Aloft With SSRIs

Pilots will no longer be banned from flying if they are taking an SSRI antidepressant. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said the original prohibition had been instituted when older generation antidepressants that could cause drowsiness and other side effects were commonly prescribed. The new policy specifies that pilots who take Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, or their generic equivalents, can now fly as long as they have taken one of these medications for at least a year without side effects that could pose a safety hazard in the cockpit.