Medical question

[impaler]

Has anyone here had any experience of having their licence suspended as a result of a medical condition?
I ask because I was tentatively diagnosed a few years ago with a condition called Menieres Disease, which basically makes you have unpredictable vertigo attacks now and again. I've been in remission from the symptoms for at least a couple of years now, which was partly the reason I decided to do my bike test, but I have a nasty feeling it might be on the way back...
Apparently you're supposed to declare it to the DVLA, but I'm a bit concerned they might take my licence off me if I do!
Does anyone know how strict they are with this kind of thing?
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Monster m600
Web, blog, Bikepics page
An optimist will tell you the glass is half full. The pessimist, half empty. The engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be.

[tatters]

just don,t tell them, my dad has been driving since he was 17 with only 10% vision in one of his eyes. never caused any problems.


its really up to you if you think it would,nt cause a problem, ask your doctor they would,nt grass you up for asking
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[Adam_P]

You'll probably need to have a doctors certificate (you'll probably know better than anyone!) to state whether you're fit to drive a motor vehicle or not.

Might be something else other than the illness that's making you feel unwell again? Go see the quack!

Better safe than sorry IMO.
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Colin McRae MBE 1968 - 2007 RIP
Orwell Rolls in his Grave
God is imaginary

[NickD]

I would guess that not telling them means trouble (but only if you're caught). From a personal point of view I would weigh this against the potential consequences of an attack while riding. Can you feel it coming on, do you get sufficient warning to be safe. Do you have enough sense of balance/ direction to avoid harm to yourself and others in the event of an episode, etc.
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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

[ShortR6]

Hi Andy Here.

September last year I had a pacemaker fitted,. Prior to this for 18 months I kept have dizzy spells and black outs( due to heart stopping). While I was under investigation I was told not to drive or fly which was a bummer. I was not given any note or anything to say such, but this was put in to my medical notes. Now that I have been diagnosed and fixed I had to proved that I was fit to drive. This was in the form of a letter from the cardo doctor.

So if I was you i would be carefull. If you go back to your doctors and he advises you not to drive then its the bus for you my friend. If involved in an accident medical records can and are checked depending on the accident.

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear but it might save yours and somebody else's life.

Regards

Andy
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Short but not sweet.

[Ste]

The DVLA Medical Group couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag if their lives depended on it.

I sent all the forms off to them around July, my license is meant to be taken for 12 months cos of brain injury with a load of tests before you get it back again, and for epilepsy, you have to be seizure free for twelve months.

Five months later they get around to taking it, telling me how it is only being taken because of epilepsy and no other reasons and there is nothing else stopping me getting it back, which is wrong on both counts. Have checked this with various doctor medical type people who confirmed that they are wrong.

Rung them to try and sort it out, as if the tests aren't a problem then I couldn't care, and if they are then thats probably trying to tell me something, like I shouldn't be on the roads for whatever reason. Got through to some idiot who was dealing with my license, he then starts telling me about how I don't need to be worrying as epilepsy is common after brain injury and would not accept that it was meant to be taken for brain injury (it says on the their website about brain injury and license though!) Gave up, asked to speak to someone who knew what they were talking about which didn't get me anywhere.

Had 8 months of my 33bhp restriction tick away though.

Have a read on the DVLA Medical Group website, it explains everything fully but don't expect them to do anything quickly or accurately.

It is also a real shame that I sent my license back to them and it's been lost in the post!

[impaler]

Thanks to everyone who replied!
I'm not daft enough to kid myself that I'm fit to drive/ride when I'm not, I could never forgive myself if someone came to harm as a result of that.
I can always tell when an attack is coming a good couple of minutes before it starts properly, so I am confident that if I was unlucky enough to have one whilst in motion I could pull over and sit it out until it passes.
I suppose that my GP should be aware of all the medical rules as stated on the DVLA Medical Group website, so the best course of action would be to ask him what I should do. Of course I imagine my insurance would also take a serious beating if it came to pass that I had to declare it!
Thanks again to everyone
____________________
Monster m600
Web, blog, Bikepics page
An optimist will tell you the glass is half full. The pessimist, half empty. The engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be.

[Ste]

They don't care about the details of if you can see the attack coming (or at least they don't care with epilepsy), with epilepsy it is very simple, you have to be epileptic seizure free for 12 months and that is it, they don't care if you say "well I can tell a couple of minutes before an attack happens", you're either having them or you're not.

Daft bit about it though, to say you've been seizure free for 12 months your doctors has to sign a bit of paper, and the doc is only going to know if you tell them so it makes asking the doc to sign a bit of paper slightly pointless.

[impaler]