Will I Be Able To Get My CDL A With Hypothyroidism And Mild Anxiety?

I've been taking Zoloft for a few years now for mild anxiety and I take synthroid for hypothyroidism. Will I be able to get my CDL still? Thanks.

Synthroid you should be fine. Get the prescribing doctor to write a note.

Zoloft may present an issue.

Which company are you going to?

In general - Zoloft is not listed as a "banned substance" - and should be acceptable with a Doctors letter. Many companies do have drugs they just don't want their drivers on.

One user here, actually called the clinic the company used, and asked if a particular drug was OK. They said it wasn't - and he saved himself a trip to orientation and getting sent home for 30 days to get clear of the drug (can't recall what it was).

Rick

Synthroid you should be fine. Get the prescribing doctor to write a note.

Zoloft may present an issue.

Which company are you going to?

In general - Zoloft is not listed as a "banned substance" - and should be acceptable with a Doctors letter. Many companies do have drugs they just don't want their drivers on.

One user here, actually called the clinic the company used, and asked if a particular drug was OK. They said it wasn't - and he saved himself a trip to orientation and getting sent home for 30 days to get clear of the drug (can't recall what it was).

Rick

I'm interested in a lot of companies but the top 3 that I like are wadhams enterprises cause they are located just 70 miles from where I live, and gypsum express and Schneider.

I have a multitude anxiety issues too, but 'cannot' take my preferred and most effective method of alleviating it: clonozepam. Anyway, when I went for my exam, the physician suggested that I would have to switch to an SSRI-type of drug (yeah, yeah, ineffective; of which Zoloft is one) and I got cleared for one year. But, sometimes full disclosure is not in your best interest; sertraline is not a controlled substance, and you need not reveal the existence of a 'disability ' (anxiety disorder, mental illness, whatever) unless reasonable accommodation must be made for you.

Zoloft isn't inherently sedating, as you know, and just pick up or look up side effects on most drugs and you'll see: Warning: Do not operate heavy machinery etc. Zoloft DOES still carry some stigma, so I'd keep my ****ing mouth shut.

I'm going to have to disagree with DockWench on this. It is NEVER in your best interest to fail to disclose a condition and prescribed medications to a DOT Certified Medical Examiner.

We don't advise dishonesty, either to an employer or on your DOT physical. The end result of that dishonesty being discovered would be devastating to your career in trucking.

Zoloft DOES still carry some stigma, so I'd keep my ****ing mouth shut.

Keep his mouth shut? That's your advice to a new driver coming into the industry? Take whatever drugs you like but shut up about it. You do realize the drug will show up on a drug test and when they see he failed to disclose it he'll get a bus ticket home without a job, right? Not to mention the myriad of safety and ethical issues involved with driving an 80,000 pound machine on public highways?

What's in his best interest is to disclose the medications he's on to make sure they're acceptable for driving. It's also in his best interest not to do anything that will jeopardize his career or the lives of the people around him.

I'm gonna put this little story out here, just so anyone even remotely contemplating lying on any of this, might reconsider.

My codriver has well over 1 million accident free miles. BUT, YES, HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. Ultimately, he was not at fault, but I'll tell you what he was put through after an inexperienced 18 year old motorcycle rider pulled out in front of him.. and stopped.

He was blood tested, urine tested, hair tested, alcohol tested, remnants of his truck searched (yes, he rolled that truck trying to avoid killing that kid). His logs were scrutinized, going over every detail of the PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS. While he was being tested at a local hospital, a doctor who "didn't think" commented "Is this the driver who killed that kid?"

My codriver went through months of counseling. The boys family attempted to file a wrongful death lawsuit against him AND his company. Luckily he had 5 eyewitnesses who all told the same story and it was deemed a non-preventable accident. Had there been ANY discrepancies on his DOT medical or his logs, despite the fact he wasn't at fault, he would have been finished. It took him months to recover from the horror of knowing he had killed someone. Seeing body parts sticking out the grill of a big rig is nothing anyone should ever see.

That was 8 years ago. To this day, he can't discuss it. His mother is the one who told me about everything he was put through during that ordeal. It also explains why he is such a harsh trainer and demands perfection. He doesn't want anyone to ever go through what he was put through.

So lying on anything???? Just incredible that anyone would have the nerve to recommend that.

I have a multitude anxiety issues too, but 'cannot' take my preferred and most effective method of alleviating it: clonozepam. Anyway, when I went for my exam, the physician suggested that I would have to switch to an SSRI-type of drug (yeah, yeah, ineffective; of which Zoloft is one) and I got cleared for one year. But, sometimes full disclosure is not in your best interest; sertraline is not a controlled substance, and you need not reveal the existence of a 'disability ' (anxiety disorder, mental illness, whatever) unless reasonable accommodation must be made for you.

Zoloft isn't inherently sedating, as you know, and just pick up or look up side effects on most drugs and you'll see: Warning: Do not operate heavy machinery etc. Zoloft DOES still carry some stigma, so I'd keep my ****ing mouth shut.

I'm not usually one to drag up previous posts - except maybe when they're germaine to the conversation.

Apologies in advance for this longwinded post - but this one is going to tie up a couple of loose ends

But - you posted about a meltdown at Celadon, and getting sent home. In THIS OTHER POST - you FAILED TO MENTION you having "a multitude of anxiety issues" (which perhaps makes your situation there a little more clear - perhaps maybe your meds weren't working - "yeah yeah ineffective"?). I'll probably go back and include your post here - so readers can perhaps get a better perspective on your situation there. Not picking on you or anything - but YOU LEFT SOME CRITICAL INFORMATION OUT OF YOUR STORY - which FREQUENTLY HAPPENS on some of the weirder stories.

Now - onto THIS TOPIC.

My response to the OP was ACCURATE. For better or worse - we have become a society of HEAVILY DIAGNOSED/OVERDIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESS. Don't know if it's GOOD that folks are seeking help and getting it through the miracles of modern pharmacology - or if we're sticking labels on folks, writing them scrips (for meds whose labels say "the exact mechanism of how so-&-so works is unknown" - very confidence inspiring) and sending them on their merry medicated way.

But advising someone to FAIL TO DISCLOSE A MEDICATION - that is a LIE - is very much FROWNED UPON. Did you FAIL TO DISCLOSE?

But, sometimes full disclosure is not in your best interest; sertraline is not a controlled substance, and you need not reveal the existence of a 'disability ' (anxiety disorder, mental illness, whatever) unless reasonable accommodation must be made for you.

Actually - it could be a CIVIL OFFENSE - and you DO HAVE TO DISCLOSE. FMCSA - What happens if a driver is not truthful about his/her health history on the medical examination form?

Part of the info on this link states: A civil penalty may also be levied against the driver under 49 U.S.C. 521(b)(2)(b), either for making a false statement of for concealing a disqualifying condition.

DOT Medical Long Form Question 14. Anxiety, depression, nervousness, other mental health problems. This is a QUESTION ON A FEDERAL DOCUMENT that must be answered honestly.

Now...

Our experience here, has shown that many companies and recruiters will NOT TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY WHICH MEDICATIONS they will reject you for (outside of the FMCSA published list of DQ'd meds). Which typically will involve SENDING YOU HOME for 30 days to GET OFF THE MEDS - and/or switch to one that is acceptable.

THE REASON FOR THIS we found out - was FEAR OF BEING SUED FOR DISCRIMINATION (EEOC for discriminating against someone with a disability). We kinda made light of it - but I ACTUALLY HAPPENED UPON THE SUIT THAT HAS ALL COMPANIES FREAKED OUT - and it was AGAINST CELADON.

EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit

In a nutshell - ruled that Celadon violated the ADA by conducting unlawful medical inquiries and examinations of applicants for over-the-road truck driving positions. If you ask the company, or IF THE COMPANY ASKS about conditions/medications PRIOR TO YOUR PHYSICAL - it is DISCRIMINATION if you have a mental illness and take meds the company (and their insurance) isn't comfortable with you taking.

Which kinda SUCKS - because you now have to get ALL THE WAY TO ORIENTATION (and ride the sucky greyhound) only to get SENT HOME for 30 days (and ride the sucky greyhound again) to get off the meds, only to RIDE THE SUCKY GREYHOUND AGAIN to get back to orientation AGAIN. All because SOMEONE SUED THEM for telling them AHEAD OF TIME, to get off the meds - or that their particular med wasn't acceptable to them.

Running out of characters here - so I'll wrap it up in the next post...

Rick

Keep his mouth shut? That's your advice to a new driver coming into the industry? Take whatever drugs you like but shut up about it.

Thanks Brett. For the reasons I outlined above - nah - we don't do that - NOR DO WE EVER ADVISE our board members to.

You do realize the drug will show up on a drug test and when they see he failed to disclose it he'll get a bus ticket home without a job, right? Not to mention the myriad of safety and ethical issues involved with driving an 80,000 pound machine on public highways?

Actually - SSRI's and their metabolites do not show up on a "DOT Dip Screen" - and wouldn't show on a "Mass Spec Follicle Test" - unless the company were specifically looking for that on their test. Companies are typically looking for a wider range of "drugs of abuse", that aren't specified in the DOT test - and also use hair to detect DOT specified and other drugs over a WIDER PERIOD OF TIME (since most substances that aren't fat soluble are undetectable in urine past 72 hours - weed being the notable exception).

That being said...

Sue pretty much covered why we don't lie (aside from the reasons I did in my earlier post).

If you DO LIE and maybe get away with it - then get in an SERIOUS ACCIDENT, you're are going to be put under a microscope - and you ARE GOING TO BE FOUND OUT. The fact that you LIED, could pretty much LET THE COMPANY OFF THE HOOK for liability associated with the accident - if the lawyers can find ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO BLAME THE MEDS YOU ARE ON AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

The "mean old company" doesn't want to keep the driver who may suffer from some mental illness from being a productive member of society when that illness can be properly controlled with medication. They want to PREVENT ACCIDENTS AND LIABILITY when that medication may, even on the WILDEST OF CHANCES - contribute to a situation where it becomes a factor in an accident (and/or a LAWYER CAN MAKE A JURY THINK IT WAS).

My initial advice to the OP was ON THE MONEY - and probably would have been the LAST RESPONSE NECESSARY on this thread - had someone not come on and advised the member TO LIE.

We have had members that have reported that companies they were planning on going to orientation for WOULD NOT TELL THEM if they would be DQ'd because of their psych meds - saying something about "fear of discrimination lawsuits". I found the lawsuit/decision they fear - and their FEAR IS JUSTIFIED. So a company will NOT LIKELY TELL YOU if your med is going to DQ if asked.

I related how, on a recent thread (that I wish I could find again) I informed a member about how his meds may/may not be acceptable. He went THE EXTRA MILE and called the MEDICAL CLINIC the company uses - WHO WAS ABLE TO DISCLOSE his med was not acceptable and they wouldn't pass him. Keep in mind - these physicals are DOT Med AND COMPANY PHYSICALS (not just for your Med Card). He called his recruiter and rescheduled his orientation so he could get off the meds - thanking us profusely for SAVING HIM A TRIP THERE AND GETTING SENT HOME.

Rick

Rick wrote as a reply to DockWrench:

My initial advice to the OP was ON THE MONEY - and probably would have been the LAST RESPONSE NECESSARY on this thread - had someone not come on and advised the member TO LIE.

Could not agree more.

I also want to thank Sue for her reply to this thread,...it places an exclamation mark on the importance of truthful, full and complete disclosure as required on the Medical Form. Read the fine print on the signature line if you are in doubt.

Like it or not, we are always held to a much higher standard of accountability, almost to the point of "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" when even a minor incident occurs. Imagine the outcome had Sue's driving partner withheld medical information during the exam, only to have it discovered on the drug test he submitted to.

I work with a driver who was hit head-on last summer, in his lane, doing everything right. Miraculously only minor injuries occurred, but he went through a similar level of scrutiny as Sue described, out of work for two weeks. It's a reality we must be prepared for.