Question
Im training a new employee,he told me hes on medication for being 'manic depressive'. He says he's fine as long as he takes his medication. Zoloft? is the name he gave me,I know he passed his dot physical and my boss said hes not worried about it.I cant find anything about this in my manuals for dot regulations..Hes a very good driver and a nice guy.I dont see anything wrong with him at all.But Im not an expert.I asked him what manic depression is and he said 'He just gets a little depressed and dosnt want to go out and talk to people and gets upset easyer when he didnt take his meds.He also told me that he didnt know why a major company didnt hire him and thinks its because of this diagnosis that he himself just found out about on a routine check up.He says hes been on this stuff for 4 months and the only side effect is dry mouth. I searched the web about it and it dosnt say anything about imparing your ability to drive.Do you think the major trucking outfits wouldnt hire him because of this.And if so what should I do about it? Thanks..Mike
Answer
Mike,
This is one of those grey areas within the regs. It is Ok for a driver to be qualified IF he is controlled with meds.
The meds should not interfere with his abbility to drive. The concern I have is this. Is he going to be able to keep that prescription filled if he's on the road all the time? Does he have a plan for that?
The other concern is that on occaision, (and there is no way to predict) persons with Bipolar disorder (manic Depressions) sometimes decide they don't need their meds anymore and will stop taking them.
It's pretty obvious when they do, because you will see definite behavior changes. If the dispatchers start complaining about him being a jerk on the phone or he's not calling in like he should, there's a chance he stopped taking his meds.
Just make sure a real good background check has been done on this guy. If he's only mildly affected, he deserves a chance, but the first time he stops his meds, I'd send him back to the Doctor after I got him out of the truck. Let me know if I can anser any more questions for you.
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Visit us at www.Truck.net/abmsVisit us at
Answer
Thanks for the Info Nurse Red.He assures me he never misses a dose as he knows the way he gets when he dosnt take them.He will only be driveing locally,so thats another plus!I spoke with our safety department and they said his background check was fine,and I know they are pretty good at that so I'll trust them..I went back on the web and found out more about his desease,from what I gather millions of people have this and lead,with medication, a normal life.Thank you once again for the info.....Mike
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Do you want to know more about Zoloft? Go to this site: http://www.zoloft.com It is a drug made by Pzifer.
[This message has been edited by RunningSoLate (edited October 16, 2000).]
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Several years ago in Cincy, Ohio, a driver was on Prozac and decided he didn't need his med anymore. One day walked into Transconintennal Offices in Evendale, Ohio, next to Worldwide Equipment, shot and killed 3 people went back outside and waited for the police. This is a true story. Make sure he stays on his med.
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I've given this a little more thought and wanted to make another suggestion.
Just a CYA thing, but it sure can't hurt. Have this fellow sign a condition of employment statement indicating that he MUST remain on his medication (unless the physician discontinues it) in order to retain his job. Then if he should decide to stop taking the meds, the company has a clear out for removing him from a driving position.
Just food for thought.
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Visit us at www.Truck.net/abmsVisit us at
Answer
I thought Zoloft was primarily for controlling regular depression; whereas, a true manic-depressive would need something such as lithium to smooth out the manic stages. My understanding, the manic phases are the most dangerous.
Answer
Thanks Nurse Red,Thats what I did.His wife came in the other day and I spoke with her about it.She said he never 'flipped out' or anything just was really depressed all the time and after 4 visits to his doctor and many tests they found out what he had.He said he cant understand why someone with a medical problem wouldnt take the medication that was presribed for them.And he only takes one pill in the morning.He found out that his Mom and Sister also suffer from depression and told them to get a check up and see if it really is hereditary.Its pretty interesting I never knew about this stuff and have met alot of people over the years that probably have these problems and go without medical attention just because they are afraid or just dont realize that they have clinical depression...Interesting...Thanks again..Mike