anti-anxiety drugs, and right to own firearms

[Yo Mama]

If someone is prescribed an anti-anxiety drug to deal with an upcoming surgery, would they be in jeopardy of loosing their gun rights?

I've never had to deal with this before, so any information would help. There is so much on the internet both ways that I'm a bit confused about it.

 

[dogtown tom]

Not under Federal law.
Prescription of legal medications does not make one a prohibited person.

 

[yugorpk]

You mean Valium or Xanax? Nah. If its a prescribed drug your'e good to go. Ive been through a botched surgery and I have them load me up before a procedure too.

 

[Ed N.]

I'm not aware of any legal concerns, but as a practical matter you might want to avoid carrying or using guns until you know how your body will react to the medication and has adapted to it.

Some of those meds, when you first take them, can cause dizziness, confusion, or other problems, and sometime it requires taking them for a week or two before they begin to have an effect and then a little time to adapt to them. It also may take a dosage adjustment or two before the right amount to take is known.

There are concerns about how you stop taking the med, too. Some of the meds shouldn't be stopped cold turkey; you have to gradually reduce the dosage over a few weeks.

Don't rely on a website like this for medical advice, though. Talk with your doc, and read & heed the materials about side effects.

 

[tuj]

See if they will rx you Clonazepam instead of Valium or Xanax. Clonazepam has virtually no side effects in most people and won't make you lose your mental faculties. It does exactly what it is supposed to do; relieve anxiety.

 

[Prince Yamato]

For NORMAL people, SSRIs take the "edge" off. They are prescribed for everything from depression to irritable bowel disease. SSRIs do not make people suddenly snap. You will not suddenly become homicidal by taking them.

The side effects that list things like "suicide" etc. are due to the fact that some people are so seriously depressed that they're too depressed to even have the motivation to kill themselves. They take the SSRI and hey, what do you know, they feel good enough again to pull a trigger. Replace suicidal with homicidal and it's the same deal.

But no, you won't take a pill one morning and suddenly decide that you need to kill as many people as possible.

For NORMAL folks, most side effects are things like drowsiness, dry mouth, and sometimes weight gain.

You also won't lose your gun rights unless you're taking the drugs because they keep you from being a legit danger to society - ie, you were put on 72 mental health watch and then given SSRIs to keep you from hearing voices or doing something rash.

 

[J-Bar]

If you don't talk about it, who is to know?

 

[jim in Anchorage]

OK I don't get it. Under what circumstances would you be required to list medications to buy a gun?

 

[CLP]

See if they will rx you Clonazepam instead of Valium or Xanax. Clonazepam has virtually no side effects in most people and won't make you lose your mental faculties. It does exactly what it is supposed to do; relieve anxiety.

not true...

 

[MachIVshooter]

Prescription of legal medications does not make one a prohibited person.

Yet

Originally Posted by tuj View Post
See if they will rx you Clonazepam instead of Valium or Xanax. Clonazepam has virtually no side effects in most people and won't make you lose your mental faculties. It does exactly what it is supposed to do; relieve anxiety.

not true...

+1

My wife was haphazardly prescribed that junk by a crackpot psychiatrist. She was a zombie, got in two car wrecks in a very short time, the second quite serious. I made her throw it away. Her anxiety suffering < my children's lives. I also told the "doctor" if he prescribed her any other mind altering drugs that put my kids in jeopardy, he'd be dealing with me in a capacity he wouldn't want to experience.

I have a very low opinion of psychiatric doctors and medication alike. My personal experience with people undergoing "treatment" has shown these quacks to do more harm than good. Unless you're having legitimate debilitating panic attacks, I'd suggest considering every other alternative before medication.

 

[Evergreen]

Avoid visiting a shrink to get the pills, as a trip to the psychologist or psychiatrist can raise certain red flags. With the way our government is becoming , any visits to the shrink or mental health counseling should be done privately, not revealing your identity. Obviously, with a psychiatrist who is giving you meds, that would be impossible. So, I would avoid psychiatrists altogether, as they operate like MDs. Also, I would avoid taking any pills prescribed for mental health after your surgery as any issues that may arise could occur if you receive what some may perceive is an ongoing or prolonged subscription of drugs used for mental health.

I personally do not like being at the mercy of doctors and our mental health system. As for me, I have plenty of herbal (no not weed, although I'm not against it, for short term use) and natural alternatives to cope with anxiety and stress.

As much as I hate to say it, booze works better in the short term for anxiety relief then a lot of these toxic, questionable and potentially hazardous and addictive prescription anti anxiety meds.

Meditation, chamomile and other relaxing teas, deep breathing, prayer and other less conventional methods not only, in my opinion, work better than happy pharm meds, but also improve your health, which may also make you feel better if you have health issues.

This is just my 2 cents.

 

[The Alaskan]

This is totally not the place to discuss this.

First of all, I highly doubt that anyone who has posted thus far, or will post, is licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist, and I highly doubt that a licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist would give legal advice on the internet.

Second, many people on THR (not necessarily those who have posted thus far) have, in recent months commented about how "mental health (not guns) is the problem" or about how many of the most recent active shooters were on mind altering psychiatric drugs (some of them already named in this discussion) and that those drugs contributed to the killing spree. But now, all of a sudden, it's okay to mix these drugs with firearms?

Third, and I say this with complete and total sarcasm to illustrate the lack of credibility of the internet, everyone knows if you need to take the edge off you should use marijuana-it's even legal now.

 

[goon]

You have to have been adjudicated - placed somewhere by a judge because you were a danger to yourself or others. Just seeing a doctor on your own or having a med prescribed doesn't meet the bar. I have a friend who regularly consults with a psychiatrist and takes a couple meds - she buys more guns than I do. She says shooting is therapeutic for her and her doctor accepts that. As long as your doctor isn't a bunghole and you trust his judgment, you're probably fine just exercising prudence and taking the meds. Not all doctors are out to screw you over.

As a side note, maybe we need to start screening our doctors and choosing only those who own guns and can relate to our concerns.

 

[psyopspec]

@Yo Mama

If someone is prescribed an anti-anxiety drug to deal with an upcoming surgery, would they be in jeopardy of loosing their gun rights?

No, unfortunately 2A rights will not be loosed for pharmacological solutions to anxiety around a surgery. Nor will they be lost.


@Evergreen

Avoid visiting a shrink to get the pills, as a trip to the psychologist or psychiatrist can raise certain red flags.

A psychologist wouldn't be able to prescribe, and given the scant information in the OP a psychiatric consult wouldn't be necessary. Primary care provider should be able to make it happen.

@The Alaskan

First of all, I highly doubt that anyone who has posted thus far, or will post, is licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist...

Thankfully one is allowed to discuss medical matters on the internet. Good thing too, lest people begin to believe disinformation about losing their gun rights for having the self-awareness to seek treatment when they know they have a problem. No one here is masquerading as something they are not.

...and I highly doubt that a licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist would give legal advice on the internet.

Seeking legal advice from a provider, a pharmacist, or a UPS driver would all be equally disingenuous. If one needs legal advice, they should be calling a lawyer, not a doctor.

 

[yugorpk]

For NORMAL people, SSRIs take the "edge" off. They are prescribed for everything from depression to irritable bowel disease. SSRIs do not make people suddenly snap. You will not suddenly become homicidal by taking them.

The side effects that list things like "suicide" etc. are due to the fact that some people are so seriously depressed that they're too depressed to even have the motivation to kill themselves. They take the SSRI and hey, what do you know, they feel good enough again to pull a trigger. Replace suicidal with homicidal and it's the same deal.

But no, you won't take a pill one morning and suddenly decide that you need to kill as many people as possible.

For NORMAL folks, most side effects are things like drowsiness, dry mouth, and sometimes weight gain.

You also won't lose your gun rights unless you're taking the drugs because they keep you from being a legit danger to society - ie, you were put on 72 mental health watch and then given SSRIs to keep you from hearing voices or doing something rash.

SSRI's are not benzodiazepine based short term anti anxiety meds given prior to surgical procedures. They are a whole different class of medications. There are a range of meds given for short term meds but typically doctors will prescribe just one or two 5-10 Mg valium to take the edge off and cause the patient to relax and stop the short term anxiety. Thats been my case. I nearly bled out with no anesthesia during a routine hand surgery when I was a teen while I was awake and have a hard time doing even simple procedures . I have no issue admitting that. A valium the night before and a few hours before and I can make it through fine. SSRI's on the other hand are long term meds given for depression to help even out mood and really don't start to do much for weeks.

 

[dogtown tom]

MachIVshooter

Quote:
Prescription of legal medications does not make one a prohibited person.

Yet

What the heck do you mean by "yet"?
Since 1968 there has been no legislation to make users of legal prescription medications prohibited persons.

If you know of such legislation then clue us in. Until then your "yet" comment is merely internet noise.

The Alaskan This is totally not the place to discuss this.

It's THE BEST place to discuss this.

First of all, I highly doubt that anyone who has posted thus far, or will post, is licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist, and I highly doubt that a licensed medical practitioner or pharmacist would give legal advice on the internet.

They don't need to............'cause it ain't their call.
Federal law/ATF regulations describe who is a prohibited person. Only unlawful users of (or those addicted to) marijuana, depressants, stimulants, narcotics or other controlled substances are currently considered prohibited persons.

Second, many people on THR (not necessarily those who have posted thus far) have, in recent months commented about how "mental health (not guns) is the problem" or about how many of the most recent active shooters were on mind altering psychiatric drugs (some of them already named in this discussion) and that those drugs contributed to the killing spree. But now, all of a sudden, it's okay to mix these drugs with firearms?

The point.............you missed it.

Third, and I say this with complete and total sarcasm to illustrate the lack of credibility of the internet, everyone knows if you need to take the edge off you should use marijuana-it's even legal now.

Wrong.
While marijuana may have been decriminalized in your state, it remains an illegal substance under Federal law. it matters not one bit that you have a prescription.

 

[MachIVshooter]

What the heck do you mean by "yet"?
Since 1968 there has been no legislation to make users of legal prescription medications prohibited persons.

If you know of such legislation then clue us in. Until then your "yet" comment is merely internet noise.

The very recent push to prohibit people with an as-yet undefined "mental illness" or "mental instability".

This is exacerbated by so many in our camp jumping on board the "mental health is the problem" bandwagon because they see it as taking the focus off guns. Unfortunately, what they can't see is that it's part of the anti's long game. As many have pointed out here and elsewhere, there's not too much distance between "you're mentally unstable, so you can't have a gun" and "you want a gun, which makes you mentally unstable".

If we keep citing mental health and the associated medications on the high profile massacres, you can bet it's only a matter of time before people on any kind of psych drug, including low potency anti depressants or anti anxiety meds, are prohibited persons.

 

[Sunray]

"...anti-anxiety drug to deal with an upcoming surgery..." Relax. Surgery isn't a big deal. Had my heart rebuilt 3 years ago. Worst part was the excessively crappy hospital food. Bad and not enough to boot.
Don't take any BS from the MD or the rest of 'em though. They work for you, not the other way 'round. Teasing doctors and nurses is great fun too.
"...I also told the "doctor"..." Really good way for you to lose your firearms. Wife not told no driving when on the meds?

 

[MachIVshooter]

"...I also told the "doctor"..." Really good way for you to lose your firearms. Wife not told no driving when on the meds?

I made no specific threat. I'm not an idiot. I left it for him to use his imagination whether I meant suing, writing the board, involving law enforcement on reckless practices that endangered children, physical assault, or anything in between. Whatever he made of it, it must have been enough.

Also, it went well beyond being unsafe to drive; she would pass out on the couch in the middle of the day when she was responsible for 3 young children, to the point that it took vigorous shaking to wake her. Good thing I work from home, or there could have been real tragedy. Luckily, I was able to hear the crying in between my compressor, impact tools, heater, etc., and realize something was amiss. My wife is also rather, ummm, what's a gentle way to say it........stupid, and would have written off the advise anyway. There's only one adult in this household, and I am often forced to make calls that she should be more than capable of.

There's a lot more to this story than what I've told you, so please don't try to extrapolate. I was simply trying to make the point that these meds do, in fact, affect judgement, awareness, reaction times and sensory perception.

 

[Sam1911]

This is kind of heading off the rails (some stuff got deleted) and there is a real simple answer: NO.

Do what you need to to get through surgery and don't sweat it.

 

[Yo Mama]

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone's feedback, information, and encouragement. It really means a lot. Take care everyone.