• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Failed Methacholine challenge, any hope for me?

Out of Tracks

New Member
Greetings all,

I’m a recent NROTC graduate assigned SNFO working through medical hell that just became a lot more hellish.

I have a history of childhood asthma, always mild and as far I can remember it was completely gone after I was about 10 or 11. Given that I’ve spent the last 4 years of NROTC PTing and running just as hard as anyone else without any symptoms I had figured when the time came I would be able to get a waiver easily enough. Additionally, I had another medical issue I feared might disqualify me (which has ended up being a nonissue) that I devoted most of my NAMI worrying time to.

Come time to get the PFT and Methacholine challenge test and all I’m thinking about is how to get the tests and results as soon as possible. I graduated in December after being service assigned in October, can’t commission without being assigned a designator, and SNFO can’t be my designator until medical is out of the way. So waiting for these tests means sitting around, doing nothing and burning cash. After a long wait (COVID delays galore), I went and did the Pulmonary Function Test. Results are normal, now I just need the Methacholine challenge test out of the way. I show up for the Methacholine challenge test. Apparently I have to inhale 5 vials of the stuff and then blow into the mouthpiece after each vial. I feel like it’s going well enough at vial #3, but after vial #4 the nurse informs me that I’ve dropped below 80% of my base value and the procedures say the test has to stop. Obviously this makes me nervous but I figure maybe the point of the test is to keep upping the dosage until some reaction occurs and then measure that.

I’ll spare the sob story but this has been my dream forever and military aviation has pretty much been my primary interest and hobby long as I can remember so getting back home, reading up on the specifics of the Methacholine test and realizing it had very much not gone OK was needless to say not a fun night. It especially hurts that after worrying so much about another medical issue and getting cleared for it I’m potentially getting DQ’d long after I thought I was in the clear.

I've looked around this forum and others but most of what I find is essentially: PFT goes off without a hitch -> Methacholine challenge test goes off without a hitch -> happy ending. I haven’t been able to find any instance of someone else who passed the PFT but not the Methacholine challenge. I’m sorry this is such a wordy post but hopefully the apparent uniqueness of my situation justifies it. One thing I’m hoping is that the fact I’ve been assigned SNFO and not SNA might help my case but as far I can tell the only differences between NAMI’s Class I and Class II standards are related to eyesight.

Any input is appreciated as I really have no idea what happens next, at the very least I’m hoping I can retake the test again instead of just getting the big red X from NAMI with no further discussion.
 

Waveoff

Per Diem Mafia
None
My friend runs marathons and snowboards yet was DQ’d for some oxygen lung capacity test. Not sure if it was actually the same as yours but it can happen. That might not be the news you wanted to hear, but the smallest things can DQ people for reasons that might not be immediately apparent. This is coming from a former SNA to NFO who anthro’d out of pilot regs by 0.25”. Wherever you end up, grow where you are planted and make your mark. Maybe do some other designator then try again, or shoot for the guard or something. Or get your private license and use GI bill to get your ATP for a post military career in aviation. Lots of ways to skin the cat.
 

AIRMMCPORET

Plan “A” Retired
Well if you don’t pass and you really want to be in Naval Aviation AMDO is really what’s left.

I have several good friends in it, you still get in the daily life of Aviation, just not flying.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
I feel like it’s going well enough at vial #3, but after vial #4 the nurse informs me that I’ve dropped below 80% of my base value and the procedures say the test has to stop.
If the test was accurate, then you’re done. So the point of attack is the accuracy of test. Have you ever had one before? Or can get an external test that confirms (or denies) the Navy result?

There are Tour de France riders who medicate for asthma. High cardio performance and sensitivity seem to not be mutually exclusive.

Sorry to hear of your situation, shipmate.
 

StJP4Us

Active Member
Greetings all,

I’m a recent NROTC graduate assigned SNFO working through medical hell that just became a lot more hellish.

I have a history of childhood asthma, always mild and as far I can remember it was completely gone after I was about 10 or 11. Given that I’ve spent the last 4 years of NROTC PTing and running just as hard as anyone else without any symptoms I had figured when the time came I would be able to get a waiver easily enough. Additionally, I had another medical issue I feared might disqualify me (which has ended up being a nonissue) that I devoted most of my NAMI worrying time to.

Come time to get the PFT and Methacholine challenge test and all I’m thinking about is how to get the tests and results as soon as possible. I graduated in December after being service assigned in October, can’t commission without being assigned a designator, and SNFO can’t be my designator until medical is out of the way. So waiting for these tests means sitting around, doing nothing and burning cash. After a long wait (COVID delays galore), I went and did the Pulmonary Function Test. Results are normal, now I just need the Methacholine challenge test out of the way. I show up for the Methacholine challenge test. Apparently I have to inhale 5 vials of the stuff and then blow into the mouthpiece after each vial. I feel like it’s going well enough at vial #3, but after vial #4 the nurse informs me that I’ve dropped below 80% of my base value and the procedures say the test has to stop. Obviously this makes me nervous but I figure maybe the point of the test is to keep upping the dosage until some reaction occurs and then measure that.

I’ll spare the sob story but this has been my dream forever and military aviation has pretty much been my primary interest and hobby long as I can remember so getting back home, reading up on the specifics of the Methacholine test and realizing it had very much not gone OK was needless to say not a fun night. It especially hurts that after worrying so much about another medical issue and getting cleared for it I’m potentially getting DQ’d long after I thought I was in the clear.

I've looked around this forum and others but most of what I find is essentially: PFT goes off without a hitch -> Methacholine challenge test goes off without a hitch -> happy ending. I haven’t been able to find any instance of someone else who passed the PFT but not the Methacholine challenge. I’m sorry this is such a wordy post but hopefully the apparent uniqueness of my situation justifies it. One thing I’m hoping is that the fact I’ve been assigned SNFO and not SNA might help my case but as far I can tell the only differences between NAMI’s Class I and Class II standards are related to eyesight.

Any input is appreciated as I really have no idea what happens next, at the very least I’m hoping I can retake the test again instead of just getting the big red X from NAMI with no further discussion.
As others have said, the methacholine is the "gold standard" meaning pass you're good fail you're done. Unfortunately because you failed it with NAMI theres probably not much else you can do unless you were sick or had some congestion.

That is the thing with these kinds of tests, if you aren't feeling 100% then post pone it, don't let anyone force you to take it because it will ulitmately screw you over. I know there are cases like mine though where you only find out you had underlying problems after the fact.

If possible, try and ask for a re-test. But before you do the re-test, do cardio like you'v never done before. Practice this test with a civilian office. Make sure you're in the best shape of your life. People say you can't "prepare" for this test but I've heard/seen countless instances where being out of shape or having congestion the morning of be the difference between 79.9% and 80%. Good luck man, I hope we can come out of this and see eachother on the other side.
 
Top