does anyone here know anything about the driving regs regarding epilepsy? as in would you lose a driving licence with being diagnosed with it? or are you stripped of the licence until you take a re-test? ive tried finding out via google but get alot of foreign rules nd regs back so im a little lost.
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/driving_criteria.html I know 1 person that got to 11 months and 16 days without a seizure and then he had one... was gutted he couldn't learn to drive
in simple maths. epilepsy + driving = not a chance. there is a time limit where by youll a sufferer will be allowed to drive after but i dont know how long you have to be epilepsy free.
Anyone who has fits not (yet) controlled by medication, for obvious reasons, should not drive. When you are diagnosed with epilepsy you are obliged to inform the DVLA of this fact. They may then request you return your diving licence (do not do so unless they specifically request this) or tell you to refrain from driving. The rules are (And the DVLA has a big reference manual on neuropsychological conditions and fitness to drive) that you are not be allowed to drive until the epilepsy has been reliably controlled by medication and you have not had a fit for at least one year. If the fits occur exclusively at night (night-time epilepsy), then you should not have any fits during the day for at least six months. After that you are normally allowed to drive. The diagnosing consultant should be able to tell more about this. The DVLA, once notified, can also provide more information. If the patient does not inform the DVLA, the consultant can exercise the option to do so instead, in the interest of public safety.
ok, so basically then the patient will 99% have their licence revoked for atleast 1 year then. thats going to hit them hard, as theyre a bus driver by trade :s theyve suffered these weird seizure type things for a few years but went to the doctors a few days ago to try and get some tests done etc and referred to the doctors as they wanted to try and get to the bottom of it. they dont lose conciousness btw, nor so they have a fit or lose complete control of the body. they have a 'muscle spasm' in one arm and sometimes with the lower jaw. the doctor has said they possibly have a case of juvenile eplilepsy and has referred them to the hospital for tests, but obviously with being a bus driver the guys crapping himself about finding out the results as loss of a career etc would be the result. but he wouldnt want anything to happen to passangers/other road users either obviously.
Whoa, whoa. What you are describing can be many different things. Transcient Ischemic Attack, some kind of brain lesion (aneurism or benign tumour), or even something as simple and harmless as a stenosis in the neck (somewhere around the C3 and C5 vertebra) affecting some of the cranial nerves and nerves branching out to the arm. The list is considerable. What the neurologist needs to do first is determine whether the problem occurs at a cortical level or spinal (myoclonic) level. That will tell them a lot about what they are actually dealing with. If it is epileptic in nature, the spasm in arm and jaw are probably part of a "Jacksonian seizure" in which epileptic activity slowly radiates out over the brain cortex from its initial focus. However an EEG would easily determine that. Presentation of Jacksonian seizures is very varied and does not have to involve loss of consciousness or awareness.
wow, nexxo, is there much you dont know about, thanks very much for the info mate, its appreciated as you could imagine the guy is going through some serious thoughts at the minute. his doctor did say though that the epilepsy was the worst case scenario, and it could be as simple as something called a 'tick' ? (not the bug thingy) so i suppose like alot of people, once they hear something they imediately assume its the worst case scenario. so theres quite a few other things it could be? do alot of those things still mean theres a threat to his driving licence?
ahhh ok, ive wondered a few times what your profession is as you seem to have a wealth of knowledge over a broad spectrum of subjects, i did however have a feeling you were invloved with computers as a day job though cheers for the info though, its appreciated. how long does it usually take to find out what the patient is suffering from once they get to the hospital stage? can it be diagnosed the same day or does it take weeks for instance? (obviously being refferred to the hospital is as long as it takes)
MY mate got diagnosed 3months ago and had his 1st fit almost a year, he was on medical leave from the Army for 6months, and then discharged and along with his sick leave they took his license away. Hes now on pills to control it and will have his lisence back if he stays fit free for a year. Regards GiGo PS Nexxo = the solution, he must be some sort of super geek
Depends on the problem. If it is cortical, they can find out fairly quickly: they do a set of blood tests, a CT scan and an EEG, and if weirdness shows on any of them, they can make a diagnosis within a week or two. If the blood tests, CT scan and EEG are clear, they may arrange for a 24-hour EEG to see if they can capture any weird activity as it happens. That can add another few weeks to the exploration process. If it is not cortical at all, they may do a CT of the upper spine. That can take a few months to come through, depending on severity of the symptoms. If that is clear also, then we're looking at myoclonus or some more obscure problem, and it will be a long haul thing to figure out. But that's OK, because all the serious stuff should have been ruled out by then and your friend should at least be able to drive. If someone has a valid driving licence which has to be suspended due to epilepsy, then once they are allowed to drive again they do not have to re-take any exams or tests.
cheers nexxo. one last thing, will he have to give up driving now? he has got to tell his work yet what happened at the doctors, so can he expect to be told to go home? and is he able to drive his own car around? or is he ok until he is actually diagnosed with the problem that may stop him from driving? and in your experience, theres quite a few things that it could be, of them not too serious? that may not effect his driving capabilities?
Think about the fact he could have a fit as your driving, wouldnt be a good thing! Regards GiGo PS seeing my mate later ill ask him and post back.
well thats the thing, hes never had a sterotypical fit in our view, we know next to nothing about it though. and he has always been fine in the past driving. he wont be driving for a living thats for sure, but we're wondering if his insurance will be void even though he hasnt officially been diagnosed with anything as yet. so technically he could still drive his own car, the fits have not got any worse since his first one over 5 years ago btw, he just put it down to growning up or something, the only reason he went to the docs was because he had a child and wondered if there was anything he might need to know about himself for the childs sake so its not been something thats been getting worse or anything. but he just doesnt want to be caught out with the law obviously by not being insured at this stage.
If his GP suspects epilepsy, yes, he will have to stop driving (both bus and his own car) and tell his work until epilepsy has definitely been ruled out. If it is epilepsy, even if his seizures do not result in loss of alertness or consciousness now does not mean they won't in future. If it is not epilepsey, it may still be something else that could suddenly impair his ability to drive. These possibilities need to be ruled out also. I know this is an inconvenience for your friend, but it is best to follow the rules and be cautious about these things. Otherwise if he gets into a road traffic accident (even if caused by someone else), he may have no legal defense and no insurance. Speaking of which, if any condition is diagnosed which may impair his driving ability, insurance needs to be informed.
ok, thanks again for the info. im signed into his accoutn right now actually so thats why its a different account on here i was talking with but he is very grateful aswell
