I am not directing this at anyone in particular.

I just got to thinking...the last thing we TOSers need is a DUI.

There have been car wrecks in our little community that we all have shared, and one scary aspect of that, or getting stopped, is that we could be picked up for DUI if we are on pain meds or altering meds.

I stopped driving in 03 because of my neck mainly - but I also never wanted to get a DUI from being on meds. It really scares the poop out of me. Having TOS and doing ANY jail time would be absolute hell. I did risk it if my daughter had an emergency - should not have though...It was a risk to me, to our finances, and to the rest of the people on the road...I was lucky I got to her and back ok.

Anyone on meds - and I'm not preaching but just warning what the courts do - they will treat you like a criminal and you'll go to jail plus the $3000 in costs and alcohol / med school for a min. of three months, not including what the DMV does if you're here in CA.

Even though we don't feel impaired, a judge will simply look at what you are prescribed and come to his/her own conclusion.

So again I'm not directing this at anyone - it just popped into my consciousness, as I was wishing I had my car to get to the grocery but then thought it through that I really can't drive with my pain level anyways, and then thought about the meds issue.

Please consider this personally, no need to post...

Thou art SO correct!

Actually, my Husband pointed this out to me a few years ago (after following me driving one of our cars to the mechanic). We are both in law-enforcement, and I was really surprised at how right he was!!

Tam, I am ashamed that I had not passed this wisdom on at the time. You may have saved some lives...NO JOKE!!

Pay attention to the meds, when and how recently they have been taken. Especially take the time to understand how your body reacts to ANY change in medication.

We are not always aware of how 'loosey goosey' we are, especially for the first few hours after intake.

Many, Many DUI's are from medication, not alcohol. Not a good idea for adventure indeed.

Anne

Thanks Anne for the confirming post...

And also, even if we don't feel impaired at all, the scariest thing is that they will just take you in anyways, take your blood, and sure, you can pay $5K to have an attorney try to prove that we're used to our meds, and it didn't impair us on that date, but again, if it's a judge, I feel he or she would just look at the list of some of our meds and BANG of the gavel, jail time, etc.

Or, if it's a jury, they are going to think, hhhmmm, she's so disabled she can't work, and she's qualified on Social Security and Medicare, and then on these meds, and she's driving and putting my life at risk? Nope - guilty!

So as innocent as we may be in fact, the politics behind it would get us, I fear.

And again, what could be worse with TOS than getting hauled off to jail, so uncomfortable, then the costs, the hearings, and the risk of a civil suit if we are in an at-fault accident and are not properly insured (high enough $.)

At the least, everyone check your liability amount and make sure if you were sued, you would be covered enough so that the person would not come after your home, etc. Don't just cover the "minimums" by law, if you are a homeowner.

God bless, we're in this one together!

Perscription medication,
Tam that is a touchy one. If you take perscription medicaiton and the blood work shows a theraputic dose, there is no law in PA that says you are under the influance if in an accident. Accidents are that because they are accidents.

With DUI or medication under the influance for a charge you have to be under the influance of alcohol or medicaiton; not theraputic or illegal to impair.
If a doctor does not tell you not to drive and revoke the privelage in PA, and your levels are the theraputic there is no law broken.

IF the levels are abused, if your medication states not to drive, your doctor instructs you not to drive you have problems.

I had a local PD pull over my daughter just because she was driving 10 miles over the speed limit and took her DUI as he knew she took oxycotin. It should only be a speeding ticket.....First thing the Judge asked was what is the PC?

The case was thrown out. If she never crossed the lines, never went into oncoming traffic, did not run lights, or off the side of the road, there was no PC,

Can not ask to take a drug test for DUI, only if the cause that medication was not theraputic to request Drug test...But if there is theraputic levels and no violations, just speeding, traffic ticket for speeding, no DUI .

IT is a violation of civil rights just becasue someone take perscription medications to be cited DUI without cause. An accident is not alone cause. There is a lot more. Much can not be made by observation either, as anyone in an accdient is confused or disoriented.

You can do your own test like, walking the line, holding the foot out, couting backwards, touching finger to the nose. Now do you fall over, stumble, forget the second no? There may be some problems and meds need to be decreased to drive.

A lot of the time, it is lack of good sleep, and lack of confidance that leads to poor driving habits.

Do you find you have near misses, run a stop sign, do not see someone with breaks on, miss turns and end up who knows where (although I do this froim stress). A near misses, be concerned, three there is a potential problem.

The whole key is keep it theraputic, and too many medications with warnings not heeded.

Someone could take a cold formula and drive the same way, would they get a DUI? If the BAC is lower then .08 not here in PA.

Unless there is illegal or over the perscribed limits, there is no DUI, in PA.Not since the incident we had three years ago.

We all can use our good judgement, and listen to family if they see really off driving patterns.
di

Di,

I clearly state my info. is based on CA. Whether a level is therapeutic or not, it is whether one is or would reasonably considered impaired at that time. Proving what you took and when is difficult if you have no witnesses to that - and besides, it goes again to say you'd already be arrested, have to hire a lawyer, etc.

It all depends on what the officers may ask you.

And YES, in CA if you take an over the counter cold medicine, and you are legally stopped and asked what you've taken and / or you seem impaired by observation, you are taken under arrest in CA for DUI. That's why I'm writing this post!!! Most people don't know that this is how the law works in CA.

AGAIN, with TOS, I don't want to sit in a holding cell with no blankets, food or meds for 15 hours waiting to be bailed out...It would be nightmarish. But everyone can check their own state. In CA, there is absolutely no need for a doc to say a word. It would be just more evidence AGAINST you if you had been admonished not to drive in medical records...

This may only be for CA, so please check your state in particular.

Just to really, really make this clear: I was thinking about this today, and it is NOT directed at anyone, just to let you all know how scary an event could turn into, and you can make your own decisions. OK?

Tam, If any one on this board is ever cited for DUI without PC, and has to hire an attorney and the BAc and drug test show theraputic levels, the police department is going to have some real liability issues. In any state they have to have PC. Unless the person driving is abusing their medications and the drug test shows that. Then they do not belong on the road.

A good doctor can look you in the eye and tell you, you should not be driving.

Those on medications with concerns of legal driving problems should talk about it to doctors.
I could tell someone was on something. I had a pharmasist out of Phila driving several miles, many people complaintaints, and I saw him hit street signs and almost run into an accdient scene I was on.

HE blew a .00 in the Breathalyzer. We had the PC test on video. He was asked to submit to drug testing as from the observations something was wrong.
It turned out to be valium and vidcodin which he had no perscription for.

I can meet many many TOsers, and off the top I would be able to tell if they could not drive. Never met one yet.
Even as lay folks or family members we can tell if the loved ones could not drive.

If you are a toser and all over the raod, do not know how you got where you were, speeding, too slow, rear end a car a few times, or nearly do, your meds need adjustment or stop driving.

But, even mental problems can cause temporay reasons not to drive, severe stress, inability to concentrate, make one innatentive to drive. Not DUI but inatentive, negalgent perhaps.
Just thinking out loud.
I felt in your warning it was really saying no one talking meds should be operating a car.
But, we can without worrys if things are OK with us.

I did not even allow my daughter to drive, I took her taxi running. She took her brothers car. She deserved a speeding ticket, she did not deserve to be thrown across a hood of a cruiser, forearm agaisnt the neck knee into the lumbar to drop her to the ground, as she cried not to cuff her to give her a ticket for speeding, and she would have me come get her.

They said No we know you take oxycotin your are under arrest.
Civil court, the police dept lost...she traveled over three miles with no traffic violations except speeding the judge rulled no PC.

She ended up with double vision, annular tear in the lumbar and severe brusing under the arm pits and upper arms. and face black from bruising.
I guess that is why I advocate that in the end she had her justice and police learn now they have a liability.
di
You can not be arrested until the BAC or drug test comes back. A DA's office is not going to approve an arrest or need for an attorney if the burden is not met is my experiance.

Great thread here!

It might be worth the research for us to know the laws for our particular States.

I do my best NOT to drive when taking any meds, but some times it's unavoidable. But then, I take less than what is perscribed and I do not drive in the firrst hour or so of dosing (the fuzzy hour).

A question for Di and Tam: what are the laws in your states regarding carrying pills without their scrip bottles? I carry an emergency dose of each of my meds - were I to keep them in their pill bottles, they would be too cumbersome to carry. Am I risking anything by doing this? If I were searched, could I be hassled for "transporting controlled substances"?


Anne

Good question about where to carry them. I do the same thing. I carry a few extra pills in my purse not in a prescription bottle. If I were in an accident or pulled over I don't know if that would be a problem. I do not drink and drive but if I was pulled over for another reason I don't know if that would be an issue.

Linda

Ive always thought the same?
Do we carry ALL our bottles in the car?
Driving or not?
Taking or not?
I was told NOT too carry the bottles.

This Could Have Killed Me And My Kids...i Was On Too Much Medicine For 2yrs...i Had 4 Fender Benders In One Year...a Wake Up Call To My Family And Finally Me!!!

If You Have 2 Doctors Or More Prescribing You Meds They Have To Communicate And The Pharmacist Is Your Last Stop At Telling You If You Will Have Interactions...for 2yrs I Was So Greatfull For Pain Relief I Didnt Ask Questions Like I Should Have.I THOUGHT HEY IM A NURSE I KNOW WHAT IM DOING....i Would Tell Both Doctors What I Was Taking..i Had To I Had A Pain Contract With My Neurologist And The Pharmacy...it Didnt Matter. Doctors Half The Time Do Not Look At What Med Causes What..i Would Be Having Extreme Anger And My Psych Would Give Me Something For That..i Would Be Having Extreme Depression And My Neuro Would Give Me Something For That Since We Thought It Was Due To Pain...I had so much rebound pain from Avinza and the doctors didnt know it was that..

Doctors are told by the drug reps what a great drug this and that is that they dont see side effects sometimes...only drug seeking behavior or think your mental...be aware of this..a lot of drugs cause slurred speech and a drunk look so they pass you off as high or mental...

Many of the anti seizure drugs and anti depressants actually can cause the reverse to happen to you. You can also get extreme anger from too many pain meds and anti seizures and anti depressants can cause you to be more depressed they can also cause you to feel more pain if you are sensitive..

Talk To Your Pharmacist...they Will Not Always Voice Their Concern...i Am Still Going Through That Now..i Need A Decent Pharmacist that will actually look at the drugs Im on and say something...or I Wouldnt Have Had Some Of These Side Effects From Meds Mixing...I HAVE BEEN ASKING THEM AFTER EVERY MED..SINCE THIS HAPPENED..I have changed PHARMACIES...

Neuro Meds Can Cause Mood Swings Severe Or Mild Know That!!!

I Had One Cop Ask Me On My 4th Wreck What Was Going On With Me...i Thought To Myself Stress.but he thought I was drunk....I told him what meds I was on and that I had been on them for a year..he didnt do a thing because I guess in Al therapeutic levels are legal...then It Hit Me When My Husband Came To The Scene And Wanted A Divorce For All The Wrecks And Meds I Was On..my Family Had Been Telling Me For 2yrs I Was On Too Many!! I Kept Thinking I Need These Meds To Live With This Pain..i Have Tos, Ltn Injury, Rsd, Carpal Tunnel, All Confirmed By Emg, Blocks Etc, Previous Punctured Lung, depression... And I Cant Not Go Through Life WithOUT All These Meds!!!!

I Chose My Marriage And Family And Went Through Rehab Just To See What Was What...if The Pain Was Still There And For Awhile It Wasnt...yes I Still Have This Mess...all Of It..and Now Tn...but I Am On 2meds And Might Can Only Take Those...at One Time I Was On Like 9 Meds...people Please Talk To Your Pharmacist Every Time You Get A New Med...ask Beg If You Have To And Tell Them What Side Effects Your Having And Which Med Could Be Causing What...tell Your Doctors Your Concerns And If You Have To You May Have To Titrate Down On Each Med To Find The Culprit..do It Under A Doctors Care...not On Your Own!!!!

I Learned So Much In Rehab...some Of These New Drugs Are Getting Through Fda With Little To No Supervision And Have Terrible Side Effects...keep A Diary Of Side Effects And Only Start One Med At A Time..everyone Is Different And Adding And Mixing Meds Can And Will Cause Reactions...just Be Safe About It..

I Am Changing Neuros For This Reason..and Will Have To Possibly Change My Family Care Doc...my Psyc Doc Has Finally Caught On To My Sensitivity And Now We Start Meds One Week At A Time And I Have To Call With All Side Effects And Med Changes For Even A Cold...some new antibiotics Can Interfere With Anti Eliptics!!!! Be Aware Of This...they Can Cause Changes In Reality And Hallucinations when mixed with some of the seizure meds and other narcotics...

Ok I Think I Made My Point!!!! ...you Can Be Impaired And Not Realize It...this Is Just My Experience With Meds..you Can Not Be Your Own Pharmacist And Your Own Doctor...you Just Cant...So for now I have to stick with older meds that have been on the market awhile...and I have experience with before my pain...No narcotics for me unless its necessary like after dental work..and someone can drive my kids for me..

So I may walk the floors for nights on end in pain and sleep when I can, be there for my kids when they need me and Im stressed but at least I have clarity in my thoughts and actions...for the most part...eventually I will titrate up on the med Im on now and see what is what...I need to give it time like you need to give all meds..Im keeping a diary...I know when I can drive and when I cant and I know not everyone is like this...so please dont take offense anyone..I do what I have to do for me...I guess some people are more prone to sensitivity than others...I am...you may not be...just be careful...that is my mantra.