Got a letter in October 2022 saying that my medical in April was denied due to a drug I was taking. Call the branch and spoke with someone and told them I did not take any drugs. They told me to get my doctor to send them something stating that I was not taking that drug. Done and sent middle of October. No decision as of yet and ofcourse cannot fly. 

Calling my Congressman Monday. 

The FAA is just another government agency with too much over reach. Some one needs to kick their asses and get them back to work. 

is it possible anybody would believe this dumb story. probably

I was denied by an AME for barely failing the vision test. I was using basic readers at the time but because they weren't prescribed I didn't have the option of using them. I've since learned from otherAME's that I can use whatever I wanted.

 None the less once the denial was in I not only had to get prescribed glasses I also had to get a clearance letter from an actual opthomologist verifying I had no eye disease.

 Everything had to be faxed to OKC no emails even in 2016. Took 6 weeks for my re-issuance.

 The FAA medical board doesn't care that we make our living with this stupid piece of paper.

the ame did. it's a little more than a piece of paper are you freakin serious. your ame probably screwed you because you sound like a jackass 

 Let me clarify this. The FAA has the ability to correct an AME screw up in literally a day Or approve almost any medications prescribed in a day. They choose not to. The  people that make most peoples glasses do an exam to determine the imperfections and look for disease.  Paying an ophthalmologist $500 to do the same thing and write a letter is dumb.

 Every pilot I've ever heard of having a medical issue or dying while flying or even not flying was the holder of a valid medical. So ya, it's a pointless piece of paper costing around $200 a year for us pilots that make a living carrying that around.

 I doubt anyone who has not had to deal with the bureaucracy of the FAA medical board would really understand.

thinks if you hold a medical you're not supposed to die lol. where do these idiots come frm

 We all die. The point is plenty of pilots die unexpectedly while declared fit to fly from some AME. Rare but not unheard or are pilots holding a first class medical over 40 with current EKGs piloting a plane full of people

duder informs we all die and since pilots with medicals die we should not bother with medicals at all because who know what the hell he's talking about

Also the point of pointless paper is the ridiculess standards set decades ago, mostly prepared by the military physicians is still the standard.

 While some standard is appropriate the failure rate because of dumb rules and the extraordinary lack concern to expedite the approval process for small deviations from the unreasonable standard as well as complete resistance to any kind of standard modernization says really everything about the FAA medical program

yeah. they make you be able to see, hear, not have too high bp and diabetes, etc. totally unreasonable. everybody screams small government until it comes time time to fix their problem.

Actually, you can continue to get a medical with diabetes.  As long as you're not insulin dependant and the meds are approved by the FAA.  You need to have an A1c done and have your Dr complete a diabetic questionairre within 30 days of your physical.  It's an OKC approved Special Issuance for the first medical, then your AME can approve it after that; as long as everything meets the FAA requirements.  Been doing it for years!  

 Sage advise that was handed down. Your AME and regular doctor should know little about the other. Your regular doctor should also never know about your aviation career.

 Your medexpress should never have sleep apnea, any kind of anti depressant or potentially drowsyness stuff.

 Yes I know all about the required disclosure fabricated decades ago with no room for modernization. Miss a dozen paychecks and check back in Because your CPAP didn't record properly or you took oxy for a day after a tooth extraction.

less like sage advice and more like just not dealing truthfully.

If you are involved in an accident

The FAA and NTSB will have your ENTIRE medical history within minutes of the positive identification of your body.  All of your history.  Everything.  Your Medical privacy ends at the moment of your death. 

Even if you miraculously survive,  HIPAA will not apply.  It will only take a day longer for every tiny detail of your medical history to be in the hands of the Feds.

The reason more helicopter pilots are not personally sued after an accident is that they are known to not have any assets worth pursuing. 

HIPAA doesn't apply when your dead. who gives a sh*t. good thing they probably won't take you to court though lol

minutes and they have all your records! but if you are alive, they wait until the next day and then boy will you be in big trouble!! lol

Aaah, no.

https://www.leftseat.com/

This is a company that assists pilots with their medical certification issues. Not free but not may help with the process. 

True that, but IMHO sometimes thay are out of line.  I tried to use them to get a letter to send to the Social Security Administration simply stating 2 of the medications I take daily are not allowed by the FAA.  They wanted over $1000 for the letter.  I called the AME I'd seen for years and asked him what to do.  He said, come see me.  I'll deny the medical and give you a letter for the SSA.  You'll eventually get an "offical" letter from the FAA too (that took over 6 months BTW).  All done for abouot $150 

I knew a couple of pilots that both had stints put in. One used the paid resource and the other did not. The pilot using the service received his certificate with a special issuance, at least 3 months sooner. I do not know all the details but, he was happy and recommended their service. 

Medical Certificate and process are absolutely not a medical issue.  Both are purely a legal thing.

pretty soon you'll just go to a fsdo and not a doctor because it's a legal thing.

is exactly what your elected congress people are about.  I've never known them not to follow up, as strange as that may sound.