men

[shyykatt]

Gotta agree w/Hobo- people rely way too much on 'magic pills' these days instead of just DEALING with life and taking care of themselves.

[LKat]

One of my classmates (in CDL school) was on anti-depressants (which, I believe Paxil is considered) and she listed it on the DOT physical long form we had to have to get into the CDL program. When she was calling one company for general info the recruiter stated he'd need that long form faxed in. She mentioned the anti-depressants were listed and he wanted to know her name "how do you spell that" - she called a few weeks later and was told there would be no female trainers available until the 30 days past her graduation date when they won't take a student. (this company does not do co-ed training). She's had that happen a couple of times. Might be a coincidence, I dunno. Has your doctor offered any alternatives to medication that you might be able to consider? That would help you feel better but not have to be listed on a DOT long form? Better to be honest, always, but my friend didn't think it would be a problem because her doctor would back her up. I get the feeling that some, maybe a lot of companies are just uncomfortable with any type of anti-depressant. Hope this will work out for you in a good way & hope you feel better.

[Jumbo]

Well... I don't suppose I'll get any awards for THIS post!

1) I wonder what women DID for thousands of years BEFORE paxil and other drugs when they "approached" the change of life?

2) I wonder why ANY woman who drives a truck would fall for this crap!?

3) My mother fell for this crap 40 years ago, and has been "screwed up" on meds ever since.... so I DO know what I'm talking about!

4) I, TOO, suffer from depression and ADD, and have forgone ALL meds since I started driving a truck, so I DO know what I'm talking about!

5) You DO realize, of course, that the pharmaceutical companies give your doctor LOTS of free samples to give away to anyone who even HINTS that they need help, so that HOPEFULLY, they will continue to BUY these prescription drugs for the rest of their lives, right?

6) Did I mention that women suffered this situation for YEARS upon YEARS without medically altering their BRAINS?

7) Did anyone tell you that these drugs can be HABIT FORMING?

8.) I'm out of material, so I guess I'll just add this....

Does anyone besides ME see this as the NEW method of "keeping the woman barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen?"

Does anyone remember the song "Mother's little helper?" I've BEEN there and lived through it (with my mother.) I was there the day we managed to get her OUT of the mental institution that the doctors put her in! After 2 days in there, she said, "I'm not CRAZY, but if you leave me in here for long, I WILL be!" (It took us two weeks or more to get her out.)

Have you tried vitamins (which are suspect)? Or accupuncture? Or Yoga? Have you tried ANYTHING (like EXERCISE?) besides sheepishly following your "so-called" doctor's advice to take mind altering drugs?

Have you tried realizing that you're a woman, and post partum depression and menopause are a fact of your life?

And before you say I'm "sexist," I feel the same way about PTSD, or whatever the "term du jour" is for suffering the horrors of WAR!

Life sucks! Life is HARD! War is HELL! The drugs to treat these "symptoms of life" are expensive! Dubya has made sure that they cannot be gotten cheaper! What part of this medical charade do you not understand?

This country was built by people (pioneers) who didn't have access to, nor need for these drugs. WHAT about childbirth has changed since then?

Paxil for the "change of life?" Are you KIDDING ME??

Tell your doctor that, (since you've NOT taken drugs before and never needed them,) he can stuff his free samples of mind altering drugs and just make sure you have no biotic infections!

Then, pull yourself out of whatever depression Oprah has convinced you that you SHOULD have about now, and get back to work!

I'm NOT saying there's not a "change" in body temperature or temperament associated with the "change of life." We men have suffered "similar" changes throughout eternity.

I'm saying.... quit letting a doctor "put you out to pasture" by giving you a mind altering drug (that could affect your driving career) just because it is expedient for HIM, profitable for the drug companies, and socially "expected" and "acceptable."

God created your body and mind! He did NOT specify that certain drugs would be necessary to MAINTAIN them! By taking EVERY drug that comes down the pike, we are not only "questioning" his creation, we are "condemning" it!


If you want your KIDS to be "drug free," start with YOURSELVES!

Great post, You should get the award for telling it exactly like it is. I have read alot of books and articles about these multi-billion dollar parmacutecal companies and how they are only out to make money off of people, they don't give a damn about making people better, and these doctors prescribing these meds get big kickbacks from these companies for pushing their drugs.

A breath of fresh air. Someone who tells it like it is. Good job.

[golfhobo]

Well... I guess I DID get an award or two! Thanks, Y'all!

Mojoe: I didn't mean to "jump down your throat." I apologize if YOU felt that way. I was "railing against the machine" so to speak. Sometimes, I get a bit carried away, and I just don't care if I'm diplomatic or not. Doctors nearly took my mother from me over this stuff, and I've been suspicious ever since. I, MYSELF, have suffered from ADD and depression all my life (though undiagnosed for years) and have tried Paxil and nearly every other drug there is!

I also have a bad back. The Air Force almost FORCED me to have my backbone "fused." I refused (which you can't really DO when you are G.I. - government issue.) I believe in Chiropracty and it has ALWAYS sufficed for MY condition.

M.D.'s are taught (unless they specialize in surgery) ONE thing, mostly... and that is MEDICATION. Medication is to MASK the pain... NOT to remedy the problem.

The first 3 sentences (I beleive it was) of your post just JUMPED out at me as the COMMON plea of the "gullible," and set me off. Again, I apologize. I reject such statements as: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" and "Here, little lady, take this pill and you'll be allright."

On the more practical side, and I should have said this in the first place, admitting to taking or needing anti-depressants is a Job Killer for a trucker! Furthermore.... if you REALLY have anxiety or many of the other mental disorders under the depression heading, you may need to rethink your career choice. Trucking is STRESSFUL at times. If you get "anxious" easily, you MIGHT be hazardous to YOUR safety or that of others. Sorry, but that is just a fact.

I have ADD. That means I can easily be distracted. That can be VERY dangerous in this business. I cannot take the Ritalin I "need" without having job complications. So... I don't take it. I've gone without it many times in my life, so it is not something I'm not accustomed to. Point is, trucking requires focus. Since, it is a constant requirement, I don't have a problem doing it. I suffer more when I'm at home, and I guard against letting my co-driver talk to me while I'm driving.

I was just trying to point out that, a LOW dose of Paxil is an "easy out" for a doctor when faced with YOUR type of complaint. It might not be good for your career, and as it was your FIRST experience with it, I thought you could, or should, be able to do without it.

Still, I stand behind EVERYTHING I said. Think back to your parents' and grandparents' time. How did they EVER get by without all the easy fixes that drugs provide for us today? They toughed it up! Flat out, and simple. If you are not tough enough to face life without a LOW dose of Paxil, then you might not be tough enough to be a trucker. Sorry.

I'm sorry that I didn't "get" the MEN abbreviation. Forgive me for being a MAN who doesn't even HAVE that word in my vocabulary. I may have said it badly.... but, I honestly didn't understand why you titled your thread that way.

As for the ONE poster who took your side, and said "I" didn't have a leg to stand on.... I won't insult you for your opinion. However, your "experiences" sound just like Mojoe's, and I have to wonder about YOUR "fitness" to drive a truck, as well. I don't know you, so I could be wrong. Maybe, you were just standing up for her. But, you seemed to drift off into that "poor me, I need a drug" vein yourself. For the record, I wish it WERE acceptable to manage our depression, et al, with drugs and still drive big rigs on the road. But, I have to say I can see the point of the companies and their insurers. I don't have to like it, but I have no constitutional RIGHT to drive a truck.

In summation, let me just say this. Americans are considered in SOME places in the world to be WEAK, and coddled. Could it be that they are right? How many Islamic terrorists do you think visit their doctor every week (or have one on a direct phone line) and wimper about being depressed?

I don't mean to be cruel and insensitive. In fact, I believe I am just the opposite. Perhaps, I am sometimes misunderstood, especially in THIS forum. And, that is surely MY failing, and not YOURS. For that, again, I apologize. My best friend thinks I can be an AZZ at times, but I'm HIS kind of Azz!! (no smart remarks, please.... I don't mean it THAT way! ) So, I speak truth to power, and truth to ignorance. If it hurts, get over it. This is just the internet.

Hobo

[bulldog2036]

C'mon hobo, don't apologize for being who you are. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If some people can't handle the truth than F!@k 'em.

[golfhobo]

C'mon hobo, don't apologize for being who you are. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If some people can't handle the truth than F!@k 'em.

I'm SORRY, Bulldog! I didn't MEAN to apologize so much. It's just a "conditioned response" when dealing with the opposite sex! Sorry!

I think I DID say what I meant.... SORRY for that! I just felt it was necessary to explain myself to those who don't understand me! For THAT, I apologize!

I'm really SORRY, if I let you (or any other men) down! I didn't MEAN to, and will forever be SORRY if I DID!!

Sorry, if this apology was long winded!! Sometimes, I get out of hand and say too much! For that I am truly SORRY!!

Besides.... I've been divorced for over 20 years now... and I don't get enough practice anymore saying I'm SORRY!!!

Just thought I'd try it out again! SORRY, if it offended you!

:wink:

[malaekat]

Your 'truth' may be significantly different from someone elses. Everyones 'truths' are based on personal experiences. Get a little more facts before you assume your experiences make you an expert. drugs for depression do not always affect your ability to operate a vehicle. Everyones reactions and capabilities to function on certain drugs varies. The law clearly states that a persons medical information cannot be used against them you have aright to medical privacy because as you have demonstrated there are some narrow minded know-it-alls out there. When a medicine is prescribed for a medical condition it is up to the patient and their physician to determine its suitability. If the patient feels they cannot take it and function or their physician believes it is causing an impairment that prohibits their patient from operating a vehicle then the doctor and the patient need to discuss and dtermine the appropriate steps. Most drugs for depression are NOT on any list to negate driving. I would take a risk and suggest that a person with ADD not taking their medication while operating a commercial vehicle is probably more of a risk on the road than someone who takes their ritalin to control their mental functions. As for our grandparents 'toughing it out' thats alot of BS. How many of them had 'accidents' that never went on record as suicides for many reasons(like being buried in hallowed ground or the stigma the family would endure if the nature of death was known). Studies have shown that people today have more stress in their lives than our grandparents had. We live in the world at a time when we are constantly inundated by increased pressures, workloads and responsibilities with less opportunies for release and fewer emotional supports than our grandparents ever had.

[golfhobo]

Your 'truth' may be significantly different from someone elses. Everyones 'truths' are based on personal experiences.

TRUTH is universal. It's not MY fault if you think truth is a variable.

Get a little more facts before you assume your experiences make you an expert.

I have YEARS of experience digging out the "facts." More years than SOME doctors have in school or in "practice." But, I never claimed to be an "expert." Because I post an OPINION on this board, you think I'm claiming to be an "expert?" Can you quote me as claiming to be such?

drugs for depression do not always affect your ability to operate a vehicle. Everyones reactions and capabilities to function on certain drugs varies.

I agree! But, do we REALLY know how we are affected, when our perception is altered by drugs?

The law clearly states that a persons medical information cannot be used against them you have a right to medical privacy because as you have demonstrated there are some narrow minded know-it-alls out there.

The law ALSO stipulates that a company cannot discriminate in hiring practices based on race, sex, or a number of OTHER reasons. Try getting hired at a defense contractor today if your name is Mohammed! Or at Hooters if you're not "well endowed." Your insult notwithstanding, I think you need to rethink how much your medical condition is an open book to trucking companies! And... perhaps, rightly so!

When a medicine is prescribed for a medical condition it is up to the patient and their physician to determine its suitability. If the patient feels they cannot take it and function or their physician believes it is causing an impairment that prohibits their patient from operating a vehicle then the doctor and the patient need to discuss and determine the appropriate steps.

Blah, Blah, Blah.... this means NOTHING to the trucking companies. And, if you're an experienced trucker, you KNOW this as TRUTH!

Most drugs for depression are NOT on any list to negate driving.

I don't have time to find the link to the thread on THIS forum, but the list of "banned" or "suspect" drugs is as long as my ..... well..... actually, a bit LONGER!

I would take a risk and suggest that a person with ADD not taking their medication while operating a commercial vehicle is probably more of a risk on the road than someone who takes their ritalin to control their mental functions.

And, I would AGREE with you! I wish I COULD take it! But, I've spent alot of time "overcoming" this so-called disability, and have learned how to replace a drug with a WILL! I'm constantly AWARE of the "limited" danger... and am a better, more "attentive" driver than most I see on the road! IF you think it is a dangerous situation.... tell the FMCSA about it! I'm SURE they will readily understand "OUR" point of view, and make it easier for us to comply! But, to set your mind at ease, we ADD'ers are ONLY distracted when we have TOO many choices to make. When I'm driving, I have only ONE thing to focus on. And, in that regard, our "condition" actually makes it EASIER for us to do that ONE thing. Not that YOU would know anything about it.... being an "expert" and all!

As for our grandparents 'toughing it out' thats alot of BS. How many of them had 'accidents' that never went on record as suicides for many reasons(like being buried in hallowed ground or the stigma the family would endure if the nature of death was known). Studies have shown that people today have more stress in their lives than our grandparents had.

Show me the "study" that implies that deciding where to eat dinner, or what phone company or cable system is MORE stressfull than enduring the dustbowl, feeding a family on supplies bought with a "promise" of payment from next year's crop, or losing the bread winner at a time when there was NO government programs to "aid" you financially when such catastrophes occurred (and women weren't generally "hireable.")

In general, I agree with you that we have LET ourselves be more stressed out over inconsequential things in THIS generation, but these modern day "studies" are subjective! Our "stress" is compared against euphoria! Those making and composing those "studies" have never even SEEN the movie "Grapes of Wrath," let alone LIVED through it! Get REAL!

We live in the world at a time when we are constantly inundated by increased pressures, workloads and responsibilities with less opportunies for release and fewer emotional supports than our grandparents ever had.

RIGHT!!! Our grandparents had DisneyWorld, health spas, Gold's Gym, internet support groups, cable T.V., reliable transportation, air conditioning, and a drug to "get you up" "put you to sleep" and "tune out the stress."

Are you getting my drift yet? Is YOUR truth even CLOSE to the real truth?

[malaekat]

Ooooo....oh! Hit a nerve did i. Can't stand someone elses opinions or experiences can you and you just HAD to make your gender an issue.. didn't you.

[golfhobo]

Ooooo....oh! Hit a nerve did i. Can't stand someone elses opinions or experiences can you and you just HAD to make your gender an issue.. didn't you.

Nope. You hit no 'nerve.' And I can't see WHERE I made my gender an issue. I'm always open to others' experiences, unless they don't represent the TRUTH.

[Outlaw7577]

Well... I don't suppose I'll get any awards for THIS post!

1) I wonder what women DID for thousands of years BEFORE paxil and other drugs when they "approached" the change of life?

2) I wonder why ANY woman who drives a truck would fall for this crap!?

3) My mother fell for this crap 40 years ago, and has been "screwed up" on meds ever since.... so I DO know what I'm talking about!

4) I, TOO, suffer from depression and ADD, and have forgone ALL meds since I started driving a truck, so I DO know what I'm talking about!

5) You DO realize, of course, that the pharmaceutical companies give your doctor LOTS of free samples to give away to anyone who even HINTS that they need help, so that HOPEFULLY, they will continue to BUY these prescription drugs for the rest of their lives, right?

6) Did I mention that women suffered this situation for YEARS upon YEARS without medically altering their BRAINS?

7) Did anyone tell you that these drugs can be HABIT FORMING?

8.) I'm out of material, so I guess I'll just add this....

Does anyone besides ME see this as the NEW method of "keeping the woman barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen?"

Does anyone remember the song "Mother's little helper?" I've BEEN there and lived through it (with my mother.) I was there the day we managed to get her OUT of the mental institution that the doctors put her in! After 2 days in there, she said, "I'm not CRAZY, but if you leave me in here for long, I WILL be!" (It took us two weeks or more to get her out.)

Have you tried vitamins (which are suspect)? Or accupuncture? Or Yoga? Have you tried ANYTHING (like EXERCISE?) besides sheepishly following your "so-called" doctor's advice to take mind altering drugs?

Have you tried realizing that you're a woman, and post partum depression and menopause are a fact of your life?

And before you say I'm "sexist," I feel the same way about PTSD, or whatever the "term du jour" is for suffering the horrors of WAR!

Life sucks! Life is HARD! War is HELL! The drugs to treat these "symptoms of life" are expensive! Dubya has made sure that they cannot be gotten cheaper! What part of this medical charade do you not understand?

This country was built by people (pioneers) who didn't have access to, nor need for these drugs. WHAT about childbirth has changed since then?

Paxil for the "change of life?" Are you KIDDING ME??

Tell your doctor that, (since you've NOT taken drugs before and never needed them,) he can stuff his free samples of mind altering drugs and just make sure you have no biotic infections!

Then, pull yourself out of whatever depression Oprah has convinced you that you SHOULD have about now, and get back to work!

I'm NOT saying there's not a "change" in body temperature or temperament associated with the "change of life." We men have suffered "similar" changes throughout eternity.

I'm saying.... quit letting a doctor "put you out to pasture" by giving you a mind altering drug (that could affect your driving career) just because it is expedient for HIM, profitable for the drug companies, and socially "expected" and "acceptable."

God created your body and mind! He did NOT specify that certain drugs would be necessary to MAINTAIN them! By taking EVERY drug that comes down the pike, we are not only "questioning" his creation, we are "condemning" it!


If you want your KIDS to be "drug free," start with YOURSELVES!

Great post, You should get the award for telling it exactly like it is. I have read alot of books and articles about these multi-billion dollar parmacutecal companies and how they are only out to make money off of people, they don't give a damn about making people better, and these doctors prescribing these meds get big kickbacks from these companies for pushing their drugs.

I totally agree Shawnee, but it isn't (The Machine) trying to keep woman in the 50's, it's the Pharma's trying to make a profit and get as many people period as they can on that crap. Kids, the older generations, even unsuspecting Joe, and it's going on everyday under everyone's noses. They have even gone as far as making conditions up! so they could perscribe their poison legally!! No this isn't a joke, nor amI trying to spread a hyped up conspiracy theory. Look up, or listen to "Dr. Gary Null" and you'll see where the truth is hiding out there. My three cents again, plus one more penny for this one. Thanks again Shawnee.

[LKat]

Mojoe,

Unfortunately, based on my friend's experience (mentioned in my previous post), I do not think trucking companies are going to take a chance on someone who is on medication that is routinely classified as "anti-depressant" regardless of the reason your doctor is prescribing for you. I believe, as Golfhobo wrote, this is a job killer.

And reading some of the posts, I too, object to the collective willingness to allow ourselves to be medicated. Life is just tough sometimes; knowing this might not make you feel better, but menopause is something that women do live through. (Consider some of the alternative diagnoses a person can given!)

Again, best of luck and I hope you feel better.

[malaekat]

Once again i will state you are not required to inform your employer about any medications you are taking that is prescribed by a phsyician you are only required to notify them of any medical conditions that may affect your ability to do the job. Menopause nor depresssion are not considered conditions which adversely affect your ability to drive.

[4roses]

Mojoe .... here's a list of med's that are considered 'conditional ... As some are saying - you don't have to tell the company your applying with ... but here's one important thing you must remember before making that decision .. to tell or not to tell ?? ........... If for any reason your in an accident ... and 9 times out of 10 it will end up in court ... (everyone sue's trucking companys) ... you will have to give a full list of med's your on at the time of the accident ... at that point in time your company could make the decision to terminate your employment once the case has been settled. Especially if they felt like you were trying to hide it.

Either way you go .. I hope your feeling better and the medicine is working for you. I understand what your going through ... it is ruff ... been there - done that.

CONDITIONAL KNOCKOUT MEDICATIONS
Drivers taking any ofthe following medications require an in-depth history regarding the medications. The use of these medications may not disqualify a driver, but the underlying diagnosis may. The history should include the name of the medications, reason for taking the medication (diagnosis) and dosage. If it is determined that the medication will be allowed, it is necessary to obtain a letter from the treating physician. The letter must include the medication name, dosage, reason for taking, how long taking, that the individual is not having any related side effects to the medication and that the individual is deemed safe to drive a commercial vehicle while taking the medication.
ALPRAZOLAM
ALDOMET
AMITRIPTYLLNE
ANAFRANIL
ANTABUSE
ATARAX
ATIVAN
ATROPINE
BENTYL
BUPROPION
BUSPAR
BUSPIRONE
CELEXA
CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE
CHLORPROMAZINE
CLOMIPRAMINE
COUMADIN
CYLERT
DEPAKOTE
DESIPRAMJNE
DESYREL
DIAZEPAM
DIETHYLPROPLAN
DONNATOL
DOXEPINE
DEXEDRINE
EFFEXOR
ELAVIL
ESKALITH
FENFLURAMINE
FLUOXETINE
FLUPHENAZINE
FLUVOXAMLNE
GEODON
HALDOL
HALOPERIDOL
I-IYDROXAZINE
IMIPRAMINE
IOANAMINE
LEXAPRO (Celexa/Prozac combined)
LIBRAX
LIBRIUM
LITHIUM (Request most recent blood level)
LITHOTABS
LORAZEPAM
LUVOX
MELLARIL
METHYLPHENIDATE
METHYLDOPA (HIN)
MIRTAZAPINE
NEFAZODONE
NAVANE
NORPRAMINE
NORTRIPTYLINE
OXEZEPAM
PAMELOR
PAROXETINE
PAXIL
PEMOLINE
PHENERGAN
PHENTERMINE
PONDIMIN
PROLIXIN
PROMETHAZINE
PROZAC
REMERON
RISPERDAL
RISPERTDONE
RITALIN
ROI-IYPNOL=Tranquilizer
SERAX
SERTRALINE
SERZONE
SINEQUAN
STELAZINE
TENUATEDOSPAN
THIORLDAZINE
TI-IIOTHIXENE
TI-I0 RAZINE
TIGAN
TOFRANIL
TRAZODONE
TRIFLUOPERAZINE
TRILAFON
TRIMETHOBENZAMIDE
VALIUM
VALPROICACID= Antiseizure
VALRELEASE
VENLAFAXINE
VISTARIL
WARFARIN
WELLBUTRIN
XANAX
ZOLOFT
ZYBAN
ZYPREXA

[jnk2001]

you will have to give a full list of med's your on at the time of the accident

Why would you tell them you were on them at the time?
That's just askin for it....

[RedRaven]

I have a question... If your a trucker, and you have been diagnosed with a medical condition, that your doctor stated you needed medication to control, and you refused that medication.

Then you had an accident while on the job, wouldn't you be more liable?... Wouldn't your company be more liable, because you refused to take a medication that could have prevented what ever symptoms you were having, that may have affected your ability to drive?...

Just curious...

I mean isn't it like going to the eye doctor, and finding out you need eye glasses to drive, and you refuse to wear them, even though your doctor prescribed them for you...

This woman was talking about being prescribed medication for anxiety disorder. If she were to find herself behind the wheel on the job, and suddenly have an anxiety attack, she could then end up in an accident and be found liable, for failure to take medication reccomended by her doctor to PREVENT the symptoms of the disorder.

I agree with some comments that sometimes doctors over medicate people, or people end up on the wrong medicine for a condition, that's why they call them "side effects"... But, if your someone who suffers with say high blood pressure. I'm sure your boss wouldn't want you driving his rig without being on medication to control it...

Because he would be more liable if you had a heart attack behind the wheel, and lost control of your rig, and took out a whole bunch of people in the middle of rush hour on some interstate...

Just to add a comment about doctors, and medications... My father lost his mother to breast cancer. WHY?... Because my dad's father refused to take her to a doctor, and get her medical treatment... He stood by, and watched her suffer, and die instead... My father hated his dad for what he did, and didn't do for his mother, that was back in the 50's...

If we didn't have medications today, we would have shorter life spans, and still suffer with diseases like scarlet fever, yellow fever, measles, polio, TB, etc... That's why every kid in the US anyway gets vaccinated...

So, while everyone has an opinion, you need to do what you think is best for you... No one can make that decision for you...

You can try the medication, if after a period of time it does't work for you, then you can discuss possibly trying some other alternative medication, or treatment.

Discuss all your options with your doctor, ask a lot of questions, then decide what are your best options.

I would think that your company has a policy you can read, that would give you the information you are seeking, as far as how this would affect your job. Find out what your company policy is, and what your rights are as a driver... I'm sure the DOT would be able to help you with this info. as well...

[4roses]

jnk2001

Why would you tell them you were on them at the time?
That's just askin for it....

Here's a good example ... in 95' I was in an accident. '3 ' tractor trailer pile up on hwy 15 in Utah and I was the middle truck... The first tractor jackknifed and I and the driver behind me tried to get around/away from the first tractor.... Didn't make it. ........... This case went to court and my attny. told me to make a complete list of all meds I was on and to be HONEST because the other attnys would be getting a list of my meds on their own :shock: . You see - there's no way to hide it / the med's .... these attnys pulled my history all the way back 10yrs.. They couldn't hang anything on me, because I NEVER lied about anything. Why would anyone want to come off as dishonest :?: ... It's not in my nature to be dishonest .... my name has to stand for something. ......

[LKat]

Doesn't the DOT physical long form require listing of all medications, prescribed and over-the-counter?

There are usually consequences, albeit delayed, for actions. I'd rather be forthright and take the consequences than dissemble/deceive and take the consequences. One can either disclose the medical issue/ medications and don't get the job; don't disclose and get the job but if anything happens, lose one's job for non-disclosure.

OR, get a second opinion on the medical condition (maybe from a female doctor! sorry, guys).

[mojoe]

when I get my Dot Physical. It is good for two years.

[golfhobo]

when I get my Dot Physical. It is good for two years.

And on the first page of the long form it asks WHAT medications you are NOW taking, or have RECENTLY taken.

This form will be required of you by your prospective employer.

At the time of my physical, I had been taking Wellbutrin on and off "recently" (in my opinion.) But, I quit taking any and all meds when I started CDL school. By the time I applied for a job, I decided that my last Wellbutrin had not been all that "recent," and after reading things about such drugs on THIS forum, I ..... um..... changed my mind on whether I NEEDED to "self disclose" this info, and .... well..... um...... I gave my employer an "altered" form of that first page. I figured it was MY page, I had disclosed the info, and now I wanted NOT to disclose it!

[ I could just as easily have PAID for another physical, and left the info off.]

If I am in an accident BEFORE my NEXT physical, and somone does some digging, MIGHT I be in a spot? Sure. But, NO ONE can prove that I HAVE taken the drug "recently" and NO ONE can actually prove that I NEED it.

Meanwhile, I'm an EMPLOYED Trucker, and not half as nuts as SOME on this board and on the road!

Point is, and that I was trying to make, is that if you don't REALLY need it, and don't have a long history of needing and taking it, WHY on EARTH would you let a DOC put you on something like that NOW.... when you are considering a career in trucking???

For what it's worth.... I've found that trucking has relieved MOST of my minor depression, anxiety, and other problems. Sometimes, just finding the right job is a whole lot better for you than DRUGS!