Know the medications that impair your driving
Are you safe to drive? Do your part to keep our roads safe and collision-free.
Do your part to keep our roads safe and collision-free
Some prescription and non-prescription medication can make you feel lightheaded or blur your vision. Others can affect your judgement and reduce your reaction time behind the wheel.
When some medications are combined, they can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate a motor vehicle.
If you experience any symptoms of impairment while taking prescription and/or non-prescription drugs, do not drive.
The following prescription and non-prescription medications can cause impairment:
- Some cold remedies and allergy products
- Muscle relaxants
- Medicines that treat or control symptoms of diarrhea
- Medicines that treat or prevent motion sickness
- Opioid pain relievers
- Prescription medications for anxiety
- Antiseizure medications
- Antipsychotic medications
- Some antidepressants
- Products containing codeine
- Sleeping pills
Remember to talk with your pharmacist or doctor about possible medication interactions or reactions. It's your responsibility to ensure you're not impaired while driving.
Whether your driving is impaired by alcohol, cannabis, or a prescription or over-the-counter medication, the result is the same: you'll be charged with impaired driving.
Are you safe to drive?
Steve fell while hiking last summer. He's still dealing with chronic pain.
Prescription:
Medical cannabis with THC
Many prescribed medications can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Angela is a new mother. Her struggles with post-partum depression have been a real challenge.
Prescription:
Anti-anxiety lorazepam
Many mood-altering medications can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Rhonda is recovering from cancer-related surgery. Her recovery hasn't been easy.
Prescription:
Opioid hydromorphone
Many opioid painkillers can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Travis did not connect the way his allergy medication made him feel to impairment. He figured it was safe because he got it over the counter.
Prescription:
Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
Some allergy pills can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Emma did not realize her medications were leaving her legally impaired.
Prescription:
Blood-pressure pills azilsartan (such as Edarbi) combined
with an over-the-counter long-lasting sleep aid
Some long-lasting sleep medications, combined with other prescriptions, can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Mason did not realize that the occasional beer, combined with his daily muscle relaxant, could make him impaired.
Medication:
Over-the-counter extra strength Robaxacet combined with
alcohol
Some muscle relaxants, when mixed with alcohol, can leave you legally impaired and unfit to operate any motor vehicle. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
The above stories are instances where each individual's medication could leave them legally impaired. In each case, it could result in an impaired driving charge.
Codeine
Codeine is an opiod that acts on the central nervous system to relieve mild to moderate pain.
Many painkillers contain codeine. One of the most common is Yulenol-Codeine No.3 (T3s).
The cough medicine Promethazine can also contain codeine (Phenergan with codeine).
Know the risks
Codeine can make you drowsy. Do not drive or operate a motor vehicle while taking codeine. You may be legally impaired.
Fatal side effects can occcur if you use opioid medicines with alcohol or with other medications that cause drowsiness or slow your breathing. Do not drink alcohol, take prescription or over-the-counter medications that contain alcohol or use street drugs when your treatment includes codeine.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about codeine
Antidepressants and anxiety medications
This large group of prescription medications includes:
- Benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam, clonazepam and lorazepam)
- Citalopram (such as Celexa)
- Escitalopram (such as Lexapro)
- Fluoxetine (such as Prozac, Sarafem, Selfemra and Prozac Weekly)
- Fluvoxamine (such as Luvox)
- Paroxetine (such as Paxil, Paxil CR and Pexeva)
- Sertraline (such as Zoloft)
- Vortioxetine (such as Trintellix, formerly known as Brintellix)
- Vilazodone (such as Viibryd)
Common side effects:
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Blurred vision
- Trouble staying focused
- Headache and dizziness
Know the risks
Any antidepressant can interact with other medications. Let your doctor know about any medications you're taking, including:
- new prescriptions;
- over-the-counter medicine; and
- herbal supplements you plan to take.
Never a good mix
Combining antidepressants with alcohol can affect your judgement, coordination, motor skills and reaction time behind the wheel. This can seriously impair your ability to drive or do other tasks that require focus and attention.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about antidepressants and anxiety medications
Over-the-counter medication
There are more than 80 classes of over-the-counter (OTC) medications including the following common categories.
- Pain relievers such as Aspirin, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and ibuprophen (such as Advil or Motrin)
- Cough suppressants such as dextromethorphan (such as Robitussin)
- Antihistamines such as loratadine (such as Claritin) and diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl)
- Stomach medications such as Kaopectate and Pepto-Bismol
Even though they do not need a prescription, over-the-counter medications may cause significant side effects. Some can interact with your prescription medication, while other products can cause organ damage if you take them in amounts greater than recommended.
Know the risks
Mixing over-the-counter medications with alcohol, cannabis or illicit medications can be fatal. Many emergency room visits for overdose occur because people mixed alcohol with seemingly harmless over-the-counter medications. Make sure your doctor knows all the medicines you're taking. That includes:
- prescription medications;
- over-the-counter medications; and
- herbal supplements.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor
Learn more about over-the-counter medications
Antiseizure medication
There are close to 30 antiseizure medications you can be prescribed for the treatment of seizures due to epilepsy. These include:
- Carbamazepine
- Oxcarbazepine (such as Trileptal and Oxtellar XR)
- Lamotrigine (such as Lamictal)
- Phenytoin (such as Dilantin)
- Valproic acid (such as Depakene)
Common side effects:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Double vision
- Loss of coordination
- Drowsiness and headache
Know the risks
You should avoid drinking alcohol when taking seizure medications until you’ve discussed this with your doctor. Some medications have warnings against any alcohol use whatsoever.
Avoid activities requiring mental alertness and good reflexes, such as driving or operating motor vehicles.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about antiseizure medication
Antipsychotic medication
Antipsychotics are a large class of medications used to help regulate the functioning of brain circuits that control thinking, mood and prescription. These include:
- Risperidone (such as Risperdal)
- Quetiapine (such as Seroquel)
- Olanzapine (such as Zyprexa)
- Ziprasidone (such as Zeldox)
- Paliperidone (such as Invega)
- Aripiprazole (such as Abilify)
- Clozapine (such as Clozaril)
Common side effects:
- Blurred vision
- Drowsiness
- Muscle spasms or tremors
- Impaired thinking or judgement
Know the risks
Antipsychotics act on the central nervous system and should not be use in combination with alcohol because of the risk of enhanced side effects of one or both medications.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about antipsychotic medication
Opioid pain relievers
Common opioid narcotic pain medications include:
- Hydromorphone (such as Dilaudid)
- Morphine (such as Kadian, M-Eslon, MS-Contin and Statex)
- Codeine (such as Tylenol No. 3)
- Oxycodone (such as OxyNeo and Percocet)
- Tramadol (such as Ralivia, Tridural and Zytram)
Common side effects:
- Trouble staying focused
- Drowsiness
- Brain fog
- Slow reflexes
Know the risks
Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while on opioids. Opioids can be dangerous if taken with alcohol or certain medications such as:
- some antidepressants and anxiety medications (particularly benzodiazepines including alprazolam, clonazepam and lorazepam);
- some antibiotics; and
- sleeping pills.
Make sure your doctor knows all the other medicines you’re taking, including:
- prescription medications;
- over-the-counter medications; and
- herbal supplements.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about opioid pain relievers
Medical cannabis with THC and driving
Medical cannabis with THC can seriously affect your judgement and performance behind the wheel.
Medical cannabis with THC
Even if you've been authorized to use cannabis by a health care professional, it's your responsibility to ensure you're not impaired while driving.
Be cautious. Whether smoked or ingested, medical cannabis with THC can seriously affect your:
- judgement;
- reaction time;
- visual function;
- concentration;
- ability to maintain proper following distance;
- perception of speed; and
- ability to handle unexpected situations on the road.
No one is a better driver when they're high.
Know the risks
Driving under the influence of THC doubles your chance of a collision.
Any amount of alcohol makes it even worse.
If convicted, you can face hefty fines and even jail time.
Know the medications that impair.
Talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Learn more about medical cannabis with THC
