Citaloperam

[747dreamliner]

I started taking citaloperam 20mg due to mild obsessive compulsive disorder. 1 per day. after 2 days I have sudden instances of nausea which go away quickly. Can it be due to the medication? will it affect my flying? and does it have interaction with Glucosamine,Chondroitine,MSM?
p.s: I fly gliders and single engines.

[robbor]

Citalopram is an SSRI and widely prescribed for anxiety and depression. It is generally well tolerated by people who take it producing only minimal side effects. Mild nausea is common within the first week but should soon abate. Do make sure you take it in the morning only and helpful to take with some food. Also, you should keep going on it for at least 6 months otherwise the chances of the problem returning are much increased. In terms of the effects on your ability to handle an aircraft, it is less sedating than other similar medications so should produce little in the way of unwanted effects. Sertraline (Lustral) - another SSRI, is actually more widely prescribed for obsessive compulsive disorder. You may wish to check and be re-assed by a specialist psychiatrist.

However, there are two issues here. First, anxiety/OCD can affect your abilty to focus on the task of piloting. Granted, most people would favour a precise, obsessive and fastidious pilot! But we are talking about degrees here. The second is, there is not a single licencing authority in the world that does not require you to report to them that you are taking such medications. Sadly, knowledge of this can lead to their suspending your medical until they are happy that the symptoms are clear. This may seem harsh but consider too the legal implications and those pertaining to your insurances if things go wrong. Even if it is not your fault, you are probably breaking a licencing rule by not reporting this to them. It is unlikely that you would have been advised of this by your doctor unless he/she was an avition medical examiner.

There is also the option of trying cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist as an adjunct or replacement to medication, especially if the symptoms are mild.

[Thary79]

The case in the UK, and hence I presume other JAR states; is that you need to tell your AME if you start taking medication - invariably the least restriction will be not to fly for a minimum of 30 days (it could be worse), to ensure there are no adverse effects with the meds.

Sorry

I'd check with your AME, because it's been over a year since I last checked the rules.