Benadryl use

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For medications like Benadryl and Zyrtec that aren't approved, does that mean you can't take them at all while you have an active medical? Or is there a grounding period if you have taken it? Say for instance you take a Tylenol PM, does that require a trip back to the AME or can you self ground for a certain amount of time? Also, how does that differ for the different classes of physicals?

Thank you!
 
I believe the FAA recommendation is five times the terminal half life (dosing period), so Benedryl at 6 hours would be grounding for 30 hours.
 
I don't recall the actually FAA regs, but I follow the idea he says. Many OTC allergy meds make me sleepy, balloon headed, and really affect my cognitive skills. So if I take one or two for a day's relief, I self-ground for at least 2 or three days afterwards.

For OTC meds that affect cognition or cause drowsiness, there is no need to get the AME involved or declare to OKC. Just provide enough stand down time to metabolize all of the drug and have none left in your system.

For prescription drugs that mess with your head, then it's time to ask the AME what you need to know and declare and when to do it. Different meds have different rules. Also depending on the individual medication or the cocktail, FAA medical is gonna what to know the underlying reason they are being prescribed.

The standards (what ever the correct ones are versus my good natured guessing) apply to all "classes of physicals". So just because you hold a Class 3 medical does not mean you can skate on something a Class 1 is being hammered on.
 
Meh....I give it a day after taking....and I also need to feel well.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
I don't recall the actually FAA regs, but I follow the idea he says. Many OTC allergy meds make me sleepy, balloon headed, and really affect my cognitive skills. So if I take one or two for a day's relief, I self-ground for at least 2 or three days afterwards.

For OTC meds that affect cognition or cause drowsiness, there is no need to get the AME involved or declare to OKC. Just provide enough stand down time to metabolize all of the drug and have none left in your system.

For prescription drugs that mess with your head, then it's time to ask the AME what you need to know and declare and when to do it. Different meds have different rules. Also depending on the individual medication or the cocktail, FAA medical is gonna what to know the underlying reason they are being prescribed.

The standards (what ever the correct ones are versus my good natured guessing) apply to all "classes of physicals". So just because you hold a Class 3 medical does not mean you can skate on something a Class 1 is being hammered on.
Click to expand...

There is specific guidance from the FAA on OTC antihistamines. My AME also mentioned it the first time I got my 3rd class medical.
https://www.faa.gov/c/orphans/ame/guide/pharm/antihist.html
 
Interestingly, Benadryl is the most common drug found in Pilots of fatal accidents:

Diphenhydramine, a rst-generation sedative anti- histaminic, with potentially impairing side effects, is currently the most commonly detected medication found in specimens for toxicology analysis from fatal aviation accident pilots Diphenhydramine positives, over the past 20 years, have steadily increased from 1.7% to 6.1% (Table 7b and Figure 3). This is an important trend that should be considered when evaluating aviation safety concerns The Office of Aerospace Medicine is currently evaluating a new equation for pilots to use in determining a safe return to duty time after using impairing medications such as diphenhydramine.
Click to expand...

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201113.pdf
 
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