Would a pilot lose a first class medical if they were diagnosed with depression? It would seem stupid to avoid treatment out of fear of losing one's medical, but I'm wondering what the repercussions would be.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

There's a real catch-22 here...

An active diagnosis would I think preclude any medical, and definately a first class. Also any prescription anti-depressant (MAOI, SSRI) would also preclude a medical...in fact I think you have to be symptom free and off meds for 6 months in order to get a medical.

Also, a history of recurring clinical depressions might cause problems with the FAA, and will be a HUGE problem for many airlines. For this reason there are pilots out there who may have been treated in the past who feel they cannot seek any further assistance from the traditional medical establishment for fear of losing their livelyhood, either temporarily or permanently.

You might want to check with this company (or another aviation medical consultant) so that you understand all the issues and ramifications before you initiate a bureaucratic process which you cannot control:
http://www.aviationmedicine.com/

Depending on your situation, your doctor may be able to work with you to avoid prescriptions that would be problematic. Depending on how you feel, there are a number of things you can do without meds or doctors that may help in the long run:
- Eat healthy
- Reduce stress in your life
- Minimize the booze, it reduces serotonin levels.
- Lose weight
- ANY exercise is good overall, but 45-60 minutes of solid aerobic exercise most days of the week (5-6) definately can help boost serotonin levels.
- There are non-prescription herbal treatments available...I doubt that any are as strong as prozac, but St. John's Wort is well know to be very effective for many folks.

Keep in mind that almost all depression treatments (prescription, supplement, lifestyle) seem to take 3-8 weeks to really start to work. It's a lot harder to restore the serotonin than to maintain it once restored. Even if you need meds to recover from a significant depression, you may be able to use lifestyle changes to stay healthy going forward.

 

Excellent information-- very informative. I much appreciate you taking the time to address this for me! You've given me a good place to start....

 

Shaner, I have a few pilot friends who were diagnosed with depression and what rickair said stands firm. As long as your not currently on medication, it's never been any hassle for them. However, as a medical student I'll be the first to tell you that depression, ADHD, ADD, etc. are very much overdiagnosed in todays world. That doesn't mean that a person doesn't have some of those symptoms, but for many doctors it's much easier and faster for them to prescribe a medication and get you out the door...v. taking a few extra minutes to actually figure out what's going on in your life...whether it's at home, or medical/chemical related and trying to help you without sending you home with a load of medication that you may not need.

This being said, I am not telling you to shy away from medical attention. If your symptoms have been occuring for a while now, and you really can't pinpoint any source...then medical intervention may be right for you. But like Rick said before, definitely do your research before stepping into a doctors office. There are so many sources available to the public, and often a patient will come in and tell us that I've read this and that on this website. The public is much more knowledgeable now than they were 10 years ago.

Best of luck and safe flying!

 

Jenn is right about this. Shooting prozac from the hip may be an easy way to get most patients out of your office, but it creates a legion of administrative and career problems for pilots...try to be certain that you really need prescription stuff before you do that.

 

In the past 6months I've been dealing with alot of anxiety. I have tried working this out on my own with change in diet,vitamin supplements,and a couple other things. My family who have been very supportive, keeps suggesting I talk to a therapist. Can anyone tell me if I do decide to go, but do not take medication, how does this effects my medical? I was actually thinking of grounding myself so I guess that would mean getting a report from the therapist. Can I get a medical leave for this? Any help would be appreciated!

 

First off, many folks (including pilots) have these kinds of issues. You're not the only one.

Keep in mind that most of these sorts of do-it-yourself remedies take many weeks before they start to work. So do SSRIs like prozac for that matter.

Have you tried aerobic exercise? This is likely to help anyone, but if you were a high school/college athlete (or were otherwise very active) and stopped working out as you got older, your body chemistry might not do so well without those exercise endorphins. Also lay off the booze if that's a factor.

If you really feel the need, don't hesitate to get professional assistance. Although as a pilot, it's worth trying all the known self-help solutions before you put your medical at risk in the traditional system.

You can always ground yourself and then seek treatment, but it might look better for the company if you get a medical opinion first in order to back up the grounding.

If you have FMLA available you should be able to get that for something of this nature, assuming that you have been employed for at least one year. Otherwise it would depend on your company's policies, or their goodwill. Talk to your union if you have one, or ask some senior pilots who might have an idea as to the company's past actions. Also be aware that mental health is a touchy issue...a chief pilot who would give you six months leave to heal after a skiing/motorcycle accident might not be so understanding about something like this...maybe, maybe not.



These guys specialize in tricky pilot medical issues, and they can work with you via phone. It might be a good idea to chat with them before you do anything that will affect your medical: http://www.aviationmedicine.com/

 

Thank You Rick for all the information!