[roseblood]

Okay... here's the dilemma:

You've been put on pain medication for whatever reason, and you know that it can cause slow reaction and impaired judgment. But you still want to protect yourself *if* you go out. What do you do?

Do you carry anyway, and assume the risks?
Do you not carry and assume the liability?
Or, do you pick an alternate item to carry that is less-than-lethal?

 

[roseblood]

I probably know what stance people are going to take... but I wanted to toss it out for conversation and see if I was surprised.

 

[Hunter]

If I'm taking prescription pain medication I usually don't feel much like going out to begin with so I just stay home.

 

[Cowboy]

Ok I will bite, if I was taking pain medication and planing on being out I would try to not take the medication and see if I could put up with the pain, this would take some planning to allow time for the medication to clear my system, My wife also carries so I would depend on her to carry if I couldn't go without the medication, whatever you do if you are out and carrying and find you need pain medication do not use someone else's or you will be in big trouble. I think this post relates to another thread about drinking while you carry, don't do anything that might impair your judgement. These are only my personal opinons and doesn't mean they are right but I like to error on the safe side. If I ever find myself in a situation where I may need to use my gun I want to know for myself that I made as clear and accurate of a decision as was possible at that time. Judging from your own comments I think you have thought this through already and will make your own wise decision.

 

[davyut]

Well here is my take on this.
I have kidney stones from time to time and that means pain pills.
I would have to say anything that could effect your judgment would be the time to consider not to carry your gun. I am slow to react when I am on pain pills. I couldn't say my judgement would be at 100%.
Could you imagine sitting in front of a judge and jury on a shooting case?
Can you imagine telling them you where on pain meds at the time of the shooting?
I don't want to shoot anyone. If the time comes for my own good I want to be 100% sure I had no other choice.
Stay home get better and stay safe.

 

[roseblood]

I just wondered where the discussion would go. In my mind there is a difference between drinking and taking pain medication, though the results can be the same.

I'm a very strict person when it comes to any type of intoxication, so obviously I wouldn't do anything that would compromise my safety or the safety of others. I'm not going to carry under these conditions, so I'm staying home instead.

 

[gr8grandma]

I'm not going to carry under these conditions, so I'm staying home instead.

SOOOOO you will be staying home playing MARBLES :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

Good on you,, I am sure you are doing the right thing

 

[Cowboy]

:agree: I agreee 100% .. there are differences between pain meds and drinking. As well as each persons ability to react to them. As mentioned in an earlier thread, hope you get feeling better soon.

 

[Jeff Johnson]

Two questions are: Are you married and does she have a CFP? When I recently had my surgery, my wife continued to carry while driving me to physical therapy and doctor appointments. While I was on the narcotic pain meds, I did not carry.

 

[roseblood]

Yes, I am married; and unfortunately my wife barely tolerates guns in general. This just means that when she drives me around I would not have a weapon with me.

Let me clarify something too: if you have read my other thread you know I don't have my CFP yet; I am not carrying my weapon without a permit. In this thread I am speaking in hypothetical terms.

I should be done with my pain meds tomorrow, so my posts will start to make more sense by the weekend.

 

[Jeff Johnson]

Now that you mention it, yes, I remember that you're still waiting for your CFP. Get well soon!

 

[Mazellan]

This is a tuff question. I have been on pain pills from time to time but not since I got my CFP. I have been talking over with my wife that she needs to get her permit. Monday night at Cabelas she actuly looked at a few guns. I would not carry while on pain meds.

 

[UtahCFP]

Let me ask a sideways question -- would you drive a car while on your pain meds?

Since the law says you can't carry a firearm if intoxicated, and they use the same level of blood alcohol for both disallowing driving and carrying, the same scrutiny might be appropriate for medications.

Just thinking out loud... :?:

 

[roseblood]

I totally agree with your response.
I mostly wanted to see if anyone had planned for this by having less-than-lethal options, just in case.

 

[Cinhil]

Good question. The law makes little distinction between drunk driving, impaired driving due to pain meds or using a cell phone (which is proven to be Worse that driving Drunk!)--although I am only aware of the Sandy City restrictions on driving & cell phone use. A person could be pulled over, cited or arrested for doing any of these while driving.
Personally I have a bad back and it has been that way since the early 1980s when I ruptured two discs in my low back at work. I am able to take much larger doses than most people when it comes to pain meds before they really affect me or relieve pain. I also try to use pain meds as little as possible so that a) I don't get addicted and b) so that I become immune to their effects and c) so I don't worsen the condition of my body due to the side effects these drugs do have associated with them.
That said, though I can walk about a 1/4 mile max on most days at any given stretch without having disabilitating spasms and excruciating pain, they happen. Am I taking meds-no, very infrequently. So for me this means that I will carry most of the time and not worry about it. The fact that my disability presents problems associated with pain is no deterrent
to my carrying. I would rather be with my faculties about me than be hopped up on pain meds unless absolutely necessary.
I recently had surgery on both wrists & wasn't able to carry, but I was taking percoset and I erfused to even drive if I was taking them. So perhaps staying in is sometimes the best option. But most of the time I wouldn't sweat it.
I think a lot relies upon ones ability to not only recognize they could be affected with impaired responses, but also the cognizant ability to make good decisions on how, or even when they will carry when using any legal drug. The best thing to do is see how they affect you first and then use that as your measure. If it clouds you or slows you, or makes you tired I would not suggest carrying. But is it helps you to be able to function and doesn't affect judgement or anything else then you should be ok.
This is how I do it.

 

[the wall]

I don't have my CFP yet and have never been on anything stronger than Tylenol with codeine, but I personally wouldn't carry when on pain meds or even certain cold medicines since they tend to knock me out. I would not want to explain to a jury that I was on pain meds when I shot somebody. In this sue happy world, this definitely wouldn't look very good. I am glad to see that this seems to be the general consensus in this forum.

 

[marksman]

Yeah I think there are 2 questions you have to ask yourself first. 1. Do these drugs affect my judgment? And 2. Can I convince a jury that these drugs don't impair my judgment or am I willing to accept the consequences if I cannot. I think both questions are important because it's not enough that you don't think the drugs impair your judgment if something were to happen you would have to convince a jury.

 

[davyut]

Yeah I think there are 2 questions you have to ask yourself first. 1. Do these drugs affect my judgment? And 2. Can I convince a jury that these drugs don't impair my judgment or am I willing to accept the consequences if I cannot. I think both questions are important because it's not enough that you don't think the drugs impair your judgment if something were to happen you would have to convince a jury.

:agree:

 

[bane]

Marksman: You make some very valid points -- I too agree with you! All too often we think that just b/c we CAN do something means that we SHOULD do something. There are too many instances of this to name, but one that came up several months back related to the argument of automatically shooting someone in your house at night without taking in any considerations. You are right, answering to a jury will be a whole lot harder than answering to yourself -- and the results, in some respects, are a whole lot worse.

Cinhil: I too get irritated when I observe family and friends driving while on pain meds without really even stopping to consider their choice and the potential outcome. It's frustrating to see such irresponsibility!

That being said... my own opinion on this issue is that *IF* I feel I can carry without my judgment being warped (personally I have no problem to my judgment being SLOWED, only if it is WARPED/ALTERED) then I will CARRY (but not drive). HOWEVER in such a situation I would not even pretend to play a "hero" if something went down... I would consider it my moral duty to run and hide along with everyone else (or do everything I can to talk myself out of situation if it became one-on-one) and ONLY reserve the drawing of my firearm in the extreme and immediate need of SELF-defense. It seems if someone draws down on me personally, my being on pain meds or not would have little impact on the average jury deciding whether or not I was justified in drawing and shooting. But I certainly wouldn't step up in such a situation and try to play hero, either. And even IF a jury decided against me, I'm not sure time in jail would be worse than time in the dirt. But again, I would first weigh whether or not I felt the meds were altering my ability to think rationally.

A car is different (and worse) b/c you can't just tuck it your pants "just in case" like you can a gun... you have to actively use a car and can easily make a mistake and kill someone while moving at high speeds unable to think fast enough to divert the vehicle.

 

[davyut]

Marksman: You make some very valid points -- I too agree with you! All too often we think that just b/c we CAN do something means that we SHOULD do something. There are too many instances of this to name, but one that came up several months back related to the argument of automatically shooting someone in your house at night without taking in any considerations. You are right, answering to a jury will be a whole lot harder than answering to yourself -- and the results, in some respects, are a whole lot worse.

Cinhil: I too get irritated when I observe family and friends driving while on pain meds without really even stopping to consider their choice and the potential outcome. It's frustrating to see such irresponsibility!

That being said... my own opinion on this issue is that *IF* I feel I can carry without my judgment being warped (personally I have no problem to my judgment being SLOWED, only if it is WARPED/ALTERED) then I will CARRY (but not drive). HOWEVER in such a situation I would not even pretend to play a "hero" if something went down... I would consider it my moral duty to run and hide along with everyone else (or do everything I can to talk myself out of situation if it became one-on-one) and ONLY reserve the drawing of my firearm in the extreme and immediate need of SELF-defense. It seems if someone draws down on me personally, my being on pain meds or not would have little impact on the average jury deciding whether or not I was justified in drawing and shooting. But I certainly wouldn't step up in such a situation and try to play hero, either. And even IF a jury decided against me, I'm not sure time in jail would be worse than time in the dirt. But again, I would first weigh whether or not I felt the meds were altering my ability to think rationally.

A car is different (and worse) b/c you can't just tuck it your pants "just in case" like you can a gun... you have to actively use a car and can easily make a mistake and kill someone while moving at high speeds unable to think fast enough to divert the vehicle.

Ok I can deal with what you are saying here.
I, Me, Myself would rather not give the attorney on the other side any ammo to use against me.
I would stay home and recover or just not carry untill I was clear of pain meds even if I felt in control.
That is just me.