Parse the questions carefully, answer honestly, do a CONSULT with a GOOD AME before starting an application. Do not start an application without validating everything told to you by the AME, whether it’s good news OR bad.

A well intending but incorrect AME can screw you either way, and won’t EVER be held accountable. He really doesn’t have skin in the game, proceed appropriately.
 
VoiceOfReason said:
Thanks !
Does the FAA have access to medical files of yesteryear somehow ? Will they even see old prescriptions or counseling records ?
Click to expand...
They are the government - assume that they can access whatever they want. ESPECIALLY if you have an incident and get investigated - a lie on your forms will expose you to a huge liability. Consider whether that is a risk that you want in your life.

But as previous posters stated, do not get your official exam and submit paperwork until you get a consultation and ensure that all of your ducks are in a row. You want to have all documentation ready before submitting to the FAA. There are a couple of good AMEs here that specialize in cases like this and won't blindly send all your info their way.
 
Have you read the instructions for completing the MedXpress application?

https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/Content/Docs/MedXPressUsersGuide.pdf

1. The form is a federal form and the AME, as the Administrator’s delegate is a federal agent. Don’t lie on the form, either by omission or commission or you’ll turn your medical problem into a legal problem.

2. You would best be served scheduling a consult with an AME to gain an understanding of whether your medical history can he certified or not and, if so, whether a Special Issuance would be required.
 
They can get the pharmacy codes. So they'll find the Sertraline and will uncover the alcohol (What is the most common cause of anxiety disorder in Airmen? EXCESS ALCOHOL.

So all will out.

And I remind you that omission, if the FAA chooses to, can be held to be a class 4 felony. Don't go there! The comment by geneseib, above, is direct and to the point.
 
Last edited:
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top