Can i atend a course if im on ssri anti anxiety drugs?

[Gnusmas 0]

I think that mental alertness its always present when doing something like skydive , the adrenaline keeps you aware of what you are doing, but i think its not good to let adrenaline take you in a state of overwhelming fear.

[DiverMike 5]

Attached is a PDF file of the FAA Drug list indicating what is and isn't allowed for pilots. Oops - sorry it is over 300 KB as a PDF, so attached is a text file in pretty rough format, but it contains all of the allowed/disallowed medications.

It is formatted as follows

1st line Drug Name
2nd Line Generic Name
3rd line What the drug treats
4th line what you have to do to get FAA ok to fly while on drug. - It may be blank if "NOT ALLOWED" appears in text.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[ChrisL 2]

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Attached is a PDF file of the FAA Drug list indicating what is and isn't allowed for pilots.

Your attachment is invisible :)

__

My mighty steed

[DiverMike 5]

it was invisible when it was a neatly formatted PDF file. As a text file, it is small enough to load, but harder to understand.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[Krip 2]

Hi DM

On a happy note prozac is allowed.
The 6 hr wait after taking the pill before flying, no problem

One Jump Wonder

[Gnusmas 0]

Quote

Attached is a PDF file of the FAA Drug list indicating what is and isn't allowed for pilots. Oops - sorry it is over 300 KB as a PDF, so attached is a text file in pretty rough format, but it contains all of the allowed/disallowed medications.

It is formatted as follows

1st line Drug Name
2nd Line Generic Name
3rd line What the drug treats
4th line what you have to do to get FAA ok to fly while on drug. - It may be blank if "NOT ALLOWED" appears in text.

Thanks for the list

[solodude59 0]

I agree with ChrisL. I have mild anxiety/depression issues and I take a daily low dose of an SSRI (20mg of Celexa). When I did my first jump, AFF, I forgot how to breathe, and just froze for a few seconds. Luckily the instructors shook the hell out of me, and I remembered what to do. In my limited opinion, I would recommend a tandem for the first, just to eliminate the massive pucker factor at first, and help you enjoy AFF. Just my $0.02...

In freefall, you have the rest of your life to figure out what's wrong. -Joe, AFF Instructor

[nutellaontoast 0]

Let me tell you a story.

In 2006 I started jumping. At 45 jumps I had a hard opening that severely injured my back. It was 3 years before I started jumping again.

When I started jumping again, I was acting like an idiot. At the time I didn't know why. I couldn't land a parachute. i was maing stupid mistakes in free fall, etc. Finally I figured out that the reason was that I was on methadone for the back injury. this was only after I totally fucked a straightforward landing and broke my back for a second time.

You may think 'what kidn of idiot jumps while they're high" but that's the thing, methadone doesn't get you high. I didn't feel high so i thought I was fine. I didn't realize my cognition was totally impaired.

I was on benzos and various other narcotics before that and let me tell you, you do NOT want to skydive on them. They fuck up your judgment, no matter HOW you feel. I felt completely clear headed when I slammed in on my ass, and now I have a broken T3 vertebrae and a fucked up pubic symphysis. They make life a lot less fun than it should be.

Don't jump. Period. You're going to hurt yourself.

Don't let the fact that I sound like I think that I know what I'm talking about fool you. I know that I don't know what I'm talking about

[hookitt 0]

Short answer: No

I hired a ghost writer to write the part under the line. The rest is my comments

Relaxed is the wrong word to be used for skydiving however it's what people seem to understand. Relaxed is kicking back in a recliner breathing slowly enjoying a calm moment

Relaxed in skydiving is the ability to perform fluid movements with out tensing up. You're still not relaxed but you're not rigid either. Let the energy be released upward. (let the air do much of the work, you just direct it as needed)

Given the nature of those particular drugs: As an instructor it would be a disservice to you to take you. It would be a disservice to your friends, to me, and my friends as well.

Skydiving isn't the world. It's great, it's fun, it's dangerous. It takes proper decision making and you must make them with lubricant speed. You won't have that capacity. The drugs seem to be necessary in your life so until it's determined another option is viable, do not stop taking them.

I have an honest question. Is English your first language? It helps us create better responses if we know this.


From the ghostwriter:
-----------------------------------
"I am offering this opinion as someone who works in mental health and understands the types of diagnoses that require those kinds of medications. I would not encourage you to go through AFF. The type of anxiety that requires benzodiazepines is not the type of anxiety that would allow you to go off those medications with ease if you truly need the level of medications you are taking. I would not send even some of my highest functioning patients to do a skydive because at the end of the day, they are not functioning optimally or thinking clearly enough to make the decisions required for skydiving solo. YOU are not thinking clearly enough to make the decisions to skydive if you require heavy-duty anxiolytics.

Another concern I have is with the comments suggesting that anxiety improves for people after they begin skydiving. I have no doubt that this is true for some and have heard great things from those who used to suffer from mild to moderate anxiety and depression. However, these people were already high-functioning, and maintaining their mood without medications. Those with severe, persistent mental illness (which is what benzodiazepines are prescribed for) are not going to experience this. Your potential for panic is greater, and symptoms increase in situations of stress. There are many high stress situations you will find yourself in, as any seasoned skydiver can attest to, far after the time you are finished with AFF or off student status. We've all seen high-functioning individuals without mental health issues make bad decisions during these situations. There is good reason to have respect for this sport and those involved in it. Once you are on your own, it is not just your life that is on that plane. Your decisions, or lack of ability to make them, affect others.

Without knowing you or your situation, I must reiterate the suggestions given here to speak to your doctor. But as a mental health practitioner, I would not recommend it. All benzodiazepines are "No Fly" on that list that someone else posted for you in regards to pilots. If you wouldn't want your pilot on them... well. You may not want anyone piloting a canopy on them, either.

Please think long and hard, allowing the glow from your tandem jump to wear off, before making such an important decision. Skydiving is wonderful and an amazing experience, but it is not for everyone for many reasons. I hope you will consider the risks involved very seriously before pursuing this as a hobby. I also hope that you will not make any rash decisions to stop taking medications you need in an attempt to get involved in skydiving. You still have a mental illness, whether you take the medications or not."

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[Ron 7]

Since I am not a Dr.... I would only let you jump if you came to me with a note from a DR saying that it should not be an issue.

I always find mental issues funny as a double edged sword.

1. People with them always want them to be considered "real" issues that are serious, but when you you treat them like a real medical issue people get upset. I am a Diabetic, and even being a diabetic I am not qualified to say if another diabetic is safe to jump.

So, if I would ask a diabetic to provide some form of documentation clearing them to jump, why would I NOT ask someone with another type of illness that requires medication for the SAME type of documentation?

Yet people get mad if you mention it.

2. Mental issues are often solved, by drugs.... But the taking of the drugs (which should make the person safer) often prevents them from participation.

So... Yes, you could skydive on ssri's... But since I am not a doctor, I would ask for some clearance from a Dr.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[darrenspooner 0]

I'd be more concerned about whether your condition was managed by the medication, than the medication itself. If you are having panic attacks or are prone to them then don't get in the plane. If you're taking mirtazapine or venlafaxine, ditto. If you're taking an older TCA such as dothiepin then think carefully. Shouldn't be a problem with the usual suspects (ie, fluoxetine, paroxetine, reboxetine, citalopram). But ALWAYS ask your doctor. I am a clinical psychologisy and I take some of my patients skydiving, some of whom take SSRIs and benzos. But, Always ask your doctor

[Gnusmas 0]

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I have an honest question. Is English your first language? It helps us create better responses if we know this.

Do you really thought or put in question if english is my first language? Of course its not, i learned english alone, by my self the best i could so excuse my bad grammatic, its not because of medication , hehe.
Skydiving as you say its isnt the world but im at an age where i realize that im in this life just to exist, i dont do something to feel alive, im sick of it , shortly if i dont do somethign exiting my life will have no purpose.
Making childs and a family and to stay the whole life in a corner of a city , in a corner of a building waiting to get old its not for me. Anxiety ruined my fucking life and probably will kill me if i dont get to do what i like to do.

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You still have a mental illness, whether you take the medications or not."

So there is no escape? There is no real treatment for generalized anxiety? Ill have to pop up this pills all of my life to feel better? Very cool life, what to say more, then ill never find happiness probably.

[Gnusmas 0]

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I'd be more concerned about whether your condition was managed by the medication, than the medication itself. If you are having panic attacks or are prone to them then don't get in the plane. If you're taking mirtazapine or venlafaxine, ditto. If you're taking an older TCA such as dothiepin then think carefully. Shouldn't be a problem with the usual suspects (ie, fluoxetine, paroxetine, reboxetine, citalopram). But ALWAYS ask your doctor. I am a clinical psychologisy and I take some of my patients skydiving, some of whom take SSRIs and benzos. But, Always ask your doctor

I was on xanax, now im on clonazepam(klonopin) and i will take a drug from the class of ssri's named lexapro then after it kicks in dr will lower the dose of benzos and i will stay on lexapro if its good for me. I dont think that my doc can tell me if i can skydive or not, maybe he dosent know a thing about this sport or the risks involved in it. My only chance is to get better and to get off medication but years pass and im sick of doing nothing.

[skydiver604 0]

http://www.play-shops.com/

Check out this link. I have had severe anxieties since I was 10 (I'm currently 44) Last fall a fellow skydiver introduced me to SET,,,,In 5 - 2hour sessions he cured what the doctors could not fix in 34 years. he treated each anxiety separately in a 2 hour session,,,,each anxiety literally disappeared as it was treated. My anxiety attacks could last from 1 hour to 25 hours,,,,,drugs did nothing to ease the pain except turn me into a zombie,,,,occasionally I go back for a body / brain tune up using acupuncture and SET,,,I haven't felt this great in years,,,SET is something you might want to consider.

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

[mdrejhon 8]

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Thanks all of you for the reply's and thanks for the users who encourage me. Unfortunately here where i live doctors are not to good, i dont know if they will be able to tell me if im ok to skydive or not. When i did a parasailing session i could not imagine how relaxed i felt

Sounds like you'll enjoy a high-altitude pull -- above the clouds in a partly cloudy sky. It is very peaceful up there. You might also consider paragliding, for more airtime under a canopy.

For me, it's usually R.E.D. to help me feel balanced -- Rest, Exercise, Diet. I am very bad at some of these, working a sedate desk job. Though I used meds in '04, but a small amount only for two months as a crutch, during a period of hard times that hit me in all areas of my life. I didn't want to be resigned to depending on meds, as I am usually err on the side of avoiding meds "unless it was clearly useful and needed"...

[Plover 0]

Once again the moderators here have chosen to delete a bunch of perfectly innocent messages. So now it's time for some payback once again. Tsk tsk. It's too bad they continue this program of self-induced punishment. It would be so easy if they just left those innocent messages alone, and public. But, when they fucka wit me, I fucka wit them. So here we go again.