Aa
concerned employer seeking your opinion
i have an employee who just started taking lorazapam, ambien & zoloft. what should I be concerned with?
It also depends whether the employee is in a regulated industry requiring government medicals, which includes railroaders, truckdrivers, paramedics, soldiers, pilots, and heavy equipment operators.
Those kinds of jobs usually have very very strict rules about certain medications NOT being permitted in any fashion.
Those kinds of jobs usually have very very strict rules about certain medications NOT being permitted in any fashion.
It also depends whether the employee is in a regulated industry requiring government medicals, which includes railroaders, truckdrivers, paramedics, soldiers, pilots, and heavy equipment operators.
I just wanted to say that Xanax never made me sleepy, not even initially. I do know that it does with many people. Just keep in mind that we all respond differently to medication and dosage amount.
The basic issue is safety. Taking any of those drugs interferes with situational awareness, and the employee could be a hazard if driving, flying an aircraft, or operating machinery. If the job is tool-room clerk, data entry, serving hamburgers or an administrative position there is no safety issue, however productivity may be somewhat impaired.
Hello and welcome!
For starters, it would be helpful to know what kind of job the employee does. It would be great if you could share that information.
The answer would largely depend on how the employee will be taking the meds (specifically the Xanax).
The Zoloft will be taken once a day, and while there is an adjustment period, once the employee becomes accustomed to it, there shouldn't be any side effects or concerns with that. Initially, the employee may experience some common side effects, such as; increase in anxiety, feeling jittery/nervous, appetite changes, GI symptoms (nausea, diarrhea), sleep changes (drowsiness or insomnia), headaches. Those are the most commonly reported side effects of Zoloft.
The Ambien would be something the employee wouldn't be taking on the job, they would be taking it before bedtime to help with sleep. It can cause some residual drowsiness or mental fog in the morning, but typically that goes away in a few hours. Of course, everyone reacts differently to medications, so the employee should be mindful of how they feel after taking the Ambien. There have been some pretty substantial reports of Ambien causing a person to sleepwalk and even do tasks in their sleep without their knowledge. Hopefully they don't live alone, as it's always good to have someone else around to make sure nothing like that is going on, at least the first couple times they take it.
The Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication. As far as any concern with that, it would depend on how they would be taking it. It definitely causes drowsiness, especially initially. If they perform a job that requires driving, or operating machinery, they need to be very cautious. It would be best for the employee to do some trial runs of the med at home, to see how they will react to it, and avoid activities such as driving, etc, until they know they aren't going to be overly drowsy.
I would recommend telling the employee that it would be great for them to start the Xanax and Ambien on a weekend, or on a day off, so they can assess their reaction to the meds without having to be at work.
As an employer, it's good to be concerned about your employee and to keep an eye out for anything you feel is either a concern for the employee, or something you fear is going to interfere with their job performance. Please just remember to handle any concerns compassionately, and remember that their information and medical history/medication history is something that should remain confidential. The info shouldn't be shared with other employees, or anyone who isn't directly supervising the employee. If there are numerous managers, they should be aware of the medications, but it's important to be cautious about sharing too much information that isn't directly relevant. Also, be sure to inform the employee that if they have concerns, they should come to you with them. If you ever have any questions or concerns, ask the employee directly, and of course, do so privately.
Hope that helps!!
For starters, it would be helpful to know what kind of job the employee does. It would be great if you could share that information.
The answer would largely depend on how the employee will be taking the meds (specifically the Xanax).
The Zoloft will be taken once a day, and while there is an adjustment period, once the employee becomes accustomed to it, there shouldn't be any side effects or concerns with that. Initially, the employee may experience some common side effects, such as; increase in anxiety, feeling jittery/nervous, appetite changes, GI symptoms (nausea, diarrhea), sleep changes (drowsiness or insomnia), headaches. Those are the most commonly reported side effects of Zoloft.
The Ambien would be something the employee wouldn't be taking on the job, they would be taking it before bedtime to help with sleep. It can cause some residual drowsiness or mental fog in the morning, but typically that goes away in a few hours. Of course, everyone reacts differently to medications, so the employee should be mindful of how they feel after taking the Ambien. There have been some pretty substantial reports of Ambien causing a person to sleepwalk and even do tasks in their sleep without their knowledge. Hopefully they don't live alone, as it's always good to have someone else around to make sure nothing like that is going on, at least the first couple times they take it.
The Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication. As far as any concern with that, it would depend on how they would be taking it. It definitely causes drowsiness, especially initially. If they perform a job that requires driving, or operating machinery, they need to be very cautious. It would be best for the employee to do some trial runs of the med at home, to see how they will react to it, and avoid activities such as driving, etc, until they know they aren't going to be overly drowsy.
I would recommend telling the employee that it would be great for them to start the Xanax and Ambien on a weekend, or on a day off, so they can assess their reaction to the meds without having to be at work.
As an employer, it's good to be concerned about your employee and to keep an eye out for anything you feel is either a concern for the employee, or something you fear is going to interfere with their job performance. Please just remember to handle any concerns compassionately, and remember that their information and medical history/medication history is something that should remain confidential. The info shouldn't be shared with other employees, or anyone who isn't directly supervising the employee. If there are numerous managers, they should be aware of the medications, but it's important to be cautious about sharing too much information that isn't directly relevant. Also, be sure to inform the employee that if they have concerns, they should come to you with them. If you ever have any questions or concerns, ask the employee directly, and of course, do so privately.
Hope that helps!!
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