Ok, but you've been taking "insert drug here", for ten years, under
supervision, and have shown no side effects. Now do you think that the label
that says "Could" or "Possibly" still apply to you? I've flown with a
depressed pilot, on and off for 14 years. He eventually tried to kill
himself in a lear24 with me as the co-pilot. Do you think anyone was better
off for his lack of treatment? Not me. Ymmv.

Also, Jim has a point. There are people out there with a minor imbalance
in blood chemicals, that can be chemically treated successfully without side
effects.
Once they are fixed, why muck with them anymore?

Al CFIAMI

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote in message
...

"Jim" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:27:14 -0600, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote:


"Jim" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 08:15:13 -0600, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote:


"Roger" wrote in message
om...

As do many over-the-counter meds. You take them for a while to see
if
there is any adverse side effects and if none, you fly.

Quite some time back I took an antibiotic which killed all the good
critters as well as the bad. I didn't fly, of course part of that
was
because I didn't dare get more than about a 100 feet from the can for
a while.

Many people have some reaction to specific foods and probably most
haven't even made the connection. I don't know the numbers, but my
understanding is, it's quite a large number. Just because a bunch
of people have a reaction to ... say tomatoes, they are not a banned
substance and if you have an allergy or reaction to them you report
it, and stay away from tomatoes.

I agree with Ron, if the person has no adverse effects from the
drugs
and does not have physiological problems then why ban them when the
purpose for the prescription is not a problem.




There is a wide difference from the effects of a food allergy and that
of
a
psychoactive drug. The psychoactive drug effect can be very slow onset
and
not outwardly visible. Add to that the fact the effect may be that you
want
to kill yourself or someone else I think the FAA has a pretty good set
of
rules in effect on this one.


In my view, this attitude is tragic and uninformed. It ignores the
living experiences of many who benefit from these medications and who
function better with them than without them in all aspects of their
lives.

I'm not saying that the drugs aren't needed by people. Far from it. But
to
think that they can have no side effects that would negatively effect
someone's ability to safely fly an aircraft shows that you don't fully
understand how these drugs can react with different individuals.

I'm a big fan on pain medication if I've been injured. But I don't think
I
should fly while I've got a morphine drip attached to my arm.


No, this is simply not correct. I do understand. And it is shocking
to have "a morphine drip" offered as an analogy to the medications
being discussed.

That these medications, like perhaps all medications, CAN have effects
contrary to safe flying is true. That they MUST have such effects is
not true and ignores that, on the contrary, such medications CAN have
a positive effect on an individual's performance - in flying as well
as in other activities.


Now for the last time I don't think these drugs are bad I fully understand
that they help people. I do think that those that have been diagnosed with
certain conditions and/or prescribed psychoactive drugs should not be
handed a medical without going through the waiver process.


The following is a direct quote from the prescribing information from
ZOLOFT.
"
The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia,
irritability, hostility

aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness),
hypomania, and mania, have

been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with
antidepressants for major

depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and
nonpsychiatric.

Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either
the worsening of

depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses has not been
established, there is concern

that such symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suicidality.

"