ADHD Medication and Commercial Pilots
By
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
Technorati Tags: ADHD Medication, commercial pilot, FAA, go pills
hey! i am a student pilot with the same issue i am adhd and it is very hard to focus without my medication. but it can be done. according to the FAA you can not fly while taking those drugs but there are ways to deal with adhd without medication. it is something that every individual person has to solve for themselves. For me i have to calm myself down completely and relax for a minute before i can get focused but it may be different for other people. Hope my comment answers some questions!
AK pilot again,
Nice to see some fellow fliers commenting hon how they managed to get up without meds. Remeber that the FAA does not say that having ADD is grounding, taking meds to treat it is grounding. I agree that it would have been great to have gotten through flight school and college with meds. I and plenty of pilots I know got through without. Did it mean more hours studying because of distractions, additional challenges compared to the more “focused” students…yes it did. But as a pilot you are tasked with following the rules. Often the rules seem odd and outdated, but you follow them still. This is one of those rules. Please follow these rule fellow aviators. Go up without these drugs. I promise you wont be ridiculed for being a space cadet outside of the cockpit. Most pilots are. The Fed’s MUST know this. They would never nail you for having ADD, they can’t.
Find a way to fly without drugs, you will if you want it enough. Try making it to the airlines on the drugs and you will get caught with a random drug screening….and guess what general category of drugs Ritalin and its siblings falls into? Not one you want to pop positive for. We’re talking federal charges. I know a Senior Captain who is the joke of my airline because he popped positive, he wasn’t on speed, meth, or pot……but Ritalin. Yes, ritalin. He tried expalinging his case to the feds; saying he had taken the drug for some time with no side effects. They threw the book at him, stripped him of ALL his licenses and put a perminent revocation on his Commercial and ATP certificate. No matter what he does, he will NEVER fly for a living again. I wouldn’t with that on anyone. Nothing is sadder than a grounded pilot. This sin’t a story guys, I know this Man, his wife, his kids. Their lives were derailed because he lied. Find a way arround the drugs guys. Untill the Feds change their minds it’s the only way.
There used to be a time when pilots with diabetes were not allowed to fly. Then guess what eventually happened? We figured out that many of the concerns regarding incapacitation due to low blood sugar, etc. were presumptive. Enough pilots were found to be diabetic and over time it became clear that diabetes could be managed WITH THE CORRECT MEDICATION. That’s right. Eventually the FAA realized (or rather, someone with enough influence basically forced them to realize) that diabetics who understood their condition and how to properly control it with medication were as safe as those who did not have diabetes. If these pilots would have been forced to not take the appropriate medication in order to continue flying, well………I think we can all agree that would present a real problem.
The FAA seems excessively concerned about the side effects of stimulant medications. This is quite clear. I’ll pose the question yet again as I have ad nauseum on my website. Where exactly is this concern rooted?
I can tell you from my experience working in an Emergency Room several nights a week that a diabetic who’s blood sugar is either too high or too low can both experience mental status changes. They can become confused and at times incapacitated. Generally these are patients who lack understanding of their condition, but certainly this is not always the case. A hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode can still occur unexpectedly even in a well controlled diabetic. Yet, after an FAA specified amount of time has gone by with good control of the condition the same people are allowed to fly. And I believe they should be. Why? Because even though there is the outside chance of a hypoglycemic episode, the fact is this happens very very infrequently.
Now, lets contrast what we know the stance of the FAA to be on diabetes and parallel that to their stance on ADD/ADHD medications.
1.) There isn’t any direct link between taking these medications at therapeutic doses and incidence of seizure, sudden cardiac death, incapacitation, or any other buzzword the FAA seems to be concerned about. They simply don’t exist. And, in the event they did, would they occur to a degree in which anyone who is appropriately treated with the medications should be banned from flying while taking them? Perhaps the next time a pilot with diabetes ever has an episode of hypoglycemia we should just go ahead and ground every diabetic. Nonsense.
2.) The federal government feels it is appropriate to allow Navy and Air Force pilots to take these medications to combat fatigue. The documentation is quite clear in this regard. Did I miss something here or is does this seem to be the biggest double standard I’ve ever heard of? If I have this straight in my head, what the FAA contends is that these medications are “incompatible with aviation safety” for all of us, yet the very people who are flying multi-million dollar aircraft which our taxes pay for are somehow not subject to these concerns.
3.) The evidence is becoming more and more clear, as it pertains to ADD/ADHD and driving motor vehicles that individuals are much LESS prone to accidents when taking their medications appropriately when compared to a reference group of patients who were not medicated appropriately. Could someone please explain to me how or why it would be any different in piloting an aircraft. The two activities do not exist in a vacuum.
I’ve got a good solution for all of this, which I believe is quite clear by now. The FAA needs to focus on what is knows best. Obviously disease processes and medication is not their strongsuit. I think determining whether or not someone is safe to fly while taking these medications is better left to those of us who deal with this on a daily basis. At the very least I don’t think it is too much to expect that the FAA look at things objectively, synthesize new research findings, and do away with the presumptive, antiquated policies that are quite frankly ridiculous and cheapen what the FAA should be.
–
Tyghe
There used to be a time when pilots with diabetes were not allowed to fly. Then guess what eventually happened? We figured out that many of the concerns regarding incapacitation due to low blood sugar, etc. were presumptive. Eventually the FAA caught up with medical understanding and adjusted policy to reflect this. Enough pilots were found to be diabetic and as time passed it became clear that diabetes could be managed WITH THE CORRECT MEDICATION. Eventually the FAA realized (or rather, someone with enough influence basically forced them to realize) that diabetics who understood their condition and how to properly control it with medication were as safe as those who did not have diabetes. If these pilots would have been forced to not take the appropriate medication in order to continue flying, well………I think we can all agree that would present a real problem.
The FAA continues to be excessively concerned about the side effects of stimulant medications. This is quite clear. I’ll pose the question yet again as I have ad nauseum on my website. Where exactly is this concern rooted and why does it continue?
I can tell you from my experience working as an Emergency Room physician that a diabetic who’s blood sugar is either too high or too low can both experience mental status changes. They can become confused and at times incapacitated. Generally these are patients who lack understanding of their condition or have active infection, but certainly this is not always the case. A hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode can still occur unexpectedly even in an otherwise well controlled diabetic. Yet, after an FAA specified amount of time has gone by with good control of the condition the same people are allowed to fly, while taking the medication, if their diabetes is kept under control. And I believe they should be. Why? Because even though there is the outside chance of a hypoglycemic episode, the fact is this happens very very infrequently.
Now, lets contrast what we know the stance of the FAA to be on diabetes and parallel that to their stance on ADD/ADHD medications.
1.) There isn’t any direct link between taking these medications at therapeutic doses and incidence of seizure, sudden cardiac death, incapacitation, or any other buzzword the FAA seems to be concerned about. The evidence simply doesn’t exist. Furthermore, in the event they did, would they occur to a degree in which anyone who is appropriately treated with the medications should be banned from flying while taking them? Perhaps the next time any pilot anywhere with diabetes ever has an episode of hypoglycemia the FAA should go ahead and ground every diabetic. Nonsense.
2.) The federal government feels it is appropriate to allow Navy and Air Force pilots to take these medications to combat fatigue in certain situations. The documentation and history of this practice is quite clear in this regard. Did I miss something here or does this seem to be a slight double standard? If I understand this correctly, the FAA contends is that these medications are “incompatible with aviation safety” for all of us, yet the very people who are flying the multi-million dollar aircraft which our taxes pay for are somehow not subject to these concerns.
3.) The evidence is becoming more and more clear, as it pertains to ADD/ADHD and driving motor vehicles that individuals are much LESS prone to accidents when taking their medications appropriately when compared to a reference group of patients who were not medicated appropriately. Could someone please explain to me how or why it would be any different in piloting an aircraft? The two activities do not exist in a vacuum.
I’ve got a solution for all of this, which I believe is quite clear by now. The FAA needs to focus on what is knows best. Obviously disease processes and medication is not their strongsuit. I think determining whether or not someone is safe to fly while taking these or any other medications is best left to those of us who deal with this on a daily basis. At the very least I don’t think it is too much to expect that the FAA look at things objectively, synthesize new research findings, and move away from these presumptive, antiquated policies that are quite frankly ridiculous and cheapen what the FAA should be.
Just to update everyone I submitted a request to my senator that this regulation be changed the night of my last post. Yesterday i was contacted by his office and when i spoke with them they said that a bill will be introduced this fall. When this takes place it will be a great step forward but it will not be a journey in the right direction unless more people write their congressman and senators encouraging the bill’s passing. We cannot afford to be silent on this issue your voices must be heard.
Changing the subject i would like to address all the gentlemen in this forum who are encouraging those who have taken prescriptions for ADD their entire lives to go through the process of getting off their medications. Why in your right mind would you suggest that a person suject themselves to the difficulty of dismissing their accomodations?
If those making this suggestion were tasked with designing office buildings something tells me they would like to see the wheelchair ramps go and have the handicap suffer using the stairs. I of course do not hold this opinion of these people but I am trying to make a point. To tell someone with a disability that they cannot recieve accomodations while flying an airplane is a felony. A crime. It is Immoral. It is wrong. I have dreamed my entire life of flying. Nothing else makes sense to me. It is to me a thing which captures my heart, where to all others my heart is elusive. I dream of one day having a son and showing him the airplane I fly just as my father showed me. But back to what i was saying to tell someonethat flying is an exclusive club that only someone who is born a certain way can join is quiet frankly unconstitutional. We are all born with the same unalienable rights. To deny me my right to be a pilot is to deny me who I am and to outlaw by some despotism my pursuit of happiness.
I urge every person who is a pilot and needs to take their medication to stop struggling with being off of it and to contact your congressman, contact your senator, let them know you are struggling. As a pilot you should also know that you are ignoring a problem, and this is a risk you should not be taking and you know it.
To anyone who wants to see this regulation changed by the introduction of a bill to order its dismissal and the introduction of standards which accomodate the disabilities of aircraft operators do not wate another second. Its time to get some ink on your fingers. We all know that the pen is mightier than the sword. Our nation was built on the principle that when we see laws as unlawful it is our privelege as Americans to order the dismissal of the old and the introduction of the new.
There are pilots who have tested positive for the use of illegal drugs. Yet these men were given the privelege to fly over me because i am prescribed my medication? because i obey the law i am punished? This is hypocrisy that I will not stand for and I will not rest on this issue until I see changes in regulation.
Was the bill passed?
I would like to commend “outoftheblue” for his passion and efforts. I agree with all of the above said comments and will follow in his footsteps.
Outoftheblue, could you tell us the name of the Senator who you sent a letter to so that we may reference him or her as having been contacted when we write our own letters?
Thanks again to you and everyone else who has posted here and is passionate about making this change occur.
Good job outoftheblue,
I commend you for you actions. I must admit, I have simply done what the Feds have told me to do, whereas you have taken action. Bravo. But please don’t tell me that I was wrong by going off my meds. I feel fine without them now; I function normally. Plenty of people do; many parents have made the decision to treat their ADD/ADHD Children without the use of perscription drugs, are they wrong? I’m just trying to play the Devil’s Advocate here. I am sure any Dr would agree, drugs aren’t the ONLY treatment for ADD. You know this. I will write my senator this weekend and I commend you for your efforts, but please don’t think that simply because I am telling people I think (this is just my oppnion) it IS possible to fly as a COMMERCIAL pilot without touching any perscription meds, I want to tear down wheelchair access ramps. I know people, including myself, who have SUCESSFULLY done this; I am not saying it’s the only way. I AM saying it is the only LEGAL way. Again, Thank you for writting your senator, I shall do the same. I hope to see all of you in the Wild Blue soon
AK pilot
AK Pilot.
While I commend you on your efforts to conform to the current legal requirements for aeromedical certification, I feel that the main topic of discussion here is whether the legal requirements for aeromedical certification need to be changed in the interest of air safety. We all aim to work within the law, so the repeated advocacy of this is, in my opinion, not only redundant but also not conducive to what should be every pilot and passenger’s chief priority – safer skies.
There is a misconception (particularly amongst pilots) that pilots are elite. That the role of a pilot is so important that only the best are chosen. However, the sheer volume of pilots and flights world wide makes this statistically untrue.
The regulatory bodies seem to foster this misconception. I’m not sure about the FAA, but here in Australia, most of the officers themselves (including medical) are ATPL pilots and hold command instrument ratings. While this makes them aptly qualified, an unfortunate side effect is the elitism they promote.
The only person who can safely tell you if your condition or medication will make you unfit for flight is your treating doctor, who perhaps knows the patient better than anyone… He doesn’t need to be a pilot to make this call.
I go cold every time I get on a RPT flight and think of how many “elite” pilots are out there. Those who have snubbed their doctor, denied their condition, refused help and have convinced themselves that they’re elite in order to conform to the current legal standards.
The following is an excerpt I took from a website discussing the prevalence of ADHD, followed by some calculations I have come up with to further support our stance on this matter.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), affects approximately 6% of the population, while less than 2% receive treatment. The rates of ADHD are no higher in the U.S. than in other countries. For example, in China 8.9% of the population is reported to have ADHD. Puerto Rico reports a rate of 9.5%, Japan reports a rate of 7.7%, Germany reports a rate of 8.7%, and India reports a rate of 29%.
According the the AOPA website, as of December 2007 there were a total of 651,551 pilots in the US. Included in this statistic were 221,363 private pilots, 120,073 commercial pilots, 79,214 student pilots, and 139,910 ATP’s.
If we assume that Stuart is correct in his statement (I agree with him) that pilots are no more elite than the general population, and if I take just private pilots to do my simple calculation, then:
221,363 (private pilots) X 6% (average number of people with ADD/ADHD) = 13,281 private pilots in the US who likely are affected by ADD/ADHD.
If it is true that only 2% receive treatment, then out of 221,363 pilots, 13,281 of whom likely carry the diagnosis, and approx 4,427 should receive treatment.
The main question at this point would be of the 4,427 who receive treatment, how many have either stopped taking their medication or continue to take their medication without the FAA knowing?
Having researched all the case law as I went through the process to get my medical back, I can assure everyone there isn’t a much as it pertains to ADD/ADHD and medications. The reality remains that the current system simply does not have a reliable way to track whether an individual is taking medication or not unless the individual self reports.
I am not a pessimist by nature, however my suspicion is that the number of us who have self reported and are/were caught up in this conundrum is an extremely small number. While I have always advocated for honesty, I have also advocated for objectivity on the part of the FAA. It is precisely because the FAA will not (to this point) be objective that there is undoubtedly a large number of pilots with ADD/ADHD who are simply not reporting use of medication.
Having gone through the experience of what happens when an individual tells the truth and discloses all their medical information, its no wonder so many pilots would be inclined not to disclose their medical information.
The FAA needs to to understand THIS: People are not perfect. Not even close. If they want to continue to go on the record and expect that airmen are going to continue to be honest and forthcoming with their medical histories then they need to extend the common courtesy of evaluating things OBJECTIVELY.
SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE FAA. WHERE IS IT? I am a physician and can access any and all things they can. So what am I missing?
To the ADHD Pilots Moderator i would first like to give my deepest thanks for yours and others commendations, it warmed my heart to know there are others who share my passion on this issue. To me this forum is truly a garden where confidence is growing next to change. With that said here is my senators information who i have contacted:
Senator John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856
*please call and ask for an update on the bill to change this regulation as it will bolster the bills priority and give it the strength it needs to be given the majority vote in both the house and the senate.
I must also say that history will one day look back on this regulation and see that it was wrong. It will change. But you reading this are the one who holds the key to that door. The chance is yours to change history.
To akpilot i will apologize for the “wheel chair access analogy” i agree it was a bit harsh but the idea i wanted to get across is that people must be accomodated for civilization to continue its upward trend. I do apologize if it came across as insulting, i felt very bad reading it. But its the idea behind it i really wanted to convey. I understand that you got off your medicine, and I do commend you for your strength because I have tried and it was not possible for me. but I would argue that adderrall makes you a better pilot and i know you agree with me. To me the difference between a pilot who takes adderrall and one who doesnt is that the one who takes adderrall isn’t going to get fatigued on a long flight. The FAA is allowing what I consider to be a relic to linger in its regulations. When I refuse to do anything in this life but fly airplanes I must first ensure that the way I am doing it is legal. As thomas Jefferson once said “A difference of opinion is not a difference in principle” i must applaud you because you did slay a dragon by doing it off your meds. I am excited to hear that you are contacting your representative. I hope that you will tell your story of how difficult it was to become a pilot off your medication. It is an inspiration to me and Im certain it will help to get the FAA to throw the regulation out. Bravo.
I must applaud you for overcoming yourself, and with your story we can help to fix the problem for the people without your strength. We all are fighting for that person. There are certain issues on which people must stand their ground even against their own government and in this regard my friends history is calling us all to stand.
just to clerify:
in my last paragraph when i say “against their own government” i am saying to do so peacefully of course. Hence to petition the government for change.
I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for a very productive discussion. I appreciate the different opinions presented here – and I am thrilled to see that this discussion is leading to coordinated advocacy.
Having this happen through this blog post and the ensuing discussion is beyond the expectations I ever had for this blog – so I thank you all!
I wanted to let you know that (partially inspired by the great discussion here) I’ve just written a post about ADHD in the military. Since some of you may have had military experience, I’d love any of you to share your input on that post too!
You can find it here:
http://www.addadhdblog.com/adhd-in-the-military/
Thanks again!
Dr. Kenny
Hi Dr Handelman.
Thank you for showing your appreciation and for starting and hosting this discussion. I would like to implore upon you one small favor in return for our input in this forum…
When I search for things like ADHD in aviation, the only two relevant results I get are your blog and Dr Neilsen’s site. No news reports or literature…
Help to make it public. You don’t need to take a side, you just need to get the general public talking about it.
i have adhd and my life long dream is to become a comercial airline pilot. to answer the docs question, i would feel much safer in a flight if my pilot had adhd, i love it when things are going fast pace and in the event of an emergency i feel an adhd pilot would thrive. does anyone have any advice to me getting towards an airline pilot. bear in mind i am 17 and i am not made of money. any help or advice would be deeply apreciated. thankyou.
Hi James,
Maybe a adhd pilot would thrive in am emergency, but today a pilot is a team player, proper CRM is probably more of an influence on safety in an emergency than having or not-having adhd.
CRM is where you can benefit from your adhd, for example by sensing whether your team is still happy and in the loop, you are more sensitive than others-remember? Or your mind can thrive nad then you runaway from your team by all these creative solutions that come up in your mind and you want to implement them immediately, and on your own. Now you are a negative influence.
Flying a plane can be pretty boring, and crossing the big blue is not very dynamic. If you want firebells, excitement, blood sweat and tears around you all the time then save yourself the money: go drive a firetruck and fly RC aircraft in the weekend.
You want advise to become a pilot? Be a responsible person, learn to handle your adhd – not fight it, it can be of use to you. Certainly don’t kill ot with medication – this is basically stupid unless nothing else works.
By personality you will regularly go agains the flow, this is good. Just be prepaired, in the airline business the feedback will tend to be negative on this. This is not good, but it is difficult to change. And you may want to change it
so know yourself and your stuff!!
Good luck,
P
PS I don’t use medication, never have, never will. I know of one case that tried it for the first time when he was alredy a 737 driver. He didn’t continue to use it. His comment was that it seemed as if his mind and emotions worked different on medication and he was happier with a mind that he already knew the manual on. I agree on this, plus I don’t want to depend on a pill, suppose I run out of them on a multiple day tour?
you should check out embry riddle alot of my friends have gone there and have become, and if not are very close to becoming commercial pilots. I would also offer this as another form of advice. It seems to me that you have conviction. Adhd is a modern day hurdle to becoming a pilot. But its not the first time a small group of individuals fought to change the laws of the powers that be in the Aviation community. In the struggle of the African American to be able to fly they were often times told they were not smart enough to fly. In fact a man once wrote a poem about his trials as a young african american to become a pilot. I read it in my local newspaper when I was in highschool and I cant seem to find it anywhere online but i will recite it here as best i can, the title of the poem was “courage” and it was written by an african american pilot who served several tours in vietnam.
To be a pilot is my goal,
I’m not smart enough, Ive been told,
Brains and guts are what I lack,
Mainly because my face is black.
I asked my father if this were true,
He said I wouldnt worry if I were you,
Just set your goals, and set them high,
Let them lift you to the sky.
The next day when my father went to town,
A book about airmen somehow he found,
It spoke of men some brave some fair,
Who met their glory in the air.
I read in tears as chills raced my back,
My God, I smiled, These pilots are black.
I really like this poem. I think its message is relevant to anyone who wishes to begin the climb to becoming a pilot both commercial/military. Whether you have ADHD or not there will always be people in your way who will oppose you and say you are incapable. You must believe in yourself in order to overcome any obstacle or attain any goal.
Back to becoming an airline pilot. The starting age to be an airline pilot in the U.S. is 23. So my advice to you in this regard is this. There are 2190 days in 6 years. Begin achieving small goals, 2190 of them to be exact. Its a gigantic task but to break it down into 2190 steps should make it something very attainable for anyone. So every day do something that gets you one step closer. And contact Embry Riddle in Daytona Florida as a potential college as it is the nations leading air university in producing airline pilots.
But in the midst of it, if you find it to be to challenging, or you find you cannot go further, to keep yourself going just remember that nothing worth accomplishing is ever easy. It is always hard.
Outoftheblue,
I thought you might like to know that I recently sent personal letters to both Senators as well as the Attorney General here in the state of Arkansas. I stated in the letters there would be a bill introduced this fall and that we needed their help moving one step further toward our goal.
Please keep us updated as your hear more and I will do the same!
Outoftheblue/ADHD pilots moderator,
Do you happen to know the name or number of the bill? Also, would you be willing to post examples of the letters you sent to lawmakers.
In Europe ,even if all states are reguated under EASA, some countries have as a rule to be of Ritalin for 10 years befire giving you the ok for the Class 1
so what would you guys recomend for someone who hasn’t taken a medical exam, or taken any flight lessons, who takes meds for ADD, I don’t take them 60% of the time, only when I go to school, and I oftem forget to, and I don’t notice anything to severe, or abnormal. If I just simply go off it, which i could do easily, would i then be permited to get my FAA medical exam and private pilots licence, no questions asked?
I am a 16 honors student and have adhd. I take Concerta- only when I am school. I am interested in obtaining my pilots license and going to college. I want to fly, but am unsure whether or not I want to fly as a career or a hobby. I was planning to start flight school this week and have only just found out about ADD being a problem. I don’t want to lie to the FAA, and I don’t want to stop taking my medication while I am pursuing my academic career. Do you have any advise for how I should proceed?
AK pilot again.
My advise for the weekend pilots flying for fun is stay on the Meds if you are only flying Cessna’s for kicks and not for a profession, the FAA will never test you. If you are planning on doing this as a living, make sure you go off of them because all the ADD/ADHD meds show up on all Drug tests administered by the Airlines. You will have to do these random tests several times a year. Get caught, just once, and it dosent matter how long you’ve flown or how senior you are, you will be terminated immediatly. The FAA will most likley strip you of your licenses, and there will be the real possibility of Federal Charges. If you want to make a living in the air, you will find a way to operate without the drugs, I did and I know dozens who have as well. I am as proud of learning to operate without the drugs as I am about being a Captain. See you in the sky fellow fliers!
AK Pilot
Taylor,
My advice would be to pursue your education first, flying is certainly fun but nothing is more important than your education.
Thanks outoftheblue and AK pilot, I will most definataly do what is best for my education, I have been told that when I do go after my pilots licence I will need to take neurophysiological testing to deturmine that i am safe to fly, what does this consist of? and how likely is it that i will pass?
So lets get this straight.
Im not yet diagnosed with ADD or ADHD but if i do have it and never took the meds.
Will the FAA or airlines check me or ask any questions since it will be on my record?
Thanks
The FAA doesnt check for ADD, and since you never took the meds it won’t be on a drug test. I’d say ur in the clear, unless of course you flat out tell them you have ADD then they will tell you that you can’t fly, and therein lies the dilemna.
Ironic. The Air Force has been pumping its top pilots full of drugs for decades. I’m middle aged and ADD but not a commercial pilot. Ritalin keeps me completely focused and alert. As many have said, it’s not a drug used by hippies or depressed folks looking for a mental vacation. It’s quite the opposite. Focused, determined people looking to be as competent, safe and attentive as possible in an increasingly complex and sensory overloaded world. If you have ADD as I do and bother to get it diagnosed and treated, why should you be singled out for discipline?
So why does the FAA consider ADD/ADHD disqualifying to become an ATCS? Do they have any !@#$ing proof to determine this?
Also, this article talks about how pilots and atcs that were taking prescribed antidepressants were no more likely than others to be involved in accidents or incidents. http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/feb08/asw_feb08_p24-27.pdf
I live to fly, it’s in my veins. I am a full time student who has been working full time plus the past couple of years to pay for flight lessons. I was having trouble balancing everything and keeping my grades up so I finally, after years of coxing, agreed to try adderall. It was a miracle pill for my barely average grades but I swear it sucked my spirit out of my body and I was living life through the motions. Last August I went in to get my Pilot Certificate renewed and my world crashed down on me. I dropped the Adderall that day- and it has taken months to re-adjust. I feel like a better pilot when I fly without medication, but that’s because I fly more by instinct-
Now my headache is getting all of the tests done to prove I don’t need the meds- uftah.
The stories that I’ve read hear brought me to tears!! I’m crossing my fingers that I can still fly, if they take that away from me I don’t know what I’ll do or where I’ll go-
Given the length of time you’ve been off meds and the fact that there is no childhood diagnosis, it should be pretty easy.
DOn’t worry Jazz if you no longer take Adderal, like people have said, the FAA could care less if you have ADD, it just cares if you take Adderal (due to the category of drugs it is in). If you stopped taking adderal and never take it again, you can fly the darn Dreamliner, just don’t mention you took it to the Feds on your medical, they dont need to know, it has no long term side effects. No worries, Jazz, you found like me, that it’s hard to adjst without the meds, but you manage if your desire to fly is strong enough!
Catch you in the skies,
AK Pilot
Hello all!
My name is Billy, I have had an intense passion to become an airline pilot since I was 6. I am 17, years old and basicly obsessed with the idea of becoming a pilot. Not a day goes by when I do not think of this incredible career. I am attached to the idea of being a pilot, and It motivates me to try my hardest in everything I do.
However, with that said I was diagnosed ADHD when I was about 5, and have struggled with it at many points in my life. I WAS medicated on Ritalin from grades 1-6, but was taken off it because it turned me into a zombie. Then i was on focalin for about two weeks in grade 10, and stratera for two DAYs in my senior year (This Year) because I just could get the grades i was working so hard for.
Like AK pilot, I studied my ass off in high school rejecting my friends and going to the library to study. Hard Work paid off, and I have recently been accepted to a 4-year college that specializes in airline pilot training. It was a true honor to be accepted to a university, and it crushed me to learn a few months ago I may not be able to go there.
I was reading online that ADHD is automatically disqualifying by the FAA in the ADHDpilots homepage. However, after reading this entire page of comments, I obtained some hope that I may be accepted on medical because I do not plan on taking ADD meds ever in my life…I will just learn to cope with it like AK pilot has done. PROPS to ak pilot!!
However, what are the chances I can pass my medical being a diagnosed ADHD person, with some history of medication?
-I am not taking medication anymore, nor will I ever.
Thank you very much,
Billy
Hey Billy,
Riddle or UND? I’m a Riddle Rat myself. Hey, just don’t mention you had ADD on the Medical application, I am a stickler for the rules, but in this case, why do they need to know? It’s not like I am hiding a safety of flight condition. I was diagnosed and medicated with ADD way back in Junior High and HS and I am flying for the airlines now. Really, the Feds don’t look back into your medical history THAT indepth, they just keep track of it from the point of you learning to fly on. Hopefully you haven’t applied for a medical yet AND admitted to having ADD/ADHD. If you havent’t applied for a medical yet, here’s what ya do; stay off the meds and apply for a medical WITHOUT admitting to having had ADHD/ADD….and you’ll be no different than any other Joe Blow Pilot out there. Good luck Billy and have fun learning to fly, you’ll never be the same.
Sincerly,
AKpilot
Hello everyone!
Being a son of a fighter pilot, I always dreamed of flying. I couldn’t join the Air Force as a fighter pilot due to corrective lenses. I went to one of the better engineering schools in the country where I maintained a 3.6+ GPA. I was never diagnosed, nor was I on any medication for ADHD. This was 14 years ago.
A couple of years back I was having a very busy schedule at work. Having multiple project deadlines I was spending night and day at the office. My mother-in-law (a psychologist) gave me a couple of her own Adderall XR pills and said to try them. They helped a lot. I was in the zone, and staying on task, and getting stuff done quicker than I usually did. I went to my doctor and said I wanted a prescription for Adderall XR. She asked why, I told her my story and she gave it to me. I have been taking them occasionally ever since. Basically, I take one if I am expecting an extra busy day at work. My 1-month prescription typically lasts me five to six months.
I recently decided to get a Private Pilot Certification. I did my first lesson/flight a few days ago. I was browsing through the FAA website when I came across the information on Medical Clearance for class 3. Aderall is on the list of medication requiring a clearance from FAA. I am also color blind, so it seems like I would have a restriction on night fliying, unless I went through additional FAA testing and passed those.
Considering I was only looking to get a PPC for recreational purposes, if you guys were in my place, would you continue with the lessons or give up. If I was to continue, should I stop taking Adderall XR (10 mg) and get my ground stuff finished. Wait six months or so for my solo, and thus delay the medical exam. What are the chances I’ll pass it at that time, if I stop taking Aderall now. I don’t think I’d want to go through the time and expense of the battery of psych tests I keep hearing about.
I would greatly appreciate your opinions.
Some of you have suggested to others to stop taking Aderall, and not to mention it to the AME. Won’t they get your medical records from your physicians. On instructions to the AME, FAA asks them to collect all doctor visit information for the last three years, specially if for any psychiatric needs. (http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/app_process/app_history/item19/)
ATL Student Pilot:
We seem to have similar stories except I grew up on SAC bases. The answer to your question is how much money do you have? When you go for your medical I would find a doctor that is on an airfield and get advise from them. We have on here at ANR that is amazing. With that said expect to pay an additional 3k and put in an additional 6 months. The reason being is that you WILL get flagged and have to send the first Medical back – you will then be required to take a whole heap of mental tests to prove you are not a drug user, alchoholic, basket case, depressed, ADD, etc etc. After you get that done and send it in the response comes that you have your medical, here it is us, just ya better watch the drug use or your cooked. aka – don’t fly for a few days after taking the drug.
Is it worth it? – every minute of it.
I am really shocked reading all of these posts.
1. I am a pilot.
2. I am not currently flying for other reasons (non medical) but was visiting the site for my wife who is interested in obtaining her private pilot license and currently takes straterra for ADHD
The Military makes it’s own decisions and laws pertaining to Military Combat Flight Operations not the FAA. Besides this obvious difference military pilots using ADHD medicine aren’t being treated for ADHD.
The drug is being used for an entirely different reason. This argument would not hold any weight in a civil court.
If you are suffering depression in your daily life you should not be flying. Stop thinking about yourselves and oh how you would love to fly and think that you might be safe ( as no one can predict the future. ) The efficacy of your medicine may change. If you have ever experienced a mood swing or had a panic attack and can admit this freely meaning you are not in denial of the your own truth or you feelings you know these can come about and effect your judgement on the ground.
Nobody has ever died driving a car as a result of a panic attack. This is because you can pull the car over and you will do this because your body is trying to keep you safe. You CAN NOT do this at 30,000 feet and you can not risk others lives. I find the fact that you are trying to get around problems you most likely have encountered for your interests over the interests of those you would be serving disgusting.
I would not board your plane knowing you had lied to the FAA. Do you honestly think that if people knew this they would board a commercial jet you were piloting? People love fear – watch the news – knowing this would send them back up the ramp and you would lose your job because the airline would be liable and you would be a liability to them.
The FAA is not the only group of individuals that subject you to psychological tests either. Take this example for instance:
You interview for a spot on a commercial airline. You get the job… but you still have to go through their evaluation. They will review your medical records and you will get health care though the company who
will undoubtedly look into your full medical history to approve you. They get access to your records beyond what the FAA ever sees. You will not be approved for medical insurance and the airline will want to know why. You will never get the job. Save yourself the time and money.
Airlines also give urine tests randomly – they will find any medicine in your system and they will take you off flying status at first glimpse of any of these medications as a corporation because they will not risk the liability in the event of an emergency whether caused by you or anyone else. If there were an NTSB review of an emergency or accident and you had any of these medications in your system – causing public alarm – anything – you will lose your job. NTSB findings are made public and an airline will not risk one of their pilots in the news.
Back to lying – If I found out you lied on your resume as an employer in any field I would fire you and any good employer concerned about their company would do the same. Nobody likes a cheat or liar.
I would not trust you to do the right thing just in the fact you admit to lying. I hope this makes sense to you. Posting this online for everyone to see already demonstrates bad judgement. The runway comes up quick when you pop out of the clouds on a foggy night that is distracting enough, you are myopic at this point, the slightest distraction and confusion in a tense decision effects everyone. Posting on the internet is safe – we are not in the cockpit here.
Matthew, would you say that having ADHD is a safety issue? Taking speed is indeed dangerous in the cockpit, but would you consider it safe to have a captain who was diagnosed with ADHD?
thanks
Hello everyone,
Matthew, I hope you are not reading into my posts. I am not saying that anyone should take ANY meds and fly, I don’t touch any meds (besides the occasional asprin) and I would turn in any pilot I found out was taking undiclosed meds. As for lying, I am saying I lied to the feds about taking ADD meds as a CHILD. I have never flown with a drop of anything stronger than a vitamin or tylenol in my bloodstream from my very first flight in a 172. Do I lie to the feds about meds I took a couple decades ago……yes I do, and I sleep soundly and put my pasengers at no risk whatsoever by lying. I agree with you on taking meds and flying. Are you a commercial pilot, or recreational pilot?
Tailwinds everyone
AK Pilot
If someone is truly ADHD/ADD the problem is uneven focusing. They either tend to hyperfocus or not focus at all. I have read that there is a higher level of ADHD/ADD in pilots than in the general population. That said, pilots tend to hyperfocus when they fly ( good thing)—it’s when they’re at home that they tend to have problems.
That said, I think it’s wrong if a pilot has ADHD and is having trouble focusing while flying not to be allowed to take meds as long as they are monitored. Bottom line is the good news is that most pilots who have this medical situation, tend to hyperfocus while they are flying, so they probably get along better with their crew than they do with their families once back home.
AK pilot, and all others who see integrity as a reason why there should not be any treated ADD pilots in the sky, I have to say that your argument really misses the point. Whether or not one person is honest is a question that he or she has to address in their own life. Criticizing others on this point is like telling a farmer he shouldn’t grow crops because he cheats on his taxes. This line of reasoning is missing the real problem: is ADD a problem while flying or not? If it isn’t, than the FAA’s current practice is discrimination based on the bias’s of those who have no experience with the diagnoses. On the other hand, if ADD is a problem, then the FAA should take a stand on it, and tell everyone interested what it takes to be a pilot. Right now the FAA isn’t sure, and isn’t taking action on this issue because it is difficult to admit being wrong, and because there isn’t a lot of money around to sponsor studies on the matter.
I got my medical before I was diagnosed,so I haven’t lied on anything, but I’m aware that in two years I’ll be up for another one, and I probably won’t pass. It disturbs me to say the least, because I am a good pilot, on or off Ritalin. I’ve run my own trial on how I am affected by flying on and off Ritalin, and I’ve found that Ritalin can make my movements slightly less precise while decreasing my response time. As I fly helicopters, small smooth movements are more important than reflexes, every movement in a helicopter must be smaller and more subtle than in fixed wing aircraft. For that reason I choose to not take Ritalin before flying helicopters. That said, I also have my private license in fixed wing, and Ritalin does NOT affect my performance at all in aircraft, fixed wing aircraft do not require the same level of control, or demand the same level of attention, so I don’t understand the argument the FAA gives about denying fixed wing pilots, it’s bull crap. Either way though, I don’t understand why taking medication during off hours would disqualify me from flying. The effect wears off in a matter of hours, much faster than a couple bottles of wine, yet the FAA is fine with pilots getting drunk the night before they go fly a 747. To deny a career opportunity based on a standard operating procedure is wrong, and calling those who have been denied a medical after safely flying passengers for decades is no different than suddenly denying a black man a drivers license based on the color of his skin.
Hello,
I don’t think it’s quite fair to say that failing a medical is the same as being black. Class 1 medicals (the kind you need to be an airline pilot) are very simple to pass. If you fail one, it is usually for a reason. If your health, physical or mental, gets in the way of your flying, that is not the same as being black. It’s not really even known EXACTLY howw Ritalin works, and the drug does have side effects that aren’t nessisarily detected by your ritalin/helicopter test. Just because the frug does not affect you, does not mean it won’t affect others. Ritalin and Adderal are psychotropic drugs. The FAA bans ALL pyschotropic drugs, not just Ritalin. ALPA (a pilot union) fights for pilot’s rights to take certian perscription drugs like statins, drugs with mild, if any, side effects. They won’t even touch Ritalin/Adderal due to the class of drugs they fall into. I can’t see their or the FAA stance changing any time soon.
Remeber, having ADD is NOT GROUNDABLE, it is the taking of these psychotroihic drugs that’s groundable. To not see the hesitation in the FAA to allow pilots to take mind altering drugs, it having a one sided view, don’t you think? If you do fine flying off or on ritalin, why take it? You do know ritalin shows up in your urine and blood long after its effective peeiod of use.
Not trying to stir the pot. I used to firmly be in your camp, untill I got my degree in pre-med and started flying comercially years ago. ( I had stopped taking the drug long before as I didn’t like the idea of taking a drug no one was quite sure how it worked) Then I stared looking at it form the FAA’s point of view. I can understand their hesitation to allow commercial pilots to take psychotropic drugs. Ritalin is a psychostimulant, its pharmacological effects are closely related to those of cocaine. Look at it from the eyes of non-ADD people they lookng at the family of drugs Ritalin falls into and what kind fo ideas do you think they get? Let’s just take a step back and look at it from the other side’s eyes. They don’t make these rules because they “hate” ADD pilots, or think people that take Ritalin are “loosers.” They have taken the stance they have for a reason.
AK pilot
Don’t lose hope people.
As I have mentioned before, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority allows the use of antidepressant medication for private and commercial pilots and air traffic controllers.
You’re all probably quite aware of the fact that the FAA is currently reviewing their policy on ADHD medication. The good news is that these reviews normally end in a “Yes… with conditions…” The bad news is that these reviews can take between five and ten years.
I’d also like to mention the strict English proficiency standards required to become a pilot. I’m pretty sure that even Tiger Airways make their pilots sit a spelling test… So I wouldn’t be to worried about what a certain poster may have to say. He or she probably isn’t even a pilot.
Don’t lose hope. Blue skies are just around the corner. Remember though, these things take time.
Sety,
Mee-yow, ouch. I typed that letter quickly and zapped if off before a flight. I obviously can’t spell for ^%$%, however, I can assure you I’m a line pilot, member of ALPA, and have been flying commercially for close to ten years now. Didn’t know people were going to get their undies in a bunch over spelling and typos; silly me, I thought this was an ADD board. I just see quite a few non and aspiring pilots in here and I figure they may want to hear the perspective of a person in the position they may some day want to attain. I also try to see both sides of the issue….that helps you see what your are up against. No need to throw stones there. I apologized ater my little silly rant, though I am guessing I’m not going to see that level of maturity from you, who I guess to not be an airline pilot As for the silly little english proff test quip, geesh, I can assure you I was born and raised in the Midwest. I’m just an Airline Pilot who is a crapy typer and miserable speller; luckily I fly better than I type…..lighten up buddy, and try to contribute somthing other than obvious facts and snippy comments. I simply want to help the pilots of tomorrow deal with the rules of today. Rules that, as you yourself stated, are unlikley to change for a while.
Tailwinds,
AKpilot
Are we getting any closer to legal ADHD meds yet?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100402/ap_on_bi_ge/us_pilots_antidepressants
Not sure. CASA (Australia) has allowed antidepressant medication for quite some time, for the same reason they will probably allow ADHD medications… The official line on antidepressants was a) They work, b) We want people to report their medication use, c) We don’t want to encourage people to defy their doctor’s orders and stop taking their prescribed medication for the sole intention of passing a medical.
Interesting news from Down Under. CASA and the NZ CAA have recently had a conference on the framework required to approve Class 2 medicals to people with ADD/ADHD. I don’t know the result of the conference, but at least the ball is rolling.
Expect the FAA to follow suit in a few years.
I am a student pilot who is currently challenging the FAA’s denial of my third class medical certification. I started flying when I was 11 and am now 16. I started ADD medications (Focalin) in january of 2009, 5 and 1/2 years after I started flying. I did it to try to improve my grades, which did not happen. Focalin’s “dropoff” period during the day when the dosage begins to weaken, I became depressed, so my psychiatrist put me on Zoloft. The zoloft helped me get through 2 important family deaths within close proximity of one another. I tried to get my medical, the FAA denied, and I was forced to take a battery of psychological tests (10 tests). I am about to view the results of the tests and mail them to the FAA, and I am unbelievably nervous about whether they will allow me to fly or not. The tests were Trails A & B, Weschler Memory, MMPI, PASAT, Beck and Hamilton, and the Rorshach for example. There were several others,but I cannot remember them. Good luck to all pilots battling the FAA! You are all in my prayers, because I know how once aviation gets into your blood, you can never get it out!
AK Pilot, I agree with you. I think that if a person with ADD tries to become a pilot, they should get off of their medications and take the designated psychological tests to find the severity of their condition. I think that this is the FAA’s position as well. Also, unless they started in General Aviation, Commercial pilots don’t know how hard it is for a General aviation pilot to combat the FAA. They pretty much hate GA.
AK Pilot, I agree with you. I think that if a person with ADD tries to become a pilot, they should get off of their medications and take the designated psychological tests to find the severity of their condition. I think that this is the FAA’s position as well. Also, unless they started in General Aviation, Commercial pilots don’t know how hard it is for a General aviation pilot to combat the FAA. They pretty much hate GA. I think its disgusting that pilots have to lie on their medicals. I think that the FAA should open local branches so that pilots could meet with them and talk, and not make assumptions about people they don’t know. I know that would be hard, and is probably considered unrealistic.