Class 1 medical and depression drugs
 

I have done a search on pprune but couldnt find any mention hence the following question.

I am about to go and get my class 1 medical booked in HOWEVER, I am currently taking a antidepressant drug. Is Serttraline - Hydrocloride 100mg a day or ZOloft.

I suffered from a touch of "black dog" due to a string of personal hassles throughout last year / in the later part of 2007, and on the advice of my GP went on this to help get over the hump. Feeling alot better, and will probably come of the crap soon I hope. Not full blown "kill myself depression" however defiantley hit a rough patch - something that in 37 years I had never experienced.

I was planning to crank up / get my PPL current again and finish off my cpl I started a few years back. Hence the need for medical. I am just wondering whether I am going to get my medical or I will have to suspend my training plans and stop taking this stuff.

Anyone got any experience with medicals and this.:ok:

http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/index.asp

Its not up yet, but check back in a couple of days for an update.

The general consensus is, a pilot flying on antidepressants is a safer option than flying with untreated depression.
Also, they recognise the fact that grounding a pilot because he's depressed is only going to depress the poor pilot further, not make him feel cheerful.

Having said that, read the Silk Air article in the same magazine..

For what it's worth, that particular drug is not allowed by the FAA for use by pilots in the United States.
Whether it's the same in Australia, I'm not qualified to say.

Consensus of whom?
Question is should a pilot suffering from depression be flying at all?
I certainly would not like to be a passenger in a plane flown by a pilot with such a condition.
Medications don't always work.
What if he/she gets stuck overnight somewhere due to a mechanical problem and doesn't have medication with him/her for the next day?
I'm sorry but the fact that a poor pilot may become more depressed if he loses his/her medical and is grounded is not my concern as a paying customer, that can probably be fixed with appropriate medication. As a fellow pilot, I'd feel very sorry for them.
But being able to fly professionally is not a right. If you are responsible for the safety of others then you need to be up to scratch. We all face that possibly that one day we may not pass the test and will have to give up flying, that's why they invented sailing or (insert other leisure activity here).

I speak from experience of knowing someone who suffers from depression and has at times had suicidal thoughts and someone else who carried out his suicidal thoughts.

Seems all of these cases are looked at individually. After your medical gets sent to CASA, you might be asked to provide a report from your doctor and maybe a psychiatrist. Both will cost you - especially if a $450/hour shrink thinks he needs to evlauate you in a bit more detail. (and why wouldn't he at that price?) That's all about a backside covering exercise by our regulator of course . When you get a report that is reasonably positive, they send it to CASA where it will languish for a few months. Then all being well, you get a medical certificate, quite possibly class one if that is what you aksed for. The only sting is that it will probably say 'renew by CASA only'. That means you have to go through it all again when you renew. Eventually, if you are off medication and well for a couple of renewals you might get the renew by CASA removed. You really have to be careful who gives the report. There are DAME's around who are also psychiatrists who might be more understanding of the avaition risk. Some are scared to put their names on the line due to posssible litigation risk because they don't understand the situation.

The DAME's manual on the CASA website gives information on various depressive conditions and how they view different types of medication. I know of one person who is/was on Zoloft and has a class one.

Whatever, the good thing is that unlike some, the insightful CASA medical dept will allow you to fly after depression - Seems they have the sense to realise that it is better to be treated rather than not. However, it makes you wonder how many are actually flying with untreated conditions or just keep quiet at the renewal. Depression is very common and quite difficult to detect soemtimes. (Don't ask me how I know all of this.)

There are many pilots (Aussies) flying commercially and taking drugs such as Zoloft. Know of one who has been taking such for in excess of thirty years and still in the cockpit with an ATPL. The Australian authority treats each on a case by case basis, as you would expect and hope, and my experience is that they are extremely pro-active in helping the individual return to the cockpit as quickly as is possible, to the extent of the department head prodding reluctant medical practitioners to append their signatures to a document quoting their professional opinions. They do make the renewal “CASA only” but they didn’t in my experience at the time, engage in a jump through the hoops, move the goal posts routine.

Our bank manager (late thirties) only last week committed suicide, probably as a result of familial issues, but not every depressed person is going down the road to a suicidal outcome, and in my eyes the issue is no different than say someone still flying following heart surgery. The medical profession make a judgement call as to the individuals suitability to continue sitting in seat 0A or seat 0B. Unfortunately the condition does have a large stigma attached to it in the eyes of many, but that only reflects their lack of knowledge.

flyingtake2 - PM me if you wish, but I would go get my medical and see what the department has to say. From what you have said in your post, with out getting your hopes up, it sounds like you would have little difficulty. :ok:

SSRI's
 

Flyingtake2
don't be discouraged and good luck with your ambition.
Drugs like SSRi's can change depressed peoples lives and there is a lot of misinformation peddled about them.
In most cases, there are no side effects that would interfere with your ability to fly safely.
I disagree with the previous posters fears as a passenger - they are irrational and appear not to be based on any detailed knowledge.
I suspect some violent disagreement may follow, but I speak from personal knowledge that it is even possible to safely fly military fast jets while taking these medications.
Many of our colleagues in all branches of aviation struggle with this illness.
Much better to be taking well researched and widely prescribed drugs, under the guidance of a competent doc. than have to suffer from untreated depression impairing your decision making ability, and possibly ultimately, your own and others safety.

Aerobatics is the best antidepressant I know of! Doesn't matter what's going on, nothing like 4G or inverted to make you smile again :)

flyingtake2
SSRI drugs are readily approved for pilots by CASA on a case by case basis. A person in a position to know inside a certain pilots' association told me face to face when I informed him officially that I was taking Zoloft that there were 400 other pilots on SSRI in the airline that he knew of at that time.

I took Zoloft for almost 2 years and CASA were fine with that, just requiring, for each ATP renewal, a letter from my "treating physician" who happened to be my local GP attesting that I was not suicidal, not homicidal and coping well with the side effects. At no time was I required to consult a shrink. As an aside, the common side effects are loss of appetite and reduced libido. Given what precipitated my depression - messy divorce - I was pleased to have those side effects at the time!!

Bottom line - depression is a medical condition just like, say, appendicitis is a medical condition. Both are curable with appropriate treatment. I know, I am no longer suffering depression. Do not be tempted to give the medication away too fast though. Think of it as a splint - a part of you is a bit frail right now and needs support so wait until it is strong again.

On a practical note, because you will be on CASA only renewal, get your ATP medical done the first possible day and turn up to your DAME with your physician's letter and any required blood tests etc. completed and those results in your hand - check the DAME handbook on line. That will give CASA a chance to process your renewal before time gets seriously tight for you.

Good luck! :ok: