Driving on pain killers

I agree that driving on pain medications can be a bad idea. I also agree that some on longterm treatment will be able to know when the meds are affecting their skills.

All of us end up having to make the decision from time to time and it's a tough one, as I may be ok with myself dying in a crash, but not so cool about mowing down a stranger on the street or in the other vehicle.

The one VERY, VERY concerning thing I've read though is about crushing meds. Never, ever, ever crush meds unless the doctor or pharmacist has said you can. There are lethal dosages in long-acting medications and sometimes one crushed long-acting pill, even at a small dose, can kill you.

Please don't crush your meds, it's playing with a loaded gun.

I wasn't diagnosed with migraine until I was 30. I had a neuro in Riverhead. He was nice. His name was Dr. Flores and located on Roanoke Ave. I was an occasional sufferer. I thought it was awful back then to have a migraine once every two months! Imagine that....ha ha.

I don't know if he is still in practice. He started me on anti-depressants and continued me on Imitrex (I had first gotten them from my ob/gyn). Six years later, I was no longer living there. I do remember none of the preventive treatments we tried ever worked, though.

I remember going to the OBI in the summer and missing Billy Joel (the nightclub had 5 bars in as many rooms so it was easy to do) then finding out he stayed in the motel I was working in for the summer. He didn't stay in my section ;-) And Twisted Sister used to play at another bar I would occasionally attend.

My friend and I followed Truman Capote on the streets of Southampton one afternoon, soon after "Murder by Death" was released and my son sat next to Roy Scheider (Cap't Brody in JAWS & JAWS II) when we went to see the re-release of the original Star Wars movies. It was fun to "collect" our celebrity sightings.

Montauk is beautiful. I love East Hampton and enjoy watching "The Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Channel to get a peek of it once in a while. What I miss the most is the ocean. I live 5 miles from it now but it's not the same. It's too darn hot here and there's not enough beach. Plus, people drive on it. That's sacriligious in my opinion!

You should see the beaches here now. You'd be sad. I'm sorry to report, but there's almost
nothing left of them anymore! Erosion has taken its tole. Smiths point is nothing but
a stones throw to the water! They keep on dredging sand up onto the shore but every winter
it gets worse and worse. At least they are trying, though...

I've heard of a few celebrity sightings but I myself have never witnessed one here. My friend
did once see Billy Joel though.

It's getting too expensive here. I'd like to move but eh, my whole family lives here. I'm
stuck because I love them so much so until they go, i'll stay. It is nice being so close to
the water, so I'll enjoy that while I have it.

I have to say that this discussion of driving while using necessary pain medication disturbs me. It reminds me of my brother who believes that I am incapable of rational judgements because I use necessary pain medications. What hogwash. But people who do not use pain medications (lucky them) appear to have a fear and misunderstanding about them.

Neither my long acting medication ( a morphine sulfate ) nor my rescue medication ( a form of oxycodone ) interfere with my judgements or reaction time or level of fatigue or my mood in any way ... well I tend to stay up late if I take my rescue after 4 PM ... but that is the ONLY effect I or Steve or my friends or my roommate have every noticed.

I am and act normally when using my medications. I can usually speak clearly and see clearly and make decisions and react appropriately when I am using my necessary pain medications.

To tell others never to drive (or do this or that) if using a pain medication appears to me to be making a judgement NOT based on the facts.

I and many on this forum are under a pain regimen because of our intracable, daily migraine episodes. I assure all who read this that I am a totally UNSAFE driver with OUT my medications ... I get confused, can't make rational decisions, hallucinate, get lost in my driveway, cannot speak coherently if at all, etc etc. However WITH my prescribed and monitored pain medications, I am "normal."

I believe any laws that hold a person properly using pain medications to be "under the influence" while driving are antiquated and improper. A driver ought to be judged on their driving NOT their medications ... except for known mood altering and reaction slowing substances like marijuana and alcohol and certain medications.

The warnings on my medications always say "use care when operating machinery UNTIL YOU know how the medication will affect you." Well, after all these years, I know. And the effect is positive.

Blanket advice never to drive is perilously close to doctors who never prescribe narcotics and brothers who believe anyone using narcotics is incapable of making adult decisions. Hogwash! Stop and reconsider ... we are talking here about responsible adults who do NOT desire in any way shape or form to endanger anyone ... you, your child, your husband, your neighbor ... not anyone.

If you honestly believe that anyone driving and using pain medications as prescribed with full knowledge of the medication's effect is driving irresponsibly and making poor judgements ... then I heartily disagree with you. AND I guess I am taking it personally. Yall know enough about me by now to understand that I often drive three children I love dearly. The very idea that I am endangering them and others by driving and using my pain medications as prescribed with full knowledge of their effect ... well I take personal offense at that judgement and disagree with you most heartedly.

Personally knowing that there are people on the road, driving cars on the same road I am on, who are experiencing a migraine episode scares the pants off me (NOT a pretty picture! LOL) But I regularly read on here about people who feel they have to drive during migraine episodes ... blinding pain, nausea, vomiting, impaired sight ... the whole package of a migraine episode.

I would MUCH prefer to share the road with responsible adults who are sober and in control BECAUSE they are responsibly using pain medication. Wouldn't you?

Hydrocodone has no effect on me at all other than reducing pain somewhat. It may even make me more alert possibly because I feel less pain. I can say that I know I can drive 100% while on it. I take a low dose. Even if I did get pulled over i doubt if I would be tested for anything. I do use caution though and don't take it until I'm pretty sure I will not be driving for rest of the day. You never know and a DUI isn't worth it. It is too bad, but there are idiots out there that do abuse the laws and we all pay for it.

Richard,

It is a case by case situation. I'm not saying by any means that anyone who pops positive
on a test should be put in a cell. I think a doctor should make that call by all means.
I don't think an individual should. I believe the same things you do. If you take your medication
responsibly there should be no single reason in this world you would drive any differently than
any other sober human being out there, being you have been on your meds for a while now and
have become used to them.

Some people do not have chronic every day pain and take medication every now and again.
I know when I take vicodin it knocks me out and I would feel getting behind the wheel would
be the same as drinking and driving for me. I also know that there are people who take
it every day and feel absolutely nothing from it and can drive responsibly. When push comes
to shove though, and the accident does happen a MD should be involved and called in to give
his/her opinion. If that opinion states that the medication could have had something to do
with the accident, I'll chop their head off. If it has absolutely nothing to do with the accident,
I'm sorry the accident happened, and I'm even more sorry you have to take medication every
day for the pain your in.

I also agree it would be more dangerous for you to drive in pain. I'm not disputing that.

Think about it from my standpoint though. There are tons of irresponsible people, especially in
my area, and maybe i'm more exposed because of my age. People in my husbands social group
ask me constantly to BUY MY PAIN PILLS TO GET HIGH! Are you KIDDING ME? I say no, they
go to the next guy, pop em, and drive away. I go out and see at least 3 drunks on the road any given weekend. I'm scared of it. Really really scared.

Now i'm not saying that we are all drug seekers or take medications to get high. I know that
frequently I make mistakes and don't eat before I take pills and get buzzed, or sometimes I'd
rather feel that and be pain free. Maybe I haven't found the right medication yet. I also know
I stay my butt off the road.

Sorry if I offended you, but I certainly didn't mean what I said toward people in situations similar to
yours. I didn't really clarify myself correctly.

I wish I could find our local newspaper article from several years ago about a woman who injured her back, went to the Dr., got a Rx for Soma, took one when her back hurt, then got in her car to go I don't know where around 3pm.

At 3pm a young lady, a 17yr old senior and honor student at a So.Calif. High School got out of school, in May, and got into her car to go home. She was one block down from her high school at a big intersection with lights all around. She was the first one in line at the red light.

The lady with the painful back and one Soma (she'd had pain meds before and was not a 'newbie') in her was in her car too. She came up behind the 17yr old senior and instead of breaking slowly behind her at the clearly red light with a stopped care there.........she slammed into her at great speed, pushed her car into the intersection.......

and the young, almost an honor graduate, was killed instantly.

The lady was so sorry, so very sorry. She was drug tested, the Soma had been taken not too long before she chose to drive and she was found guilty by a jury. She is in jail.

A family suffers daily without their daughter who was just starting her life.

Just my opinion.......that it is OUR responsibility, despite our pain and it's effects and requirements..........that we make the right choices in the first place and never put anyone else at risk. It is just not worth the possible outcome.

Excellent point, Mianna.

I know that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I caused any harm, let alone death, to someone (even an animal).

Becky

Wow Mianna. Your story is an eye opener. But to not drive on pain meds means I'd have to quit my job...
Depressing. All of it. I am home with a killer M today so who knows maybe at sone point my work will get tired of me and fire me.

Richard,
I also drive w my kids, and yes, sometimes on pain meds. I guess I never thought of it the same as driving w them if I had been drinking ( which I do not do). I don't know any of us could say for sure that we are 100% uninhibited by our narcotic medications. Are we in better shape than if we were to NOT take them, yes. Are our reflexes truely as sharp as someone w/o anything in their system? I'm guessing that if hooked up to neurological monitors and asked to erform the same tasks... No. However..... Can we learn to use safe and defense driving to still be equally as SAFE on the road ...... I believe so, yes.

But then you read Miannas story, and should they blood test me for whatever reason following an accident w injury, I'm in jail???? Ummmm. I don't want to lose my job..... But I REALLY don't wanna go to jail!!!!!!

I think Jessica summed it up pretty well. NEVER drive if you know you are impaired. If you think you are fine (and probably are), just be prepared for the consequences if you were to be in an accident even if it had nothing to do with the drugs. Unless really necessary, I try to wait until I am in for the day before taking anything, and if I can't wait, I drive even more defensively.

So because I was so moved by this thread...to the point of reconsidering my current habbits and considering Disability, I brought it up to my neuro at my appt tonight.

I said "YA know...what do people do?? Who have chronic pain issues....seeing as your technically not supposed to be driving on pain meds??"

He pretty much said it's up to each individual to determine how impaired they are by any and all medications they take and make the responsible choice every time they get behind the wheel. I told him if I chose to not drive on pain meds I would not be able to keep my job.

Not to knock down the story of a lady who caused this terrible tragedy - it's one to heed for sure,
but we don't know her whole story - maybe she wasn't chronic pain sufferer, maybe she wasn't used to the painkillers as we are. Just a thought.

I think everyone needs to use common sense in every situation, this including - driving on painkillers.
We know ourselves, what we can and can not, our limits - simply.

One person is OK while driving on percocet, another is not, and that's fine.

Risa

Mianna's story was about Soma, a muscle relaxer. Those are sleep inducing especially for the person who has just started on them.

I don't drive much but I am in a position where I must, once in a while, drive. I don't know what we're supposed to do, especially those of us who are working.

I don't drive much but I am in a position where I must, once in a while, drive. I don't know what we're supposed to do, especially those of us who are working.[/quote]

I work fulltime or at least I do most of the time. It depends on if my employer has enough hours for me. Anyway, I live in a lightly enough populated area that the public transportation isn't that great. However, I manage to get to work without driving. I walk, I take the bus, sometimes I bum a ride from a friend. It's a hassle, it takes more time and more planning than driving but it's doable. The ironic thing is that I am not driving for economic reasons.

"You don't have kids. You have more flexibility.", you say. Very true. But there are Moms who work fulltime. I see them on the bus every day. I know it must be difficult for them but they manage. I am not preaching although it sounds like it. All I am saying is please don't give up working if you can't always drive yourself. There are alternatives.

Chris

Sorry team, but I am still with Risa on this one. The soma tale is horrible - a terriby tragic accident. But I note it was a muscle relaxant that the driver was NOT taking on a chronic basis. I do not believe "our" daily pain medications fall int he same category. And yes, I actually do believe that my ability to observe, drive defensively, and react to situations is just as good if not better with my daily pain medications than without it.

I do believe that it all boils down to comman sense ... and if I am wrong, I know you will all visit me in prison - online if not in person! In fact I am counting on it! LOL

Agree with Richard 100% if you are being responsible.

And I like his comment on prison. There is that chance we take but I would say a very low risk. I think it is no different than the DUI laws. For someone like me that weighs 100 lbs., one drink may put me over the limit which is totolly ridiculous but who knows (never been tested), but when you take into account the people that actually do get arrested, they are in the most part drunk period. They aren't the people having a couple of drinks responsibly.

BUT, it is a chance you take whether you are safely driving or not. I very much doubt you would be prosecuted for it (or even tested) if you are not impaired. I've been in a couple of accidents that were not my fault and was never tested or even suspected of being under the influence of anything. We know if we are capable of driving safely or not, and if you aren't 100% sure, don't drive! The laws are out there because of abusers, not for those of us that are taking medication responsibly. They aren't after us.