Adderall and dui

[Squirmy32]

Has anyone been charged with dui while driving and taking prescribed adderall. Also, is there a certain amount of the drug found in a blood test which is considered to cause impairment?Thanks for any insight.

[BlessedLady]

It is the responsibility of each driver to drive in a responsible manner. Taking prescription medication does not change that. I have never heard on anyone being charged with DUI because they were taking Adderall or other stimulants. That does not mean it has not or cannot be done. Did you blame reckless driving on your medication?

[STEM_Dad]

I'm not qualified to give legal or medical advice.

My understanding is that as long as you were taking your medication as prescribed, you ought to be able to get the DUI charge dropped.

Some people do abuse Adderall or other stimulants, which is why it can be a DUI charge, but as long as you were taking your proper dosage and did not seem impaired, the law should side with you.

You should talk to a lawyer about this.

~~~~~

I've never been charged with a DUI.

Since different people require a different dosage, I do not know if there is a blood test level which would be considered impairment. If there is, then I would think that your doctor would tell you if your dosage is to strong that you should not operate a motor vehicle.

[STEM_Dad in reply to STEM_Dad]

So far, I've only found posted limits for commercial transportation (per Department of Transportation) of 250 ng/mL, and for handling of nuclear material of 50 ng/mL.

Individual states may have their own restrictions.

[STEM_Dad]

Correct.

I got stopped at night by a police officer because my license plate lights weren't illuminating. During the stop, even though the officer did not ask me to get out of the car for a sobriety check, he did quickly shine his flashlight across my eyes, undoubtedly checking my pupillary reaction. My ADHD prescription at the time was atomoxetine (generic Strattera), which can cause pupil dilation. So, there was a strong possibility that the officer could have escalated to a field sobriety test.

• My kids and I had just come from a talent show in the next town over. (We were in the audience, not participants.) I showed the officer the show tickets. He gave me a "fix-it" ticket and let me go.

.....

The meds that I take aren't in the category of "controlled substances", but they can have similar physiological effects in some ways, which can cause suspicion.

The really funny thing about it is that, remembering how I was all the time before my Inattentive ADHD diagnosis, I had the perceptual delay and slower reaction times that I now only experience when I have an alcohol buzz.

• At least in my case, driving with untreated ADHD was like driving while (mildly) impaired. It was all the I'd known up until I started on my meds (with only an adrenaline rush making me more responsive and focused).

• So, the very thing that makes me a better driver could possibly make a traffic stop a problem for me, even without Adderall.

[BeBop513 in reply to STEM_Dad]

In your case (and to my understanding), you shouldn't need to worry as Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant and not considered a controlled substance. As someone else stated, as long as you have a RX for it and didn't abuse the dosage, there shouldn't be an issue with getting the charges dropped.

[STEM_Dad in reply to BeBop513]

Yeah, I probably don't have anything to worry about.

Atomoxetine can cause pupil dilation in some people, which might prompt an officer to conduct a field sobriety test. But it's not going to be a red flag on any kind of chemical test (blood, breath, or urine), as far as I know.

[BlessedLady]

Because that is what DUI means. A driver is Always responsible for the way they drive.

[STEM_Dad]

I dunno. I'm much more clumsy without my meds. (But since I take non-stimulant meds, it would probably be okay. Then again, I'm still clumsy enough even WITH meds, I wouldn't want to work with nuclear materials.)

[STEM_Dad]

Hey, that's what Google turned up when I searched for blood test limitations for Adderall.

I couldn't resist passing along that but of info.

¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[Chionophile]

whoa- there’s a new fear unlocked! Did the person explain to the cop that this was a prescription medication? As in how did it get to be a DUI? Are there other details to know maybe? Not questioning the facts just want to make sure I understand too

[Soton4ever]

Just have to show your prescription, I guess you all can log in to some kind of website to get access to it? I was stopped once on vyvanse before I got a prescription myself 😏 Didnt lose my licence or anything but it cost me around 200. The amount I had in my body was equivalent to alcohol levels under the limit for losing the licence.