Will I be denied 3rd class?

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wannafly1999

Filing Flight Plan
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wannafly1999
Here is my history: Had a panic attack 20 years ago. // I was prescribed .5mg of Klonopin to be taken once daily. // It worked great. No more anxiety. Everything was fine. // A few years ago, I found that doctors (and the FAA) really did not like me taking the klonopin. And I never had anything other than the one panic attack and mild anxiety. // So I worked with my psychiatrist at the time to figure out some alternatives. // We would start an alternative and continue prescribing the Klonopin on an as-needed basis (as the new medicines would often take months to see if they would work). This would mean dual-use...which I've read terrible things about. // We tried several alternatives, but never really landed on one primarily due to side effects. Wellbutrin was the most easily tolerated. // As I started to think about getting my PPL, it became clear that my best option would just be to stop taking medications altogether. // I saw a therapist who specializes in hypnotherapy and EMDR. He was great. I stopped taking the medications 4 months ago and have been symptom-free ever since.

All I've read on this board is that dual use is immediately disqualifying. Also, I don't know how they will respond to my stopping medication altogether, but it has been great for me. Wish I had done it years ago. Thanks for any thoughts.
 
wannafly:
Many mnay year of meds = chronic disease reasonbly thought to be recurrent = recurrent disease means off med is a denial. FAA denies 100% of recurrent disease untreated and unmonitored.

Dual meds = ineligible for any consideration under the ON SSRI pathway.

Do not apply and preserve your ability to do sport pilot.
 
Dr. Bruce, what’s “a long time” in the eyes of the FAA?

What about someone who was on multiple meds for less than 2 years and then the prescribing doc stopped the Rx for them over the course of a year?
 
I will disagree with Dr. Chien on this. I think you are in for a tough road and you would have to have all of your records that effectively show that your doc was terrible and treating you improperly followed by an amazing current evaluation. Then you'll sit in review purgatory for a while. With all that, you could come out on the other side. But you'll have pretty significant annual requirements for a while.

If your goal is 3rd class, then probably just stick with Sport and accept the limitations. But if you really want more, and are willing to put the work in, well, I'll just leave this Success Story here.
 
Thanks for the responses! Discouraging but helpful. I'll probably go the Sport Pilot route.
 
stayingsport said:
Dr. Bruce, what’s “a long time” in the eyes of the FAA?

What about someone who was on multiple meds for less than 2 years and then the prescribing doc stopped the Rx for them over the course of a year?
Click to expand...
The unofficial but official "reconsideration time" of a psychiatry diagnosis @ FAA is 10 years no meds no events and "successful life test" as corroborated with multiple cards and letters for persons "In a postion to know", followed by favorable HIMS psychiatry and HIMS neuropsychology evals. I've actually done this a couple of times.

You know, that primary care guys get but 5 weeks psychiatry training.....I mean "how hard could it be?". :(.

(original petitoner for an ON SSRi protocol, 2006 adopeted 4/2010)
 
In the new FAA LS rule proposal they state how good the LS safety record has been. If all those LS pilots would take an honest survey, I wonder how many are on SSRI meds?
 
bbchien said:
wannafly:
Many mnay year of meds = chronic disease reasonbly thought to be recurrent = recurrent disease means off med is a denial. FAA denies 100% of recurrent disease untreated and unmonitored.

Dual meds = ineligible for any consideration under the ON SSRI pathway.

Do not apply and preserve your ability to do sport pilot.
Click to expand...
This is confusing to me. I was on xanax for 5 years and came off of it and went through the neuropsychological evaluation and the neuropsychologist stated "anxiety in remission" on his report to the FAA. I was subsequently issued a Special Issuance for the sleep apnea and anxiety. Yearly I have to submit my Sleep report and documentation from my doctor stating I'm not having any issues with anxiety. Back in 2013 when I was deferred/denied the FAA just wanted the cognitive testing to address both the ADHD and anxiety diagnosis which is what wound up happening so other than the OP being on dual medication what exactly is the difference between their situation and mine?
 
That depends on the PRECISE DIAGNOSIS given in your situation and it’s chonicity. wannafly1999 has had it ongoing ~20 years….
 
bbchien said:
That depends on the PRECISE DIAGNOSIS given in your situation and it’s chonicity. wannafly1999 has had it ongoing ~20 years….
Click to expand...
That makes sense. The diagnosis in my file at my doctor's office said "Generalized Anxiety Disorder" however in the correspondence my doctor sent the FAA it said it was situational in nature, essentially there were a series of unfortunate events that all occurred within months of each other (divorce, death of family member etc) and I was prescribed the Benzos to help deal with it and just never came off, well until I was forced off and let me tell you that process sucked.
 
bbchien said:
The unofficial but official "reconsideration time" of a psychiatry diagnosis @ FAA is 10 years no meds no events and "successful life test" as corroborated with multiple cards and letters for persons "In a postion to know", followed by favorable HIMS psychiatry and HIMS neuropsychology evals. I've actually done this a couple of times.

You know, that primary care guys get but 5 weeks psychiatry training.....I mean "how hard could it be?". :(.

(original petitoner for an ON SSRi protocol, 2006 adopeted 4/2010)
Click to expand...
Thanks for outlining that!
Do you foresee any changes to how the FAA views past medical records? in terms of determining validity of diagnoses/identifying misdiagnoses or off-label use, time for evaluation, more agency to AMEs et al?

Do you have any thoughts on the idea to remove the prior medical requirement for BasicMed?
 
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