Medication

[Mdtay_84]

I’m going to start this year for my private, I currently take tramadol as needed for pain. I know I can’t get a class 3 medical while taking a controlled substance, but I plan on stopping the medication. How long do I have to wait after stopping the tramadol before seeing the faa doctor for the medical clearance. Thanks

 

[AggieMike88]

Before getting too stuck into training, go have a CONSULTATION with a Senior AME on (1) what you need to do to get ready for the full court press of application and (2) what are your chances of being approved when you do apply.

When you keep it at a consultation level, nothing is passed to the FAA and you have the chance to address any issues that would cause a denial. Therefore negating any jeopardy that a denial would cause.

Use of a Senior AME means you are working with a doctor who can help you succeed versus one who just wanted to add more alphabet to his letterhead.

we have two Senior AMES who haunt this board. Pinging Doctor’s Lou and Bruce for their input. @lbfjrmd @bbchien

please post additional questions as you think of them.

 

[Kristin]

I’m going to start this year for my private, I currently take tramadol as needed for pain. I know I can’t get a class 3 medical while taking a controlled substance, but I plan on stopping the medication. How long do I have to wait after stopping the tramadol before seeing the faa doctor for the medical clearance. Thanks

The medical form asks about what you are "currently" taking. If you are not "currently" taking tramadol, then it seems you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[murphey]

Was prescribed Tramadol after knee surgery. Frankly, it didn’t do much for me. At least nothing I could discern. Went off it after 4 days. Ben & Jerrys Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream worked better. But, as recommended by Dr Bruce, I was grounded for 30 days after. I was driving in less than 2 weeks. However, it took 3 months before I could comfortably and safely get in & out of the cherokee.

Only time I ever wished for a cessna 172.

Do not stop the meds without consulting with your doctor. Only then should you see and AME for the consult.

 

[Kristin]

Do not stop the meds without consulting with your doctor. Only then should you see and AME for the consult.

Why would you not stop pain meds when no longer in pain? Just because there are some left in the bottle does not seem like a good reason to keep taking opiates.

 

[Lindberg]

Why would you not stop pain meds when no longer in pain? Just because there are some left in the bottle does not seem like a good reason to keep taking opiates.

Is an opioid, and suddenly stopping can potentially cause withdrawal symptoms.

 

[azure]

Before getting too stuck into training, go have a CONSULTATION with a Senior AME on (1) what you need to do to get ready for the full court press of application and (2) what are your chances of being approved when you do apply.

When you keep it at a consultation level, nothing is passed to the FAA and you have the chance to address any issues that would cause a denial. Therefore negating any jeopardy that a denial would cause.

Use of a Senior AME means you are working with a doctor who can help you succeed versus one who just wanted to add more alphabet to his letterhead.

we have two Senior AMES who haunt this board. Pinging Doctor’s Lou and Bruce for their input. @lbfjrmd @bbchien

please post additional questions as you think of them.

Use of a Senior AME only means that you are going to an AME who is authorized to issue a Class 1 medical certificate. My first AME was a Senior AME and he didn't care whether the FAA issued me or not. He deferred me and the FAA turned out to be unconcerned with what he deferred me for, and wanted mountains of tests for something totally different, which could have been taken care of beforehand. I spent 4 months in deferral hell thanks to him.

The OP wants an AME who will do consultations not only on-the-record FAA medical examinations, essentially a Difficult Case AME like Dr. Bruce or Dr. Lou. A Difficult Case AME is usually a Senior AME too, but the reverse is definitely not always true. Choose carefully.

 

[murphey]

Why would you not stop pain meds when no longer in pain? Just because there are some left in the bottle does not seem like a good reason to keep taking opiates.

Some meds require a tapering off. If you suddenly stop there can be serious side effects. I went off after 4 days only after my doctor approved, and not all at once. Do not play games with certain categories of meds, not just opiods -- can be very dangerous.

 

[Kristin]

Is an opioid, and suddenly stopping can potentially cause withdrawal symptoms.

Doesn't that presume some level of dependency? I would wager that a lot, perhaps a majority, of prescriptions are for post procedural pain. An example would be the two rounds of wisdom teeth removal I went through in my youth. Each time got a dozen or so tabs of some opiate or other. I was glad to have them when the novacaine wore off and probably used into the second day, but left the rest. Doc never mentioned anything about tapering or suggesting that had had to take them even if I didn't need them. Ditto for the gall bladder removal several years later. On the other side, I had a shoulder rebuilt and was on serious pain meds for a month. Again, no mention of tapering, though it did naturally happen that way as the less pain I had, the less meds I took. If tapering is such a big deal, I am surprised that a combination of two oral surgeons, two other surgeons, and a primary care doctor never mentioned it.

 

[azure]

Doesn't that presume some level of dependency? I would wager that a lot, perhaps a majority, of prescriptions are for post procedural pain. An example would be the two rounds of wisdom teeth removal I went through in my youth. Each time got a dozen or so tabs of some opiate or other. I was glad to have them when the novacaine wore off and probably used into the second day, but left the rest. Doc never mentioned anything about tapering or suggesting that had had to take them even if I didn't need them. Ditto for the gall bladder removal several years later. On the other side, I had a shoulder rebuilt and was on serious pain meds for a month. Again, no mention of tapering, though it did naturally happen that way as the less pain I had, the less meds I took. If tapering is such a big deal, I am surprised that a combination of two oral surgeons, two other surgeons, and a primary care doctor never mentioned it.

That's my understanding too. The OP, though, just wrote that he was given them for use "as needed", which isn't very specific about frequency of use. It also sounded as if this was for a chronic condition, not post-operatively. Depending on frequency, he might or might not have some degree of physical dependency. So I think it wouldn't be unwise to talk over the tapering process (and whether any tapering is needed) with a physician first.

 

[bbchien]

FAA hates "occasional" use of narcotics.

IF your total Rx for tramadol does not exceed 60 day's tablets per year: a well documented issuance is possible but not probable, without some very high level ($$=sive) evaluations. 50mgms tid means 180 tablets. IMIO, 90 tabs a year is more likely (to be approved), with greatly detailed "intermittency" and "nondependency" stated by the prescriber, and "What for" and that "'the severity of the condition dose NEVER rise (untreated) to that where it interferes with any management of an aircraft, even if untreated".