I get a one year card because of high blood pressure. It doesn't bother me because I go in once a year for blood work anyways.
My cousin had a prescription for Ambien. That #### is scary to me. He backed his truck into his wife's car one morning, got on his motorcycle and wrecked it on the way to work. Woke up in a ditch and swears he didn't know what happened after wrecking three vehicles. He never took it again.
Help! Needing advice ASAP re: my prescriptions on DOT physical & medical card
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Ford_C700_Man, Apr 11, 2024.
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Rideandrepair, Wargames, austinmike and 1 other person Thank this.
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But in all my years out here I have never had anyone count the pills in the bottle, or even ask to see it.
Not even sure if it would be legal for them to be handling the pills because it might contaminate them.NightWind, Rideandrepair, Wargames and 1 other person Thank this. -
Also, in Tennessee the DOT officers would take food out of the truck refrigerators and ruin it looking for pills. Sandwiches would be taken apart looking for pills. They don't do that anymore in Tennessee because OOIDA sued the state. I lived in Tennessee when that was happening.Rideandrepair, tscottme, Wargames and 2 others Thank this. -
First, my apologies for my long original post with a million questions. I thank you all for wading through it.
re: melatonin & other OTC insomnia sleep meds:
I suffer from something similar to PTSD from an incident that happened to me almost 30 years ago; I almost died in a house fire. Oddly, it was similar to the infamous "house fire" scene that got played in almost every episode on the "Blacklist;" series however, mine really took place in real life. As a result, I suffer from re-occurring nightmares from that incident and often have troubling falling asleep because it happened at night when I was asleep. I was woken up by a fire fighter standing over my bed in a pitch-black, smoke-filled room....
Anyways, I also take melatonin like crazy and have been for decades! You build a tolerance to it after a while, as with almost all insomnia meds.... OTC or otherwise. I've tried almost all of them known to mankind, and Ambien is the one that works the best for me. However, I have been able to mostly keep my sleeping patterns mostly regular and in check and over the years, I've been able to hold jobs down, including driving jobs (non CDL) in the past.
re: my medical card
I'm too late! My primary Dr already submitted the note. Just a few minutes ago, I just found out that the second physical went though WITH the Ambien prescription listed for insomnia.In other words my primary Dr wrote a note to the company's DOT examiner and he approved me for a 2 year card that expires 2 years from today.with no restriction ... provided I use Ambien as directed.
Questions:
1) As I was told by that particular examiner's office personnel, supposedly the OTR company (that I did not take the job with) can retain my medical card since they paid for my physical. They're also claiming that I don't have access to it, and that if I want my own card, I'll have to pay for another physical out of my own pocket. Does this sound legit? It sounds fishy to me.
2) Since Ambien is now listed on my medical card, am I now going to get tested SPECIFICALLY for Ambien in addition to the regular DOT panel for the random tests? And is this never going to change? ... even if I stop taking Ambien and don't list it on my NEXT physical? Which brings me to the next question ....
@Chinatown
Last edited: Apr 12, 2024
dosgatos and Rideandrepair Thank this. -
I can only caution you to make sure you notify the 2nd examiner of the first now unfinished physical and address ALL of the issues that caused it to happen. Trust me, you DO NOT want the FMCSA to toss your physical because of "doctor shopping". Understand I am not saying the examiner has sent anything into the FMCSA, but my advise is to proceed as if they did!
Rideandrepair, Wargames and kemosabi49 Thank this. -
Never volunteer information that is not asked for. Never with hold information that is required.
Rideandrepair, austinmike and Numb Thank this. -
I see this has been resolved but there is something else that needs to be said.
SO Ford dude, read what I have to say CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY.
Others may dispute what I am going to say but oh well.
Here is what the others won't say to you, and you need to know. You leaving off meds, no matter what they are is a sign of lying. The FMCSA DOT form is a federal form, it is something that you attest to as being accurate and complete. The DOT examiner has a duty to make sure you are able to drive safely, and if you lie or "leave out" information, then you are on the hook for legal problems --->>> cival and criminal action alike.
What I mean and you should take this seriously, we live in a society where everyone sues everyone else for stupid crap and there are creatures out there lurking in the weeds and in the grass looking for opertunities. They come from pond scum and they have with them other creatures who KNOW a lot more than you do and possibly some DOT inspectors about things like physicals, they will get your medical records, compare the two and then add this to the evidence that you are a very bad person even if the person was Mother Theresa.
SO be honest, play the game and get your card the right way.
IMPORTANT - THIS NEW COMPLETED EXAM INVALIDATES YOUR OLD ONE, YOU HAVE NO LEGAL RIGHT TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE TO GET ANOTHER EXAM TO MAKE YOUR CDL VALID IN THE STATE.
austinmike and Chinatown Thank this. -
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Make sure the pills are in the bottle with your script on it.
Rideandrepair, tscottme and austinmike Thank this. -
Chinatown and Rideandrepair Thank this.
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