Did you Know…About SSRIs?

SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. These are drugs that are normally prescribed for depression, although they can also be prescribed for social phobias and anxiety as well.

TC has some very specific information on the aeromedical implications of both taking SSRIs and the underlying conditions they are prescribed for on the Civil Aviation Medicine section of the TC website.
TC's bottom line is that taking any dosage of SSRIs is not compatible with flying. They also state that anyone suffering from any depression, social phobias or anxiety (whether treated or not) is not fit to fly either. The policy is the same for all the pilot categories of medical certificate – Cat 1, 3 and 4.
If you have been prescribed this medicine then your best bet to get back to flying is to get to the point where you no longer need the SSRIs and you are no longer suffering from the condition they were prescribed for. Medical research has shown that the best therapy for depression is a combination of anti-depressants and counselling and that neither one of those individually is as effective as both are together. In general terms the same goes for social phobias and anxiety as well.

See your CAME for more information on this condition and the use of SSRIs.