[Bengalman]

I know you cant drive on vicodin I quit taking them the day after I had the problem taken care of I just wanted to know how long it would stay in my system

[madpuppy]

:twisted: vicodin will stay in you about 24 hours. :lol:

[greg3564]

Different meds affect everyone differently. When I worked in EMS I would see patients who were on so many pain meds that if I were to take the same dose it would have killed me, that's no exageration. There's no list of banned drugs. Some companies have such lists but there is no federal list. It really boils down to how a particular medicine affects you and if affects your ability to drive.

[tbrown]

Originally Posted by greg3564

Different meds affect everyone differently. When I worked in EMS I would see patients who were on so many pain meds that if I were to take the same dose it would have killed me, that's no exageration. There's no list of banned drugs. Some companies have such lists but there is no federal list. It really boils down to how a particular medicine affects you and if affects your ability to drive.

To be more specific, what does the pharmacist (as written on the bottle) say about the drug? If your instructed not to drive, then don't take it and try to drive - prescribed or not!

Whether it says you can drive or not, you would be subject to a DUI if it appears you're impaired and taking medication - prescribed or not, or likely to impair driving. As with any segment of the population, truck driver or not, you're responsible for what you put in your body and drive with.

Any drug, with the exlusion of marijuana, which is stored in fat cells, can stay in your system for up to 72 hours.

You have a responsibility as a driver to make GOOD decisions BEFORE getting behind the wheel!

[fireman932003]

Going through my Pharmacology books from when I went through medic school,Vicodin has a "Half Life" of 12 hrs. This means every 12 hrs the amount of drug in your system decreases by half. So, I would give it 2 to 3 days to be completely be out of your system. You should be fine on the 5th.

[Uturn2001]

As CDL holders there are certain things we need to do in order to cover ourselves that other people may not when it comes to any kind of prescription medication.

1) We need to discuss with the prescribing doctor what it is we do for a living and find out if taking the medication will have a negative impact on our ability to safely do the job.

We also need to get a note from the doctor stating his medical opinion as to whether the medication(s) are safe for you to take and drive.

2) We need to inform our company's safety department of any new medications we are taking and how long we will be taking them. You may also need to inform them of why you are on that medication. (Some meds may cause you to be grounded by company policy even though the doctor says it is Ok for you to take and drive.)

3) At every physical we need to be honest with the examining doctor about what medications we are currently taking and be prepared to explain why we are taking them. We also need to be prepared to have the prescribing doctor state that the medications are safe for you to continue to drive while you are taking them as prescribed. So if you know you have a DOT physical coming up call your doctor and ask for a letter stating what meds you are on, the reason you are taking them and that s/he believes that they will not cause a safety hazard for you to take while driving a CMV.

No matter how careful you are while driving a truck there is always someone else out there who is not being careful doing what ever they are doing, ie driving, walking, riding a bike, etc, which can involve you in an accident in the blink of an eye. Even though an accident may clearly be the other person's fault it is highly likely that you, the truck driver, will have every detail gone through with a microscope and if you do not cover yourself you will be left holding the bag all alone.

[greg3564]

Great post Uturn. Solid advice that every driver should take.

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

We also need to get a note from the doctor stating his medical opinion as to whether the medication(s) are safe for you to take and drive.

You won't find many doctors who will do this. If anything they will err on the side a caution and 99% of the time will say not to drive. Too much litigation potential and too much risk on the doctor's part. With all the frivolous lawsuits doctors are very cautious.

[Double R]

1) We need to discuss with the prescribing doctor what it is we do for a living and find out if taking the medication will have a negative impact on our ability to safely do the job.

I did this one today. Had a tooth pulled and the original dentist that saw me wanted to prescribe Vicodin. I asked the one today and told him what I do for a living and he said that he would NEVER prescribe Vicodin to a truck driver for just having a tooth pulled. Instead, he said if I have any pain just take two Advils. Should be fine by monday .

[coastie]

Just a side note. Different Meds effects different people differently. If you take a medication always see how it is going to effect you.

I was fire from my job on Nov 07 2000 cause I refused to drive cause of a medication I was taking effected me badly, All I was able to do to stay awake for 5 hours a day. Navajo wanted me to drive anyway. Not to mention I had to go back to my Doctor every other day for a shot. The medication was not suppose to make me drowsy but it did. I did burned myself out to a point I could not go any further. But I still lost the job. I not ashame I was fired cause of the reason, for I know I was right for doing so. I rather lose the job than Kill someone. Week later a Driver was busted in Alabama for that same reason I was fired.

[kcfalcon]

If it helps,
I just went back to work after 4 weeks off for a broken foot.
Was on two of the biggies as far as pain killers go including darviset and percacet.
Had a drug test when I returned, took both bottles with me, and reported EVERYTHING!
Presto! passes with no problem.