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New Guy here, trying to make heads or tails about the medical certifications.

I thought I had add. went to a psychologist and did a vast array of test and he then gave a report saying that I was marginal or possible that I had add. I then went to my GP in 2009 and he have me concerta and then swtiched adderall with the last refill of aderall beginning Nov 2014. I haven't taken any adderall since Dec 2014.

During that time I was diagnosed with Low T and started testosterone replacement therapy. It seems to me IMO, that the Low T was the culprit behind any issues I had the whole time and not the ADD. All of my Low T therapy is FAA approved.

So from what I gather, if I have been off the Adderall for 24 months and can function normally then I would have to see the pyschologist to take the FAA's recommended test and have his report say I do not exhibit ADD symptoms anymore and then then an FAA medical examiner would put that info together and then I could send it all to the FAA at that point if the AME feels the Low T was the issue and I don't have ADD either?

This is all new to me and I would like to make sure I can get a medical before I go on a discovery flight so in case I fall in love with flying I don't get my hopes up for nothing.

thanks
 
Hey new guy, welcome aboard.

I'm not an expert but you will get referred to one soon enough.

2 issues: ADD and low T.

FAA doesn't like ADD. If you were diagnosed (and if you were given Adderall, then you probably were), you have to prove you don't have it. FAA considers it a lifetime disease. If you had it once, you always have it and if you don't have it then you never did.

FAA will probably want a series of tests done by a psychiatrist (not a psychologist)that show you don't have it. Think about this - you already had a big array of tests from a psychologist that shows you had issues.

If the psych test is clean, then you don't have ADD and never did.

Part 2: Low T - I think FAA will want to know some history on this, but I don't kniw how much.
 
Unregistered said:
I know what you are saying. its an evaluation with a series of test.

I have been through them already by looking at the faa's list.

I'm positive I could repeat the test and my evaluation would say no add present. I'm confident of that.
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I wish you the best. You know what to expect. The new eval will have to overrule the first, so I hope it goes well for you.
 
And some advice that everyone looking at any kind of abnormality on your medical - consult with an AME first and make sure you know what the outcome is before you take your official medical.

Welcome to the broken system that you never knew existed.
 
Matthew said:
I wish you the best. You know what to expect. The new eval will have to overrule the first, so I hope it goes well for you.
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thanks for the help. I hope I can get this cleared up. It's been a dream of mine since being a little kid. My dad used to take me to the airport terminal as a kid to watch the planes take off and land, and that's where my wanting to become a pilot all started.
 
How old were you when you got put on ADD medication?
 
wow, the rabbit holes goes deeper. So in additional to all that. My benign gilbert's disease will need to be explained.

Jeeze, I can see why dr. bruce is so valuable. I wonder if spinabifida occulta is a denying factor.

maybe I shouldn't be a pilot with all this stuff going against me.
 
What kind of piloting do you want to do?

The FAA gets real paranoid when it comes to anything that hints at a "mental" condition. But, there are options where the FAA has little or no say about your medical status. For the sport pilot option, you need to not have failed a medical (so don't even think about applying until alll the testing is out of the way and you know the results). You do have to determine that you are fit to act as Pilot in Command, but that is between you and you Dr. Not the FAA. And, you need a valid drivers license (I assume you are able to safely operate an automobile?).

For gliders and part 103 ultralights you don't even need the drivers license, but the same "safe to operate" applies.

FAA regulation 61.53
 
Unregistered said:
wow, the rabbit holes goes deeper. So in additional to all that. My benign gilbert's disease will need to be explained.
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I suspect that Gilbert's syndrome will be a yawn as long as it was the final diagnosis and other causes for the elevated bilirubin were ruled out. (But you'll probably need documentation to that effect. Ask Bruce.)

Unregistered said:
Jeeze, I can see why dr. bruce is so valuable. I wonder if spinabifida occulta is a denying factor.
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I have no direct knowledge or expertise, but I'm vaguely familiar with the condition and can't think of any reason why asymptomatic spina bifida occulta would have any aeromedical implications at all. Most people who have it don't even know. But if it's on your record, I suspect that you will need documentation that the condition is asymptomatic and won't interfere with airman duties (like sitting up straight for a few hours at a time). Again, ask Bruce.

Unregistered said:
maybe I shouldn't be a pilot with all this stuff going against me.
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Well, that's up to you. It will take a considerable amount of time and money to attempt to disabuse the ADHD diagnosis (or at least persuade FAA that it's mild enough to warrant an SI). There's also no guarantee that you'll be successful.

Other than that, however, I think the other two problems are along the lines of getting notes from the treating doctors. FAA may also want recent lab work to make sure that the Gilbert's syndrome isn't something else, but lab work is no big deal. The ADHD is the hurdle. The others are just little bumps.

The important thing is getting all this stuff taken care of before you even think about "officially" applying for a medical. Consult with Bruce or another AME specializing in complicated medicals before you fill out any forms.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
I suspect that Gilbert's syndrome will be a yawn as long as it was the final diagnosis and other causes for the elevated bilirubin were ruled out. (But you'll probably need documentation to that effect. Ask Bruce.)



I have no direct knowledge or expertise, but I'm vaguely familiar with the condition and can't think of any reason why asymptomatic spina bifida occulta would have any aeromedical implications at all. Most people who have it don't even know. But if it's on your record, I suspect that you will need documentation that the condition is asymptomatic and won't interfere with airman duties (like sitting up straight for a few hours at a time). Again, ask Bruce.



Well, that's up to you. It will take a considerable amount of time and money to attempt to disabuse the ADHD diagnosis (or at least persuade FAA that it's mild enough to warrant an SI). There's also no guarantee that you'll be successful.

Other than that, however, I think the other two problems are along the lines of getting notes from the treating doctors. FAA may also want recent lab work to make sure that the Gilbert's syndrome isn't something else, but lab work is no big deal. The ADHD is the hurdle. The others are just little bumps.

The important thing is getting all this stuff taken care of before you even think about "officially" applying for a medical. Consult with Bruce or another AME specializing in complicated medicals before you fill out any forms.

Rich
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Thanks for your post. The whole add diagnosis is really biting me in the rear end. It's a shame too because I don't have it and the psyc just really threw me a bone back then.
 
Unregistered said:
Thanks for your post. The whole add diagnosis is really biting me in the rear end. It's a shame too because I don't have it and the psyc just really threw me a bone back then.
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Understand that you aren't the first to have been caught up in this. If you really don't have it, the application of $$$ should get you past that hurdle.
 
Matthew said:
Understand that you aren't the first to have been caught up in this. If you really don't have it, the application of $$$ to the right Senior and Difficult Case AME and right psychologist should get you past that hurdle.
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Slight edit in the interest of helping the OP.

I did that since I wouldn't want the OP to head down the expensive path, spend the bucket load of money on the testing, to find out it was the wrong testing, wrong doc, and/or the results were written in a way that releases more worms from can.

Seeking the guidance of the correct AME will ensure you go to the correct type of psychologist, ask for the correct type of testing, and have the AME and psychologist work up the results letter in the manner to which the FAA wants to see it.

It will be expensive to work through this, but with the right AME guidance, you can keep the project on track and on budget.
 
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This is well discussed on here.
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73396&highlight=add+lohr&page=2

I went through the process and once done it is a non-issue. This is what I posted in the linked thread:
The FAA is VERY clear on what it takes to clear past use of ADD/ADHD meds. Assuming you (he/she) can function without them it is just a day of testing and less than $1,000 to the doc doing the eval, plus a drug test.

My testing was two sessions, about 3-4 hours each back in 2009. It cost me about $600. Dr. Bethany Lohr did the testing.
http://www.healthgrades.com/provider/bethany-lohr-gj77x

Jim
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AggieMike88 said:
Slight edit in the interest of helping the OP.

I did that since I wouldn't want the OP to head down the expensive path, spend the bucket load of money on the testing, to find out it was the wrong testing, wrong doc, and/or the results were written in a way that releases more worms from can.

Seeking the guidance of the correct AME will ensure you go to the correct type of psychologist, ask for the correct type of testing, and have the AME and psychologist work up the results letter in the manner to which the FAA wants to see it.

It will be expensive to work through this, but with the right AME guidance, you can keep the project on track and on budget.
Click to expand...


Fair enough.
 
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