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Old February 9th 06, 04:17 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
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Default Depression and flying

In a previous article, "Skylune" said:
Suspended for two years! That's a long time. Wellbutrin is the same
medication used in an anti smoking drug (Zyban). I wonder if treatment
for anti-smoking using Zyban disqualifies you for medical.


Yes, Zyban is disqualifying.

Personally, I don't smoke, but a few years back (in '01) I was on Lexapro
for a few months after sudden death of a loved one. I resisted the doc's


Lexapro is also disqualifying. As is any other SSRI antidepressant.

Would that episode prevent me from getting a real license (PPL)? (I'm not
interested in the sport license, which strikes me as a waste of time unless
you wanna fly in circles for fun...)


To get a medical, you'd have to prove that the drug is no longer affecting
you (which isn't hard if you haven't taken it in a few weeks) but also
that the condition that it's treating no longer affects you. Both my
primary care physician and my psychologist had to write letters to the FAA
for me. Then it took them over a year to process them, because half of
the doctors in the aeromedical branch were called up by their reserve
units. Then I got a special issuance for a year, and after the year was
up the FAA needed letters from the PCP and psychologist again, and then I
got a normal medical.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
You cannot run Windows innocently. Guilt of aiding & abetting, at
the very least, is automatic.
-- David P. Murphy