Allergy medicine - relief or not?
As I aged I have developed seasonal allergies to pollen/grasses. Some years it is worse than others. Two FAA physical doctors ago, the original physician has since moved on to another field, put me on a non-drowsy allergy relief medicine (FAA approved). The results were wonderful; about a week later all symptoms were gone.
But his replacement, my current FAA doctor has a different philosophy. To sum it up it goes something like this; if you don’t feel well enough to fly and want to take something to feel better then you are not well enough to fly. Consequently this physician doesn’t want me taking any medication of any kind if I am flying. I have no other medical issues in the background nor is my health “fragile”. I can’t afford 3 – 4 months of sick leave each year. With the previous doc, in the same office, the solution was to take a widely available allergy pill once a day for 3 to 4 months and I felt fine. With the current doc the program seems to be-tough it out-or don’t fly.
So, I have been enduring the typical symptoms for the last two months and it is getting very old. I’m thinking of finding another doctor over this point. Why, if the symptoms can be treated with an approved over the counter medication, should I not take that medication? Is this zero tolerance for ‘approved’ medication a widely held position?