What to do to pass the DVLA medical?

Convicted Driver Insurance

YouTeeAitch

Member
I get my licence back on 9th December, but as my reading was 116 i have to take this medical.

The information on what to do to ensure you pass is ridiculously vague and practically non existent. I've read a couple of things that suggest you don't drink for 2 months prior to taking the test????

I have been in touch with a friend who works in medicine, and he said this:

No, you do not have to abstain for 8 weeks. Alcohol is absorbed/metabolized pretty much the same for everyone (without Liver disease). It depends on how much you drink, body weight and so forth.
That being said when you have your blood drawn and they check your Liver enzymes, your AST or SGPT will/can rise from alcohol. Your ALT/SGOT is not indicative of alcohol. Other drugs can affect your liver enzymes; Tylenol, NSAIDS,...Exercise, strenuous can also increase liver enzymes from muscle.
You probably just need to abstain from alcohol for a few days before having your blood drawn.

Can anyone here confirm or deny what my friend has said? most people i've spoken to and told them about this 2 months non drinking idea seem pretty shocked that that would be the case.

So can anyone shed any light on just how careful i need to be about this test?
 
as far as i understand they will test your liver functionality and health, but im not sure on that. If thats the case, no binging or heavy drinkin for you in the month coming up to the test (depends on age and fitness). But this is only what i think will happen cant guarantee anything
 
as far as i understand they will test your liver functionality and health, but im not sure on that. If thats the case, no binging or heavy drinkin for you in the month coming up to the test (depends on age and fitness). But this is only what i think will happen cant guarantee anything

yes this is what i've heard as well, but i'm being reliably informed that unless you have severe liver damage it doesn't take a month to 'return to normal', more like a week, if that.
 
Normal liver should flush filtrate and metabolize everything within a week. Milk thistle tablets can help with this. If you do light drinking within the month to the medical it shouldnt be a problem, however i would play it safe and not drink for two weeks before
 
Normal liver should flush filtrate and metabolize everything within a week. Milk thistle tablets can help with this. If you do light drinking within the month to the medical it shouldnt be a problem, however i would play it safe and not drink for two weeks before

Cool, that sounds much more sensible and more realistic.

What's your situation? are you taking it/taken it?
 
hi i am a fairly health 33 year old who i would say drinks regularly but i am not an alcohloic . i work every day play football and i am relatively fit and healthy . last year i failed the medical when i got the results i took them to my gp who agreed the results were high but not unusual to someone who drinks often but not dangerously high i was recomended to cut down my drinking but then i suppose everyone has.. i got my second medical booked for the 19 sept and this time i haven had a drink for 4 weeks so far if i dont pass this time think ill bee looking for a liver doner.. but to answer someones question YES you can fail the dvla medical :mad:
 
hi i am a fairly health 33 year old who i would say drinks regularly but i am not an alcohloic . i work every day play football and i am relatively fit and healthy . last year i failed the medical when i got the results i took them to my gp who agreed the results were high but not unusual to someone who drinks often but not dangerously high i was recomended to cut down my drinking but then i suppose everyone has.. i got my second medical booked for the 19 sept and this time i haven had a drink for 4 weeks so far if i dont pass this time think ill bee looking for a liver doner.. but to answer someones question YES you can fail the dvla medical :mad:

So you failed?
What were you doing in the lead up to the medical? did you stop drinking at all or just carried on as normal? be really good to know as much detail as possible so i don't fall foul of this!!
 
i cut down quite alot but didnt stop completely my broyher passed the same test 2 weeks before i took it and he drinks similar to me so thaught it would be a breeze. as i said im fit and healthy have no medical problems and work everyday so it was a real shock when i failed
 
also if you go to your own gp they should carry out the same test free of charge to give you some indication of what your results will be ( my gp offered his and im having mine done today).
 
i cut down quite alot but didnt stop completely my broyher passed the same test 2 weeks before i took it and he drinks similar to me so thaught it would be a breeze. as i said im fit and healthy have no medical problems and work everyday so it was a real shock when i failed

hmmmmm, i sound pretty similar to you really, although i'm 27.
on a standard week i'lll probably have 2 pints a day at lunch, then a fair bit on friday and sat night, but not exactly smashing a bottle of vodka every day!

I reckon i'll go a couple of weeks with no drinking and before that try and cut down.

it's annoying how vague this whole process is. and also how pointless. it's not like i'm going to go Tee total because of this! as soon as i'm done i'll be drinking as much as before - obviously not when i'm going to be driving though!
 
its hard to know what to do with there being no set guidelines and everybody must be different . dont know if you know but if you fail the medical you have to wait (cant remember if its 6 months or a year) to retake it so i would have a test at your gp 6 weeks or so before just to be on the safe side
 
its hard to know what to do with there being no set guidelines and everybody must be different . dont know if you know but if you fail the medical you have to wait (cant remember if its 6 months or a year) to retake it so i would have a test at your gp 6 weeks or so before just to be on the safe side

yeah i know about that, it's 6 months i think. hence why i'm doing my best to find out as much info as i can. i am NOT adding 6 months to this ban!
 
yeah i know about that, it's 6 months i think. hence why i'm doing my best to find out as much info as i can. i am NOT adding 6 months to this ban!
i got done for drink drining 11 years ago but untill last year didnt even apply for my provisional so ive never had a license and cant even get a provisional without passing this medical
 
how come you have to do the medical, high reading?
i got done 3 times in my late teen and early twenties the most recent being 11 years ago i havent been done for any driving offences since then but timescale doesnt matter you have to take the medical regardless
 
hmmmmm, i sound pretty similar to you really, although i'm 27.
on a standard week i'lll probably have 2 pints a day at lunch, then a fair bit on friday and sat night, but not exactly smashing a bottle of vodka every day!

I reckon i'll go a couple of weeks with no drinking and before that try and cut down.

it's annoying how vague this whole process is. and also how pointless. it's not like i'm going to go Tee total because of this! as soon as i'm done i'll be drinking as much as before - obviously not when i'm going to be driving though!

I would say two pints per day and then a fair bit on the weekend is quite a lot. You would definately have to reduce that to pass safely. Being cautious is better than having to wait 6 months
 
I would say two pints per day and then a fair bit on the weekend is quite a lot. You would definately have to reduce that to pass safely. Being cautious is better than having to wait 6 months

OH totally agree, don't worry that's just me 'at my peak' as it were. i've already massively reduced that and plan on reducing further. just good to know that i don't have to become a bloody Nun for the next 8 weeks!
 
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