anti-depressant meds

Most meds nowadays just need a sign off from your doctor saying it won't affect your ability to drive,if he or she refuses to you can try another dr(although I would only do that if you honestl feel they don't effect your ability to drive)




as for if company's care?id guess their insurance cares and by proxy they do.i know up can be caught driving under th influence on certain meds even with a prescription

 

SSRI , Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors are not A controlled substance, per se. A prescription is required, yes , but they are not opiates or stimulants like amphetamines , Ritalin etc. . They do not show up on A drug screen because something like Celexa , Wellbutrin , the SSRI group is not what they are looking for. If the physician prescribing the medication certifies that he is familiar with CMV duties and operation and asserts there is no additional risk , you should be OK. Personally I would keep my mouth shut. Revealing that you are on an anti-depressant to A potential employer is like playing Russian Roulette. Clearly the matter should be discussed with your personal physician and you should be guided by his judgement . Perhaps obtaining an affidavit in advance , if the doctor is willing to provide one , would be " due diligence. It is estimated that better than 1/2 the adults in the US are on some type of mood elevator.Those are the ones that admit it ! It's A statement on the condition of the culture we exist in. Sleeve

 

JamieSharpe,

You said you found a list of 4 meds that are "ok" for drivers. What are those 4 meds or better yet... where is this list you found?

 

Going to depend on the company's Insurance and safety department to if there allowed or not Do not take a recruiters word for it, as for people suggestion you say nothing about them well now if you should get in a wreak and there are fatality involved you can bet the farm lawyer's will find out about them.

 

A company that hires a driver knowing the side effects of any drug is a liability for them.
These drugs list potential drowsiness as an example.
A carrier will not hire a driver knowing they're taking a drug that causes drowsiness.
Not to mention you suffer from depression, which is going to be a red flag.
A recruiter has 100 apps a week come across his desk - - yours will be easily dismissed.
Best to not mention it if you want a chance at employment.

 

While I agree with some of what you said, the side effects of ANY medication are scary to say the least and could be used by any lawyer to win his case no matter who's side he might be on. Here is just one example:

IBUPROFEN is a common pain medication used by truck drivers, air traffic controllers, pilots and surgeons WHILE THEY ARE OPERATING ON YOU!

Here are its KNOWN side effects:

Common side effects of ibuprofen Oral:



http://www.webmd.com/drugs/mono-936...gid=5166&drugname=ibuprofen+oral&pagenumber=6

 

You've received some great replies on this already, but thought I would add my two cents since I work in HR/recruiting as a living. As long as you meet the other requirements of the job (skills, experiences, license, background check okay, passed drug test, etc.) those are the important parts. I also look at enthusiasm, work ethic, team work skills, communication. I don't look at age, race, sex, etc. I have personally hired company drivers who have been on anti-depressants and don't have a bias since it would be illegal for me to have one and it's just wrong to discriminate even if there were no laws against it. I have not had any issues with drivers having problems from medication side effects, and (keeping my fingers crossed) have yet to make a truck driver "bad hire" in my career. I've probably hired other drivers who DIDN'T tell me they were on antidepressants.

I suppose there are a few recruiters who might be nervous about hiring someone on antidepressants, which is kind of surprising to me. As sleeve62 said, a very high percentage of the US population is on some type of antidepressant so it shouldn't be a major taboo or shocker...it's just that in most other lines of work, people don't have to disclose they are taking antidepressants. I've been off and on various antidepressants since I was a preteen, and I personally would never tell my employer this! You don't technically have to disclose the antidepressant to the potential employer since it isn't a controlled substance, but you do have the option to do so if it not disclosing bothers you.

 

It's not wise to go off a drug without first discussing it with your doctor, especially if you still have the underlying condition.

I haven't found any official references that confirm the one you linked to. Hope you find the below useful.

Here is another thread that contains an excerpt of the FMCSA law: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ions-from-new-drivers/184403-medications.html

Here's a link to DOT's medical FAQ: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/medical/faqs.aspx?printer=true#question4

This is purportedly the DOT guide for medical examiners to use: http://www.pspa.net/userfiles/QuickReferenceGuide.pdf