When is the first flight physical after the pepc one?

mugenfan_98

Well-Known Member
When at my pepc flight physical I was informed that I had pretty high blood pressure, but after relaxing and taking a few minutes to calm down, I passed. I assumed that it was just the situation that day that was getting my blood pressure up. Since my pepc I've gone to a few of those machines that you put your arm in and it tells you your blood pressure. Apparently it's still up there. As soon as I get insurance from the FAA (currently I'm uninsured) I plan on hitting up the doctor to either get medication or whatever he sees fit.

I assume that the next flight physical is at least a year off right? I just wanna have some time to get to the doctor and have it looked at.
 
Some suff you could do while you wait is cut sodium out of your diet or quit smoking or drink less alcohol. don't know if any of those play a factor in your life, but i do know it can help. sorry i cant help you with the next physical date. you should check out the "my flight surgeon" thread. he could probably give you some pointers that would be more reliable than in the air traffic forum
 
I would take the FAA approved pills for lowering BP. I have tried to cut back on sodium and it is impossible. I have never added salt to any of my meals nor have I had more than a 12 pack of beer this year and I am not a smoker. I tried going on the "DASH" diet which limits your sodium intake to 1500 mg/ day. If you eat any fast food or processed foods you are screwed. Another way to put it, if its easy and convenient it's not on the diet.
 
I think those blood pressure machines at the pharmacy are BS. I tested myself 7 times in the 19 days leading up to my PEPC at those machines and averaged 140/83. On the stressful day of the PEPC I got 118/72. The lady used a large size cuff and said that could be the reason other doctors have said my BP is high
 
I was on cardizem, I switched to this vitamin crap and dropped the cardizem, it's worked for me so...
I got the cardizem approved anyway.
 
Just be careful, mine was high when I went to the doc 10 days before my PEPC and dropped from 158/100 to 130/90. I did cut out caffeine, but a co-worker told me that certain BP meds hinder "rising to the occasion".
 
Just be careful, mine was high when I went to the doc 10 days before my PEPC and dropped from 158/100 to 130/90. I did cut out caffeine, but a co-worker told me that certain BP meds hinder "rising to the occasion".

Vary rarely perhaps, high BP would be more of a concern in that area, which i always thought was funny, a few extra PSI in the hydraulic system would help one would think...
my big problem is I get tension headaches and guess what 99% of the BP meds have as a side effect?
 
Vary rarely perhaps, high BP would be more of a concern in that area, which i always thought was funny, a few extra PSI in the hydraulic system would help one would think...
my big problem is I get tension headaches and guess what 99% of the BP meds have as a side effect?

Let's practice... repeat these lines ten times per day and anytime you are asked about headaches use them again...

I do not have irregular headaches
I do not have pain continuous or pulsating in my head
I have not and do not have headaches on a regular basis

Now, repeat...
 
Let's practice... repeat these lines ten times per day and anytime you are asked about headaches use them again...

I do not have irregular headaches
I do not have pain continuous or pulsating in my head
I have not and do not have headaches on a regular basis

Now, repeat...

it's not a big deal, I've declared them on every medical since about 1996 and never had them look sideways at it.
now if I got migraines and was on some junk for it maybe, but even imitrex is allowed...

actually now that my BP is under control it's been fine.
 
I think those blood pressure machines at the pharmacy are BS. I tested myself 7 times in the 19 days leading up to my PEPC at those machines and averaged 140/83. On the stressful day of the PEPC I got 118/72. The lady used a large size cuff and said that could be the reason other doctors have said my BP is high


The problem with BP machines at the pharmacy is that you probably walked a ways to get there. To get a proper reading at the pharmacy you are suppose to sit still for ten minutes before checking BP. Check it three times and take the average of the three readings. But yeah your right they are BS, half the time the cuff is to small.
 
I do have a question about the medical. Is the medical the equivalent of the 2nd class medical? I currently work as a pilot with a 1st class medical. Does that medical count as being current, or will I have to get a new one?
 
It is very similar to the pilot medical but they check other things. I have read on here a while ago that some ATCer's that are pilots will get their ATC medical and then ask them to just check vision or one other thing and update their pilots medical at the same time. I will see if I can find that thread somewhere.
 
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