Drug, Paxil, Pilots Disallowed iPlane crash involving Paxil

[Guest guest]

Okay, Trish. This discussion is good. I amend my previous opinion that

people's privacy should be protected and the fact that they are on SSRI's

should nto be disclosed to the employers. IF the FAA has set a presidence of

disallowing pilots to fly until after 6 weeks of discontinuation, they

pilots should be tested for those drugs in their urine and the same

punishment administered as if they are caught with illegal drugs. This sets

the presidence that other types of employers could require the disclosure of

consumption of SSRI's .All that verbage about not beign safe to drive,

operate heavy macheriny, the Doctors I was in contact with before Mother's

suicide down played that side effect. I was on pins an needles seeing how

she drove on them but didn't want to restrict her freedom confronting it

with taking her license away. In the last couple of weeks before her death

her driving has gotten so bad that someone was honking at her every time we

went out. She was a threat to herself and others and I repeatedly told the

psychiatrists about it who never found that magic concoction of ever

changing drugs that would " help " her not be impaired with her driving. While

they failed to help me address the fact that she was a threat to herself and

others because of the drugs they were prescribing and she was commiting

suicide in front of them every month having secretely stopped her cancer

medicine for the cancer the Seroquel might have caused, they sure were ready

to be helpful to the PRobate Judge with everchanging unsubstatiated

allegations that I'd written a suicide note (theat to self) or " somewhat

threatening letter to the judge " (threat to others) to put me in a

psychiatric institution trying to turn me into a zombie rather than the

probate judge give me the letters of administration to which I am entitled

without his discretion that would have given me the right to finally get her

records from the Mental Health Center that the didn't want me to have and

access to the possibly embezelled estate assets.

What about school bus drivers?

What about teachers?

What about nurses?

What about judges?

The issue of disclosure of medical care for the " mentally ill " would be a

hard one to push for legislatively in light of the facade of privacy in

HIPPA 4/14/03 that gave the Federal government the right to everyone's

health care records. But if the FAA does prohibit pilots from being on

SSRI's that sets the presidence for other employees whose impairment would

threaten the public safety.

Thanks again, Tricia,

Dr. Lance, D.C.

800 309 6560

__________________________________________

Is this the one you were talking about Charlie???

Pilot in fatal crash was using banned drug

By Steve The pilot of last summer’s fatal L.A.B. Flying Service

crash

was taking a medication that would have disqualified him to hold a pilot’s

license had company or government authorities known of its use, federal

officials reported this weekThe National Transportation Safety Board

reported Monday

that traces of the antidepressant Paxil were found in blood and tissue

samples

taken from the body of 26-year-old Chad Beer after the July 30, 2001 crash

near son Glacier that killed Beer and five passengers. The NTSB factual

report, a summary of the agency’s year-long investigation into the crash,

does not

list use of the drug as the cause of the accident. The safety board will

determine and publish the probable cause of the crash within a month.In the

months

prior to the crash, Beer was prescribed Paxil to treat anxiety specifically

related to his job. The safety board reported that Beer told his doctor he

had

suffered job-related anxiety, including chest and throat tightness, for

years.

" He says it often comes on when there is bad weather and he has to fly, or

when he has to give his briefing talk to several people. " The doctor, who

was

not identified, reported that a 30 milligram daily dose of the drug

controlled

Beer’s anxiety. " He notices that he has less anxiety while flying his plane

and

less subjective shortness of breath while speaking to people in his

airplane.

It was getting to be enough of a bother that he was real unhappy with his

job, " the safety board wrote.The popular antidepressant is on a list of

psychotropic drugs the Federal Aviation Administration lists as

" disqualifying, "

meaning that use is currently not allowed for private or commercial pilots.

Dr.

Rigg, FAA regional flight surgeon, said Paxil is banned because it

could

affect how a pilot performs. " It’s mood altering and it could have a big

impact

as far as what’s going on upstairs. There are really two issues here. One is

the effect the drug itself has on a person, but the other is the underlying

conditions for which the drug is prescribed. Everybody gets depressed, and

it may

be bad enough to be disqualifying. But use of Paxil definitely is

disqualifying. " Rigg said Beer’s doctor, who was not an FAA-certified medical

examiner

qualified to perform pilot physicals, may not have known Paxil was a banned

drug.The doctor reported to the NTSB that Beer told him he couldn’t take

other

medications because of his job as a commercial pilot. " As far as the doctor’

s

liability is concerned, I can’t get into that because he might have assumed

(Beer)

could use Paxil. You just don’t know. " Doctors are advised to inform their

patients that Paxil could impact thinking and motor skills. The Physician’s

Desk

Reference, the standard prescription drug reference, states: " Physicians are

advised to discuss with their patients that Paxil can interfere with

cognitive

thinking and motor skills. Patients should be cautioned about operating

hazardous machinery, including automobiles. " Patients are warned that " Paxil

may

impair your judgement, thinking or motor skills. Do not drive, operate

dangerous

equipment, or participate in any hazardous activity that requires full

mental

alertness until you are sure the medication is not affecting you in this

way. " NTSB investigator Clint said that the management of L.A.B.

Flying

Service was unaware that Beer had been prescribed the drug. Beer passed his

last

first-class pilot’s medical exam in September 2000, six months after being

hired by L.A.B. " Throughout my investigation of the crash it was very clear

that

they were not aware that he was prescribed Paxil. There’s really no way to

know, if the pilot doesn’t tell them himself, " said. That’s because

the

F.A.A. doesn’t require that pilots be tested for Paxil and other banned

antidepressants. Random pilot drug tests focus on marijuana, cocaine, and

amphetamines. Commercial pilots are required to undergo an annual medical

exam, and are

expected to voluntarily tell their F.A.A. medical examiner if they’re on

antidepressant drugs, Rigg said. " We’re on the honor system. We can’t ride

herd on

every pilot. It’s up to the airman to tell their examiner if they have any

medical conditions. " Rigg said pilots who admit to antidepressant use aren’t

allowed to fly again until they’ve been off medication for up to six weeks,

to

make sure the conditions for which the drugs were prescribed don’t return.

" We

want to make sure your brain works. The creed is look sharp, feel sharp, be

sharp. A pilot’s biggest fear is that they’ll lose their license because of

a bad

medical exam. Our philosophy is to keep people flying, and you’re allowed to

fly with a world of medical problems. " He said pilots’ use of Paxil is a

controversial issue, with many in the F.A.A. advocating allowing the popular

drug.

" There’s a lot of people who think we should allow people to use it. No

doubt it

’s possible, but it will take a test run to find out. " Before he crashed,

Beer

declined to turn away from overcast skies at the top of son Glacier,

choosing instead to try to break through to what he believed were clear

skies

approaching Glacier Bay. A second plane on the sightseeing flight, which

originated in Skagway, took an alternate route to Glacier Bay and completed

the flight

successfully.

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

Okay, Trish. This discussion is good. I amend my previous opinion that

people's privacy should be protected and the fact that they are on SSRI's

should nto be disclosed to the employers. IF the FAA has set a presidence of

disallowing pilots to fly until after 6 weeks of discontinuation, they

pilots should be tested for those drugs in their urine and the same

punishment administered as if they are caught with illegal drugs. This sets

the presidence that other types of employers could require the disclosure of

consumption of SSRI's .All that verbage about not beign safe to drive,

operate heavy macheriny, the Doctors I was in contact with before Mother's

suicide down played that side effect. I was on pins an needles seeing how

she drove on them but didn't want to restrict her freedom confronting it

with taking her license away. In the last couple of weeks before her death

her driving has gotten so bad that someone was honking at her every time we

went out. She was a threat to herself and others and I repeatedly told the

psychiatrists about it who never found that magic concoction of ever

changing drugs that would " help " her not be impaired with her driving. While

they failed to help me address the fact that she was a threat to herself and

others because of the drugs they were prescribing and she was commiting

suicide in front of them every month having secretely stopped her cancer

medicine for the cancer the Seroquel might have caused, they sure were ready

to be helpful to the PRobate Judge with everchanging unsubstatiated

allegations that I'd written a suicide note (theat to self) or " somewhat

threatening letter to the judge " (threat to others) to put me in a

psychiatric institution trying to turn me into a zombie rather than the

probate judge give me the letters of administration to which I am entitled

without his discretion that would have given me the right to finally get her

records from the Mental Health Center that the didn't want me to have and

access to the possibly embezelled estate assets.

What about school bus drivers?

What about teachers?

What about nurses?

What about judges?

The issue of disclosure of medical care for the " mentally ill " would be a

hard one to push for legislatively in light of the facade of privacy in

HIPPA 4/14/03 that gave the Federal government the right to everyone's

health care records. But if the FAA does prohibit pilots from being on

SSRI's that sets the presidence for other employees whose impairment would

threaten the public safety.

Thanks again, Tricia,

Dr. Lance, D.C.

800 309 6560

__________________________________________

Is this the one you were talking about Charlie???

Pilot in fatal crash was using banned drug

By Steve The pilot of last summer’s fatal L.A.B. Flying Service

crash

was taking a medication that would have disqualified him to hold a pilot’s

license had company or government authorities known of its use, federal

officials reported this weekThe National Transportation Safety Board

reported Monday

that traces of the antidepressant Paxil were found in blood and tissue

samples

taken from the body of 26-year-old Chad Beer after the July 30, 2001 crash

near son Glacier that killed Beer and five passengers. The NTSB factual

report, a summary of the agency’s year-long investigation into the crash,

does not

list use of the drug as the cause of the accident. The safety board will

determine and publish the probable cause of the crash within a month.In the

months

prior to the crash, Beer was prescribed Paxil to treat anxiety specifically

related to his job. The safety board reported that Beer told his doctor he

had

suffered job-related anxiety, including chest and throat tightness, for

years.

" He says it often comes on when there is bad weather and he has to fly, or

when he has to give his briefing talk to several people. " The doctor, who

was

not identified, reported that a 30 milligram daily dose of the drug

controlled

Beer’s anxiety. " He notices that he has less anxiety while flying his plane

and

less subjective shortness of breath while speaking to people in his

airplane.

It was getting to be enough of a bother that he was real unhappy with his

job, " the safety board wrote.The popular antidepressant is on a list of

psychotropic drugs the Federal Aviation Administration lists as

" disqualifying, "

meaning that use is currently not allowed for private or commercial pilots.

Dr.

Rigg, FAA regional flight surgeon, said Paxil is banned because it

could

affect how a pilot performs. " It’s mood altering and it could have a big

impact

as far as what’s going on upstairs. There are really two issues here. One is

the effect the drug itself has on a person, but the other is the underlying

conditions for which the drug is prescribed. Everybody gets depressed, and

it may

be bad enough to be disqualifying. But use of Paxil definitely is

disqualifying. " Rigg said Beer’s doctor, who was not an FAA-certified medical

examiner

qualified to perform pilot physicals, may not have known Paxil was a banned

drug.The doctor reported to the NTSB that Beer told him he couldn’t take

other

medications because of his job as a commercial pilot. " As far as the doctor’

s

liability is concerned, I can’t get into that because he might have assumed

(Beer)

could use Paxil. You just don’t know. " Doctors are advised to inform their

patients that Paxil could impact thinking and motor skills. The Physician’s

Desk

Reference, the standard prescription drug reference, states: " Physicians are

advised to discuss with their patients that Paxil can interfere with

cognitive

thinking and motor skills. Patients should be cautioned about operating

hazardous machinery, including automobiles. " Patients are warned that " Paxil

may

impair your judgement, thinking or motor skills. Do not drive, operate

dangerous

equipment, or participate in any hazardous activity that requires full

mental

alertness until you are sure the medication is not affecting you in this

way. " NTSB investigator Clint said that the management of L.A.B.

Flying

Service was unaware that Beer had been prescribed the drug. Beer passed his

last

first-class pilot’s medical exam in September 2000, six months after being

hired by L.A.B. " Throughout my investigation of the crash it was very clear

that

they were not aware that he was prescribed Paxil. There’s really no way to

know, if the pilot doesn’t tell them himself, " said. That’s because

the

F.A.A. doesn’t require that pilots be tested for Paxil and other banned

antidepressants. Random pilot drug tests focus on marijuana, cocaine, and

amphetamines. Commercial pilots are required to undergo an annual medical

exam, and are

expected to voluntarily tell their F.A.A. medical examiner if they’re on

antidepressant drugs, Rigg said. " We’re on the honor system. We can’t ride

herd on

every pilot. It’s up to the airman to tell their examiner if they have any

medical conditions. " Rigg said pilots who admit to antidepressant use aren’t

allowed to fly again until they’ve been off medication for up to six weeks,

to

make sure the conditions for which the drugs were prescribed don’t return.

" We

want to make sure your brain works. The creed is look sharp, feel sharp, be

sharp. A pilot’s biggest fear is that they’ll lose their license because of

a bad

medical exam. Our philosophy is to keep people flying, and you’re allowed to

fly with a world of medical problems. " He said pilots’ use of Paxil is a

controversial issue, with many in the F.A.A. advocating allowing the popular

drug.

" There’s a lot of people who think we should allow people to use it. No

doubt it

’s possible, but it will take a test run to find out. " Before he crashed,

Beer

declined to turn away from overcast skies at the top of son Glacier,

choosing instead to try to break through to what he believed were clear

skies

approaching Glacier Bay. A second plane on the sightseeing flight, which

originated in Skagway, took an alternate route to Glacier Bay and completed

the flight

successfully.

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

Okay, Trish. This discussion is good. I amend my previous opinion that

people's privacy should be protected and the fact that they are on SSRI's

should nto be disclosed to the employers. IF the FAA has set a presidence of

disallowing pilots to fly until after 6 weeks of discontinuation, they

pilots should be tested for those drugs in their urine and the same

punishment administered as if they are caught with illegal drugs. This sets

the presidence that other types of employers could require the disclosure of

consumption of SSRI's .All that verbage about not beign safe to drive,

operate heavy macheriny, the Doctors I was in contact with before Mother's

suicide down played that side effect. I was on pins an needles seeing how

she drove on them but didn't want to restrict her freedom confronting it

with taking her license away. In the last couple of weeks before her death

her driving has gotten so bad that someone was honking at her every time we

went out. She was a threat to herself and others and I repeatedly told the

psychiatrists about it who never found that magic concoction of ever

changing drugs that would " help " her not be impaired with her driving. While

they failed to help me address the fact that she was a threat to herself and

others because of the drugs they were prescribing and she was commiting

suicide in front of them every month having secretely stopped her cancer

medicine for the cancer the Seroquel might have caused, they sure were ready

to be helpful to the PRobate Judge with everchanging unsubstatiated

allegations that I'd written a suicide note (theat to self) or " somewhat

threatening letter to the judge " (threat to others) to put me in a

psychiatric institution trying to turn me into a zombie rather than the

probate judge give me the letters of administration to which I am entitled

without his discretion that would have given me the right to finally get her

records from the Mental Health Center that the didn't want me to have and

access to the possibly embezelled estate assets.

What about school bus drivers?

What about teachers?

What about nurses?

What about judges?

The issue of disclosure of medical care for the " mentally ill " would be a

hard one to push for legislatively in light of the facade of privacy in

HIPPA 4/14/03 that gave the Federal government the right to everyone's

health care records. But if the FAA does prohibit pilots from being on

SSRI's that sets the presidence for other employees whose impairment would

threaten the public safety.

Thanks again, Tricia,

Dr. Lance, D.C.

800 309 6560

__________________________________________

Is this the one you were talking about Charlie???

Pilot in fatal crash was using banned drug

By Steve The pilot of last summer’s fatal L.A.B. Flying Service

crash

was taking a medication that would have disqualified him to hold a pilot’s

license had company or government authorities known of its use, federal

officials reported this weekThe National Transportation Safety Board

reported Monday

that traces of the antidepressant Paxil were found in blood and tissue

samples

taken from the body of 26-year-old Chad Beer after the July 30, 2001 crash

near son Glacier that killed Beer and five passengers. The NTSB factual

report, a summary of the agency’s year-long investigation into the crash,

does not

list use of the drug as the cause of the accident. The safety board will

determine and publish the probable cause of the crash within a month.In the

months

prior to the crash, Beer was prescribed Paxil to treat anxiety specifically

related to his job. The safety board reported that Beer told his doctor he

had

suffered job-related anxiety, including chest and throat tightness, for

years.

" He says it often comes on when there is bad weather and he has to fly, or

when he has to give his briefing talk to several people. " The doctor, who

was

not identified, reported that a 30 milligram daily dose of the drug

controlled

Beer’s anxiety. " He notices that he has less anxiety while flying his plane

and

less subjective shortness of breath while speaking to people in his

airplane.

It was getting to be enough of a bother that he was real unhappy with his

job, " the safety board wrote.The popular antidepressant is on a list of

psychotropic drugs the Federal Aviation Administration lists as

" disqualifying, "

meaning that use is currently not allowed for private or commercial pilots.

Dr.

Rigg, FAA regional flight surgeon, said Paxil is banned because it

could

affect how a pilot performs. " It’s mood altering and it could have a big

impact

as far as what’s going on upstairs. There are really two issues here. One is

the effect the drug itself has on a person, but the other is the underlying

conditions for which the drug is prescribed. Everybody gets depressed, and

it may

be bad enough to be disqualifying. But use of Paxil definitely is

disqualifying. " Rigg said Beer’s doctor, who was not an FAA-certified medical

examiner

qualified to perform pilot physicals, may not have known Paxil was a banned

drug.The doctor reported to the NTSB that Beer told him he couldn’t take

other

medications because of his job as a commercial pilot. " As far as the doctor’

s

liability is concerned, I can’t get into that because he might have assumed

(Beer)

could use Paxil. You just don’t know. " Doctors are advised to inform their

patients that Paxil could impact thinking and motor skills. The Physician’s

Desk

Reference, the standard prescription drug reference, states: " Physicians are

advised to discuss with their patients that Paxil can interfere with

cognitive

thinking and motor skills. Patients should be cautioned about operating

hazardous machinery, including automobiles. " Patients are warned that " Paxil

may

impair your judgement, thinking or motor skills. Do not drive, operate

dangerous

equipment, or participate in any hazardous activity that requires full

mental

alertness until you are sure the medication is not affecting you in this

way. " NTSB investigator Clint said that the management of L.A.B.

Flying

Service was unaware that Beer had been prescribed the drug. Beer passed his

last

first-class pilot’s medical exam in September 2000, six months after being

hired by L.A.B. " Throughout my investigation of the crash it was very clear

that

they were not aware that he was prescribed Paxil. There’s really no way to

know, if the pilot doesn’t tell them himself, " said. That’s because

the

F.A.A. doesn’t require that pilots be tested for Paxil and other banned

antidepressants. Random pilot drug tests focus on marijuana, cocaine, and

amphetamines. Commercial pilots are required to undergo an annual medical

exam, and are

expected to voluntarily tell their F.A.A. medical examiner if they’re on

antidepressant drugs, Rigg said. " We’re on the honor system. We can’t ride

herd on

every pilot. It’s up to the airman to tell their examiner if they have any

medical conditions. " Rigg said pilots who admit to antidepressant use aren’t

allowed to fly again until they’ve been off medication for up to six weeks,

to

make sure the conditions for which the drugs were prescribed don’t return.

" We

want to make sure your brain works. The creed is look sharp, feel sharp, be

sharp. A pilot’s biggest fear is that they’ll lose their license because of

a bad

medical exam. Our philosophy is to keep people flying, and you’re allowed to

fly with a world of medical problems. " He said pilots’ use of Paxil is a

controversial issue, with many in the F.A.A. advocating allowing the popular

drug.

" There’s a lot of people who think we should allow people to use it. No

doubt it

’s possible, but it will take a test run to find out. " Before he crashed,

Beer

declined to turn away from overcast skies at the top of son Glacier,

choosing instead to try to break through to what he believed were clear

skies

approaching Glacier Bay. A second plane on the sightseeing flight, which

originated in Skagway, took an alternate route to Glacier Bay and completed

the flight

successfully.

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

Okay, Trish. This discussion is good. I amend my previous opinion that

people's privacy should be protected and the fact that they are on SSRI's

should nto be disclosed to the employers. IF the FAA has set a presidence of

disallowing pilots to fly until after 6 weeks of discontinuation, they

pilots should be tested for those drugs in their urine and the same

punishment administered as if they are caught with illegal drugs. This sets

the presidence that other types of employers could require the disclosure of

consumption of SSRI's .All that verbage about not beign safe to drive,

operate heavy macheriny, the Doctors I was in contact with before Mother's

suicide down played that side effect. I was on pins an needles seeing how

she drove on them but didn't want to restrict her freedom confronting it

with taking her license away. In the last couple of weeks before her death

her driving has gotten so bad that someone was honking at her every time we

went out. She was a threat to herself and others and I repeatedly told the

psychiatrists about it who never found that magic concoction of ever

changing drugs that would " help " her not be impaired with her driving. While

they failed to help me address the fact that she was a threat to herself and

others because of the drugs they were prescribing and she was commiting

suicide in front of them every month having secretely stopped her cancer

medicine for the cancer the Seroquel might have caused, they sure were ready

to be helpful to the PRobate Judge with everchanging unsubstatiated

allegations that I'd written a suicide note (theat to self) or " somewhat

threatening letter to the judge " (threat to others) to put me in a

psychiatric institution trying to turn me into a zombie rather than the

probate judge give me the letters of administration to which I am entitled

without his discretion that would have given me the right to finally get her

records from the Mental Health Center that the didn't want me to have and

access to the possibly embezelled estate assets.

What about school bus drivers?

What about teachers?

What about nurses?

What about judges?

The issue of disclosure of medical care for the " mentally ill " would be a

hard one to push for legislatively in light of the facade of privacy in

HIPPA 4/14/03 that gave the Federal government the right to everyone's

health care records. But if the FAA does prohibit pilots from being on

SSRI's that sets the presidence for other employees whose impairment would

threaten the public safety.

Thanks again, Tricia,

Dr. Lance, D.C.

800 309 6560

__________________________________________

Is this the one you were talking about Charlie???

Pilot in fatal crash was using banned drug

By Steve The pilot of last summer’s fatal L.A.B. Flying Service

crash

was taking a medication that would have disqualified him to hold a pilot’s

license had company or government authorities known of its use, federal

officials reported this weekThe National Transportation Safety Board

reported Monday

that traces of the antidepressant Paxil were found in blood and tissue

samples

taken from the body of 26-year-old Chad Beer after the July 30, 2001 crash

near son Glacier that killed Beer and five passengers. The NTSB factual

report, a summary of the agency’s year-long investigation into the crash,

does not

list use of the drug as the cause of the accident. The safety board will

determine and publish the probable cause of the crash within a month.In the

months

prior to the crash, Beer was prescribed Paxil to treat anxiety specifically

related to his job. The safety board reported that Beer told his doctor he

had

suffered job-related anxiety, including chest and throat tightness, for

years.

" He says it often comes on when there is bad weather and he has to fly, or

when he has to give his briefing talk to several people. " The doctor, who

was

not identified, reported that a 30 milligram daily dose of the drug

controlled

Beer’s anxiety. " He notices that he has less anxiety while flying his plane

and

less subjective shortness of breath while speaking to people in his

airplane.

It was getting to be enough of a bother that he was real unhappy with his

job, " the safety board wrote.The popular antidepressant is on a list of

psychotropic drugs the Federal Aviation Administration lists as

" disqualifying, "

meaning that use is currently not allowed for private or commercial pilots.

Dr.

Rigg, FAA regional flight surgeon, said Paxil is banned because it

could

affect how a pilot performs. " It’s mood altering and it could have a big

impact

as far as what’s going on upstairs. There are really two issues here. One is

the effect the drug itself has on a person, but the other is the underlying

conditions for which the drug is prescribed. Everybody gets depressed, and

it may

be bad enough to be disqualifying. But use of Paxil definitely is

disqualifying. " Rigg said Beer’s doctor, who was not an FAA-certified medical

examiner

qualified to perform pilot physicals, may not have known Paxil was a banned

drug.The doctor reported to the NTSB that Beer told him he couldn’t take

other

medications because of his job as a commercial pilot. " As far as the doctor’

s

liability is concerned, I can’t get into that because he might have assumed

(Beer)

could use Paxil. You just don’t know. " Doctors are advised to inform their

patients that Paxil could impact thinking and motor skills. The Physician’s

Desk

Reference, the standard prescription drug reference, states: " Physicians are

advised to discuss with their patients that Paxil can interfere with

cognitive

thinking and motor skills. Patients should be cautioned about operating

hazardous machinery, including automobiles. " Patients are warned that " Paxil

may

impair your judgement, thinking or motor skills. Do not drive, operate

dangerous

equipment, or participate in any hazardous activity that requires full

mental

alertness until you are sure the medication is not affecting you in this

way. " NTSB investigator Clint said that the management of L.A.B.

Flying

Service was unaware that Beer had been prescribed the drug. Beer passed his

last

first-class pilot’s medical exam in September 2000, six months after being

hired by L.A.B. " Throughout my investigation of the crash it was very clear

that

they were not aware that he was prescribed Paxil. There’s really no way to

know, if the pilot doesn’t tell them himself, " said. That’s because

the

F.A.A. doesn’t require that pilots be tested for Paxil and other banned

antidepressants. Random pilot drug tests focus on marijuana, cocaine, and

amphetamines. Commercial pilots are required to undergo an annual medical

exam, and are

expected to voluntarily tell their F.A.A. medical examiner if they’re on

antidepressant drugs, Rigg said. " We’re on the honor system. We can’t ride

herd on

every pilot. It’s up to the airman to tell their examiner if they have any

medical conditions. " Rigg said pilots who admit to antidepressant use aren’t

allowed to fly again until they’ve been off medication for up to six weeks,

to

make sure the conditions for which the drugs were prescribed don’t return.

" We

want to make sure your brain works. The creed is look sharp, feel sharp, be

sharp. A pilot’s biggest fear is that they’ll lose their license because of

a bad

medical exam. Our philosophy is to keep people flying, and you’re allowed to

fly with a world of medical problems. " He said pilots’ use of Paxil is a

controversial issue, with many in the F.A.A. advocating allowing the popular

drug.

" There’s a lot of people who think we should allow people to use it. No

doubt it

’s possible, but it will take a test run to find out. " Before he crashed,

Beer

declined to turn away from overcast skies at the top of son Glacier,

choosing instead to try to break through to what he believed were clear

skies

approaching Glacier Bay. A second plane on the sightseeing flight, which

originated in Skagway, took an alternate route to Glacier Bay and completed

the flight

successfully.

" Blind Reason "

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose