Drug test ?

[flyboyzz1]

Anyone know if a half of an ambian will show up on a drug test I took 2 days prior? Do they screen for that kind of stuff? Not a current pilot but just did an interview. Thanks for the 411

 

[Tarzan]

Sorry bro. Should not have been taken stuff that wasn't perscribed to you.

 

[DrewBlows]

Anyone know if a half of an ambian will show up on a drug test I took 2 days prior?

Generally drugs you took after the test don't show up.

 

[flyboyzz1]

sorry that was worded crappy... took the half of pill two days before the test... the nurse said it may not... not that I couldn't easily get a prescription.

 

[PooPooPants]

sorry that was worded crappy... took the half of pill two days before the test... the nurse said it may not... not that I couldn't easily get a prescription.

Get a prescription next time to cover your azz just in case. My AME prescribes lunesta for me and as long as I don't take it 10hrs before flight I'm covered. I think your fine anyway, don't think ambien is on the test!

 

[flyboyzz1]

going to get one from the doc tomorrow morning... just in case they need proof

 

[avrodriver]

Your Ok-

The FAA has approved two short-acting prescription sleep aides, but with two important restrictions. First, they should not be used more than 1-2 times per week. as habituation can easily occur. Secondly, there are required waiting periods between ingestion and flight. Ambien has a 24 hour waiting period, and Lunesta has a 12 hour waiting period. Of course, individual variations can occur, and pilots should "ground test" them before using them prior to a planned flight.

http://airspacedoc.com/index.php?content=faqs

Look under "What about Sleeping pills?"

 

[oceandude]

your fine.

 

[makersmarc]

Anyone know if a half of an ambian will show up on a drug test I took 2 days prior? Do they screen for that kind of stuff? Not a current pilot but just did an interview. Thanks for the 411

I checked out Virtual Flight Sugeon - here's the link:
http://www.aviationmedicine.com/medications/index.cfm?fuseaction=medicationDetail&medicationID=32

In short, you are required to wait 24-48 hours after taking it before flying as a crewmember.

Also, I have it on pretty good authority that drug tests only screen for opiates, amphetamines, THC (marijuanna), and alcohol.

You can legally take opiates if you have a prescription for it, such as Vicodin for a knee injury. However, YOU CANNOT FLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OPIATES. I think the rule is you have to wait double the duration of the drug before flight. Example: You take Vicodin at 6am, and the directions say 'take every 6 hours for pain,' you wouldn't be legal until midnight.

Ask your flight surgeon if Ambien is right for you.....

 

[flyboyzz1]

well ambien isn't an opiate...correct?! 24-48 hours gotcha. I was just worried about the drug screen for the interview... not planing on taking ambien when I'm hired just hadn't slept that good a few days before the interview and wanted a good nights rest. Yes it was stupid didn't even think once about the screening. Thanks for the info.

 

[SLUF4]

I think Ambien gets out of your system in around 8 hours if I remember correctly

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Prescription drugs remain in the system based upon something called a half-life.

For instance Ambien (zolpidem tartrate) has an avg. half life of 2.6 hours. What this means is that after 2.6 hours, half of the administered dose is still within your system. So if you took a 5mg pill, after 2.6 hours you would have 2.5mg in your system. 2.6 hours after this you will have 1.25mgs remaining in your system and so on.

Drug tests don't actually test for the drug itself but rather the metabolites of it.

The pharmacokinetic profile of zolpidem tartrate is characterized by rapid absorption from the GI tract and a short elimination half-life (T1/2) in healthy subjects. In a single- dose crossover study in 45 healthy subjects administered 5 and 10 mg zolpidem tartrate tablets, the mean peak concentrations (Cmax) were 59 (range: 29 to 113) and 121 (range: 58 to 272) ng/ml, respectively, occurring at a mean time (Tmax) of 1.6 hours for both. The mean zolpidem tartrate elimination half-life was 2.6 (range: 1.4 to 4.5) and 2.5 (range: 1.4 to 3.8) hours, for the 5 and 10 mg tablets, respectively. Zolpidem tartrate is converted to inactive metabolites that are eliminated primarily by renal excretion. Zolpidem tartrate demonstrated linear kinetics in the dose range of 5 to 20 mg. Total protein binding was found to be 92.5 ± 0.1% and remained constant, independent of concentration between 40 and 790 ng/ml. Zolpidem did not accumulate in young adults following nightly dosing with 20 mg zolpidem tartrate tablets for 2 weeks.

 

[DX Rick]

You're dead dude. You blew your chances getting on with Mesa. Might as well go kill yourself........and leave me your MG

 

[siucavflight]

How long should I wait to fly after smoking crack?

 

[flyboyzz1]

Get a prescription next time to cover your azz just in case. My AME prescribes lunesta for me and as long as I don't take it 10hrs before flight I'm covered. I think your fine anyway, don't think ambien is on the test!

Can an AME prescribe meds? I didn't know that.

 

[Sig]

Can an AME prescribe meds? I didn't know that.

Right. They're just MDs, not Doctors.

Wait... I mean, they're not doctors, per se- they just kinda do that white labcoat thing and make suggestions.

Wait... are you farking serious?

 

[makersmarc]

Can an AME prescribe meds? I didn't know that.

The conventional wisdom is that you shouldn't see your AME as your regular physician unless they are a close relative of yours.

All AME's are MD's. Not all MD's can write presciptions. Their ability to write prescriptions is a function of DEA licensure (and a very hefty fee).

 

[PooPooPants]

The conventional wisdom is that you shouldn't see your AME as your regular physician unless they are a close relative of yours.

All AME's are MD's. Not all MD's can write presciptions. Their ability to write prescriptions is a function of DEA licensure (and a very hefty fee).

Never heard of that before. I know first year residents right out of med school that have the ability to write prescriptions.

 

[makersmarc]

Never heard of that before. I know first year residents right out of med school that have the ability to write prescriptions.

DEA probably didn't want their $600.

Also, you don't need to do an internship or a residency to practice medicine. Just a four year medicine degree.

Board certification, now that's another matter.

 

[NuGuy]

The conventional wisdom is that you shouldn't see your AME as your regular physician unless they are a close relative of yours.

All AME's are MD's. Not all MD's can write presciptions. Their ability to write prescriptions is a function of DEA licensure (and a very hefty fee).

Negative,

My AME is a DO. They can prescribe the same way a MD can.

Heck, my friends wife is a DVM, and she writes scripts all the time...by the way, did you know Walgreens stocks pet meds? And they're a heck of a lot cheaper than your local vet.

Nu