Re: Driving Question

[Guest guest]

If you are involved in an accident that requires medical attention, even if you

are Not at fault, in some states, your medication could be considered

contributory negligence. It is pretty standard to have a blood test done.

I take public transportation.

Ellen in TN

> peeklinda wrote:

> Does anyone on schedule II narcotic pain management drive? I

basically have stopped driving for fear that should I be in an accident that

they could use the pain management drugs against me.

[Guest guest]

You can be prosecuted for driving under the influence.  I do drive occasionally,

but honestly, I am risking a lot.  Losing insurance, losing my home if found

guilty of damages or injury even though I believe my reaction time is as good as

ever, but I have problems turning my head to look around. 

I'm rural, rarely drive into any city.  Shop on the edge of a small town and

only occasionally.  My husband is diabetic and I feel he's more likely to be at

fault driving as his blood glucose can drop low pretty fast.

We are really disabled, even though nobody will pay disability.  It's an unfair

world and I guess we are supposed to live in town, use bus service and forget

the quiet and privacy of the country.

Jennette

> peeklinda wrote

> Does anyone on schedule II narcotic pain management drive? I basically have

stopped driving for fear that should I be in an accident that they could use the

pain management drugs against me.

[Guest guest]

I have been taking my medications for years and I still drive everyday.

> wrote:

> Does anyone on schedule II narcotic pain management drive? I basically have

stopped driving for fear that should I be in an accident that they could use the

pain management drugs against me.

[Guest guest]

Same here but we do live in a small town and where I worked it was not

a huge city. Lois

> wrote:

> I have been taking my medications for years and I still drive everyday.

[Guest guest]

***The below is not legal or medical advise, please consult a lawyer

or doctor if you require legal or medical advise, instead of a

layperson's opinion***

I am on Duragesic (3 100mg/hr patches every 48hrs; delivering

450mcg/hr) , Actiq-1200 (4/day), oxycodone 30mg (6/day), and methadone

10mg (4.5/day) and I am still able to drive. After starting a new

medication, NEVER drive until know how it will affect you.

For me, I am a more dangerous driver when not medicated or under

medicated than when I am medicated properly or even over medicated. My

pain makes it near impossible for me to drive (muscle spasms,

distraction caused by pain, reduced reaction time caused by pain).

I refuse to drive without my full dose of Durgaesic and having all of

my pain medications with me because I have had to pull over because of

pain flares. I usually get about 5 minutes warning before a pain flare

prevents me from driving.

When we travel, we stop for food if it is close to a meal time or if

there is a Mcs (especially one with a play place, for my

daughter). We willl stop and get a couple of those $1.29 (used to be

$0.89) ice cream cones or hot fudge sundaes. Surprisingly, my pain

medication takes about the same amount of time to kick in as my

daughter take to eat an ice cream cone, which means I'm starting to

feel better around the same time she is ready to play on the slide.

If we were only traveling a short distance, I am usually okay. I am lucky

because I have Actiq, which means that I can get pain relief in as little as

5-10 minutes. The oxycodone starts to kick in around 15

minutes, significant pain relief around 25 minutes and full relief

between 45 minutes and an hour. Since Actiq is so fast acting, it is

also short acting, which can be an issue, but I find that taking 1-2

oxycodone at the same time I start the Actiq gives me the best relief

because the oxycodone kicks in just before the fentanyl (Actiq) wears

off. (Anyone else try that?) Did it work for you?

I am so lucky my pain is caused by cancer AND Fibromyalgia, not just

Fibromyalgia because I cannot imagine not having Actiq available.

---Sorry to go off topic---

DUI laws (sometimes referred to as DWI- Driving While Intoxicated

instead of DUI- Driving Under the Influence) vary by state, but

Pennsylvania's DUI laws state that you are considered DUI if you drive

and:

- Have a BAC over 0.08 (if over 21)

- Have a BAC over 0.02 (under 21)

- Ingest any CI controlled substance (CIs include Heroine, all forms &

salts of GHB except sodium oxybate (Xyrem), THC (unless synthetic THC

suspended in sesame oil in a gelatin shell; dronabinol), )

- Ingest any CII controlled substance without a prescription

(oxycodone, morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, cocaine, Adderall,

Ritalin, Dexedrine, methamphetamine, methadone)

- Ingest any CIII controlled substance without a prescription

(Vicodin, Marinol (dronabinol), sodium oxybate)

The law in PA does not acknowledge CIVs (C4) and CVs (C5) [CIVs

include benzodiazepines (Ativan, Xanax, Valium) and sedative hypnotics

(Ambien, Sonata); CVs include Lyrica]

Dr. Google's twin, Google Esquire, should be able to help you find

state specific laws for your state).

By the way, tramadol is chemically not an opioid, even though it does

activate the mu-opioid receptors. This and tramadol's weak action on

the mu-opioid receptor are two of the reasons that tramadol is not a

federally controlled substance (Lyrica is more tightly controlled than

Ultram)

A good rule of thumb, NEVER drive unless YOU are comfortable doing so

and you feel that your mental faculties are intact. According to

several studies (and even an episode of MythBusters) sleep deprivation

is actually MORE dangerous than driving " buzzed " (BAC 0.06-0.07),

which is incredibly dangerous.

In a civil (or possibly criminal) suit, the prosecution could claim

that the drugs were affecting you, but any decent defense attorney

would bring in an expert to testify that long-term stable doses of

opioids do not impede driving ability and that you were not negligent.

You would be more negligent driving tired than on legally prescribed pain

medications. If you were to drive immediately after starting a new medication,

you MIGHT be considered negligent. However, driving after starting Zanaflex is

more dangerous (and therefor more negligent) than starting an opioid.

I know a read a couple of studies that showed that in opioid tolerant

patients, driving while taking an opioid for chronic pain does not

impair driving ability. There was one really good one, I would give

you a link, but I do not know where it is (it is probably in my

bookmarks, but I have hundred, if not thousands, of bookmarks). If you

want to read the study, Google should help (how did we surf without

Google? Even Yahoo and AOL closed their search engines and Google runs

the actual searches).

Steve M, age 22

Married with four year old daughter

***The above is not legal or medical advise, please consult a lawyer

or doctor if you require legal or medical advise, instead of a

layperson's opinion***

> wrote:

> Does anyone on schedule II narcotic pain management drive? I

basically have stopped driving for fear that should I be in an

accident that they could use the pain management drugs against me.

[Guest guest]

I have been on pain meds since 2000 and been driving? why not? Takes pain away

not makes you " high " !!

JK@...

> wrote:

> I have been taking my medications for years and I still drive everyday.

[Guest guest]

Depends on the meds. While it may not make you high, it can leave your

reflexes impaired. Discuss the actual meds and doses with your doctor.

I used to take my meds after I arrived at my destination.

Ellen

>

> wrote:

> I have been taking my medications for years and I still drive everyday.

[Guest guest]

I am on Duragesic (3 100mg/hr patches every 48hrs; delivering 450mcg/hr) ,

Actiq-1200 (4/day), oxycodone 30mg (6/day), and methadone 10mg (4.5/day)

and I am still able to drive. After starting a new medication, NEVER drive

until know how it will affect you.

For me, I am a more dangerous driver when not medicated or under medicated

than properly or even over medicated. My pain makes it near impossible for

me to drive (muscle spasms, distraction caused by pain, reduced reaction

time caused by pain,

I refuse to drive without my full dose of Duragesic and having all of my

pain medications with me because I've had to pull over because of pain

flares. I usually get about 5 minutes warning before a pain flare prevents

me from driving.

When we travel, we stop for food if it is close to a meal time or if there

is a Mc's (especially one with a play place, for my daughter), we'll

stop and get a couple of those $1.29 (used to be $0.89) ice cream cones or

hot fudge sundaes. Surprisingly, my pain medication takes about the same

amount of time to kick in as my daughter take to eat an ice cream cone,

which means I'm starting to feel better around the same time she's ready to

play on the slide.

If we're only traveling a short distance, I'm usually okay. I'm lucky

because I have Actiq, which means that I can get pain relief in as little

as 5-10 minutes. The oxycodone starts to kick in around 15 minutes,

significant pain relief around 25 minutes and full relief between 45

minutes and an hour. Since Actiq is so fast acting, it is also short

acting, which can be an issue, but I find that taking 1-2 oxycodone at the

same time I start the Actiq gives me the best relief because the oxycodone

kicks in just before the fentanyl (Actiq) wears off. (Anyone else try

that?) Did it work for you?

I am so lucky my pain is caused by cancer AND Fibromyalgia, not just

Fibromyalgia because I can't imagine not having Actiq available.

---Sorry to go off topic---

DUI laws (sometimes referred to as DWI- Driving While Intoxicated instead

of DUI- Driving Under the Influence) vary by state, but Pennsylvania's DUI

laws state that you are considered DUI if you:

- Have a BAC over 0.08 (if over 21)

- Have a BAC over 0.02 (under 21)

- Ingest any CI controlled substance (CIs include Heroine, all forms &

salts of GHB except sodium oxybate, THC (unless synthetic THC suspended in

sesame oil in a gelatin shell; dronabinol), )

- Ingest any CII controlled substance without a prescription (oxycodone,

morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, cocaine, Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine,

methamphetamine, methadone)

- Ingest any CIII controlled substance without a prescription (Vicodin,

Marinol, sodium oxybate)

The law in PA does not acknowledge CIVs (C4) and CVs (C5) [CIVs include

benzodiazepines (Ativan, Xanax, Valium) and sedative hypnotics (Ambien,

Sonata); CVs include Lyrica]

By the way, tramadol is chemically not an opioid, even though it does not

Steve Matrese, age 22

Married with four year old daughter

> wrote:

>Hello to everyone!

>Does anyone on schedule II narcotic pain management drive? I basically

have stopped driving for fear that should I be in an accident that they could

use the pain management drugs against me.

[Guest guest]

Same here.

Kris in VA

e Sease

kris@...

>Square bear wrote:

I have been taking my medications for years and I still drive everyday.