Expert: Howard Lorenz - 4/8/2008

Question
MY son is in Air Force ROTC. He wants to be a pilot. He meets all physical and medical requirements (we know, because he had to qualify to apply for the AF Academy)except one: in the 6th grade he was diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed medication.  During high school, he was told that ADHD was a medical disqualification but that it could be waived if he went off medication for one year prior to the medical evaluation and his school performance did not suffer.  He did and received the waiver, but too late for the AF Academy.  Now he is in college and is once again having focus problems.  so he is considering seeing a doctor again and perhaps going back on medications if so prescribed.  Will this disqualify him for (1) completing ROTC in his junior year when he has to sign the contract (2) from receiving a commission on graduation and (3) from qualifying for flight school?  Is the disqualification ADHD or the medication?  What if the medication is prescribed for something else or is not a traditional ADHD medication?  In other words, is there a list of proscribed medications or is it the condition itself that disqualifies? What if he doesn't say anything about going back on medication?

Answer
Have him try ginseng and other herbal treatments first... The other thing that I would suggest is that he get more sleep and have him experiment with diet. I have been ADD all my life, I just augment my lifestyle to treat my condition....Ginseng does wonders for me... Its worth the try..and its not a medication that will interfere with his goals