[Suki22]

okay, since I've been on my Celexa, I've been totally out of it. I feel like a zombie. I've been pulled over twice in two weeks--after NEVER being pulled over in my life! today I got a ticket for failure to yield a left turn and not stopping at a stop sign. I seriously have no idea how this even happened. I saw a car coming, I thought I had enough room to turn. This guy was a total jerk (I was polite and to the point) and he was very dramatic ('I almost HIT those parked cars back there because YOU didn't look right!'). I wanted to ask him how fast he was going for that to happen but I know better than that. so, I'm not sure what to do.

my question--how do I fight a ticket? or do I just pay the $260 and whatever increases in my insurance? any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

btw, I'm seeing my p-nurse next week to get off this Celexa/zombie inducing medicine!

[LiteraryLark]

Unfortunately, you can't blame your medications for your parking ticket. Cops can be jerks, but you still need to pay the fines.

[Caretaker Leo]

You just never know - when you see your P-Nurse next week, ask this same question. Possibly they can provide some written info that you can take to court.

You have time. You don't have to pay the fine immediately. Consider going to court instead and contesting it. Not certain about the laws where you live, but in some places, if the officer doesn't show up, the judge will toss the ticket out.

In the meantime - please be very careful while you drive. It sounds as though the Celexa is interfering with your normal, cognitive behavior. We don't want to lose you to an accident!

Wishing you the best!

[Suki22]

yes, I'm going to fight the tickets (moving violations, not parking tickets). I have to wait three days to make sure the tickets are filed and then I call to get a court date. it's worth showing up for, my sister said most likely they will reduce the fine and after a year of good driving after that they will fall of my record. in the meantime, I've got a call in with my nurse.

thanks for your kind words, Caretake Leo. you made me smile! xoxo

[sabby]

Don't know if you realize it or not, but I think you were very lucky not to be arrested for a DUI. Being under the influence of any drug is just as bad as alcohol. You, yourself admit that you were zoned out from the Celexa. That's a real good clue that you probably shouldn't have been driving as your reaction time and judgement may have been impaired. I am glad that you were not in nor did you cause an accident or that someone was injured.

Please give this some thought. You don't deserve to be injured, nor does anyone else. I'm sure you would have felt horrible if that had happened. Maybe it's worth paying the fine and moving forward and taking better care not to drive while impaired by any meds you are on. Just because they are prescribed for you does not mitigate your responsibility to driving safely.

Take good care!

[splitimage]

I'm afraid I'm with Sabby on this one. There are those warnings that say do not drive or operate heavy machinery for a reason. If Celexa makes you too drowsy to drive you shouldn't be driving.

Fight the ticket if you want, sometimes they'll plea bargain them down to a lesser charge just to make you go away, but whatever you do, do not blame it on your meds. In Canada, that will immediately get your licence suspended on medical grounds for a minimum of a year, and you'll need a full psych evaluation to get it back. The fine's cheaper.

splitimage

[Suki22]

I've just been zoned out altogether on the Celexa. Like I said, I'm going to talk to my doctor about getting off them a.s.a.p. My mind is just *always* somewhere else, all day long. I'm so not happy with this med!

[Suki22]

oh, btw, I wasn't drowsy at all and it doesn't make me drowsy ever.

[missbelle]

see if you can get a payment plan........when I was in Florida they did that...Pay it because trying to fight it..will just stress you out more and may be worse on the mental health

[Suki22]

I think the fact that I even posted about this here is stressing me out more than the actual tickets. I was just looking for information on how to fight the tickets. silly me.

[LiteraryLark]

That's not the point. If the celexa affects your driving, and it appears you are blaming your tickets on both your mental illness and your medication, then you are lucky that you did not get a DUI and worse fines.

If you feel like a zombie on your medications and are not satisfied with them, then you should think twice about driving. Driving while zombified is NOT safe. You don't want to be "spacing out" then run into a red light and be hit by another car.

From my experience in law enforcement, your case could get thrown out, but I think fighting it will only make the situation worse with a possibility of having your license revoked until you can be reevaluated, like another member has said.

I think we are more concerned about your ability to drive rather than how to fight your ticket. Since you're only looking to fight the ticket, I don't think we can help you more than just giving our support and voice our concerns.

[Swann]

Being a Brit I don't know anything about US traffic laws or any US laws, but you should not be driving while under the influence of medication that can affect your reaction. In the UK you would be done for it and have a couple of penalty points clipped off your driver's licence.

You committed a traffic violation it seems. Pay the fine.

Jo

[venusss]

Yeah, I am with DrSkipper. You should not drive when not in bright state. You should not drive even with high fever. Heck, even tired. I don't want to scare you, but if something happened to you, it will not matter that it was a prescribed substance that caused it.

Your life and health should matter more than the fine. If you cannot drive on your meds, don't drive or get yourself on something else.