Grounded for 14 days while on any medication?

[Ropey Pilot]

Hi,

Just ended up with a borderline chest infection due to working in a really dusty environment (house renovation).

Coughing up a little bit of pale yellow gunk and wheezing a little/waking up during the night.

GP gave antibiotics, a steroid inhaler due low peak flow and a ventolin inhaler for the night if required.

I feel fit to fly (the reason I suspected the chest infection in the first place was that my heart rate was unusually high during a 9-mile run and it felt harder than usual).

Anyway - called the company AME to cover my back and they grounded me (fair enough).

But - I am grounded for 14 days, apparently because I am on a new medication (new course of meds you have tried before come under the same umbrella). Is that right? The antibiotics are only for a 7 day course and the inhaler 'as required', which will probably be for a day or two.

And assuming this is right what do I get the GP to put on my sick note covering days 7-14 of absence?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

If you are a professional pilot you should not need a certificate from your GP - the word of your AME should surely be sufficient.

[Ropey Pilot]

Unfortunately anyone (professional or not) can only self-certify for 7 days, after that a doctors note is reqd.

And our company has certainly got its panties in a twist with absence management in the last few years. I'm sure the AME would have written one had I seen them - but I saw the GP (who prescribed the drugs) and telephoned the AME. So the diagnosis/treatment is by my local GP - the advice regarding the CAA comes verbally from the AME.

Presumably I just ask the GP to state what they have done. It is an airline so I would have thought they would understand. Will prob just get the GP to add - 'on advice of patient/AME' or similar wrt to the 14 day thing...

[Cough]

I was prescribed a low dose of steroids for 3 weeks, AME grounded me for 4.

Nothing to do with the A/Biotics I was taking, purely the steroids...

For the sick note, call your doctors and ask the receptionist to get the doc to write one out - If you explain the reason they should help you.

Hope you get better!

[homonculus]

The grounding is a bit daft but it is a left over and changes occur slowly

As for the paperwork your GP can't give you anything as you are fit according to his training and standards. Your AME has grounded you in line with his instructions from the regulator and will be able to confirm this in writing. His letter will effectively say you haven't got a medical so you can't work. He won't though say you are ill. Your employer will accept you cannot operate an aircraft as you haven't got a medical.

They could of course get you to mow the grass!

[gingernut]

Could ask him for a "fit note."

The onus is on fitness rather than sickness. I use them all the time, and find them useful all round usually.

Difficult for me to comment without knowing the full circumstances, but it wouldn't be unreasonable for your GP to issue a fit note, with conditions attached eg. "Not fit to fly at altitude" for 2 weeks or so. He's not playing AME, but it should cover all bases. The onus is then on your employer to find a job that suits for 2 weeks or so. (Which may include mowing the grass!).

To be honest, with your symptoms, which may also include a fever and malaise, it's also not unreasonable for you GP just to sign you off "sick" for 2 weeks, irrespective of what he know's about aviation.

[gingernut]

as an afterthought, it's important to let your GP know of the implications of an enthusiastic medical label.

Chest infection or viral wheeze would look wonderful on your sick/fit note.

URTI would look even better.

Asthma would make less of an impression:ok:

[Ropey Pilot]

I'm probably making too much out of the paper trail bit - I'm sure it will be fine!

Called the AME back and she confirmed that the grounding was for each and every one of the drugs (including the antibiotics:uhoh:).

Problem is that the AME can't certify anything having not seen me personally, all she can do is offer advice over the phone. I called the GP receptionist about the sick note - gave her the gist of what it needed to say and she told me I can pick it up on Mon... Will doff my cap to each and every manager who wishes when I report for work next:hmm:

Tried stressing to the GP that it was a dust allergy and not asthma that caused this and she was adamant that it is the same thing (just not exercise-induced asthma). Told her about the implications of oral steroid pills (CAA Cat 1 med no-no) when suggested so hopefully she won't word the letter too strongly! Anyway a single diagnosis (mis-diagnosis?) in a 7 min GP appointment does not lose a medical.

The main thing I am taking away from this is the fortnights grounding after taking anything:eek: I have had the odd 3 day course of antibiotics a couple of times over the years and not thought twice about it. Back in Lizzies airline we had to have the SAM (military AME) prescribe paracetemol for a headache - I thought Civ-Air was different; but given the lack of info on this sort of thing (all AME restricted stuff) it looks not.

Is there anywhere with this kind of info - the CAA med pages are useless; FAQs limited to saying some pilots had antihistamenes in their system following accidents - do't take Clarytin kids! I'm not looking for the BNF - just that I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't know about the 14 day rule for any new course of meds - even if you have taken them before

[DX Wombat]

Desloratidine (NeoClarityn - Brand name) is acceptable to the CAA.
I take it for my dustmite allergy and I do not have asthma - I've an almost permanently blocked nose if I don't take it and that can progress to sinusitis.

[homonculus]

IMHO the note should say 'chest infection'

Nothing more, nothing less

If you are coughing up coloured sputum you have a chest infection. The dusty environment may have made it worse but isn't the cause. Any wheeze is reactive or secondary.

The drugs are irrelevant.

I would be worried having steroids or wheeze or reaction to dust anywhere on my record.

Sorry if I am paranoid