Can CDL truck drivers take lithium for bipolar disorder?

The Americans with disability act should protect your job.ADA.Also when you renew your licence Don,t forget to check off being treated for mental health.It does not disqualify you.I am not positive about hazmat though.

 

I(9) Has no mental, nervous, organic, or functionaldisease or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with his/her ability to drive a commercial motor vehicle safely;

Read it again folks it says likely to interfere. Key word likely. Each case is different let the doctors decide.

Yours truly
Bipolar

 

"Some guy on the Internet says the regulations don't apply to me."

 

And then there is this: http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/...-turning-down-vet-due-to-bipolar-meds-8951614

The Feds are currently suing Stevens Transportation for not hiring a bipolar driver...

 

Collage these dayz ....

 

And especially if you have to take something to give your mind a chemical whack to get it back in line and behave up there inside your head... like Lithium, it's going to be a problem. Not everyone can be a trucker. Nor should everyone with issues. This is a very high safety sensitive Industry and to me personally, anyone who has to take something for something already wrong with them to drive a big truck is going to pay a price else where that might just might get someone killed or hurt really bad. You cannot take that chance and you will find many good companies will not expose themselves to that chance.

There have been people who snapped mentally in the past in some cases off the medicine and required a very hard contact with SWAT and Police interceptors if they could get to them in time. They they are made to go away from Society into a mental ward and that is that.

Don't come here into trucking. What you should do is use your College Degree to work on your 4 year if not get a Masters 6 year in your chosen field and go invest your life in that area. Im pretty sure you can take 5 gallon buckets of medicine with you in your chosen Degree pursuit in life.

 

People with mental disorders are disqualified to drive a FMCSA regulated CMV in the event a doctor is required to administer federally regulated drug therapies for a mental disorder.

People who follow their lithium regime religiously are, in general, not likely to be the people who are chaotic, impulsive, desperate and most likely to commit suicide. In fact, one study showed just this. People who were highly compliant with lithium had a five times lower risk of suicidal acts than those who were judged to be ‘poorly adherent’ with it (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17042834)

So a study has been conducted investigating the suicide rate of people on lithium therapy.....

There must be a concern involving public safety which must not be compromised because a guy with Bipolar claims driving a truck would satisfy his employment needs.

Driving a truck can put stresses on the body and mind way much more than a typical job, thus the Rules of Employment require a Doctor's Approval.


Have a nice day !

 

here is some information regarding medications

Medications and Professional Drivers

 

I have bipolar 2 disorder and I'm looking to get into trucking I don't take medication I take vitamins and supplements eat healthy not the suicidal type or anything violence orientated I'm looking to achieve financial stability and escape poverty of Flint Michigan

 

Been driving like a grandmother since my Early 20s