Answers For Pilots: Certain antidepressants are now FAA-allowed
Most of us who’ve lived awhile have gone through some turbulent times—relationships gone sour, a loved one’s illness or death, or a really bad financial break. We get knocked down, shake it off, and get up to carry on, again. But, sometimes it’s hard to recover.
If you mention a life crisis to a physician, he or she usually suggests you consider taking an antidepressant to help you cope with it. While thousands of nonpilots have found some help working through their tough times by taking prescribed antidepressants, pilots could not do so without invalidating their airman medical certificates, since until recently the FAA had not allowed the use of any antidepressants for any condition.
But the FAA announced in April that it will consider individuals for special issuance medical certification who are being treated for depression with one of four antidepressant medications, specifically Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, or Lexapro. And, there’s a six-month amnesty period that ends September 30 during which pilots who took those antidepressants before they were FAA-allowed, but did not disclose their antidepressant use on their medical applications, can ’fess up without fear of prosecution. Read all about it online. Watch AOPA’s free medical webinar, July 20, at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Sign up online. Call AOPA’s Pilot Information Center at 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.
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