Question for the Flight Physician

Matt Barrow wrote:


I prefer Hoyo de Monterrey's to help me quit smoking.

In maduro.

Blech...I was about to agree with you until you mentioned maduro
and then I realized you were taking about the Honduran version
rather than the cubans.

Denny wrote:
I am prescribing Chantix frequently - while Chantix is not the safest
drug ever made, it is head and shoulders better than the risk from
continuing to smoke...

My judgement is that the FAA medical staff will not approve it's use
in flight...


It'd be a shame. This drug looks like the one we've been looking for. My
patients who've been on it report ZERO urge to smoke.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Montblack writes:

http://www.modafinil.com/
...modafinil ('Provigil', 'Alertec', 'Vigicer', 'Modalert', etc) is a
memory-improving and mood-brightening psychostimulant. It enhances
wakefulness and vigilance, but its pharmacological profile is notably
different from the amphetamines, methylphenidate (Ritalin) or cocaine.
Modafinil is less likely to cause jitteriness, anxiety, or excess locomotor
activity - or lead to a hypersomnolent 'rebound effect' - than traditional
stimulants. Subjectively, it feels smoother and cleaner than the
amphetamines too. It may even be anxiolytic.

Amphetamines were long the stimulant of choice for the military.

Denny writes:

I am prescribing Chantix frequently - while Chantix is not the safest
drug ever made, it is head and shoulders better than the risk from
continuing to smoke...


It strongly binds to nicotinic receptors (which is probably a neutral
to the FAA)..
But it moderately binds to 5-HT receptors (which the FAA gets nervous
about)..

Selected (by me) findings are "frequent" chest pain, cardiac
arrythmias, elevated liver enzymes, and edema...
But more importantly, "frequent" anxiety, depression, and
irritability...

My judgement is that the FAA medical staff will not approve it's use
in flight...

Since Chantix is not something that a person takes for prolonged periods, it
shouldn't be a problem. It might be necessary to abstain from flying for the
course of a 12- or 24-week treatment program, but that's all.

Mortimer Schnerd, RN writes:

It'd be a shame. This drug looks like the one we've been looking for. My
patients who've been on it report ZERO urge to smoke.

They don't have to remain on it for a lifetime, and once they are off it, it's
no longer a concern for aviation.

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
Is the FAA aware of a new anti-smoking drug called Chantix? More to the
point, do hey have an official position on it? For most of my career, we
always used Nicoderm patches on those inpatients who smoked... with very
uneven results. I have, within the last few months, become aware of
Chantix and its ability to totally kill the desire to smoke. Before I
suggest it to a friend of mine who flies for a commuter, I want to be able
to say one way or the other if it will affect his ability to fly while
he's taking it. If not, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut; he'd never
look into it in that case.

Gentlemen?

Although it doesn't agree with Dr. Atkielski's advice, I found this when I
googled AOPA CHANTIX:

http://www.vansairforce.net/old_news.htm
- TRYING TO STOP SMOKING?...from aopa site
The FAA allows pilots taking a new smoking-cessation drug, Chantix, to
continue flying as long as they have a status report from their treating
physician that confirms they have not experienced any adverse side effects.
Chewing gums that help you stop smoking are also permitted. But a
prescription medication, Bupropion, marketed as Zyban and Wellbutrin, which
is commonly prescribed for smoking cessation, is an antidepressant and
cannot be taken while flying. Current FAA policy does not allow pilots to
fly while using antidepressants. If you are using Bupropion to stop smoking,
you must be off it for 30 days before flying.

On Aug 22, 7:24 am, Denny wrote:
I am prescribing Chantix frequently - while Chantix is not the safest
drug ever made, it is head and shoulders better than the risk from
continuing to smoke...

It strongly binds to nicotinic receptors (which is probably a neutral
to the FAA)..
But it moderately binds to 5-HT receptors (which the FAA gets nervous
about)..


It looks like that the drug only moderately binds to the 5-HT3
receptor, and not the other seratonin receptors (at least from a quick
read). Since 5-HT3 isn't G protien coupled, it may be more "approval
friendly?" Or, from what I remember, SSRIs actually don't have a
specific affinity to the 5-HT receptors, but that the antagonism of
the receptors is hypothesized to be a side effect of other protien
bindings. shrug

As a side note, thanks for the info, I'll ask my doc about it...

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Mortimer Schnerd, RN writes:

It'd be a shame. This drug looks like the one we've been looking
for. My patients who've been on it report ZERO urge to smoke.

They don't have to remain on it for a lifetime, and once they are off
it, it's no longer a concern for aviation.


So now you're a flight physician as well?


Fjukkwit


Bertie

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Denny writes:

I am prescribing Chantix frequently - while Chantix is not the safest
drug ever made, it is head and shoulders better than the risk from
continuing to smoke...


It strongly binds to nicotinic receptors (which is probably a neutral
to the FAA)..
But it moderately binds to 5-HT receptors (which the FAA gets nervous
about)..

Selected (by me) findings are "frequent" chest pain, cardiac
arrythmias, elevated liver enzymes, and edema...
But more importantly, "frequent" anxiety, depression, and
irritability...

My judgement is that the FAA medical staff will not approve it's use
in flight...

Since Chantix is not something that a person takes for prolonged
periods, it shouldn't be a problem. It might be necessary to abstain
from flying for the course of a 12- or 24-week treatment program, but
that's all.


Your loing history of medication doesn't make you qualified to make these
kind of statements, luser boi

Bertie

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Montblack writes:

http://www.modafinil.com/
...modafinil ('Provigil', 'Alertec', 'Vigicer', 'Modalert', etc) is a
memory-improving and mood-brightening psychostimulant. It enhances
wakefulness and vigilance, but its pharmacological profile is notably
different from the amphetamines, methylphenidate (Ritalin) or
cocaine. Modafinil is less likely to cause jitteriness, anxiety, or
excess locomotor activity - or lead to a hypersomnolent 'rebound
effect' - than traditional stimulants. Subjectively, it feels
smoother and cleaner than the amphetamines too. It may even be
anxiolytic.

Amphetamines were long the stimulant of choice for the military.




Good grief

Bertie