Does taking certain medications disqualify me from being a truck driver?

Get a doctors writ. It has to certify by your doctor that the medication you are taking poses no threat for you to operate a commercial vehicle. Get that in wrting and you should be fine. If the doctor wont do it? Yup you cant drive commercially.

 

I am very familiar with Versed myself. I usually am allowed to use the medicine on request with my doctors, dentist etc and hospitals in particular. There are times I would like the memory not to be present. Sometimes you have a procedure that I find pretty invasive and if I have to be awake for it they put the versed into me and go through the procedure whatever it might be. I will still communicate and everything properly, but I have no memory. What I usually do after is go to Hospital Records (Or VA Release of iNformation) office and print out everything related to that day or week on me. Then after some reading I understand what happened during the procedure.

Regarding the OP's medicines

Yes unfortunately, the industry automatically excludes puppies (New graduates from trucking school) instantly. Takes them a period of time to find someone willing to take a chance on them. Risks are pretty high on the newbies.

 

Some doctors will not do it. Flat out no.

DO NOT whatever you do make a scene. Some people or patients rather have tried to argue or get loud, threatening etc. And wonder what happened when they get carted out by the Law in cuffs. And then written into various records with that incident.

Doctors are under incredible stress forces from all directions. It a wonder why we still have people who want to be doctors in today's age of enforcement. All of my doctors, those who have not yet retired (In 2003 I had 24 doctors total, I am down to about 6 and 4 new doctors total of ten) consider the state to be the unspoken presence inside the office with any patient.

Two word "Mental Health" has it's problems inside trucking. Makes me smile when I consider someone who has need of certain medicines in normal living and is trying to get involved with a industry that is not only the most dangerous occupation but also a form of battle. You wont believe some of the stressors that will be imposed on some who become truckers. In my day if the people were horrible and I am off duty, I took care of that with a drink and a date with someone fun. And that would be the end of that.

Sometimes several times a year you have a trucker snap and lose it. As in cuckoo. Those develop fast into very dangerous public safety emergencies. Fortunately not too many people had been hurt in those episodes.

 

Thank you for putting up with me. I am a little different than most people and need a certain amount of application of blunt trauma to get straight now and then, particularly when information that I think is ok isnt. Thats where you and a few others come in. And so, your assistance in correcting or teaching has been valuable in the past.

 

I would also advise anybody taking medications that may trip your DOT physical up to fork out the money to see a Medical Examiner on your own before you pay a large amount of money for a CDL school. See if you can drive taking this med. Remember my comment in post #4. I did not say you will 100% be able to drive a CMV taking this medication. I said the FMCSA generally leaves this decision up to the ME. The FMCSA has published a guidebook to all the MEs. I have a copy but to be honest I am not a medical person and rather not give advice based on this publication. Don't ask Mack the trucker at the fishhook or Mr ACE in safety either. If you ask the FMCSA al they will do is tell you to consult an ME. I have noticed a change in the way the federal DOT has put into all of title 49 CFR over the last few years. IN the area of the heart, diabetes and even eyesight, they are telling the MEs to get the drivers to seek their own private physicians OK. This also, unfortunately, means the DOT has transferred the liability to these physicians. Times are a-changing!

 

I use the versed syrup. the injectable is not FDA approved for home use. I would rather have the injectable because the syrup is not in the Veterans Affairs Drug Formulary. Not sure how they transmit it, but I go to a local pharmacy to get mine.

I hear you. There are sometimes I get so wonky I don't know what state I am in. Hey, this condition is a lot like this old song.

 

One more thing to consider. Even if you get a doctor's okay and even if you get your CDL, a lot of companies will be reluctant to hire you with a history of taking medications.
There's no shortage of drivers so why should a company take a chance on one with a questionable history and documented drug use. If you get into a wreck and your drug usage is brought up, and it will be, the company has a huge liability for allowing you to drive. Most won't take the chance.
True, there are some that will hire you but they're generally not the kind of company you'd want to work for if you had a choice.
If you lie on your application and they find out later that you're taking drugs you'll be fired immediately...and you should be.
I wish you luck but you might want to look at a different career path.

 

I agree. I would also add one thing that I think you missed on this topic. I know of a guy that had his application to a really good medium size carrier, EVEN with a great record and OVER 10 years safe driving career denied. All because his present carrier allowed him to drive with a medication I was not told what it was. He was working. The primary rub was the carrier wanted NO meds that required an OK. So keep this in mind when you get a job with a mega and maybe later want to jump ship. Some carriers are Strict as heck on this. I also think that the last sentence nailed it.

 

It is interesting that @Grumppy made that last post. It seems as if a real-life situation that has come to my attention proves his point to the letter! I was talking to someone early this morning at the Hampton Va. Veteran's Hospital about just this. He has been taking Zoloft for a few years and his VA doc advised a Medical Examiner here in Hampton Va it was OK for him to drive taking it. Well, his carrier for whatever reason changed who handles their Physicals. This new ME will NOT certify him to drive. His physical has just expired and he has had to make up his mind, quit taking Zoloft or quit that company. I asked him about getting his own ME, he said his safety dept will not accept a physical from an outside ME. I don't know what will happen in this case. I just know getting a CDL, and getting a Physician and a ME to agree with allowing you to take some meds IS NOT all of the issue. For the record, generally, the side effects of Zoloft and other antidepressants in that class are mild. The thing is, however, some of these side effects can reach the point where operating ANY vehicle much less a CMV can be dangerous. Things like Confusion, convulsions, and even loss of consciousness are known as VERY dangerous side effects. I know of 2 MEs that won't certify a driver taking Zoloft as fit to drive that work in this area. I have brought this up in other threads. It sounds great!! The DOT is relaxing standards by allowing Medical professionals to decide. (NOT SO FAST!!!!!) what the DOT has done in essence is to transfer much of the legal liability to these same professionals. Some will NOT take that risk.

As a driver, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to get a 2nd opinion by another ME. EVEN if that first ME has stated in the database you are UNFIT to drive. PLEASE though, make dang sure you tell that 2nd ME about the first one, make sure the first exam is noted on that 2nd physical report. Otherwise, you stand a good chance of being charged by the FMCSA for doctor shopping and get BOTH physicals tossed.