Profile For Light S.

waking up with severe pain from grinding teeth = TMJ and also whenever I chew really chewy food it can trigger the headaches.

Are you using a night-guard? If not, that may help a lot.

Also new Dr. who better fits your (current) needs. NEVER GOOD to just stop a med. of that type as withdrawal and serious side effects are possible. Guessing there are other similar drugs which if absolutely needed may not be "banned" or "unlikely" to be approved.

Thank you for the detailed reply. Exactly what I was looking for. Wasn't getting any answers over at Truckers Report (can't stand that site). Do I really have to wait 30 days btw? I wasn't taking it very long and it was a very low dose.

Couple of things to add to the conversation.

1 - It would be a little more helpful if we knew which med we were talking about. Some companies are more forgiving of different meds than others - but for the most part - 1st gen tricyclics are typically no-no's because they can (and frequently do) cause drowsiness.

2 - If you've been on them for awhile, on a daily basis, you DO NOT just want to cease taking them. The "rebound effect" from sudden discontinuation of any psychotropic med (even if prescribed off label for pain, etc.) can have some serious effects in mood (like suicidal effects), so you need to be really careful and under your doctors care to do a sudden cessation of the medication. This is tough to gauge without knowing what it is you're taking.

3 - DOT Urine screens are the typical 5/10 panel - opiates, benzo's, weed, pcp, alcohol, amphetamines. Typically - psych meds that do not fall under the categories are not detected. Hair follicle tests can be way more in depth. DOT only REQUIRES testing for certain drugs, but companies may test for many others as a "pre-employment requirement", and this has more to do with potential liability issues of a medicated driver getting into an accident.

4 - If your doc won't give you a letter stating what the meds are FOR - then he is likely prescribing it in a non-approved application (off-label). Many meds end up having multiple applications, some not for psych diagnosis. And some of these are re-named for the different diagnosis - ex: Wellbutrin - psych diagnosis/Chantix - quit smoking - BOTH are the same drug formula. Or Lyrica - that's used to treat nerve pain and anxiety disorder. I'd be leery of a doc that won't document a prescribed med and the diagnosis it is being prescribed for.

5 - Many companies will not disclose what meds they won't approve for fear of being sued under the ADA (which covers mood disorders) for discrimination - but will bounce an applicant for being on the med at their physical for safety reasons. Over the years, the forum has pretty much figured out from experience of folks here, some of the drugs that are no-fly for companies - even though they are not prohibited by FMCSA. Companies will opt for safety (liability) rather than take on a driver that may have issues from drug side-effects.

Disclaimer: I am NOT A DOCTOR - just an obsessive researcher.

Rick

The drug is called amitriptyline and I am taking the bare minimum dose 10mg before bed for nerve pain/migraines. I have not even started driving a commercial vehicle yet. I finished my training back in 2015 before I started any of this medication and the reason I never did it was I was waking with bad headaches/migraines due to a bad wisdom tooth extraction back in 2008.

Antidepressants for jaw pain? Ever try Advil or extra strength Tylenol?

Yes, some treat nerve pain and I had done my own research because my doctor just wasn't helping me. Kept thinking it was depression when it wasn't.. it was waking up with severe pain from grinding teeth = TMJ and also whenever I chew really chewy food it can trigger the headaches. I have tried Tylenol and while it sometimes work early on before it starts it never gets rid of the severe ones.

What if I stop taking it and start orientation next week. Would it show up in a urine test?

Sounds to me like this guy’s “M.D.” should stand for “ Make Dollars”. I don’t think he has your best interests in mind, obviously. Get another doctor tomorrow. Once you do, explain the concerns and see what he advises. If you’re on a prohibitive medication without a doctors note as to why, you’re playing with fire in that if it is in fact discovered during a pre-employment drug screening, you will be nearly undesirable to any company. A failed drug test is the kiss of death. Talk with recruiters and see what they have to say about this particular medicine. High-octane ain’t killers generally do not mix well at all with a CDL or a medical certification card.

This is what the FMCSA states on this particular drug:

Recommend not to certify if: The driver: • Uses a first generation antidepressant. •Has treatment effects or side effects that interfere with safe driving. NOTE: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recommendations favor not certifying the driver who uses a first generation tricyclic antidepressant stating that "only under exceptional circumstances would continuous use of amitriptyline be acceptable for a commercial driver."

Sounds to me like this guy’s “M.D.” should stand for “ Make Dollars”. I don’t think he has your best interests in mind, obviously. Get another doctor tomorrow. Once you do, explain the concerns and see what he advises. If you’re on a prohibitive medication without a doctors note as to why, you’re playing with fire in that if it is in fact discovered during a pre-employment drug screening, you will be nearly undesirable to any company. A failed drug test is the kiss of death. Talk with recruiters and see what they have to say about this particular medicine. High-octane ain’t killers generally do not mix well at all with a CDL or a medical certification card.

The company I spoke to and mentioned it too said they wouldn't know for sure unless I go to the actual orientation and do the urine drug screening. I just now left a message with a new doctor and will get a second opinion. I don't know what else to tell my primary doctor when I see him tomorrow (the one who won't at least give me a note stating what the med is for).. I just don't know what to do. I told Schneider the other week and they were ****ed because it meant canceling with them again. So can no longer apply there but this other mega, like I said, wouldn't know unless I actually attend the orientation and disclose it on the paperwork.

If your doctor will not give you any help as you said I would be looking for a new doctor. If it is something you need you will have to find a way to deal with DOT but keeping it a secret or just stopping taking it will only lead to bad ending for you in the long run. Do nit start a new job or career with a lie or falsehood. By getting a different doctor I mean to look for a second opinion not just going out and hunting down a doctor that will help cheat you through.

Thank you. Well I am waiting to hear back from the DOT med guy on what to do. It's not something I need to take and just wondering if I stopped taking it would I still have to mention it to the employer? or would they see it in urine anyway? It's only a first generation antidepressant I use for nerve pain in my Jaw. I take a very very low dose but it does make you a little sleepy which is why I take it right before bed.

Hi everyone. I have yet to drive for a company since getting my license with all endorsements but I just found out a medication my doctor put me on which I've only been using the last two months is on a list recommended that you are not re-certified. My question is can I just stop taking it and apply anyway without telling them? or do I have to wait 30 days for it to clear the system? My doctor knew what type of work I wanted to do but still prescribed it but now I am worried I won't be able to renew my med certification next year or even work for a company with this in my med file. My doctor refuses to give me a note stating what it is for and said it's up to DOT med examiner. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow and will tell him I want to stop it since it's not really essential just helps with TMJ pain. Advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Most new drivers never seem to lay hold of how important it is to communicate effectively. Simply put, that means forget about using the phone and strictly use the Qualcomm. If the manager thinks you guys need to talk, they will call you. You simply can't call in and expect them to chat with you. The first thing that will happen is you'll get put on hold, and you'll wait a long time because your driver manager is purposely prioritizing the Qualcomm messages on his screen. Those are the drivers who are getting results and learning how to keep themselves moving - they are getting help because they know how this communication game is played.

I didn't realize that. Good point. That makes a lot of sense. I know most of those reviews are upset people who are hurting for work like most of us. So, I get their frustration and especially if they have a family. Being a single guy I shouldn't be worried about what others say and just experience it for myself. I appreciate the detailed replies.

Light I completely 100% agree with Old School...

Your decision needs to be based on the company you believe best aligns with your personal requirements as a driver. As you know I am happy driving for Swift. However, if Western Express had the Walmart contract at DC-7030, it’s likely I’d be just as happy.

Good luck!

Thank you. I will check that out. I should stop looking at those Swift memes! They look like a great company honesty and I like the recent rebranding they did and sure it will look great on the trucks once they update those. I watch a youtuber who works for Swift (Stephen Harz) on youtube and his on the Walmart dedicated and seems to be liking it. Very informative videos and information on Swift.

The vast majority of those people, when frustrated, ****ed off, angry and feeling misled that left Western Express are the same people that write those biased reviews that other people read on google and truckers report. The reason why I mention this is like you, I read tons of reviews and after I came here I realized that those reviews were written by people who were upset at that time.

As I found out after I found this site, here things are done differently.

Thanks to you and your brother for the tips and information. Yeah I figured that was the case majority of the time that it was just frustrated folks. I know I can do this just don't have a lot of money saved so need to make a good, informed decision. I did have some luck today tho. May Trucking has offered to hire me and they are literally a town over from where I live so I might give them a look since Western Express still haven't got back to me on my travel arrangements. Appreciate the help everyone.

Yes, those are my two choices but are you sure about Western? I mean just look at the 1 star reviews on google.. lot of bad equipment and no communication. Maybe Swift would be a better option.

A big thank you to all of you for taking the time out to reply.. and long replies at that. Yeah, I was one of those spreadsheet guys right after CDL training back in 2015. A lot of the other students were doing the same thing and me being a complete greenhorn was buying into it. I called almost every company the school printed out for us and only got the megas that would accept me and of course I had a few opportunities with slightly more appealing companies but I ended up turning them down because of personal issues that cropped up so that is why I am now where I'm at where I'm stuck with these two companies. Western want me to sign the contract to commit to a year. Swift said they would road test me without any contract but I am leaning more towards Western because they seem more my style and slightly a smaller company without that top brass feel to it. lol, guess I'm spread sheeting again.

I do realize it's up to me and it is something I am willing to try. I definitely want to do van. It would be more convenient to go with Swift because they have a terminal just 40 miles away but someone once told me don't always think the more comfortable choice is the best choice. Anyway, I appreciate the detailed responses. I wish I'd signed up for this forum before truckers report.. nothing but negativity over there.