Equivilency Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Do any of you taking antipsychotic medication drive frequently? Does it affect your driving? I noticed my driving skills declined quite a bit - although I can still drive, it seems to be more stressful for me in a sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I drive almost every night, and I take Abilify. I'm not sure my driving is any different now than before, other than I am less flustered by other drivers whilst driving due to stable moods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeremonyNewOrder Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I take Invega and drive daily. In the past, I've taken AAPs that initially made me sedated and didn't drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarn Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I drive, though not a lot. But AAPs don't in anyway impede my ability to do so. If anything, they help, because I can't drive when I'm psychotic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjimjam Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I've never noticed my driving be affected by AAPs, though I don't take one anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Music Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I take 3 antipsychotics and if anything I've noticed my driving is better. I'm less distracted, less stressed out, less aggressive, all stuff that makes me a better driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormBeforeCalm Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I take Abilify and I definitely feel more comfortable driving than I used to. One of my OCDisms is that I am afraid of hitting pedestrians along the road (on sidewalks, etc.) Now instead of panicking that I've killed someone without even knowing it, I simply get a little uncomfortable occasionally when I see someone on the side of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Once I got acclimated to the sedating effects of slurroquel, and knew how it acted in my body, I was able to predict when "safe" driving times would be for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterJoshua Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Never had a problem with driving with any of the AAPs I've been on except Seroquel (too sedating). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagar Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I've also never noticed any effect on my driving from antipsychotics, thankfully. I actually seem to drive better on them, in the sense that I don't get road rage as much as I did before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) I drive everyday - like Wooster, I understand enough about how my body reacts to the seroquel to know when it's safe and not safe. I take my first dose of the day at 5pm - this is the extended release, so I feel safe to drive for about 1 to 1.5 hours hours after that. It actually takes 3-4 hours to kick in properly for me, so I could probably push the driving period, but I choose not to. By the time I take 100mg of the instant release, the XR has kicked in properly, and I don't go near a vehicle then. eta Sorry, I didn't answer your original question. My driving abilities during the day aren't affected at all - I can say that with confidence because I live in a big city with stressful driving conditions, and I'm still able to react and make fast and appropriate decisions on the road. Edited February 25, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wj74 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I drive daily, and take Seroquel. It doesn't affect my driving at all but my illness does. I can't focus at all while in an episode. I do take it at night though, the XR version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I take Abilify, and I do believe that I drive better because I feel like Abilify sharpens my mind. I also drove on Risperdal and never had a problem. Honestly, I would be afraid to drive on Zyprexa (tried) or Seroquel (haven't tried) because of the sedation, but that has nothing to do with their being AAPs but rather with the fact that they are very sedating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confused Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I didn't drive when I first started taking meds, but I do now. I don't feel like I have any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgetmenot220 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I can't drive at night but that's related to an eye issue. No effects from my meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I take Seroquel XR 800mg and I drive almost everyday, and often long journeys and am not affected. Now when I was starting off on Seroquel, or having a dose change I was a bit sedated and waited until the sedation wore off before driving again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizons Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I take Zyprexa and drive all the time. The two in combination can make everything seem oddly surreal, but it's still a lot easier than driving while depressed. I can't take any medication that prevents me from driving because everyone in my house has medical conditions which might require me to be alert/operate a motor vehicle at any time of the day or night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts