Need Advice On Medications

Good Morning

How long has it been that you finished training?

Couple of things to add to the conversation.

1 - It would be a little more helpful if we knew which med we were talking about. Some companies are more forgiving of different meds than others - but for the most part - 1st gen tricyclics are typically no-no's because they can (and frequently do) cause drowsiness.

2 - If you've been on them for awhile, on a daily basis, you DO NOT just want to cease taking them. The "rebound effect" from sudden discontinuation of any psychotropic med (even if prescribed off label for pain, etc.) can have some serious effects in mood (like suicidal effects), so you need to be really careful and under your doctors care to do a sudden cessation of the medication. This is tough to gauge without knowing what it is you're taking.

3 - DOT Urine screens are the typical 5/10 panel - opiates, benzo's, weed, pcp, alcohol, amphetamines. Typically - psych meds that do not fall under the categories are not detected. Hair follicle tests can be way more in depth. DOT only REQUIRES testing for certain drugs, but companies may test for many others as a "pre-employment requirement", and this has more to do with potential liability issues of a medicated driver getting into an accident.

4 - If your doc won't give you a letter stating what the meds are FOR - then he is likely prescribing it in a non-approved application (off-label). Many meds end up having multiple applications, some not for psych diagnosis. And some of these are re-named for the different diagnosis - ex: Wellbutrin - psych diagnosis/Chantix - quit smoking - BOTH are the same drug formula. Or Lyrica - that's used to treat nerve pain and anxiety disorder. I'd be leery of a doc that won't document a prescribed med and the diagnosis it is being prescribed for.

5 - Many companies will not disclose what meds they won't approve for fear of being sued under the ADA (which covers mood disorders) for discrimination - but will bounce an applicant for being on the med at their physical for safety reasons. Over the years, the forum has pretty much figured out from experience of folks here, some of the drugs that are no-fly for companies - even though they are not prohibited by FMCSA. Companies will opt for safety (liability) rather than take on a driver that may have issues from drug side-effects.

Disclaimer: I am NOT A DOCTOR - just an obsessive researcher.

Rick

The drug is called amitriptyline and I am taking the bare minimum dose 10mg before bed for nerve pain/migraines. I have not even started driving a commercial vehicle yet. I finished my training back in 2015 before I started any of this medication and the reason I never did it was I was waking with bad headaches/migraines due to a bad wisdom tooth extraction back in 2008.

Couple of things to add to the conversation.

1 - It would be a little more helpful if we knew which med we were talking about. Some companies are more forgiving of different meds than others - but for the most part - 1st gen tricyclics are typically no-no's because they can (and frequently do) cause drowsiness.

2 - If you've been on them for awhile, on a daily basis, you DO NOT just want to cease taking them. The "rebound effect" from sudden discontinuation of any psychotropic med (even if prescribed off label for pain, etc.) can have some serious effects in mood (like suicidal effects), so you need to be really careful and under your doctors care to do a sudden cessation of the medication. This is tough to gauge without knowing what it is you're taking.

3 - DOT Urine screens are the typical 5/10 panel - opiates, benzo's, weed, pcp, alcohol, amphetamines. Typically - psych meds that do not fall under the categories are not detected. Hair follicle tests can be way more in depth. DOT only REQUIRES testing for certain drugs, but companies may test for many others as a "pre-employment requirement", and this has more to do with potential liability issues of a medicated driver getting into an accident.

4 - If your doc won't give you a letter stating what the meds are FOR - then he is likely prescribing it in a non-approved application (off-label). Many meds end up having multiple applications, some not for psych diagnosis. And some of these are re-named for the different diagnosis - ex: Wellbutrin - psych diagnosis/Chantix - quit smoking - BOTH are the same drug formula. Or Lyrica - that's used to treat nerve pain and anxiety disorder. I'd be leery of a doc that won't document a prescribed med and the diagnosis it is being prescribed for.

5 - Many companies will not disclose what meds they won't approve for fear of being sued under the ADA (which covers mood disorders) for discrimination - but will bounce an applicant for being on the med at their physical for safety reasons. Over the years, the forum has pretty much figured out from experience of folks here, some of the drugs that are no-fly for companies - even though they are not prohibited by FMCSA. Companies will opt for safety (liability) rather than take on a driver that may have issues from drug side-effects.

Disclaimer: I am NOT A DOCTOR - just an obsessive researcher.

Rick

The drug is called amitriptyline and I am taking the bare minimum dose 10mg before bed for nerve pain/migraines. I have not even started driving a commercial vehicle yet. I finished my training back in 2015 before I started any of this medication and the reason I never did it was I was waking with bad headaches/migraines due to a bad wisdom tooth extraction back in 2008.

AKA: Elavil.

You should get a letter from your doc, station when it what prescribed, what it was prescribed for, and what your dosage was.

Talk to your recruiter, get off the drug for 30 days and schedule your orientation.

Rick

waking up with severe pain from grinding teeth = TMJ and also whenever I chew really chewy food it can trigger the headaches.

Are you using a night-guard? If not, that may help a lot.

Also new Dr. who better fits your (current) needs. NEVER GOOD to just stop a med. of that type as withdrawal and serious side effects are possible. Guessing there are other similar drugs which if absolutely needed may not be "banned" or "unlikely" to be approved.

I might be too late to this discussion, but I have some personal experience with Schneider on this issue. When I went in for training I disclosed to Schneider that I took 75mg per day of Effexor (venlafaxine) I was prescribed this almost 20 years ago when I saw my doctor for fatigue (not depression) He suggested Effexor. This drug has been called Prozac with a punch. I tried it and it really worked well for me so I've continued with it ever since. 75 mg per day is considered a very low dose. I passed all my testing, but Schneider wanted a form filled out by my current Doctor that confirmed I was taking this for fatigue and not depression. I obtained the required clearance from my Doctor and the issue was resolved in short order. This medication does not cause any drowsiness, and I found it increased my mental alertness and did not have a negative effect on my sleep. I'm not familiar with any other drugs that are used treat actual depression.

Light S, so you are looking to drive for the first time since getting your cdl 4years ago? Are you talking with a recruiter for some refresher training?

I was prescribed amitriptyline for nerve pain about 1 1/2 years ago for nerve pain. Herniated disc C5 C6. Tried it for 2 weeks. Did absolutely nothing for me.

waking up with severe pain from grinding teeth = TMJ and also whenever I chew really chewy food it can trigger the headaches.

Are you using a night-guard? If not, that may help a lot.

Also new Dr. who better fits your (current) needs. NEVER GOOD to just stop a med. of that type as withdrawal and serious side effects are possible. Guessing there are other similar drugs which if absolutely needed may not be "banned" or "unlikely" to be approved.

Thank you for the detailed reply. Exactly what I was looking for. Wasn't getting any answers over at Truckers Report (can't stand that site). Do I really have to wait 30 days btw? I wasn't taking it very long and it was a very low dose.