Gabapentin Timeoff Requirements

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EasyZuluPapa

Filing Flight Plan
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Mar 8, 2017
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Display name:
Jason
I am hoping to get my first medical later this year and start taking lessons. My current concern is how long I need to be off gabapentin before applying my medical. I've read that the guidelines are to be off as long as you were on, but since I was on it for 54 weeks, am I going to have to wait 46 weeks? (I've currently been off gabapentin for 8 weeks.)

I was on the gabapentin due to nerve pain and not for seizures in case that matters.

Thank you for any insight you can provide.
 
We really need a medical sticky.
Stop,posting under your real name.
Contact an AME for a CONSULTATION and not the medical exam. Around here, many of us consider Dr Bruce Chien to be a go-to guy.

aeromedicaldoc.com
 
Looking up the drug
Wikipedia said:
Gabapentin (GPN) marketed under the brand name Neurontin among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, hot flashes, and restless leg syndrome.[4][5] In epilepsy it may be used for those with partial seizures.[4] It is recommended as one of a number of first line medications for the treatment of neuropathic pain in diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, and central neuropathic pain
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Likely you have much more to to work on for the FAA than just being off of the medication. The FAA docs are going to want to know the full Monty about why you were on such a drug in the first place and what chances there are for that condition to happen again.

As Murphey says, you need the guidance of a very experienced "difficult case" AME before you even breathe in the direction of the FAA. Someone like Dr. Bruce Chien who will lay it out plainly if it is possible at all and if so, what it is you must do before submitting to an FAA medical exam.
 
Letter from your prescribing doc saying what it's for, and that you have been off for 60 days.....If you have painful neuropathy, it also needs to say that your peripheral sensation is adequate for driving.
 
murphey said:
We really need a medical sticky.
Stop,posting under your real name.
Contact an AME for a CONSULTATION and not the medical exam. Around here, many of us consider Dr Bruce Chien to be a go-to guy.

aeromedicaldoc.com
Click to expand...
How is easyzulupapa real name? What am I missing?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
bbchien said:
Letter from your prescribing doc saying what it's for, and that you have been off for 60 days.....If you have painful neuropathy, it also needs to say that your peripheral sensation is adequate for driving.
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Do you know of someone that has received a waiver for gabapentin? I only need a 3rd class medical. I have over 2,500 hours and all the ratings and want to start flying again. I take gabapentin for inflamation in the C8 region. I don't think I can quit it because it has really reduced pain for me with no side effects. All I want to know is has the FAA given waivers for this before. I don't want to go through all the paperwork with my doctor if a waiver's never been granted before.
 
An example of wishful thinking.
FAA sez Gabapentin is grounding, as it affects cognition.
There is no waiver for that.
 
Yeah, Gabapentin imitates the molecules nerve cells use to talk to each other. I wouldn't want anyone taking that anywhere near an aircraft.
 
And, yet, no one ever says that they have an issue with sharing the highways with someone...
If you are not fit to pilot a Cub, you sure as heck don't belong behind the wheel of a car.
 
steingar said:
Yeah, Gabapentin imitates the molecules nerve cells use to talk to each other. I wouldn't want anyone taking that anywhere near an aircraft.
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Your comment is irrelavent unless you are a pharmacist or a current user. It can be taken for an episodic event and discontinued 36 hours prior to flight. It's highly likely that the biggest issue is tapering from long term use.
 
bbchien said:
Letter from your prescribing doc saying what it's for, and that you have been off for 60 days.....If you have painful neuropathy, it also needs to say that your peripheral sensation is adequate for driving.
Click to expand...

Is the 60 days due to the time he was taking it, or for 1 dose? My Dr wants me to take it, but I haven't yet. It is for short term pain relief for shingles.
 
murphey said:
His name is Jason. Check the fine print.
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I am curious how this works. If you look at the profile page for the OP as 'EazyZuluPapa' it says that the user has not been seen since 2017! It also gives the birthday and gender.

The other thing people in the anonymous posting sections should recognize is that the IP numbers making the connections are likely obtainable with a court subpoena, in the event there are any legal issues. Those can likely be traced to a house in many cases. If one really wants to be anonymous, need to use Tor and/or a public WiFi connection. And could also randomize the MAC address of the wireless hardware. Perhaps this fact should be noted in the statement about posting to the anonymous forums?
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
I am curious how this works. If you look at the profile page for the OP as 'EazyZuluPapa' it says that the user has not been seen since 2017! It also gives the birthday and gender.

The other thing people in the anonymous posting sections should recognize is that the IP numbers making the connections are likely obtainable with a court subpoena, in the event there are any legal issues. Those can likely be traced to a house in many cases. If one really wants to be anonymous, need to use Tor and/or a public WiFi connection. And could also randomize the MAC address of the wireless hardware. Perhaps this fact should be noted in the statement about posting to the anonymous forums?
Click to expand...

This thread was necroed by a “guest” in order to attack Steingar, unjustifiably in my opinion.

I don’t know how far the FAA would go in an average case. If you really want to be paranoid, you need to wear a disguise to your public wifi location because of ubiquitous video these days, and either randomize MAC or use a throwaway device you paid cash for not used to connect to anything betraying your identity such as social media, bank account, etc., as well as use Tor, although some sites ban known Tor exit nodes or require you to go through captcha obstacles. I don’t know about POA, I’ve never tried to connect here through Tor.

But this OP doesn’t seem to be trying to evade the law, just wants basic privacy for personal reasons as many do posting questions here. In that case using the anon posting should be sufficient. It won’t protect you from the law but will from the general public (unless the MC here can look at your IP and out you).
 
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