16 min
Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by the FAA - What Pilots Need To Know The Flight Shrink
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- Mental Health
Continuing with the theme of the last several flights, I will be talking about antidepressant medications and the aeromedical acceptance of those treatments. Flight #18, discussed the first four antidepressants approved by the FAA for use in pilots, the SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa. And Flight #19 talked about the most recent addition to the FAA approved list of antidepressants, Wellbutrin. Today I’ll discuss other antidepressants that may be used in general clinical practice, but are NOT currently approved by the FAA for use in pilots.
Since the 4 SSRIs were the first antidepressants approved by the FAA, I’ll start with the other SSRIs that are not approved: Paxil and Luvox. As you can see from the chart, they have a similar side effect profile as the approved SSRIs, with the addition of some potential for sleepiness. As you might imagine, a pilot taking a pill that can make them sleepy is probably not the best idea. But this is probably not the main reason they have not been approved.
To read the full transcript go to The Flight Shrink substack at https://flightshrink.substack.com
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in The Flight Shrink are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, The United States Air Force, or any other organization with which Dr. Heacock is associated. The content of The Flight Shrink is not medical advice. The Flight Shrink is for informational purposes only and may not be applicable to all situations. Use of the information is at the reader’s own risk. Any recommendations of treatments, products, or services are made in general and may not apply to a specific person, situation, or illness. Please seek care from a medical professional if you have concerns for any physical or mental health symptoms.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting NAMI to 741741. For those in countries other than the U.S. here is a Google site with helplines:https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/11181469
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flightshrink.substack.com
Continuing with the theme of the last several flights, I will be talking about antidepressant medications and the aeromedical acceptance of those treatments. Flight #18, discussed the first four antidepressants approved by the FAA for use in pilots, the SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa. And Flight #19 talked about the most recent addition to the FAA approved list of antidepressants, Wellbutrin. Today I’ll discuss other antidepressants that may be used in general clinical practice, but are NOT currently approved by the FAA for use in pilots.
Since the 4 SSRIs were the first antidepressants approved by the FAA, I’ll start with the other SSRIs that are not approved: Paxil and Luvox. As you can see from the chart, they have a similar side effect profile as the approved SSRIs, with the addition of some potential for sleepiness. As you might imagine, a pilot taking a pill that can make them sleepy is probably not the best idea. But this is probably not the main reason they have not been approved.
To read the full transcript go to The Flight Shrink substack at https://flightshrink.substack.com
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in The Flight Shrink are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, The United States Air Force, or any other organization with which Dr. Heacock is associated. The content of The Flight Shrink is not medical advice. The Flight Shrink is for informational purposes only and may not be applicable to all situations. Use of the information is at the reader’s own risk. Any recommendations of treatments, products, or services are made in general and may not apply to a specific person, situation, or illness. Please seek care from a medical professional if you have concerns for any physical or mental health symptoms.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting NAMI to 741741. For those in countries other than the U.S. here is a Google site with helplines:https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/11181469
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flightshrink.substack.com
16 min