CDT Testing and Abstinence

Convicted Driver Insurance

lewiisb

Member
Hi all, I've been reading through the forum and have seen mixed opinions on abstinence prior to the HRO Medical.

I was convicted 5 years ago and am now reapply for my license after at 3 year ban. I'm not a heavy drinker (I.e daily) however I do enjoy a social with my friends on a Friday evening. Currently I have abstained for two weeks and expect my medical to go ahead roughly four weeks from now. Of course, I plan on abstaining until the medical is over; my concern is a potential fail based mostly on the fact that I have no idea what my CDT level could be.

That being said I had a LFT in the middle of last month and my results came back 'all ok' likewise with a full blood count etc.

Am I working myself up for nothing? Should I be ok providing I abstain until the medical?

*im currently drink 3ltrs water a day, take green tea extract, multivitamins (+ iron), garlic and intend on buy some milk thistle this week. However my Friday binges could sometimes hit around 10 pints of (3.8/4% ABV) beer/lager; I DO NOT drink at all any other day of the week!

Any help or advice here is massively appreciated!
 
On that timescale, you will probably be OK, but steer clear of your mates on Friday evenings! Also when you get your licence back, 10 pints on a Friday evening will mean no driving for the whole of Saturday!
 
On that timescale, you will probably be OK, but steer clear of your mates on Friday evenings! Also when you get your licence back, 10 pints on a Friday evening will mean no driving for the whole of Saturday!

Thanks for your reply, that's my plan. I guess I'll go play Golf or something as a substitute! And as for no Saturday driving, that's not a problem as I only need my bike to get back and forth to work on weekdays!
 
An update.

My medical is now booked for the 20th of July, my last drink (binge) was the 17th of June... Not sure if I'm cutting this to fine but that was the only appointment they had ?
 
An update.

My medical is now booked for the 20th of July, my last drink (binge) was the 17th of June... Not sure if I'm cutting this to fine but that was the only appointment they had ?

Hi there.

When you say that your last drink was on the 17th June, do you mean that was the last time you consumed any alcohol at all? I ask because you put "binge" in brackets, so didn't know if that was your last drink and have abstained completely since then. If you have been tee-total, that will be 33 days, just shy of 5weeks. This should be enough time to achieve a low CDT level.
I got a reading of 1.0% after 23 days abstinence. Another poster got a reading of 0.9% after almost 4 dry weeks. Your final result will depend on your starting CDT reading and what your baseline level would be, amongst other things.

Just stay off the drink and you should be fine. Only a couple of weeks to go!!
Good luck!
 
Hi there.

When you say that your last drink was on the 17th June, do you mean that was the last time you consumed any alcohol at all? I ask because you put "binge" in brackets, so didn't know if that was your last drink and have abstained completely since then. If you have been tee-total, that will be 33 days, just shy of 5weeks. This should be enough time to achieve a low CDT level.
I got a reading of 1.0% after 23 days abstinence. Another poster got a reading of 0.9% after almost 4 dry weeks. Your final result will depend on your starting CDT reading and what your baseline level would be, amongst other things.

Just stay off the drink and you should be fine. Only a couple of weeks to go!!
Good luck!

Hey, I've abstained completely since that date and will up until the medical; and I guess a short time after too! I hope so, I've just bought a new motorbike!
 
Hey, I've abstained completely since that date and will up until the medical; and I guess a short time after too! I hope so, I've just bought a new motorbike!

Sorry, I think was misreading your post.

Anyway, 33 days should be fine. I drank LOTS of water, took milk thistle, artichoke, ginger and turmeric extracts, ate more leafy green veg, fresh fruit and upped my exercise....none of which have been scientifically proven to help but it certainly can't hurt. Nobody's health has ever suffered from drinking lots of lemony water and eating kale :)

Good luck!
 
hi i have been reading through the posts and would like some advice i lost my licence 4 years ago and am due to get it back on the 10/09/16 i have to pass a medical first. i had a bad accident two years ago and have been drinking reasonably heavy every day i have been cutting down over the last few weeeks slowly on advice of my doctor but have had a recent liver test which shows an enlarged liver and enlarged bloodcells i am now abstaining from alcohol but am worried it still will not be enough time before my test i am taking liv52, milkthistle, and different vitamins supposed to aid liver recovery along with eating foods that are also advised to aid liver recovery such as artichoke, beetroots, etc.. if any one that is knowledgable in this field and what is needed to pass the test i would greatly appreciate it. i dont want to fail as this will extend my ban or even if you think it would be best to postpone the tests. also do you have to have completed the test before the licence return date or is there a time limit for it to be done after the return date. thanks for your advice
 
hi i have been reading through the posts and would like some advice i lost my licence 4 years ago and am due to get it back on the 10/09/16 i have to pass a medical first. i had a bad accident two years ago and have been drinking reasonably heavy every day i have been cutting down over the last few weeeks slowly on advice of my doctor but have had a recent liver test which shows an enlarged liver and enlarged bloodcells i am now abstaining from alcohol but am worried it still will not be enough time before my test i am taking liv52, milkthistle, and different vitamins supposed to aid liver recovery along with eating foods that are also advised to aid liver recovery such as artichoke, beetroots, etc.. if any one that is knowledgable in this field and what is needed to pass the test i would greatly appreciate it. i dont want to fail as this will extend my ban or even if you think it would be best to postpone the tests. also do you have to have completed the test before the licence return date or is there a time limit for it to be done after the return date. thanks for your advice

Hi there

Sounds like you had the standard liver function tests, which is great in that it gives you an indication (wake-up call?) of the current state of your health. However these aren't the indicators used by the DVLA to assess a HRO driver. They will be looking for carbohydrate deficient ttransferrin (CDT) which is an enzyme produced by everybody. In people who consistently drink more than about 60g of alcohol a day, the level of CDT is elevated and the DVLA have a traffic light system to grade HRO drivers.

Green- CDT of less than 2.2% indicates no excessive alcohol consumption and this person could expect to receive their licence.
Amber- CDT 2.2-2.9% is considered indicative of "problem drinking" and would prompt further enquiries with the applicants GP and potentially a 1,2 or 3 year licence with a retest required.
Red- CDT of more than 3.0% indicates alcohol dependence and refusal of licence.

For perspective, a pint of Stella Artois contains over 21g of alcohol. A bottle of 12% wine, 72g of alcohol. As you can see, it can all add up very quickly. I was drinking a bottle of wine a day, just about everyday, up until 23 days before my medical and my result came back at 1.0%.

As you have some time I would recommend getting your CDT tested privately. Medichecks offer a postal service and have proved to be both reliable and accurate. I've not used them myself but several posters here have. That way you can get an idea of where your CDT is at now.
Are you intending to stop drinking completely?

With regard to postponing your medical, you will only get a letter asking you to book an appointment once you have sent your application form and payment to DVLA. Beware! Once they send that letter, you only have 6 weeks ( from the date the letter, not when you receive it) in which to attend your medical. So you can control, to a certain extent, when your medical exam will be. I wouldn't apply until I'd had one, if not 2, private tests and make a decision based on those results.

I hope some of that was helpful. If you have any other questions, just ask. If I can help, I will.
Good luck!
 
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hi i have been reading through the posts and would like some advice i lost my licence 4 years ago and am due to get it back on the 10/09/16 i have to pass a medical first. i had a bad accident two years ago and have been drinking reasonably heavy every day i have been cutting down over the last few weeeks slowly on advice of my doctor but have had a recent liver test which shows an enlarged liver and enlarged bloodcells i am now abstaining from alcohol but am worried it still will not be enough time before my test i am taking liv52, milkthistle, and different vitamins supposed to aid liver recovery along with eating foods that are also advised to aid liver recovery such as artichoke, beetroots, etc.. if any one that is knowledgable in this field and what is needed to pass the test i would greatly appreciate it. i dont want to fail as this will extend my ban or even if you think it would be best to postpone the tests. also do you have to have completed the test before the licence return date or is there a time limit for it to be done after the return date. thanks for your advice


I forgot to say there is also a questionnaire that you and the doctor complete. The answers that you provide to these questions and the 'report' that the doctor fills in on examining you, could lead to further enquiries with your GP even if you get a very low CDT reading. Your visit to your GP and the fact that you've had LFTs could result in a short-term licence being issued but I don't work for DVLA and I've come to realize that there's no way of predicting the outcome of anything they do!!
 
i am planning on giving up for at least six months so that i can get back to being a social drinker and get my work/life back on track being a self employed builder my licence would help greatly. i have seen adds on here for an independent. cdt tests for £79 are these the tests you are referring too and are they reliable. i appreciate your help and advice as i can see you have obviously been in a similar predicament yourself. other than getting the tests is there any further advice you can give i will order the tests tommorrow and will inform you off the results when received for further advice thanks again
 
i am planning on giving up for at least six months so that i can get back to being a social drinker and get my work/life back on track being a self employed builder my licence would help greatly. i have seen adds on here for an independent. cdt tests for £79 are these the tests you are referring too and are they reliable. i appreciate your help and advice as i can see you have obviously been in a similar predicament yourself. other than getting the tests is there any further advice you can give i will order the tests tommorrow and will inform you off the results when received for further advice thanks again

I didn't use a private test but several posters here have used medichecks. I thought there might have been a link on this site but I've not seen one, however I've just found them at medichecks.com. Remember, it's the CDT test you need. It'll be a finger prick test and they state a 5day turnaround from receipt of your sample.

You probably don't need 6 months to get your CDT down. Most of us are finding 4-6 weeks to be enough but it sounds as though you feel that your drinking is an issue so the longer the better and not just for your driving licence. Your LFTs gave you a yellow card and although the liver is the most forgiving organ, there's only so much it can take. I found that my drinking habits were just that, habit...and a little bit of boredom. When stopping completely, it's helpful to find something to occupy yourself with. I upped my exercise regime. As I said to someone the other day, you can't drink when your doing burpees or crunches or out on a five mile run. Don't think that you're quitting drinking, instead think that you're changing your lifestyle. It's a more positive way to look at it.

I tried to eat as 'cleanly' as possible, not that this will reduce CDT but for liver health as much as anything. Hot lemon and ginger water first thing in the morning. 3-4 litres of water throughout the day. Fresh leafy green vegetables especially kale, broccoli, spinach, artichoke, also sweet potato and salads. Fresh fruit, pulses and beans. A little chicken and fish, no red meat. I took milk thistle, ginger, turmeric and artichoke extracts as well.

Get your first private test done and you'll have a better idea of how to proceed. Keep in touch and if I can help further, I will.
 
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Hi all.

Just an update to anyone who may still be reading this post. I am now four weeks dry; not to hard to hard a task considering my Friday drinking habits were only social! My medical is five days away and whilst I'm still nervous about it, I am confident. I have read thread after thread concerning the medical and from what I can tell I and most other posters here should be fine, providing that we're all being truthful about our drinking habits.

I've seen the questionarre and can answer no to most if not all the questions and I believe this is where most people are likely to trip up, and whilst I don't encourage lying I have noticed most peoples genuine integrity has been there downfall.

I will keep you all updated on my experience at the medical, and hopefully this time next week I'll be able to consider myself a licensed driver!
 
Hi all.

Just an update to anyone who may still be reading this post. I am now four weeks dry; not to hard to hard a task considering my Friday drinking habits were only social! My medical is five days away and whilst I'm still nervous about it, I am confident. I have read thread after thread concerning the medical and from what I can tell I and most other posters here should be fine, providing that we're all being truthful about our drinking habits.

I've seen the questionarre and can answer no to most if not all the questions and I believe this is where most people are likely to trip up, and whilst I don't encourage lying I have noticed most peoples genuine integrity has been there downfall.

I will keep you all updated on my experience at the medical, and hopefully this time next week I'll be able to consider myself a licensed driver!

** En route to my Medical right now.
 
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