HIMS AME Neuro-cogscreen & medical help

[Steve Dybas]

Hello all, recently I was deferred for my class 1 medical due to my use of 1 SSRI (Lexapro). *I want to get a class 1 medical first to see if I'm even elegiable to fly for the airlines as a career in the future*. I got the dreaded letter in the mail from the FAA requesting I go to see a HIMS Neuropsycologist for my use of lexapro. (After seeing this I instantly signed up for AOPA and their Pilot protection services + program) They also want me to consult a HIMS AME for an in-person review, to see a psychiatrist for my anxiety, and a treating physician report. Can anyone provide some insite on what I'm in for and any steps I should take so I have a seamless and as painless of a process as possible? Some questions I have is, how much will all of this cost? How long will it take? and Is it a possibility that I can't recieve my medical? Thank you all!

 

[MrsGump]

Hello! I am in same situation but about a year and a half into my first class physical wait. I started my journey May of 2021. I take citalopram and won’t stop taking so I have the very long route lol. I had to get a cogscreen- was $1250. Had to do a psych evaluation- was $2500. My AME visits have been a little less than a thousand now. Have had to do a couple AME appts aside from the initial to get stuff together. So I’m a good few thousand in. It took me seven months to get all the steps (getting my VA record took the longest, like three months, and I couldn’t do the psych eval before I had that). I got all of it together and had it all done Dec of 2021. The AME just had to write my last paper and send it to the FAA. I finally got a response March 7, 2022 from the FAA saying that DC got my packet and it would take several weeks to months for it to be reviewed. I’ve called every month and it’s the same thing- it’s still in the queue and has not been looked at yet. So I’m sitting at six months of my packet just sitting in DC. I took a few flying lessons but didn’t want to invest more money (about 3k in lessons so lol far) if I was going to be denied. So I just sit and wait. It is def a long and costly road.

 

[Steve Dybas]

Oh wow. Defiantly thought it was going to take a while but wow that’s a long time. So sad how the FAA treats flying, it’s truly a experience of a lifetime. Thank you for your response!

 

[Chris Charanza]

I can provide some input on this, maybe not cover it 100% but hopefully it'll help. I had been deferred for ADHD (insert aderall script here) and generalized anxiety which I was prescribed Xanax for. The FAA had me take the neuropscyhological evaluation & cogscreen for both the ADHD and the anxiety and they never required me to see a psychiatrist for the anxiety. I did use a HIMS AME although my case wasn't a HIMS case and ironically enough my HIMS AME was a psychiatrist although he wasn't board certified and we didn't do anything but have a lengthy conversation about things that led up to me being prescribed the medication etc..and he took some notes so he literally may have been doing what they want you to see a HIMS AME for. As far as the cost goes my neuropsychological evaluation & cogscreen cost $2200. I also had to take a drug screen to rule out the use of stimulants to it totaled $2340 if I recall correctly. The FAA also wanted me to provide a personal statement in reference to the Adderall usage, why I started taking it, when I started taking it etc..and they wanted a clinical progress note from the doctor who prescribed the xanax stating that i no longer needed it and was no longer prescribed it and was doing well off of medication. Needless to say when i got everything to the FAA they reviewed it and I was issued a Special Issuance for the anxiety and sleep apnea. Basically i just have to have my doctor send an updated clinical progress note every year and my sleep doctor has to send the OSA status report but that's it. I no longer take xanax and feel fine so I imagine I shouldn't have any issues. All of this to say just work through the process and be patient and you'll get there.

Also, don't let others super long experience discourage you too much. Once I sent off everything they required I got my medical back in 8 weeks. My total time from exam to medical issuance was 5 months and most of that time was me waiting for appointments and getting everything packaged up and sent (but be sure you send it all together to prevent unnecessary delays although if you plan on staying on the SSRI you are going to have at least a year from what I am seeing on the regulations & also I'm a 3rd class medical but I'd think as far as psychological drugs there might not be much difference if any)