Driving while in pain? | Arthritis Information

 

Sarah's post about the stop sign had me wondering...how many of us feel like our driving is not as careful when we are in pain?

Now that I'm no longer new to pain meds, I actually find that driving while on the pain meds I'm much safer than driving while I'm in pain.

I've never run a stop sign, but I have hit the brakes hard when I've gotten too close to a car that has stopped in front of me.  If I find that happens twice in a trip, that means I shouldn't be behind the wheel that day.

I have found when my elbows and wrists are flaring, I am not as sure gripped on the wheel. Also the fatigue and brain fog, can make the reflexes a bit dulled!

I only have problems when I have knee/ankle/foot pain or neck pain. Other than that I think I do ok.

I never drive on any medication stronger than IUB. Thankfully I'm able to manage during the day without taking prescription pain medications. I probable could......but I've always been afraid to.

Only once when I had to take my son to the ER in the middle of the night have I driven after taken them. We did fine; but I was so freaked out over his problem that I was WIDE awake. Driving like a freak to the hospital......but wasn't concerned in the least about being on my meds. lol

I hate the fact that I have a 30 minute drive to and from work, 5 days a week. I take oxycodone 20mg every 12 hours and oxyIR 5mg usually around 2-4 pm each day for break through pain.  I only hope that if I ever have an accident, I don't hurt anyone else, its a really big fear that I have so I am a careful driver but with the drugs and brain fog, I know I shouldn't be driving. I think pain can pre occupy you and make it easier to make a mistake while
driving. I do know that you can get a DUI if they detect that you are taking a
substance here in my state. I'm not sure how long term narcotic use would
be taken into accout though. It is a good question.I had to quit driving not due to the pain meds but due to the Myclonic Jerking I deal with.  If I drove in the morning the pain meds didn't seem to bother me but by the afternoon/evening I was feeling them so wouldn't drive.  Now my foot can jerk off of the pedals which is really bad at a red light or stop sign and it was getting too difficult to hold the steering wheel with proper control while in pain.nice topic. I have thoughts on this very often. I have been using vitamin "V" for the better part of 20yrs and more recently Oxycontin (just 10mg) off and on as needed for about 5-7 yrs.

I function FINE with the meds there is zero impairment due to them. From my understanding about the the opioid meds is after a period most people no longer get a high/euphoric sensation. How long it takes for this to diminish varies from person to person.

I am cautious though when I bring the OxyC back into the mix. I only add it for more active flare periods but for a good month it does cause me to be impaired from about 45mins after I first take it until about 2hrs after. During that period I never drive. To avoid interference with my day if I wake up anytime after about 4am I will take one then fall back to sleep. By the time I wake up it is business as usual.

I do find a nice mug of coffee can let me push through any of the times when I do feel more of the effects. And since I LOVE my cawfee that is a sorta-kinda bonus in my book... ;)

I don't drive in pain.  I have driven on my pain meds once I got used to them and not getting that high feeling from them anymore. I have found myself to be paying less attention if I am in pain. I haven't driven in months and I am eager to get back behind the wheel.  Now let's convince the warden of this.  He still has not taken me driving as promised!!!

The long trips are what have become difficult for me, anything much over about 1 1/2 hours I have to make several stops because my entire body is a pain wreck!

It is frustrating for me is all. I typically always go the speed limit and just keep in "my own space" so an accident is not my worry for myself...but those other drivers, let me tell you, they can be a pain and I am not talkin'  RA!

Geez, I just remembered that I do not yell at all the crazy drivers anymore...........I guess it is because I just do not care anymore, I will get to where I am going when I get there.

I used to enjoy traveling, maybe I will again soon, dunno, with gas the price it is now at .70 a gallon, it is quite alright!

 

I don't drive when I take my meds because I only take them at bedtime except in exceptional circumstances.  I do find that I would drive better if I didn't have to hold the dang steering wheel.  That seems to be the worst for me.  I have trouble with pain in my hands after about 10-15 minutes and have to keep changing my hold.  I can't drink and drive anymore so I have to finish my tea or coffee before I drive, my hands are just too painful to drive one handed.  With the price of petrol here hitting .50 a litre I think I'll keep the driving to a minimum.I can basically only drive one-handed.  My right shoulder, arm and hand are so painful, that holding them up on the wheel for any period of time is fatiguing.  And if I make a turn, I can use my left arm to make a full wheel turn, but my right arm can only hold the wheel in place while my left arm comes back around (if that makes any sense).does anyone find on longer drives that stopping for 20-30mins every couple hours helps keep your focus?

I had to drive 1200mi to Seattle last fall and was dreading the whole thing. Stopping really did help me...I was still wiped at the end of each day but not to the point of being more useless than normal.

I do a fair amount of long distance driving - either from Connecticut to my mom's house in West Virginia, or to Chicago (where my kids went to college).   I really do enjoy it, but now it's getting harder and harder.  Getting out of the car sometimes is nearly impossible - and that's just when I'm driving from home to the grocery store and back!  I just have to get used to it and just get over myself.

I basically have had to stop driving.  We have a large, Ram 350 truck and the clutch is my problem.  With no cartledge left in my knee all I feel is grinding and pain when I have to put the clutch in when shifting.  I can almost hear the knee grinding.  Sometimes I just have to go shopping on my own, to the library or to the gym so I take my pain pill, put on my heavy duty (Darth Vader style) brace and take off.  Driving any distance irritates my shoulders so I don't do any long distance driving at all.  I feel that I'm impaired by the disease, not the drugs.  I only drive locally now, I dont go on the motorway(highways) especially the m25 ( very notorious stretch of road here in UK)and i dont drive after dark, not cause of my RA but i am totally night blind LinB I have the same problem.  I have my family begging me to get an automatic car and I;m just like bleh.  I am having knee replaced as soon as my ra is under control and hopefully that will solve the issue. 

Long distance drives for me as a driver bite.  I can't get comfy in theseat and wiggle around like I could if I am the passenger.

 I drive better on pain med than not.

I know I don't drive as well as I used to. Some days when my hannds dont work Im essentially driving with my wrists.. I thread them thru the steering wheel.

Also my knees lock up and switching from gas to brake  causes a LOT of pain and a loud snap.. I use cruise control as much as possible to keep my knees from locking. I am really afraid  that they will lock and I wont brake in time.

I dont drive any farther than 30 miles or so unless I'm feeling really excellent.. march 16 I was able to do a 250 mile drive.. whooo hoo.

I miss driving  I used to just get in the car and go.. I loved  road trips etc.. now   its just not possible.

One of the reasons I have stopped working is that I do not function well on pain meds and driving has become physically exhausting.  My head doesn't turn well, my hands and arms are weak.  I do much better when I can choose when I want or need to drive.  The daily commute, and it was only 15minutes, was a killer.

I got a notice that my oil change was way overdue, when I looked at the last date which was Oct I realized I have put only about 2000 miles on the car since then. Driving that little is nice with gas prices as high as they are

Oh yes i have a steering knob to aide my steering if i cant grip the wheel properly and i have a mirror that gives me view of either side of my car so i dont have to look over my shoulder when changing lanes, it gives a good view of my blind spots. I want a sensor fitted for parking as i find the twisting and turning of my neck a nightmare when i reverse park.........so all i need now is a chauffer and it will be all goodI also find the steering wheel hard to grip.  I usually only use my left hand as my right is too sore.  With my new car, the steering wheel is small, so I went to target and bought a big, fuzzy steering wheel cover and it helps so much.  My hands do not have to close so far to grip the wheel!! Also the steering while is divided on the inside of the wheel like an upside down peace sign, so that bottom leg is right in the middle and it helps to keep my left hand from sliding around, so much easier to drive than my Jeep Liberty! My new car (scion xb) is also super easy to get in and out of, unlike most of the small cars I test drove and it gets 30 miles to the gallon!  Can you tell I LOVE my new car!!!
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