Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by the FAA - What Pilots Need To Know
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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.
Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by the FAA - What Pilots Need To Know
Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by…
Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by the FAA - What Pilots Need To Know
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.