Skip to main content

Can you be a pilot if you take antidepressants?

Psychiatric Conditions. The use of a psychotropic drug is disqualifying for aeromedical certification purposes. This includes all sedatives, tranquilizers, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs (including SSRI's - see exceptions), analeptics, anxiolytics, and hallucinogens.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

What antidepressants are approved for pilots?

Can Pilots Take Antidepressants?
  • The SSRI pathway only allows consideration for pilots who take fluoxetine (Prozac), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), or sertraline (Zoloft).
  • Other antidepressants do not have a Special Issuance pathway.
  • It does not matter if the antidepressant was taken for a medical problem.
Takedown request View complete answer on aviationpsychiatry.com

Does depression disqualify you from being a pilot?

The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

What medications disqualify you from being a pilot?

Opiates, such as Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Percodan, Oxycontin. Muscle relaxants, such as Soma, Sonata, Flexeril. Anicholinergics, such as Levsin, Bnetyl, Transderm Scop. Sedating antihistamines, such as Benadryl, Chlorpheniramine, Zyrtec.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

What anxiety medication is approved for pilots?

For those who have recurrent depression or anxiety, the FAA requires ongoing treatment with a single allowed SSRI medication (only Lexapro, Zoloft, Celexa, or Prozac are currently eligible) under SSRI Pathway II.
Takedown request View complete answer on aviationmedicine.com

Pilot Minute: What should I do if I have depression or anxiety?

Can pilots be on ADHD medication?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ), formerly called Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD ), and medications used for treatment may result in cognitive deficits that would make an airman unsafe to perform pilot duties.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

Can military pilots take antidepressants?

Can a service member who has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder and is being treated with psychotropic medication maintain their military flight status while in treatment? YES!
Takedown request View complete answer on health.mil

Can you be a pilot with prescription?

In the United States, commercial pilots are required to have 20/20 vision when piloting the aircraft. However, this is not always biologically possible, and so the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does allow its pilots to complete their eye-testing with prescription eyeglasses or with contact lenses.
Takedown request View complete answer on simpleflying.com

Will PTSD disqualify me from being a pilot?

While your PTSD may be in remission, the FAA can still consider you for certification even if you are receiving counseling for PTSD. Specifically, the FAA will frequently issue a special issuance authorization to airmen who require ongoing counseling for PTSD.
Takedown request View complete answer on thepilotlawyer.com

Are all pilots drug tested?

Yes, airline pilots do get drug tested.

Pilots are subject to several types of testing, including pre-employment, random testing, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and return-to-duty drug testing. Learn how to become an airline pilot in 2023!
Takedown request View complete answer on thepilotguys.com

What percentage of pilots are depressed?

The team conducted a survey of more than 1,000 pilots worldwide in 2019 and found that 18% had moderate depression and 80% moderate burnout.
Takedown request View complete answer on theguardian.com

Are pilots mental health checked?

Although the Federal Aviation Administration requires physicals every year for commercial pilots under 40 and every six months for those older, the FAA does not require psychological checks. The FAA-approved doctors order testing only if they think a pilot needs it.
Takedown request View complete answer on smithsonianmag.com

Do pilots have a high rate of depression?

Pilots suffer from anxiety and depression just as the rest of the population does. But they seem to be even less likely than those in other careers to seek support and treatment.
Takedown request View complete answer on flyingmag.com

Can you take antidepressants as a flight attendant?

Any prior history of mental illness and antidepressant use is not accepted for cabin crew.
Takedown request View complete answer on simpleflying.com

What are the 4 SSRIs allowed by FAA?

The Examiner may not issue.
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • Sertraline (Zoloft)
  • Citalopram (Celexa)
  • Escitalopram (Lexapro) If the applicant is on a SSRI that is not listed above, the Examiner must advise that the medication is not acceptable for SI/SC.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

What health conditions prevent you from being a pilot?

These medical conditions include a personality disorder manifested by overt acts, a psychosis, alcoholism, drug dependence, epilepsy, an unexplained disturbance of consciousness, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and diabetes requiring medication for its control.
Takedown request View complete answer on faa.gov

Can airline pilots take anxiety medication?

The FAA allows a pilot's use of these medications on a case-by-case basis and requires a special issuance medical certificate. If the pilot continues to take the SSRI, they would have to go through additional examinations to maintain their flight status, Ison says.
Takedown request View complete answer on psychcentral.com

Does anxiety or depression disqualify you from the military?

A history of depressive or anxiety symptoms may be considered for waiver if treatment has been completed and a period of convincing stability demonstrated without need for ongoing medication or psychotherapy.
Takedown request View complete answer on academyadmissions.com

Does having depression and anxiety disqualify you from the military?

Having a previously diagnosed mental health condition such as depression can actually be a disqualifying factor for service in the United States military, though individuals may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Takedown request View complete answer on brainsway.com

What medication can you not fly with?

These include any hormone-based drugs, like the contraceptive pill and some fertility medicines, and drugs used to prevent heart attack and stroke. Antihistamines should also not be used to help passengers sleep during a flight.
Takedown request View complete answer on theconversation.com

Do I need 20 20 vision to be a pilot?

What are the FAA standards for vision? Federal Aviation Regulations require that a pilot's distant vision be 20/20 or better, with or without correction, in EACH eye separately to hold a first or second class medical certificate. The standard for near visual acuity (16″) is 20/40 in each eye separately.
Takedown request View complete answer on aviationmedicine.com

Can you be prescribed Xanax and be a pilot?

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has a list of these medications that are not allowed for pilots who hold FAA-issued medical certificates, because the FAA has determined that they have the potential to interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft. Xanax is one of these medications.
Takedown request View complete answer on flyingmag.com

Does mental illness disqualify you from the draft?

According to the Department of Defense, you're disqualified from serving in the U.S. military if you have a current diagnosis or a history of most mental disorders. The presence of any disorder with psychotic features, such as schizophrenia or a delusional disorder, does not allow one to serve.
Takedown request View complete answer on verywellmind.com

What percentage of the military is on antidepressants?

Antidepressants and anticonvulsants are the most common mental health medications prescribed to service members. Seventeen percent of the active-duty force, and as much as 6 percent of deployed troops, are on antidepressants, Brig. Gen.
Takedown request View complete answer on militarytimes.com

Can you get deployed on antidepressants?

Antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed and generally do not limit deployability. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in treating depression and anxiety with very limited side effects.
Takedown request View complete answer on deploymentpsych.org
Close Menu