Certain medications may impair the efficiency of the car driver. Manufacturers inform about it by placing appropriate comments on the leaflets. Unfortunately, research shows that as many as 15 percent of vehicle drivers ignore all warnings. Which drugs should not be used to drive a car?

Taking medicationsin many casesaffects driving . Patients who are constantly taking medication are usually warned by their doctor that the drug impairs their driving ability. Some measures are so strong that patients must give up driving for the duration of the treatment. However, many drivers, who only take pills (e.g. painkillers) from time to time, believe that it has no effect on their bodies. Meanwhile, even one dragee can cause a tragedy on the road. According to the regulations in force in Poland, people involved in an accident are routinely blood tested for alcohol content. If a trace of narcotic drugs is found - these people are responsible for the same as for drinking and driving. It is not difficult to find such a trace. It is enough to take e.g. thiocodin cough suppressant tablets. The codeine contained in them transforms into morphine during metabolic changes. If the blood test shows it, we will face a minimum of 2 years in prison. There are over a dozen groups of pharmaceuticals that are potentially dangerous to the driver. The most common drug-induced side effects that make driving difficult are visual and hearing impairment, difficulty concentrating, sleepiness.

Drugs and driving - local anesthetics

After such anesthesia (e.g. before tooth extraction) you should not drive for at least 2 hours. After anesthesia (with the use of, for example, ketamine, used when a larger number of teeth are removed) - 24 hours after waking up.

See also: After a sleepless night, the driver feels like he has 2 alcohol levels in his blood! Did you know?

Opioid painkillers and driving

They disrupt the work of the brain, causing a delay in reflexes and difficulties in correctly assessing the situation on the road. They include, among others vendal (morphine), dolargan, fortral, methadone. Similar problems can happen after taking tramal (it is not a drug, but it works forbrain in a similar way). Drivers must also be careful when reaching for painkillers and antitussive drugs containing codeine (acodin, antidol, argotussin, ascodane, codespan, coldrex nite, dafalgan-codeine, dexatussin, efferalgan-codeine, gripex, solpadeine, thiocodin, neoazarina). They can also lengthen the so-called reaction time, i.e. weaken reflexes.

NSAIDs and driving

A driver can drive a car if he takes a tablet of "pure" paracetamol, ibuprofen or acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin). The composition of the drug is always indicated on the packaging. However, combined painkillers may contain hypnotic barbiturates (pabialgin, veramide) or stimulating caffeine (etopyrine, coldrex). When using them, you should maintain increased concentration behind the wheel.

Drugs for diabetics and driving

Insulin, if misused by diabetic drivers, can cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycaemia (hypoglycaemia) and, consequently, disturbance of consciousness and even loss of consciousness. Before driving, a diabetic driver should check the blood sugar level with a blood glucose meter, take the appropriate dose of insulin - if necessary - and wait for a while for the drug to work. You should give up driving when you experience sweating, hunger or anxiety.

Sleep-inducing and sedative features and driving

The driver should not get in the car if he has taken strong sleeping pills or sedatives (even if he took them in the evening of the previous day). They impair the precision of movements, cause drowsiness, weakness, and in some people fatigue and anxiety. If someone has to drive in the morning and it looks like a "white night", he should reach for mild herbal medicines (nervendragees-rathiopharm, hova, validol) or melatonin. Absolutely avoid barbiturates (ipronal, luminal), benzodiazepine derivatives (estazolam, nitrazepam, noctofer , signopam) and cyclopyrrolones (imovane, sanual, stilnox).

Important

Safety triangle

  • If there is a graphic symbol on the medicine packaging - a triangle with an exclamation mark - it means that you must not drive a car during treatment with this preparation.
  • Always ask your doctor about the effect of the prescribed drug on your ability to drive.
  • If we reach for the medicine ourselves, carefully read the leaflet attached to the package, which describes the side effects.

Psychotropic drugs and driving

These include, among others antidepressants, anxiolytics and neuroleptics. They can causedrowsiness or insomnia, dizziness, visual disturbances and other symptoms that make driving impossible. This group of drugs includes: fenactil, promazin, tisercin, chlorpernazinum, mirenil, pernasin, thioridazin, fluanxol, sulpiride, lithium carbonicum, cloranxen, diazepam, elenium, lorafen, medazepam, relanium, rudotel, tranxene, xanax, hydroxyzinum, atarax, mabuson, spamilan, amitryptylinum, doxepin, imipramin, pramolan, bioxetin, fluoxetine, fevarin, prozac, seronil, coaxil, mianserin, lerivon, remeron and others.

Antiemetics and driving

If the driver has to reach for e.g. aviomarin, diphergan, torecan, zofran - he must give up driving, because these drugs cause drowsiness, weakness, headaches.

Hypertension remedies and driving

Their use is a relative contraindication (you have taken it - rather do not drive) to driving a vehicle, as it may cause fatigue and weakness. These are especially older drugs that are still used (e.g. brinerdin, normatens, propranolol). The diuretics recommended in the case of hypertension (thialoride, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazidum, diuramide) may have a similar effect. The car can be driven only with small doses of this type of pharmaceuticals.

Antiallergic drugs and driving

New generation agents (eg zyrtec, claritine) will not harm the driver. However, "older" drugs (eg clemastinum, phenazolinum) may cause drowsiness, headaches and impaired coordination of movements. It is worth consulting your doctor about replacing them with those that are safer for the driver.

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