Medication and polygraph

[swhite005]

I just had a wisdom tooth removed today, and I have a polygraph test on Tuesday.  The doctor prescribed me NORCO (generic for Vicadin)...will this help me or hurt me during the test?  Am I allowed to take it before the test?  Also, will the pain from my wisdom tooth being removed, affect my results at all?

[nada]

They're going to ask if you're on any medication, etc.  If you're still on it, you may act a little too laid back or wacky.

Maybe one of the examiner lurkers could answer, or even Dr. Drew Richardson.

On the flip side, it was pretty obivious to me when a particular coworker poped one for chronic pain (but we knew he before and during).  Herpoint was you could still tell there was pain but really didn't care.

It's unlikely you're going to <physically> need the strength of Vicoden after a day or two.  You may however, have come to love the buzz by Tuesday if you continue.

Seriously, let us know what you do and how it comes out.

[George W. Maschke]

To the best of my knowledge, no information is available about the effects of Norco (or any other prescription medication or health condition) on polygraph "tests." In a June 2001 letter to Department of Energy Office of Counterintelligence chief Michael J. Waguespack, Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff, a senior scientist with the Center for National Security and Arms Control at Sandia National Laboratories wrote:

As the technical staff at the Labs pointed out repeatedly during the October 1999 DOE Polygraph Hearings and subsequently to [Department of Defense Polygraph Institute research division chief] Dr. Andrew Ryan  and [DOE polygraph program chief] Mr. David Renzelman, there are no scientific studies that identify medical conditions of relevance to the polygraph.... Also, there are no guidelines, textbook chapters, or review articles in any medical, psychology or psychiatry journal that describe medical contra-indications to the polygraph. I have asked both Dr. Ryan and Mr. Renzelman to provide one - just one - such publication, and they have been unable to do so.

Based on a review of portions thus far released under the Freedom of Information Act (including the table of contents), it appears that the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute's handbook for polygraph examiners, the Federa
l Psychophysiological Detection of Deception Examiner Handbook (1 mb PDF), which includes "quality control" procedures, makes no mention of medical conditions affecting polygraphy.