How often do you consider the effect of medicines on your safety when driving? Most of the time you are well and don’t have to bother – but what if you get a bad cold, or suffer from hay fever? Could some of those treatments you use cause effects that may affect your driving? In this article, we look at some of these medicines and their potential effects on driving.

1. Introduction
2. Drug Effects that could affect Safety When Driving.
3. Drug Groups You should Avoid when Driving.
4. Conclusion.

Introduction

If you drive, take a few minutes to read this article about your safety when driving on medication.

Generally, most people taking a course of medication are safe to drive.

However, many medicines do not fall into this category.

This may depend on the drug, the person taking them or both.

Firstly, some may be drugs sold over the counter in which case you must always read the accompanying patient information leaflet to learn their possible effects.

Alternatively, you can double-check with your pharmacist or doctor that it is safe to take these medicines when driving.

Next, what about prescribed medicines?

Similarly, read the information leaflets provided.

And one of the useful discussions to have with your doctor when prescribed any medicines include their possible effect on driving.

(Other information to know include the objective of the medicine; the side effects and how long to take them for).

Drug Effects that could affect Your Safety When Driving.

The side effects of a drug that affect your driving can happen as soon as you take them in some cases.

In others, they may take longer to develop – even up till a day after taking them.

What are these effects?

Surprisingly, there are a good number:

• Sleepiness/drowsiness
• Blurred vision – the inability of your eyes to get a clear picture of objects within your visual field
• Dizziness – the feeling of unsteadiness or spatial instability
• Slowed movement – the delay in your physical responses to changes occurring around you like changing gears or applying the breaks
• Fainting – the feeling that you are about to lose consciousness or ‘blackout.’
• Inability to focus or pay attention – feeling confused or distracted also makes it impossible to react appropriately to safety cues when driving
• Nausea – a feeling of wanting to vomit: can include the taste of acid in the throat, mouth and chest; and an uncomfortable sensation that rises up from the stomach travelling upwards
• Excitability – being anxious, tense, agitated could also affect your concentration and lead to poor judgement when driving

Drug Groups you should avoid when driving

Drugs that cause sedation (a feeling of drowsiness or sleepiness).

Examples are drugs that contain opiates, drugs derived from the opium plant. Morphine is the product of this group, it and all derivatives most often used for pain control.

Other examples that work similarly are Codeine (used in cough syrups as well as pain killers like Co-codamol) and Tramadol.

More drugs that can make you sleepy are certain classes of antihistamine medicines that we use commonly to treat allergy. Many people use antihistamines for hay fever, or other allergy disorders without realising they could also have this critical side effect.

Another group of medicines which can make you sleepy after using them are some drugs used to control anxiety. Known as benzodiazepines, examples include Valium or Librium. It’s also useful as a muscle relaxant.

Medications for treating mental health conditions, including some Antidepressants and Antipsychotics also have a sedating effect.

Medicines that stimulate the Central Nervous System (CNS).

These stimulants mainly work by stimulating the brain and making your mental and physical processes work faster.

They find use in treating conditions like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hypersensitivity Disorder), Chronic Fatigue, Excessive Sleepiness, Obesity and more.

However, their side effects which can affect safe driving include dizziness, headaches, irritability, anxiety and mood swings, among others.

Examples include Caffeine-containing drugs, some of which can be bought over the counter like some Extra Strength Panadol preparations; Amphetamines, Modafinil etc.

Caffeine in non-therapeutic forms like your cup of coffee – if taken to excessive quantities daily could cause problems with driving. According to this article, over 4 cups of coffee, 10 cans of coke or 2 energy drinks per day can lead to serious side effects.

Drugs that can Slow you down.

This group covers a lot of medications with various uses.

Sedating drugs, including sleeping tablets which cause sleepiness, can leave you disoriented and feeling mentally and physically slow. Sedating antihistamines, pain medicines, muscle relaxers do this as well. Cough and cold mixtures do often contain drugs that cause slowing down of your movements.

Medicines that cause Nausea or Vomiting

These symptoms are a side effect of nearly any medicines. If you do experience them with your medication, you should discuss alternatives with your doctor.

What about drugs that cause Confusion or Disorientation?

People who take some antidepressants, antipsychotics and some medicines to treat Epilepsy (seizure disorders) may find that they experience confusion to different degrees.

It is also an effect from taking drugs causing sedation, so many of the medicines already described above will fall into this group. Chemist purchased medicines for treating diarrhoea such as Imodium can lead to confusion.

Drugs that cause problems with your Eyesight.

Taking some eye drops may cause stinging and affect your vision. Some are more likely to do this than others – such as Atropine drops used for making a diagnosis in eye conditions.

However, if you have just started a new type of eye drop, avoid driving for a couple of hours to be sure they will not impair your eyesight.

But, other surprising medicines that affect your eyes include treatments for osteoporosis (such as Alendronic acid), migraines and seizure disorders (like Topiramate); drugs that enhance sexual performance such as Viagra or Cialis, which causes ‘blue vision’ when used in high doses or abused – a condition when you see everything bluer than usual.

Drugs like Celebrex and Meloxicam are anti-inflammatory pain killers which can cause blurred vision, while Hydroxychloroquine (a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Malaria) can cause severe eye damage.

Alcohol containing Drugs.

We all know that drinking and driving is a No-No.

But what about some medicines that contain alcohol which could affect driving? A lot of cough syrups (sold over the counter) have alcohol as do some anti-allergy medication. Other examples are some antidiarrhoeal medicines, laxatives and pain relievers in liquid forms like elixirs, tinctures or syrups.

Conclusion

Finally, safety when driving is about being conscious of what you are doing both before and while driving.

These days, it is straightforward to check the effects of any medicines – looking at the information leaflets or checking with your doctor and pharmacist.

Good habits to develop are reading through the leaflet yourself and asking your doctor about any side effects you should know.

Check out this video for more information on what you should know about any prescribed medicines.

We’d love to hear your comments – were you surprised by any of the drugs on the list? Let us know.

More Reading

1. Drugs – Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix
2. Mayo Clinic – Caffeine – How Much is Too Much?
3. Why Viagra makes you see everything blue-tinted
4. Misusing Drugs – Is Medical Advice Needed?
5. Madagascar Covid-Organics – What Africa should do….

Image Source Credit – Canva

Editing by AskAwayHealth Team

Disclaimer

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