{"id":9335,"date":"2019-09-25T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T10:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/candostreet.com\/blog-parents\/?p=9335"},"modified":"2019-09-25T13:59:47","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T17:59:47","slug":"over-the-counter-medicines-and-driving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candostreetny.com\/blog-parents\/over-the-counter-medicines-and-driving\/","title":{"rendered":"Over the Counter Medicines and Driving"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"medicines\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Food and Drug Administration shared the following release. It is about the use of over the counter medicines and how they may impact on your driving.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h1>\n

Anyone who operates a vehicle of any type\u2014car, bus, train, plane, or boat\u2014needs to know there are over-the-counter medicines that can make you drowsy and can affect your ability to drive and operate machinery safely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over-the-counter medicines are also known as OTC or nonprescription medicines. All these terms mean the same thing: medicines that you can buy without a prescription from a healthcare professional. Each OTC medicine has a Drug Facts<\/em><\/strong> label to guide you in your choices and to help keep you safe. OTC medicines are serious medicines and their risks can increase if you don\u2019t choose them carefully and use them exactly as directed on the label.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Ali Mohamadi, M.D., a medical officer at FDA, \u201cYou can feel the effects some OTC medicines can have on your driving for a short time after you take them, or their effects can last for several hours. In some cases, a medicine can cause significant \u2018hangover-like\u2019 effects and affect your driving even the next day.\u201d If you have not had enough sleep, taking medicine with a side effect that causes drowsiness can add to the sleepiness and fatigue you may already feel. Being drowsy behind the wheel is dangerous; it can impair your driving skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing and Using\u00a0 Medicines Safely<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You should read all the sections of the Drug Facts<\/em><\/strong> label before you use an OTC medicine. But, when you know you have to drive, it\u2019s particularly important to take these simple steps:<\/span><\/p>\n

First, read the \u201cactive ingredients\u201d section and compare it to all the other medicines you are using. Make sure you are not taking more than one medicine with the same active ingredient. Then make sure the \u201cpurpose\u201d and \u201cuses\u201d sections of the label match or fit the condition you are trying to treat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, carefully read the entire \u201cWarnings\u201d section. Check whether the medicine should not be used with any condition you have, or whether you should ask a health care professional whether you can use it. See if there\u2019s a warning that says when you shouldn\u2019t use the medicine at all, or when you should stop using it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cWhen using this product\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0section will tell you how the medicine might make you feel, and will include warnings about drowsiness or impaired driving.<\/span><\/p>\n

Look for such statements as \u201cyou may get drowsy,\u201d \u201cmarked drowsiness will occur,\u201d \u201cBe careful when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery\u201d or \u201cDo not drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery when using this product.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Other information you might see in the label is how the medicine reacts when taken with other products like alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers, and other effects the OTC medicine could have on you. When you see any of these statements and you\u2019re going to drive or operate machinery, you may want to consider choosing another medicine for your problem this time. Look for an OTC medicine that treats your condition or problem but has an active ingredient or combination of active ingredients that don\u2019t cause drowsiness or affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talk to your healthcare professional if you need help finding another medicine to treat your condition or problem. Then, check the section on \u201cdirections\u201d and follow them carefully.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the most common OTC medicines that can cause drowsiness or impaired driving:<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n