CAT 1 Medical Question (Thyroid Medication)

[aspiringCPL]

I've had a CAT 1 for a few years and have never been on prescription medication. That may change soon though as I have a thyroid condition. TC is aware of the condition, but so far I haven't required any medication or treatment.

For those who started a new prescription, what is the process? Do you call TC or your CAME before-hand to see if you're allowed to take it? For those who started levothyroxine or other thyroid medication, was your medical suspended or did you have to take time off work before being reassessed? Did TC need any extra information (test results or blood work), or did you just advise your CAME at your next medical that you're on this medication now and that's the extent of it.

My next medical isn't until next year and I don't want to get on TC's radar if I don't need to, so I'm just wondering what others have done in similar situations.

Feel free to DM if you like.

[prop2jet]

Contact your CAME. If you know what medication is likely to be prescribed tell them and they can find out what the implication of your licence validity will be.

[cdnavater]

I've had a CAT 1 for a few years and have never been on prescription medication. That may change soon though as I have a thyroid condition. TC is aware of the condition, but so far I haven't required any medication or treatment.

For those who started a new prescription, what is the process? Do you call TC or your CAME before-hand to see if you're allowed to take it? For those who started levothyroxine or other thyroid medication, was your medical suspended or did you have to take time off work before being reassessed? Did TC need any extra information (test results or blood work), or did you just advise your CAME at your next medical that you're on this medication now and that's the extent of it.

My next medical isn't until next year and I don't want to get on TC's radar if I don't need to, so I'm just wondering what others have done in similar situations.

Feel free to DM if you like.

Levothyroxine is one of those medications that has the ability to affect you if the dose isn’t right, I believe you will be off for three months minimum with an initial dose but after that they don’t seem to care. I’ve been on it for years and years and they haven’t asked for any bloodwork related to it.
Your doctor will check your T4, TSH and free T3 levels periodically, typically three month intervals to get the correct dose and then annually for any adjustments.
Other than that, you have to be aware of your body, monitor yourself for symptoms of hypo or hyperthyroidism and then report any to your doctor who will possibly just adjust the dose without a blood test because it does take some fine tuning initially.
I would definitely reach out to your CAME before taking it, the risk is that you don’t report it and TC finds out later that you were taking it and could penalize you, I had a buddy take some new medication without reporting, when it did come up he lost his medical immediately and it took 6 months to go through the process of getting it back despite having been on it for 6 months at the time.
Good luck but it’s not going to after your long term career and also, it may have changed since my initial experience!

[aspiringCPL]

Appreciate the responses! I'll reach out to my CAME next week. I'll try and remember to write back here with my findings so anyone else in a similar boat knows what the process is.