Alertness and safety in traffic
In traffic every second new impressions come to us. Fortunately, we usually pay close attention and we react quickly and correctly. This often happens automatically. As the driver of a car, bus or truck, but also on a bicycle or moped you must be able to respond quickly. This prevents accidents.
Watch closely and respond quickly can also be important in other situations, such as operating dangerous machinery (such as a chain saw, excavator, crane or team) or if you are on a ladder or scaffold.
What risks have medications for safety ?
When you use drugs you drowsy and sleepy make less vigilant and less and less responsive. You are now less secure. The chance of an accident in traffic or operating a machine is bigger.
Driving is punishable when you use a drug that you can know that this reduces the drive.
What side effects have medications for safety ?
*Some medications have side effects that you watch less and less responsive. You are now less secure, while you will not notice anything. You might not feel drowsy or sleepy, but you still react less and less likely. The chance of an accident in traffic or with a machine is bigger.
*At what dose, how long, how much and how long the drug reduces the drive varies by drug and may also differ per person, age and disease.
*Medications that reduce the response often also have other side effects that are dangerous in traffic: for example, you will see fewer sharp or double, you feel dizzy or awkward, your arms feel heavy, or you notice that you nearly fall asleep. Chances are that you yourself notice them indeed. Is large
*Concomitant use of several medications that reduce your reaction time, they reinforce each other. You reacts even slower.
*Along with alcohol or drugs, these drugs provide a greatly increased risk of accidents.
*Drinking coffee does not help against the stupefying effects of drugs or alcohol.
*Also beware of the long action of some medications. By placing a sleeping pill or tranquilizer tablet the next day or even two days later some drowsy.
*Some medications responsiveness remains reduced. With prolonged use Certain other medications you get used slowly so you get less problems after prolonged use of the side effects. For example, using a drug for depression, you can there in the beginning of his drowsy. That drowsiness may be gradually reduced. To what extent reduces drowsiness varies per person.
What medications affect road safety ?
Medications that may reduce the reaction time, have a yellow warning sticker or a warning label on the packaging. The pharmacist has stuck on it. Because you do not notice good or change your reactions, it is very important that you pay attention to this warning.
Examples of medications that can react and thereby reduce its ability to drive:
Sedatives and tranquillizers
Benzodiazepines such as temazepam, oxazepam, nitrazepam, diazepam, zolpidem, and zopiclone.
Some of these drugs are sometimes prescribed as muscle relaxant or epilepsy.
Side effects: drowsiness (a day later), poor concentration, irritability, dizziness, confusion, flaccid muscles.
Antidepressants
Anti-depression (depression), anti-anxiety agents.
Side effects: drowsiness, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, seeing less sharp, poorer concentration.
Antihistamines
Anti-hay fever and allergy against itching or travel sickness.
Side effects: headache, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, dizziness, trembling.
Psychofarmaca
Antimicrobial confusion (psychosis) or serious suspicion.
Side effects: less careful, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, somnolence and look worse.
Some painkillers
Morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, tramadol, codeine.
Side effects: headache, dizziness, weakness, confusion, not knowing where you are (disorientation), seen worse, double vision, blurred vision, restlessness.
Advice on drugs and traffic safety
*If you are using a medication or going to use and you want to drive, make sure there is a yellow sticker or warning text on the box.
*For drugs with a yellow sticker or warning text on the packaging is the advice: do not drive or do other things that you should pay close attention.
*Will you indeed drive, then that's your own responsibility.
*Please contact the GP practice or your pharmacist if you want to know more about the effects of your medication (s) your ability to drive. Discuss where appropriate, whether there are other possibilities.
When contact with drugs and road safety ?
If you use a drug (or already used), which reduces the ability to drive, it is important to know the side effects properly. You should know when your medicines are developed and when you can drive again. Read the leaflet. Please contact the practice or pharmacy to discuss how to deal with your medications.
*We discuss whether the influence of the drug on the ability to drive light, moderate or severe (the influence varies by drug, sometimes also per quantity of the drug)
*We discuss how long after taking the medications and the side effects are worked out (you can run again afterwards).
*Let's look again if the drug is needed in your complaint or illness.
*We see if we can choose another medication or treatment for less or has no influence on the ability to drive.
*We see if we the quantity (dose) of the drug can reduce.
*We discuss whether we can adjust the time of ingestion so that the drug is already worked out while driving.
*We let you try the medication first (in traffic) because the sedative effect varies by drug and per person.
*We let you get used to the drug (for example, some medications increase the drowsiness disappears over time).
*We try to avoid combining different narcotic medications that work together.
Considerations
If after discussing the various possibilities considering to drive anyway, it is at your own risk. Please note the following points:
*You are driving on their own responsibility, where you might put not only yourself but also others at risk. You have any damage liable.
*Do not use alcohol (or drugs) when you drive. These agents may together with the medications you are taking to increase the risk of accidents significantly.
*Do not drive if you see bad, dizzy, sleepy or drowsy are, or thinking or concentrating is harder than usual.
*Get out if you are driving somewhere and not remember how you came there.
*Drive as little as possible and limit driving to short distances (up to an hour after the other).
*Do not drive in the dark or in bad weather.