Doctors

My son has a commercial license and is soon going to fly for a cargo company. He has stomach issues maybe ibs and refuses to go to a gastroenterologist because he says he will be denied his medical! Any suggestions on this? I can’t believe he can’t reveal a stomach issue! A worried mom Thank you

Kathryn,

Your son is very foolish. Lying on an FAA Medical form is a federal offense and if/when it’s discovered he can lose all his licenses. He needs to find a good AME who’ll work with him and give him his options.

Adam

Kathryn,

Your son is playing with fire on several fronts:

  1. Not disclosing a medical condition to the FAA is a serious violation and he can end up having his licenses suspended.

  2. Not seeking care for a medical condition is playing fire with his own health. There are all sorts of GI issues that can affect people, some are not so serious, others are deadly. What he perceives to be something small could in reality be something really big that needs to be dealt with.

  3. The FAA does not recreationally ground pilots. They do it for reasons that are valid and that can affect the safety of flight. Your son needs to deal with his medical issues, then worry about his career.

Chris

Response from the medical side of the house (not affiliated with ATP, nor am I an FAA medical examiner)…
From a purely “common sense” standpoint, IBS, though a chronic condition, can be well controlled…but not with over the counter meds.

As Chris mentioned, the FAA’s goal is to ensure that conditions that the pilot has will not impair them. IBS is seen by some as just an inconvenience, but think about it rationally. When a flare happens the need to get to a restroom is urgent. Let’s say he the Captain, he’s in the final 15 minutes of approach to land in a busy airspace with a horrendous cross-wind, or gets told to stay in the pattern…he won’t be able to leave for the restroom.

What then? He needs to find a med that works for him now instead of suffering unnecessarily and hiding things from the FAA.

If he has nothing to hide, why is he afraid to see a doctor?

I don’t see IBS or any other GI condition on this list of disqualifying conditions.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/faq/response6/

Seeing a doctor for his GI issues is probably not what he’s worried about. Failing to report it in his medical history from day one is what he knows he did wrong.

Tory

Kathryn,

It is lying to not report a medical condition to the FAA.

Chris