Approved Blood Pressure Medications

Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

Thanks!!

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer

In article ,
Steve Robertson wrote:

Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.


The AOPA website has a list of medications you can check. FYI Atenolol
is ok....I've been taking it for several years.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

There's only one that's forbidden: Aldomet (methyldopa)


On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:15:00 -0500, Steve Robertson
wrote:

Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

Thanks!!

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Without getting too much into your business, make sure this doc did
everything right.. the labwork, the EKG and the Chest Xray. Look at the
AOPA site regarding hypertension and make sure your ducks are in a row..
it may allow you to renew your next medical a little easier.

Dave

Steve Robertson wrote:
Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

Thanks!!

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer

Steve Robertson wrote:
Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

I am not a physician but I'm sure that in any case, you will not get
your 3rd Class certificate immediately. You must be on the medication for
some months while submitting to evaluation by your physician. That includes
periodic BP measurements and blood tests. The BP is to see if the meds are
working and the blood work is to see that the chemistry is not destroying
your liver.
Do go to the AOPA medical info site and put questions to those folks.
Their job is to make sure you are correctly informed.

Having had to do this, I think it's more correct to say that you WILL
probably get your medical, but the FAA will review it and may revoke it a
few months later...

When I had to do this, here's what happened:

- The doctor put me on the drugs, I had to pay a few more visits to get
"official" BP readings, EKG, etc.
- The AME did the rest of the exam, submitted the paperwork along with my
doctor's report, and issued the medical.
- A few months later the FAA sent me a letter saying that they'd reviewed
the information and I could keep my medical.

best of luck,
mark

"Casey Wilson" wrote in message
...
Steve Robertson wrote:
Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications
that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will
likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

I am not a physician but I'm sure that in any case, you will not get
your 3rd Class certificate immediately. You must be on the medication for
some months while submitting to evaluation by your physician. That
includes
periodic BP measurements and blood tests. The BP is to see if the meds are
working and the blood work is to see that the chemistry is not destroying
your liver.
Do go to the AOPA medical info site and put questions to those
folks.
Their job is to make sure you are correctly informed.

On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 18:49:41 GMT, Dave S
wrote:

Without getting too much into your business, make sure this doc did
everything right.. the labwork, the EKG and the Chest Xray. Look at the
AOPA site regarding hypertension and make sure your ducks are in a row..
it may allow you to renew your next medical a little easier.

I think mark has it right.
First, call the AOPA and discuss it with them. They can not only tell
you what you will need at your medical, but they will evaluate the
medications as well. You can also download a PDF that informs your DR
of what information is needed.

There is nothing about a Chest Xray for just high BP.

I was diagnosed with mild hypertension. My DR put me on a med to
lower the BP and another to lower the borderline cholesterol.

About 6 months later and right before my medical was due, I went in
again, had the periodic BP checks, the ECG (used to be EKG) and the
blood work. BP is good and cholesterol is perfect. I also lead a
very active life style with a lot of exercise.

Sailed through the exam. AME told me to expect a letter in 60 to 90
days that would probably request another set of tests prior to my next
medical, but there shouldn't be any problems.

Of course with the FAA you never know for sure.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com



Dave

Steve Robertson wrote:
Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

Thanks!!

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer

Roger.. the FAA may not require the chest Xray, but it would be a sound
medical practice to obtain one, along with the EKG. High Blood Pressure
can cause Ventricular Hypertrophy (an enlargening of the heart that may
lead to heart failure). This can be seen on both Xray and EKG. The Chest
Xray, EKG, along with visualization of the retinas, and a urinalysis to
look for protien spillage can all help prove (or disprove) the presence
of end-organ damage as a result of hypertension.

"Doing everything right" with regards to your personal health may mean
exceeding the bare minimums laid out by the FAA. And, if something DOES
come up, you have additional supporting documentaion of the lack of
hypertensive-caused end-organ damage.

Expect follow up blood work depending on the type of medication you are
on. Sometimes hypertension is caused by a decreased bloodflow to the
kidneys (renal artery stenosis, to be exact). Some classes of
medications when used to treat High BP can precipitate renal failure in
the rare chance that renal artery stenosis turns out to be the culprit.
The blood test to check renal function after being on meds can help
catch that.

Dave
Not a doctor.. just a Nurse, A Paramedic, A Pilot.. and a patient.

Roger Halstead wrote:
On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 18:49:41 GMT, Dave S
wrote:


Without getting too much into your business, make sure this doc did
everything right.. the labwork, the EKG and the Chest Xray. Look at the
AOPA site regarding hypertension and make sure your ducks are in a row..
it may allow you to renew your next medical a little easier.


I think mark has it right.
First, call the AOPA and discuss it with them. They can not only tell
you what you will need at your medical, but they will evaluate the
medications as well. You can also download a PDF that informs your DR
of what information is needed.

There is nothing about a Chest Xray for just high BP.

I was diagnosed with mild hypertension. My DR put me on a med to
lower the BP and another to lower the borderline cholesterol.

About 6 months later and right before my medical was due, I went in
again, had the periodic BP checks, the ECG (used to be EKG) and the
blood work. BP is good and cholesterol is perfect. I also lead a
very active life style with a lot of exercise.

Sailed through the exam. AME told me to expect a letter in 60 to 90
days that would probably request another set of tests prior to my next
medical, but there shouldn't be any problems.

Of course with the FAA you never know for sure.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com



Dave

Steve Robertson wrote:

Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

Thanks!!

Steve Robertson
N4732J 1967 Beechcraft A23-24 Musketeer

You might want to consider getting your medical out of the way
*before* you start your BP meds.

The FAA seems much less worried about high BP readings than it does
about medications.

On Wed, 17 Mar 2004 19:00:52 GMT, "Casey Wilson"
wrote:

Steve Robertson wrote:
Can anyone list or point me to a list of blood pressure medications that
the FAA will accept for a 3rd class medical? My regular doc will likely
start me on meds next week and I want to know what's okay and what's
not.

I am not a physician but I'm sure that in any case, you will not get
your 3rd Class certificate immediately. You must be on the medication for
some months while submitting to evaluation by your physician. That includes
periodic BP measurements and blood tests. The BP is to see if the meds are
working and the blood work is to see that the chemistry is not destroying
your liver.
Do go to the AOPA medical info site and put questions to those folks.
Their job is to make sure you are correctly informed.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 06:19:32 GMT, Dave S
wrote:

Roger.. the FAA may not require the chest Xray, but it would be a sound
medical practice to obtain one, along with the EKG. High Blood Pressure

But that has nothing to do with the question.
The question was about what the FAA will want and what to expect.

Most of us get regular and comprehensive physicals with X-Rays, EKGs,
blood work, psa... and the fence post exam ... IE the whole 9 yards
every couple of years.

But for the original question, of course the AOPA medical line is the
authoritative source and will even provide the paper work to fill out.
BTW, my AME sent me a copy of the same paper work prior to the exam.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com