Anti-depressant. That is what stands between Michael Becker of Vienna and his dream of flying a private airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a regulation that states that anyone taking anti-depressant pills is ineligible to fly.
The senior at George Mason University has been trying to change this regulation by meeting with U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Virginia’s Tom Davis, R-11th, and asking them to propose a bill to Congress to change the rule.
Before every pilot gets his license, he must go through a physical examination during which the doctor asks yes or no questions. As soon as the pilot answers yes to taking anti-depressant medication, he fails the examination.
“By all means, it is a well-intentioned regulation, but it is very flawed,” said Becker. “The FAA has very detailed regulations, but as far as mental disorders and anti-depressants go, it is very black-and-white.”
Becker is currently taking Fluoxetine to treat his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The side effects for taking this medication according to Internet Mental Health (mentalhealth.com,) can include headaches; nervousness; insomnia; drowsiness; fatigue; asthenia (weakness); anxiety; tremor; dizziness; lightheadedness; gastrointestinal complaints, including nausea and diarrhea; dry mouth; anorexia; and excessive sweating. During clinical trials, 15 percent of the 4,000 patients that received Fluoxetine in North America discontinued use of the medication due to several side effects.
BECKER SAYS that he is experiencing no side effects and that Fluoxetine is able to suppress his OCD while he is on the medication. This is why the aspiring pilot wants the FAA to treat each pilot on a case-by-case basis.
“Even though he is not having side effects right now, they may become prevalent later,” said Steve Clement, a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association. “Side effects are never a guarantee, but they can occur at any time. There isn’t a guarantee that they will or will not happen. They could occur in the next three weeks or three months from now. It is totally unpredictable.”
Congressman Peterson proposed a bill during the last session of Congress, but the bill did not even get a hearing. Since his proposed legislation did not get to the floor in the last Congress, he must start from scratch and reintroduce the proposal. This time, Becker is seeking the support of both his own congressman, Davis, and Congressman Peterson.
“It’s out of our hands, it’s before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” said David Marin, spokesperson for Davis.
THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION that Becker is advocating will add a mental evaluation to the physical examination required by the FAA. A FAA-approved psychiatrist would decide whether the individual is mentally capable of flying. Along with the approval, pilots who would receive treatment would be required to attend regular appointments with the doctor and be grounded for three months on any change of treatment.
According to Becker, the reason that Congressman Peterson made the proposal was because he had a constituent from Minnesota who took anti-depressants to treat his back disorder. Even though the man did not have a mental disorder, the FAA forbade him to fly because the medication he was using was labeled as an anti-depressant.
“The FAA continuously says, ‘You can fly when you are totally treated,’ but they don’t seem to realize that you can’t be totally treated from a mental disorder. They are so blind to that,” said Becker.
According to Les Dorr of the FAA, there was no specific incident that forced the administration to create a rule that did not allow pilots to fly while on anti-depressants.
“Psychotropic drugs can affect things like awareness and focus while the pilot is flying. This regulation was just created just as a precaution. If Congress tells us to change the regulation, we will have no choice but to change it,” said Dorr.