[Kymaro]

Watching the news the other day, they had reported that "Seroquil" has now been added to a list of medications that "it's illegal to drive while under the influence (like narcotics).. they said there are studies going on about how long after taking Seroquil are you considered "no longer under the influence". I have been trying to find more "hard core" evidence that this "news" is correct. So far the only place I'm finding it referenced is on WLNS News website.

Has anyone else heard of this or know more about it?

[jacky8807]

I havent heard that but the way seroquel effects me i wouldnt even dream of driving on it

[wiretwister]

driving impaired can be caused by lots of meds,, from benadryl to hard core psych meds.... if your under the influence please do not drive.....

[~Christina]

Any medication can effect your ability to drive safely, its impaired driving any way to slice it.

If an accident or a death is caused it doesnt matter if you were on a legally prescribed medication or a bottle of vodka , The end result is your responsibility while driving.

Big Pharma always plants the " Do not drive or operate blahblahblah until you know how this medication will effect you" So they cover there back sides.

People need to use some common sense and when taking a new medication or just taking a long term one. Years ago I took Seroquel XR I needed 6 hours to be able to drive safely and with a clear head.. my daughter took it .. She needed at least 12 hours , so everyone is different.

[LDB1]

I take Seroquel XR and quite a bit of it. I take it night an hour after I eat my dinner (about 6pm usually.
I drive a dump truck for a living and there's usually about 12-14 hours in between the time I take it and the time I start driving the truck. I've experienced no ill effects to my ability to drive.

I wouldn't drive anything an hour or two after taking it though.

[Crazy Hitch]

This is interesting.

Thank you for sharing this.

Personally, no I have not heard of this to be very honest.

I am on Seroquel.

But I am from a different country to you.

I think if this were the case perhaps pdocs would advise patients if such a legislature did occur in the area in which they were prescribing it in, if this makes sense.

When I pick up my script from the pharmacist my pharmacist always sticks on a red warning label that says "Caution when driving or operating machinery".

This is an interesting legislation indeed.

Yeah common sense prevails here - if affected by any type of medication do not drive or operate machinery, not that hard a concept to grasp.

Back when I was on 900mg XR seroquel it didnt make me drowsy at all and I regularly drove with no problems.

Now driving on benzos after a few drinks - not a good idea. But I betcha more people do that than driving on seroquel.

I would hope so. There is absolutely no way i would be able to drive safely after taking seroquel. My husband takes seroquel at night before he goes to bed and that is all she wrote until morning. He's fine during the day when he is not taking it, but while the dose is in effect, no way should he be anywhere near a vehicle.

[ChaoticSymphony]

I just got switched to only at night but was thinking yesterday while on my morning dose, sitting in the passenger seat, that there is no way I could drive right now. It says right on the leaflet Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how the med will effect you.

As for legally not being able to drive? I've never heard this and would think the pharmacist or Dr would tell you right then and there with the written script. Could you imagine the insurance companies having to redo all their restrictions lol. I hope I doesn't happen but would be funny to make them squirm for once.

[Crazy Hitch]

Totally agree with the common sense part.

I had an unfortunate experience last year whilst completely manic and trialling a completely different AP (not seroquel); believed I was fine, thought I really was fine; and had a car accident. Fortunately it was a minor one; I was completely zoned out and didn't realise it.

But I guess its a lesson learnt that I need to be even more cautious than cautious because I didn't realise how affect I was by the med at the time. I was somewhat completely out of it. And due to my mania there was no common sense that prevailed in my mind at the time. I thought that I was compltely "fine" and "alert".

I wasn't really.

Originally Posted by ~Christina

Any medication can effect your ability to drive safely, its impaired driving any way to slice it….

(Sorry this is so long, but I hope you find it useful. I've bolded some parts, not so much to emphasize them, as to show the main points in case it is too much reading for anyone.)

Christina sums it right up. I just looked up a bunch of information, both for my state and yours. The laws concerning this are about "intoxicants", regardless of source. I was not able to turn up anything specific, such as a list of exactly what prescription meds are considered intoxicant in your state. Or in mine.

In what I read, it is all about impairment. With something like alcohol, they've got that well-covered in specificity and easy tests to measure how much and how much trouble any given level means. It doesn't seem quite so clear in regards to other things. However, the bottom line seems to be that if they determine you're impaired, you'll be charged. So, it's not the taking, or the taking and not being impaired. It comes down to taking (of whatever) and being perceived to be impaired.

I'd be kind of surprised if they had a specific list. (Though there might be some kind of list with a "including but not limited to" clause, I could not find such a thing.) Though that's a bit scary in worst-case-scenario thinking (Omg, I've had too many Twinkies, and the sugar's making me drive crazy! Lol. ), it's probably mostly fairly obvious.

I'm perplexed a bit by their saying they're doing studies to determine when one is not considered under the influence. Any substance will be different for different people. Weight, metabolism etc all affect such things. So it can't (or shouldn't be) a time thing. The only thing I can think is if they figured some blood level they considered problematic (like what they do with BACs).

It may be obvious to you if you are impaired. Even if you don't think you are, it might not hurt to ask someone else what they think. It's not a guarantee of course, but it could help. (I had that happen once with prescription meds (not psych meds). Thought I was fine, so didn't ask anyone, right? When I got to my psych appt., she asked if I had driven. I thought it was an odd question. But she'd asked because she thought (and determined that) I was loopy. It was the last appt. of the day. She said she wouldn't have me driving and promptly drove me home(!) Kind of embarrassing!)

It's not about Seroquel. Also they're not saying it's narcotic or narcotic-like -- though I don't think you drew that conclusion. So it's weird they would say such a thing specifically, as the law does not seem to do so.

[dillpickle1983]

I for one have had an issue with driving and Seroquel. I woke up one morning, went to work to and drove a mile down a wrong way street. Completely oblivious to what was going on around me. I no longer drive if I have taken it within 12 hours and definetly not without some sort of sleep mixed in there.

[Kymaro]

I agree with the "obvious impaired" ... please don't get me wrong. I agree with all. I know by previous experience (Job related) that if your in an accident and an officer requests a drug screen, a drug as simple as a low dose Benzo is positive, your going to jail for DUI. When I heard the news about Seroquil it scared me! I rarely drive due to my high doses of AP, but I have drove and like others, didn't realize how it effected me until I was behind the wheel. I have to pull over and call my husband to come get me, I was scared myself to dive any further. Thanks everyone for you input.

Driving Under The Influence (DUI) is such a broad term. If you get wacked on Kool-Aid and your driving skills are poor and you get pulled over, just by the fact that your driving is impaired, you'll get a ticket or arrested. They just have to prove that you have a Kool-Aid allergy.

[emgreen]

If you watch WLNS, you know Sherry Jones & Jane Aldrich. I'd never heard that it's illegal to drive on Seroquel. I'd imagine it has to do with the dosage. I take 300mg at night & would have no problem driving. There have been times when I've taken more & felt impaired.

[Nammu]

I can think of more dangerous states for me to drive in, such as mixed states when any small thing can turn me into a raving rage, when I'm extremely depressed, suicidal and thinking of driving off bridges, and when I'm sleep deprived. So I don't drive when I'm like that even though it means I am stuck at home.

Driving isn't a right it's something you need to train for pass a test and get a license so it's up to each person to be responsible for knowing their ok to drive.

If people here think about and question their ability to drive with certain meds I would trust them over people who drive in any condition without ever thinking about it.

As far as I know there's only a list of medicines for commercial airline pilot s and that's a whole different ball game.

[Resident Bipolar]

Thought add a real life experience to the mix. Even though it isn't specifically illegal to drive when taking Seroquel, I was refused a driving license because of my being on a mix of psych meds, Seroquel included.