Anti depression question

[John1234]

So I was in for a routine check up with my doctor about 4 months ago and asked what he thought about anti depression medication since I hadn't a job in a while, I was feeling kinda down so I figured I'd ask. In short he prescribed the medication and I even picked it up but never ended up actually taking them and didn't continue down that road. Anyway is this something I should tell the medical examiner? I never actually started them but I feel like they could check and find out i was prescribed them and be "caught in a lie" if i say nothing about it. Thoughts?

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Were you diagnosed with depression? There has to be a reason they were prescribed (real, or imagined.)
You can look at the medical questionnaire online and see what you have to answer; at least part of this is reportable, and may delay getting a medical certificate.
If your goals is just "Sunday flying", look into sport pilot.

 

[John1234]

Were you diagnosed with depression? There has to be a reason they were prescribed (real, or imagined.)
You can look at the medical questionnaire online and see what you have to answer; at least part of this is reportable, and may delay getting a medical certificate.
If your goals is just "Sunday flying", look into sport pilot.

I'm not sure if it qualifies as being diagnosed since all I said to the doctor was ask him if they would work for me since I was 'feeling down' about sitting at home for months. He said I can try them and see if it would work for me. But I never even took them

 

[kath]

I'm not sure if it qualifies as being diagnosed...

Well, the thing to do is to find out if you were. From records, from codes, that sort of thing. Call the doctor's office where the prescription came from, and ask for your records.

Why this is important: if you were diagnosed with something (like depression), then you have to report it to the AME and/or probably jump through hoops.

Doctors almost never prescribe antidepressants just for grins, or "to see if it works," without "diagnosing" something to justify it. Especially if you're using insurance to pay. It might not have been something he or she mentioned to you at the time... but it likely got coded up somehow in order to issue the scrip. So find out! And if the answer is "yes, you were diagnosed with depression," ask about what you can do to correct the error -- for instance, bringing the drugs back and demonstrating that none were taken.

 

[AggieMike88]

There is also the existence of the pharmacy record. The script was filled. The FAA is likely to conclude from that that the medication was consumed, and there fire the condition necessitating the script exists.

I think the way Dr. Bruce (@bbchien) has advised to get out from under this (PoA gang please correct me if I am wrong) is to take the medication back to the prescribing doctor and have him or her enter into your record that you surrendered the medication and that all of the pills were surrendered. And make sure he signs/dates the record.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Perhaps also see my FAA medical information page at http://tinyurl.com/faaMedicalInfo which contains a fair amount of information on this process.

 

[Lindberg]

There's no question on the form that asks what you've been prescribed. But it does all about medications you've been taking and diagnoses. As the others said, find out what you were diagnosed with, and that's what you'll have to disclose. Then have a conversation with your AME.

 

[dtuuri]

I think the way Dr. Bruce (@bbchien) has advised to get out from under this (PoA gang please correct me if I am wrong) is to take the medication back to the prescribing doctor and have him or her enter into your record that you surrendered the medication and that all of the pills were surrendered. And make sure he signs/dates the record.

Yep, BTDT.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

You have to report the doctor’s visit in any case.

 

[AggieMike88]

 

[bbchien]

There is also the existence of the pharmacy record. The script was filled. The FAA is likely to conclude from that that the medication was consumed, and there fire the condition necessitating the script exists.

I think the way Dr. Bruce (@bbchien) has advised to get out from under this (PoA gang please correct me if I am wrong) is to take the medication back to the prescribing doctor and have him or her enter into your record that you surrendered the medication and that all of the pills were surrendered. And make sure he signs/dates the record.

that Is mostly correct. It moves you from “a diagnosis, in need of treatment”, to “somebody with a license thought you had a condition”. Then what’s in the record becomes Uber important.