PPL with Meds

[dwabo1981]

hi, my first post..seems to have disappeared.. so I'll start again..
I'm just a few hours into my PPL but have a long term back issue..
before forking out a lot of money on training and medicals etc can anyone advise me if I am able to take Gabapentin whilst I am training...and furthermore..able to gain my PPL whilst on this medication.
This is for nerve pain due to a disc related injury that gives me sciatica. Thanks

[DX Wombat]

Ring the Medical Dept of the CAA. The staff there are friendly, helpful people who may even be able to suggest some approved alternatives if Gabapentin is not on the approved list.

[gingernut]

From memory, when others have posted on here, I think the answer was no, I think it reduces the "fit threshold."

However, that was some time ago, and it's likely that things may have changed. Gabapentin is now used fairly extensively (and successfully) for nerve type pain.

Certainly worth contacting the CAA as DX suggests.

[Mimpe]

I'm an Australan DAME. Iwill hazard a guess that as a CPL I dont like your like your chances. As a PPL some juristictions might look at the particulars of the case and give you some indication. Get your medical done early so you dont waste too much training money. Both the pain and the medication pose some limitations for flying. If its ananatomical neve root pain causedby impingement a surgical option with cessation of gabapentin might work out.

[dwabo1981]

The injury and subsequent nerve pain was from nerve root impingement at l5/s1...however surgery has been ruled out... due to the time frame since injury and relative improvement since...however the nerve pain still persists..
maybe I will try to come off the meds..for all they do to pursue my love of aviation...
I have contacted the UK CAA for advice as I don't want to pay out for training, if a licence is unobtainable!

[gingernut]

good luck and please let us know how you get on :)

[Phororhacos]

I think you may find that the UK CAA medical department will no longer advise you directly and will suggest you talk to an AME. This is a change of policy over the last few years.

They have however put a huge amount of their aeromedical guidance in the public domain. So if you go to Centrally Acting Medication | Medical | Personal Licences and Training (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2499&pagetype=90&pageid=13850), then halfway down the page you will find an answer.The problem is that it probably is not the answer you wish to see. It states.. Gabapentin, pregabalin and carbamazepine prescribed for neuropathic pain and valproate for migraine prophylaxis are disqualifying for EASA medical certification because of the risk of unacceptable side effects.

[dwabo1981]

Phororhacos, Thanks, that's the info I got from contacting an AME...
Not necessarily the answer I wanted to see..but what I was half expecting to see/hear.
Over the last few weeks I have reduced the meds somewhat...In a bid to see if they were actually helping or not..and to come off them...and they haven't made too much difference either way...
so the next step is to completely come off them to pursue my dream of gaining my PPL..