Basic med and adhd meds

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Hi guys,

I hold an expired class 3 and want to get back to flying. I suspect that I could have adhd. Can I have an adhd diagnosis and take any form of applicable medication and still qualify for basic med.

Was never diagnosed as a kid.
 
If you otherwise qualify for basic med, that would be up to you and your physician. Medication-treated ADHD is disqualifying for any medical certificate. Most ADHD drugs really aren't anything you should be flying with legal or not.
 
Anonymous said:
Hi guys,

I hold an expired class 3 and want to get back to flying. I suspect that I could have adhd. Can I have an adhd diagnosis and take any form of applicable medication and still qualify for basic med.

Was never diagnosed as a kid.
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Before resorting to ADHD drugs, you might want to try flying with an instructor, to see if whatever symptoms you're concerned about interfere with safe flying.
 
There are no meds that are prohibited for BasicMed.

Though some doctors might not be willing to sign off on the CMEC. ...and some might prefer you treated than untreated.
 
bbchien said:
do you remember when your last medical was?
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It was about 2010, so I should qualify otherwise.

I suppose, what I am really trying to get at, is if I do go down the route of a diagnosis and meds if that would disqualify me for basic med, like a traditional medical.

Also, however, what are the real world risks of flying with the meds? I don’t want to put family, or anyone else, at risk because of this. I never had any cognition/attention concerns while flying previously but was strictly vfr and never flew much before life got in the way.

I made it through college, b-school at nights while working and with a young family, and currently perform well (adequately) at work. However, I’ve always suspected it and I can see how my grade school sons have performed much better at school after diagnosis and staring low dosage meds. I guess you could say I’m always looking for an edge to improve, but not willing to risk safety and violation of the regs.

I started flying as fulfillment of a life long dream. Now I have a mission (other than tooling around), and finances/time/etc. is more accommodating.

I appreciate the experience and advice, and apologize if this topic has been discussed ad nauseam on this board.
 
On one hand, if you already got your ticket(s) sans meds, you're probably "good enough" without them.

On the other hand, working+night school+young kids IS REALLY HARD. It will get easier.

On the other other hand, people often notice that their kids are just like they are. You may find that you've been playing life on hard mode, and that your overall quality of life/level of function (flying included) is significantly improved when treated with a low dose of whatever.

As stated above, with BasicMed, your rx is between you and your provider. Have an honest conversation with them. If you don't feel that you can, find another provider.

Good luck!
 
BASIC med is a piece of cake.
Or, you can do the Federal ADD Fast track: if you have everything for that, it's issue in the office.
 
Anonymous said:
I made it through college, b-school at nights while working and with a young family, and currently perform well (adequately) at work. However, I’ve always suspected it and I can see how my grade school sons have performed much better at school after diagnosis and staring low dosage meds. I guess you could say I’m always looking for an edge to improve, but not willing to risk safety and violation of the regs.
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Do you get 8.5 hours of sleep every night and abstain from alcohol and caffeine? If not, try that for a few months and see if you still feel like you have ADHD. Either way, you'll feel much better, and fatigue is also a killer in aviation.
 
So, a basic premise here hasn't been proved. You aren't a doctor, but think you might have ADHD, you think it needs medication, and you're already planning how it effects your flying medical? IMHO you're WAY out in front of your skis here. Heck, you might have the opposite (if it existed) Hyper Attention LOL.

Great that you're thinking about being safe. But if you're doing as well as you're doing (PPL, college, MBA at night), hard to see how you're attention impaired. But that's just an opinion from a guy on the internet.

M2C? If you see impairment or if it affects things in your life, or if it made flying (when you had your active license) difficult, then yes see a doctor. But again, maybe you're getting worried on something that isn't there.
 
WDD said:
So, a basic premise here hasn't been proved. You aren't a doctor, but think you might have ADHD, you think it needs medication, and you're already planning how it effects your flying medical? IMHO you're WAY out in front of your skis here. Heck, you might have the opposite (if it existed) Hyper Attention LOL.

Great that you're thinking about being safe. But if you're doing as well as you're doing (PPL, college, MBA at night), hard to see how you're attention impaired. But that's just an opinion from a guy on the internet.

M2C? If you see impairment or if it affects things in your life, or if it made flying (when you had your active license) difficult, then yes see a doctor. But again, maybe you're getting worried on something that isn't there.
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Thanks, I might be a head of myself.

Family, career, protect the medical. Seems like the right order of life’s priorities! Maybe you can switch medical and career….

A concern was talking to a doctor, then something getting filed or insurance coded, etc, which could create a huge hassle with future flying.
 
Lindberg said:
Do you get 8.5 hours of sleep every night and abstain from alcohol and caffeine? If not, try that for a few months and see if you still feel like you have ADHD. Either way, you'll feel much better, and fatigue is also a killer in aviation.
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A great point. Haven’t had regular 8 hours of sleep in 20 years. Thanks
 
bbchien said:
BASIC med is a piece of cake.
Or, you can do the Federal ADD Fast track: if you have everything for that, it's issue in the office.
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Thank you. I’ll check out ADD Fast track. Basic med should suffice unless I would need to get into the flight levels. Hope one day that will a need!
 
GeorgeC said:
On one hand, if you already got your ticket(s) sans meds, you're probably "good enough" without them.

On the other hand, working+night school+young kids IS REALLY HARD. It will get easier.

On the other other hand, people often notice that their kids are just like they are. You may find that you've been playing life on hard mode, and that your overall quality of life/level of function (flying included) is significantly improved when treated with a low dose of whatever.

As stated above, with BasicMed, your rx is between you and your provider. Have an honest conversation with them. If you don't feel that you can, find another provider.

Good luck!
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Thanks. I’m good enough without them. Just would like to see if I could do better. That’s all.
 
Anonymous said:
A great point. Haven’t had regular 8 hours of sleep in 20 years. Thanks
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I'm not an MD nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn, but there's evidence that "adult onset ADHD" is often just sleep deprivation. Give sleeping a try before drugs.

www.additudemag.com

How Sleep Deprivation Looks a Lot Like ADHD

Inadequate sleep can cause procrastination, forgetfulness, and inattention among other symptoms often mistaken for ADHD. Learn the telltale signs of a sleep deficit, and how to get the rest you need.
www.additudemag.com
 
Another M2C. If you plan to fly as a hobby, just get Basic Med and never approach the FAA 3rd class medical again. No upside to a 3rd class for your circumstance and potentially a lot of downside. If you get canceled you can’t get Basic Med, maybe spend a lot of time and money on an SI, etc.
 
You wouldn't believe how many people have walked into my clinic with a self-diagnosis of ADHD. Turns out, stress, anxiety, poor nutrition, insufficient sleep (amount or quality), circadian rhythm disruption, constant electronic distractions, and life complications can all add up in a way that negatively affects concentration and memory. In virtually every instance, medication is absolutely NOT the answer. I will go so far as to say that my opinion is that medication is NEVER the answer until you've controlled the above factors to the best of your ability. I certainly would not prescribe for the reason of "wanting to see if I can do better" in the absence of clear indications of inability to adequately function without stimulants. There are occasionally times when 'better living through chemistry' is appropriate, but that ain't one.
 
AvNav.com said:
.....stress, anxiety, poor nutrition, insufficient sleep (amount or quality), circadian rhythm disruption, constant electronic distractions, and life complications....
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SLEEP APNEA too.
 
AvNavCom said:
Turns out, stress, anxiety, poor nutrition, insufficient sleep (amount or quality), circadian rhythm disruption, constant electronic distractions, and life complications can all add up in a way that negatively affects concentration and memory.
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Sounds like every dual income household with little kids; kick it up a notch by throwing aging parents into the mix. Some can juggle it better than others, it seems.
 
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