Can I be a commercial airline pilot if I take Prozac for ocd?
I've recently decided to go down the path of becoming a commercial airline pilot, but I just wanted to know if I would be medically cleared by the faa if I take Prozac for ocd. My OCD has never been debilitating I've worked as a firefighter for about a year and have come across some very stressful situations but I've always kept my cool. I know that I should really ask a physician this but I was just wondering if anyone could give me any kind of answer, much appreciated.
Luckily, Prozac was added to the list of approved medications by the FAA in 2010 BUT because you've been prescribe an antidepressant and are being treated for OCD, it's not straight forward. If you were to apply for an airman's medical certificate the application would be denied and automatically deferred to the Chief Air Surgeon's office for evaluation. You'll have to work with some doctors, and probably a psychologist, to document the severity of your condition before you would possibly be considered "airworthy".
Even if you were no longer taking any medication you'd have to undergo the same scrutiny. I'd like to be more optimistic, but I'd give it only a 50/50 chance. Your best course of action would be to seek advice and help from an aviation medical consultant before you even think about seeing an FAA examiner to obtain a medical certificate so you can learn to fly. If you join the AOPA, one of their benefits is free or low-cost advice. Read and learn:
On top of all this, if you were to get a medical certificate and start training, you'd still have to get past the hiring process and a lot of airlines (if not all) would be wary of someone with OCD and anti-depressants in their history. You might get hired and you might not. Just a warning so you have a realistic mindset going forward.
Contact FAA
I would certainly hope not.
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