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Migraine Waiver for a Pilot?
- Thread starter lwhite
- Start date
Reconjoe
Active Member
I would guess most people with migraines who want to be pilots wouldn't volunteer that information at a physical, unless it's a daily burden that would compromise safety... not saying might be better than banking on a waiver...
Sorry that probably didn't help you though, just an observation
Sorry that probably didn't help you though, just an observation
bubbagump
Coo-coo for cocopuffs
Were they ever clinically diagnosed?
Go through the waiver process if they were; honesty is always the best policy. If not, I'd still be wary--can't imagine that it would be a fun experience to be in the middle of flying and develop a spontaneous migraine.
Also, I'm pretty sure migraines are often a symptom of a bigger issue. However, my mother is the nurse, not me, so I could be wrong.
Go through the waiver process if they were; honesty is always the best policy. If not, I'd still be wary--can't imagine that it would be a fun experience to be in the middle of flying and develop a spontaneous migraine.
Also, I'm pretty sure migraines are often a symptom of a bigger issue. However, my mother is the nurse, not me, so I could be wrong.
Well the situation is a little weird. I went in with headaches that were annoying me but I was functioning no problem. They weren't incapacitating like migraines are supposed to be and didn't have any of the symptoms that normally go with them, but they gave me meds to take everyday, so I took them. Well the meds had such horrible side effects that I ended up having to drop that semester of classes. Needless to say I stop taking the meds and the headaches have gone away as well. I even ended up seeing a neurosurgeon who said my MRI didn't have any abnormalities (his works "Looks perfect"), two EEGs that were also fine, as well as a CAT scan that showed nothing. So this is sadly all in my medial records. And I can't even get a waiver for OSC until 3 years after the last time that any of this shows up on my record. Then after that I'd have to get another waiver to be a pilot so I'm in for a bit of a wait still, but I'm willing to wait. I'm just really annoyed at it.
My top interest is in being a pilot, and I will persure it as far as I am able, and it would really be nice to know if anyone else has ever recieved a waiver for this.
My top interest is in being a pilot, and I will persure it as far as I am able, and it would really be nice to know if anyone else has ever recieved a waiver for this.
bubbagump
Coo-coo for cocopuffs
Since nothing ever showed up (brain tumors, clots, cancer, some sort of brain-eating worm), if you are symptom free for an extended period of time, you should eventually be eligible for a waiver. I've never personally heard of a pilot who suffered from migraines, but then again, there aren't too many pilots up around my neck of the woods.
Anyway, until you're waivable, my advice would be to make yourself as otherwise prepared as possible.
Good luck with all of that; I genuinely hope it works out, and that someone else has the information you're looking for.
Anyway, until you're waivable, my advice would be to make yourself as otherwise prepared as possible.
Good luck with all of that; I genuinely hope it works out, and that someone else has the information you're looking for.
I had migranes when i was kid (MRI confirmed migranes), didnt take the pills either, and they went away before high school...i told the flight doc and he said as long as i have not had a migrane, not a headache, but a migrane since then, no furthur explanation is needed. But he said if I had them in my recent history then thats a problem.
The person to ask would be your recruiter, a flight doc, or NAMI...not a bunch of dumbasses like me on the web...just a thought.
I asked the OSO who asked the doc who said I needed to wait until 3 years after the last documentation to try for a waiver. And I've read though NAMI's waiver policy and know it could go either way. I wasn't asking if I would get a waiver. I was asking if anyone had gotten one for this before.
And thanks. Yours are older than mine were. But it does give a bit of hope.
I have a waiver for migraines. 3 years is the line in the sand. If they were within that time frame (or took medication in that period) a waiver would be denied. I went to MEPS with all my documentation and the Doc said I was good to go. I showed up to OCS and the flight docs at NAMI were surprised that no one at MEPS told me I would need a waiver. I had CAT scans and an MRI and the associated documentation.
The Flight Doc sent me to the head of neurology at NAMI for a consult. Three doctors then fired off questions for a long time and then gave me a bunch of tests about my coordination (imagine a sobriety test on crack). The type of questions they asked me went like this:
1. Story of your migraines.
2. Type of migraines (location and duration).
3. How the migraines effected your vision (lose of vision, tunnel vision, spots, etc.) or created a sensitivity to light.
4. Duration of a migraine.
5. Level of pain associated with a migraine.
6. The level to which migraines prevented you from doing activities like work or school and how you reacted (miss school/ work, lay down in a dark room).
7. How you got off medication.
8. Any possible triggers.
My strategy when it came to the interview was to prove to the Doc that I was worth the Navy taking a risk. At the time of my interview it had been 6 years since my last migraine or when I last took medication. I then listed all of the physical and stressful activities I had done without any migraines or the need of medication. My migraines were probably linked to going through puberty and the flight doc agreed. I was also 3 weeks into OCS at the time and did not have any migraine issues.
When I was NPQ'ed and had to wait a long time for the waiver I was on the verge of going nuts. If you ever get to that point do you best to try and push the waiver out of your mind. When it comes to applying for the waiver, check up on it weekly (by writing down everyone's name and office phone number) because you are the only person who will actively check on the status.
Good luck with your application, your physical and the waiver process. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
The Flight Doc sent me to the head of neurology at NAMI for a consult. Three doctors then fired off questions for a long time and then gave me a bunch of tests about my coordination (imagine a sobriety test on crack). The type of questions they asked me went like this:
1. Story of your migraines.
2. Type of migraines (location and duration).
3. How the migraines effected your vision (lose of vision, tunnel vision, spots, etc.) or created a sensitivity to light.
4. Duration of a migraine.
5. Level of pain associated with a migraine.
6. The level to which migraines prevented you from doing activities like work or school and how you reacted (miss school/ work, lay down in a dark room).
7. How you got off medication.
8. Any possible triggers.
My strategy when it came to the interview was to prove to the Doc that I was worth the Navy taking a risk. At the time of my interview it had been 6 years since my last migraine or when I last took medication. I then listed all of the physical and stressful activities I had done without any migraines or the need of medication. My migraines were probably linked to going through puberty and the flight doc agreed. I was also 3 weeks into OCS at the time and did not have any migraine issues.
When I was NPQ'ed and had to wait a long time for the waiver I was on the verge of going nuts. If you ever get to that point do you best to try and push the waiver out of your mind. When it comes to applying for the waiver, check up on it weekly (by writing down everyone's name and office phone number) because you are the only person who will actively check on the status.
Good luck with your application, your physical and the waiver process. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
What meds were you given?
How long did you take them?
Does your OSO know of the results...CAT, MRI, EEGs?
Were you diagnosed with migraines?
The med was Topimax and I think it was for around 6 months months that I took it. I went to the doc a few times complaining about the side effects but he kept saying they would go away and was actually upping the medication. Though I didn't take the upped dosage. And I do know that my mom bought the prescription for a while after that. I told my OSO about the results yes. When I went to see the doc the first time they did the MRI said there was something wrong so that they had to be migraines. Got a second opinion on them from a neurosurgeon and he said it everything looked fine. Told that to my OSO who told that to the doc who said "Many who have migraines do not show anything on an MRI, but it is great that nothing signinficant was found."