ADHD Medication and Commercial Pilots
In a recent post, Angie posted a comment, asking about ADHD Medication and being a commercial pilot. She says that she has a friend who believes that he has ADHD, but is scared to seek help because he is worried about keeping his job.
I wanted to add this comment as a full post - mainly because I need your help.
I have searched online and found three articles which may help to guide anyone concerned about being a pilot with ADD/ADHD. I would love to hear from anyone who has experience in this field - just go to the bottom of this post, and enter a comment to share your thoughts and experiences.
I will tell you that since there are great data showing that drivers who have ADD/ADHD are much safer when they are taking their medication, I would like to think that a pilot would be encouraged to take his/her ADHD medication as needed, for everyone’s safety.
The magazine ADDitude, answers a pilot’s question about Ritalin here. In summary, the FAA would not approve Ritalin, and it could show up in screening urine tests. This article suggests that the FAA may allow other ADHD medications in pilots.
This site reviews the medicines that the FAA allows in pilots. This site suggests that the FAA generally does not approve any of the ADD/ADHD medications - Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera (and I presume this would include the other preparations like Metadate CD, Ritalin LA, Daytrana (the Ritalin Patch), Biphentin, Focalin, Dexedrine, Dexedrine Spansules, Adderall XR). The article does say that the FAA may approve these in special circumstances.
Finally, at risk of being political here - I recall an incident of ‘friendly fire’ in Afghanistan. American pilots mistook Canadian soldiers on the ground for the enemy, and fired on them. Several Canadian soldiers died and were injured. When the investigation took place - one issue which came up was the use of ‘go pills’ by the American pilots.
“Go pills” are dexedrine - the amphetamine used to treat ADD/ADHD. Click here for a full review of go pills. This article explains that Dexedrine is given to help to prevent ‘pilot fatigue’ in the militar. The go pills are used because more pilots and planes have been lost in wars due to fatigue, rather than due to combat.
However, the article explains that civilian pilots are not allowed to have anything stronger than caffeine to battle fatigue. It doesn’t mention the use of Dexedrine to treat ADD/ADHD.
So, in the end, I am still not sure what would be allowed for a commercial pilot with ADD/ADHD to take for hes/her condition.
My hope is that this industry would be willing to be open to the recognition of and treatment of ADD/ADHD, because of the possible improvements in safety if ADD/ADHD is well treated.
However, the concern from a pilot may be that if this condition is brought forward, that he/she may lose the ability to keep flying.
This topic brings up several important questions for me, and I am going to pose them here to see if you (my readers) can help to shed some light on them:
- Do you think that pilots may have higher rates of ADD/ADHD than the general public? I guess I wonder if the allure to flying may attract people who think quickly, and are willing to ‘push the envelope’ more - i.e. ADD/ADHD’ers.
- If you were a passenger on a commercial airplane, would you want your pilot’s ADD/ADHD treated with medication, or not?
- Do you have any experience with or know of someone’s experience with the FAA to get ADD/ADHD treated with medication?
- Do you know of anyone who ‘lost his wings’ because of coming forward with a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hopefully we can help to share ideas here, and support the pilots who are in the ranks of ADD/ADHD.
If you think of someone who may benefit from reading this article, please click the little envelope below, and send them an invitation to come to this site.
Wishing you safe flights,
Dr. Kenny Handelman
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Written by Dr. Kenny Handelman - The ADHD Doctor
To find get a FREE special report on ADD/ADHD Medication, visit: Medication Mastery
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Technorati Tags: ADHD Medication, commercial pilot, FAA, go pills
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May 7th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Hello,
My son is wanting to get his private pilots license and then go forward with commercial pilot. Please, please help with any info you have on how we could go about this. He takes adderall but only during school. Not on vacations, weekends ect.
Thank you,
Mary Howell
May 10th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Hi Mary,
Thank you for asking your question.
I am sorry to say that I don’t know any more about someone with ADD or ADHD becoming a pilot than I have written above.
I would suggest calling the FAA, or visiting their website to ask the question.
I would think that you could ask anonymously - or even get an aunt or uncle to call if you are worried about health privacy.
Please read the article above, and do your best.
Please let us know what you find out!
Thanks,
Dr. Kenny
September 22nd, 2007 at 8:28 pm
ADHD does limit your ability to get your Class 1 medical licence (requiered to become a commercial pilot) If your son can prove that he does not need his medicane he might have a chance. I have gone through this and please tell him it is worth every bit of effort.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I have just finished battling with the FAA over this subject. I went off my medication about 4 months ago, almost completed my flight training, then the FAA sends me a letter. I had to do a battery of psychological tests and a memory test, a personality profile, among other things. After proving to them that you are capable off your medication, they will allow you to fly. Also look at this website : http://www.tastesoftheworld.net/Coffee-ADD-ADHD-Press.html
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Funny.. I’ve read alot of interesting info concerning add/adhd and pretty much diagnosed myself…. and would like to see if meds would combat the issues… but like all other employed pilots… the use of ritalin and other related treatments would be a career deal breaker….why doesn’t the FAA sponsor some sort of Study?… could use the full motion simulators.. and see what .. if any performance enahncement in piloting would take place if a civilian were to act as pic on adhd meds… the whole idea of being more systematic and mentally sharper in the cockpit would seem to be a benefit…. not a saftey hazard… as far as the military pilots on go pills… well… none of us non military flyboys take off with defense weapons… so I’m fairly confident we wouldn’t encounter a similar issue…. gotta go
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 am
Sadly the FAA and the Australian equivalent CASA are disappointingly taking an incredible stance on this issue.
It is outright discrimination and Dr Handelman correctly points out that drivers with ADD/HD who take their medication are safer, however there is no ‘real’ danger when they are not taking their medication either! if there were significant data showing ADD/HD being an issue whilst not taking medication then you can be assured that this would have been addressed long ago. A car is equally dangerous to people as an aircraft in fact one could safely argue that for the general aviation sense that it is indeed more so, if only on the basis that a motor vehicle is designed to absorb impact and can continue driving onto another accident whereas an aircraft will not do this.
QEEG and other physiological testing can show ADD activity in the brain and further investigation in this area would (hopefully) put to rest the ensuing argument about over prescription. Ritalin et al is not alone amongst many medications that are used by the medical profession and not fully understood.
Being a person with ADDHD and diagnosed in the ’80s and subsequently trialled almost (well feels like it) every form of testing available, I can honestly say with complete honesty that this is unfair and implore any medico seeking a doctorate or reputation to research this area further. There is no good reason for this ban to continue, and with 90+ hours under my belt, I let my secret slip and lost my medical a few years ago! However this hasn’t prevented me from racing Karts, shooting, or after much hard work becoming a lawyer.
It still to this day strikes me as the greatest injustice allowed to continue that the US Air Force provide ‘go pills’ to pilots flying multi million dollar aircraft yet a person whom this drug has a genuine positive effect upon, will not be permitted to fly an ordinary GA craft.
I don’t believe that every person could or should be a pilot, in my aviation diploma class the person with the highest academic marks was banned from three flying schools as they believed he was dangerous. This proved without a doubt that while he had the academic mind (and no he was clearly not ADD) he simply could not fly an aircraft to save himself. The reason I’ve typed this personal anecdote is to illustrate that ‘normal’ people who do not take any form of medication can be just as dangerous or more so than the ADD one. This gent passed every theory exam with 98%+ average marks!
The only advice I can offer to any ADD/HD future pilot, is to lie and go off medication a few days before your medical examination. This isn’t the advice I would like to end with, rather it is the experience I’ve learnt and found that the less people that know, the better off I’ve been… and with the help of medication, not a single person in my professional life has any clue that I take medication.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I had been a pilot for 21 years. Over 2200 hrs with no violations, accidents, or incidents of any kind. I held an ATP. I past check rides every 6 months. Then I learned about ADD and realized I was almost a text book case with the exception of my good performance in school. At the age of 44 the diagnosis was confirmed and I began taking Adderall. The FAA denied me any class medical certificate. I took the tests, off all meds, and performed in the top 94-99 percentile in all except two. They were in the 47th percentile and 62nd. In all of its wisdom the FAA still denied my medical. This has been catastrophic for me. My advice is don’t trust the FAA to do the right thing regarding this - they won’t. That was now 9 years ago and I am tearing up as I write this. It was as if the FAA cut off my legs.
March 21st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
RD -
My heart goes out to you man! I too am a little bit emotional as I write.
I am almost 25 and have wanted to fly my entire life. The last few years I have been saving up to pay for flight school. I finally started and am about half way through my Privates license and this came up.
Yesterday I was told that because I have mild attention problems, I will never be able to be a pilot. I am left totally lost. I cant envision doing anything else with my life. I sold my business and gave up everything I have to pursue this and now don’t know what to do.
I wonder why it didn’t come up sooner. I’m sure you wonder the same thing.
I feel like I can relate to you - but on a much smaller scale. I didn’t sleep at all last night and feel so heartbroken. I can’t imagine how you felt especially being in the industry 21 years.
Best of Luck!
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Thank you to everyone who has responded! I began pilot lessons this past summer and absolutely loved it. I was picking it up quickly, and, according to my instructor, just about ready to solo with only 9 hours. When seeing the AME for my medical exam I told him that I had began taking Adderall while in school 6 months before. I had a copy of all my medical records with me, which explicitly stated that I did not need the medication outside an academic environment, and thus it was discontinued over the summer. The AME called the regional flight surgeon, and after receiving a letter from my family physician sent me my medical certificate.
I now have a letter from the FAA demanding that I send back the medical certificate. I received a letter a few months ago asking for medical records and a transcript, which I sent. The transcript indicates remarkable performance in the most difficult major at an Ivy league school; the medical records indicate a possibility of mild ADD that does not affect any aspects of my life outside of school.
So I guess I’m off to battle the FAA. Wish me luck and please respond if you have any advice!
Thank you, Mark
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Additional thanks to all that have responded and I hope that this page is still monitored.
My story plays like most of us here - A driver who makes things happen in life and can track several subjects at one time and effectivly complete all goals and tasks. One is amazed why the FAA would not require Pilots to have ADD instead of classifying this gift as as a ‘general medical condition’.
My dream and story is as follows. When I was 5 my dad took me to the tarmack and I saw my first planes - a KC-10, B-52 and other SAC related Aircraft. (he was a B-52 radar/nav/bomber) and from that moment on I fell in love with flying. When I was 10 I purchased with my hard earned money Solo Flight and was flying VOR and programming in Basic by 11. See I had a blood oath with a friend of mine in Guam that we would both be fighter pilots. (He is now an F-16 pilot). I continued this trend soaking up every flight sim I could come across and one day when I was 14 my dad broke it to me that I could not be a fighter pilot - I had corrective lenses. Crushed I pursued my other pasion in computers… then it happened -
One night at a party in college up north some kids came around that were up to no good and started causing trouble in my neighborhood - so the police show up and while chatting we asked what was the most interesting thing you have pulled over. “A truck toeing a fighter jet” - apparently we can purchase them now adays (1000 hours is the qualifyer btw) so the research began and Mig25s are not cheap nor if flying.
Several years and many learning experiences later I now have a company that is growing to a point that will supply me with said fighter jet and my ‘general medical condition’ I felt would help me get there - after all it allows one to be very safe since one does not want to die and can process things faster than the average joe.
Needless to say my battle begins and the battery of 8 - 9 tests may begin shortly. I also have not taken any medication for months and this did not seem to matter - additionally I also did not disclose that I was taking any ADD medication since I was not nor did I say I had it as to me it is not a mental disorder. Be warned to ensure that any HIPPA you need to take care of previous to getting your medical that you do so. THEY WILL take it from you and you and from what I have read will give it back after the tests. I will keep posting.
Mark please post your progress, I hope your post was more than a one time shot.
Thank you everyone and good luck.
June 4th, 2008 at 11:29 am
The timing of your post could not be better, TT. Thank you. I’ve received multiple letters from the FAA since my last post. I’ve returned my medical certificate but I am appealing the decision. They seem to expect an appeal and list a number of psychological exams I can take (with a concurrent drug test) to demonstrate my mental ability. I’m not sure whether this would lead to a SODA or what, but I’m sending a letter back to my regional flight surgeon (to whom my case has been passed on to) with these questions.
I’m starting to think that what many of us have experienced is not ADD, but another previously unclassified mental condition… not a disorder, just a difference in the way we think. The correlations I’ve seen on this blog and on another site, http://www.adhdpilots.org , are no doubt statistically significant. Many of the people reporting this problem are extremely driven: more than half of the members at adhdpilots.org are doctors already or are in medical school. I’ll be attending medical school soon, but now am finishing a degree in biomedical engineering. I’ve also adopted a passion for computers and computer programming.
I’ll keep this blog updated on how the tests go (if I do end up taking them) however the adhdpilots.org site is entirely focused on this issue and seems to need some attention lately. I hope all goes well with all of your struggles.
Mark
June 6th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Hi Mark et al,
I also believe this to be true. I am going to counseling with my wife at the moment and when I told the psychologist (not chirist) about this he asked how I was diagnosed. When I was younger I took an IQ test for verbal and one for mechanical. I was off the charts on mechanical and a little above average for verbal. Due to the varience that is why I had ADHD. Our counselor told us that was crap.
My doctor I got the medical from said that it passed right by the regional / state general and that it was pulled due to Chantix being on the list. Apparently Chantix is the new thing to pull for since it got put on the disqualify list on May 21 - I took mine in April.
Finally if you get a doc in the FAA named William Higgans (will correct if needed, I am going off memory) I am told by my doctor that he believes everyone is an alchoholic and will disqualify and request pee tests and all 9 tests if you so much as blink incorrectly. To others reading this just plan on an additional $2500.00 and 6 months for testing purposes.
Thank you for the link to adhdpilots.org, I am looking forward to seeing the pages and will keep you up to date on the testing. I am going to go see someone June 18 (quickest I could get in)
TT
June 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hello everyone,
I fully understand that the FAA does not like people taking adderall and being a pilot. I am currently a student and was denied a medical because of this. Once denied, I was told that if I wanted to appeal the ruling, that I needed to complete a battery of tests. I completed all the tests (MMPI, wisconsin card sorting, PASAT, a multitude of alcoholic/depression tests, and a urine test). This is only a few of the tests.
I passed all of them with only a minor problem relating to the MMPI revealing “Narsasistic features.” My question is this, does anyone know what the disqualifying factors are once these tests are done? It seems as though the rulings are quite subjective at best and that depression is the clearest factor. Is this true?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:28 am
How often are drug tests given to commercial pilots? I am thinking of starting classes soon. I have not been diagnosed with ADHD but after doing research of personal concerns I think it is very possible I have this issue.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
UPDATE:
MEDICAL GRANTED. The Medical was granted earlier last week and should be in the mail. Good luck to all working on their medical! Thank you for all the information! I sure wish I had looked at this website before going for my initial visit!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Congradulations Michael! Currently I am on an extension from the FAA. The place that was recommended to me is a very busy place apparently. I go in on July 22 and take the pee test on the 23rd - did you get your pee test the same day or the next or the previous. The timing we are unsure of when to do.
Update on ADD in general. The doctor I saw (an aviation doctor) wrote an article about me and the ADD. He has stated that it is a major issue that no one seems to have answers to and that the FAA may be lightening up on in the near future. For those who have been turned down he says to keep an ear out as the ADD restriction may be going away soon since our Air Force and Military gives the meds to our pilots protecting our country on a regular basis.
July 13th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
As for the pee test, I would definitely take it the after all the testing. Doing that leaves no question in the FAA’s mind that you were taking your meds during the test. The adderall stays in your blood stream for 1-2 days after you stop taking it. I stopped about 90 days before the tests due to the initial consultation recommendation of my medical examiner.
Some of the tests are fairly intense! The pasat is tough and you should see if you can take it early as it is fairly stressful. As for the mmpi, that one is LONG! 567 true false questions.
Contact me at michael.c.siegle@gmail.com if you are interested in hearing more.
Good luck and soar high!
August 21st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
The friendly fire incident in Afghanistan mentioned in the article is not as clear cut as it seems. There’s a decent writeup on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarnak_Farm_incident
Most likely this incident was caused by “this might be my only chance to drop a bomb” pushing good judgment aside.
From the nonjudicial hearing of the pilot who bombed the Canadians:
“You acted shamefully on 17 April 2002 over Tarnak Farms, Afghanistan, exhibiting arrogance and a lack of flight discipline.”
“…you had exhausted your patience in waiting for clearance from the Combined Air Operations Center to engage.”
The Air Force position is that an overly aggressive airman blamed medication for making a very bad judgment call. The media didn’t report on this development nearly as much as they did the initial incident and the pilot’s claim that his medication was to blame.
Using amphetamines to fly despite severe fatigue is a bad idea for civilian pilots too. That scenario doesn’t have anything to do with an ADD pilot taking his medication responsibly.
A surprising number of bad ideas are not outlawed as explicitly as ADD medications. 14 CFR 91.17 says that pilots cannot legally fly within 8 hours of drinking or with a BAC of more than .04. This means that the average person CAN legally fly 8 hours after drinking 10 drinks without breaking this rule. Commercial pilots have all sorts of limits on the number of hours they can be on duty, and the number of hours they can fly, within a given period. There is no requirement that they actually sleep during their rest period, however. Fatal accidents have occurred when commercial pilots stayed up all night partying and tried to fly the next day.
It seems absurd to me that these drugs have been banned without much study when they may very well help pilots: Improvements in reaction time and concentration, decreased impulsivity, etc.