DVLA Medical Liver Test Questions

Convicted Driver Insurance

paddybuster

New Member
Can anyone help me. I was banned 17 months ago for 2 years minus 25% if I successfully completed the HAPAS course which I did.

I went to my Doctor 5 weeks ago for a blood test and found all results normal bar the GGT which was 170. I had not been drinking much in the lead up, about 10 units a week. Five weeks on and total abstination, milk thistle, plenty of water and I had my DVLA medical. The results were again normal apart from the GGT which had gone UP!!!! to 199.
Can anyone advise on the likelihood of the DVLA giving me a licence.

I see on this forum that someone quoted the need to pass 3 out of the 4 tests, is this true?

Obviously everything is totally tits up, no job, no money. With my licenece back that all changes. God knows what I will do if they refuse me.
 
paddybuster said:
Can anyone help me. I was banned 17 months ago for 2 years minus 25% if I successfully completed the HAPAS course which I did.

I went to my Doctor 5 weeks ago for a blood test and found all results normal bar the GGT which was 170. I had not been drinking much in the lead up, about 10 units a week. Five weeks on and total abstination, milk thistle, plenty of water and I had my DVLA medical. The results were again normal apart from the GGT which had gone UP!!!! to 199.
Can anyone advise on the likelihood of the DVLA giving me a licence.

I see on this forum that someone quoted the need to pass 3 out of the 4 tests, is this true?

Obviously everything is totally tits up, no job, no money. With my licenece back that all changes. God knows what I will do if they refuse me.
Click to expand...

Please see here for more information on the DVLA medical. Good luck, let us know how you get on.
 
Forum Moderator said:
Please see here for more information on the DVLA medical. Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Click to expand...


Well it would appear my licence application has been approved and the worry and anguish not to mention the time out comes to an end. Seems the 3 out of 4 blood test passes is correct.
One very happy bunny who has learned his lesson.
 
wonder if anyone can help me my bans up on the 03/09/2011 but am in court on the 16/02/2011 to apeal to get it back early cos been offered a job but need to do a dvla medical is there any chance i could do a medical before i go to court next month thanks ?:confused:
 
Hi
I think you would have to go to court first and they would notify the dvla that you can have your licence back. If you applied to dvla now for a medical they would say it's to early. Not one hundred percent sure but perhaps someone else will confirm
Good luck
 
logically the court if the court says yes, you then have to make the DL application and go through the same process as everyone else including the DVLA giving you a date for the medical.I have to say I would gobsmacked if your ban was shortened just because you have been offered a job especially as an HRO
 
re paddybuster


don`t ye think so bay law you can apply for it back after 2years of a 3 year ban av only got 7months left so worth a try if not 500 down the drain my sol thinks av got a 75% chance of getting it back that sounds good to me been offered a job plus got a four month old baby so finngers crossed :confused:
 
not judging you my friend because I am far from a shrinking violet but to get three years you would either be a seconder offender or you had an outrageous situation at the time.
I wish you the best of luck, Im no expert,just make sure you abstain from drinking at least 6 weeks before your medical,and try and resist any drugs that could send your liver function levels high and that includes nurofen.
 
Hello there,

I was banned from driving in Sept 2011 and classed as a high risk offender, hence needed to have a medical before my licence is returned. I had this medical in Aug 2013 and heard nothing from the DVLA until end of Nov 2013 when they asked me to go for a second blood test because further up to date info is required. I did this and am waiting for the results.
I am able to drive in the meantime but was having problems maintaining ongoing insurance without an actual licence so my insurer asked for a copy of the first medical report from the DVLA to see what the problem is.
This came in the post today and the results sections states: "Unable to quantitate CDT due to overlapping CDT and non CDT isoforms. Total transferrin also appears low. This is indicative of liver dysfunction"
I am now really scared as in the past year I have only drank alcohol on a handful of occasions as a result of what this whole experience has done to me. My own doing I know but I guess I learnt the hard way.
There is no way that this "dysfunction" is a result of me drinking now, as a simply don't anymore. I take quite high doses of Solpadeine Max which contains paracetamol and codeine (for pain) but other than that I don't take anything at all.
Does this now mean that the DVLA will refuse my licence?

Please help, I'm really worried.
Many thanks
 
Smithy said:
Hello there,

I was banned from driving in Sept 2011 and classed as a high risk offender, hence needed to have a medical before my licence is returned. I had this medical in Aug 2013 and heard nothing from the DVLA until end of Nov 2013 when they asked me to go for a second blood test because further up to date info is required. I did this and am waiting for the results.
I am able to drive in the meantime but was having problems maintaining ongoing insurance without an actual licence so my insurer asked for a copy of the first medical report from the DVLA to see what the problem is.
This came in the post today and the results sections states: "Unable to quantitate CDT due to overlapping CDT and non CDT isoforms. Total transferrin also appears low. This is indicative of liver dysfunction"
I am now really scared as in the past year I have only drank alcohol on a handful of occasions as a result of what this whole experience has done to me. My own doing I know but I guess I learnt the hard way.
There is no way that this "dysfunction" is a result of me drinking now, as a simply don't anymore. I take quite high doses of Solpadeine Max which contains paracetamol and codeine (for pain) but other than that I don't take anything at all.
Does this now mean that the DVLA will refuse my licence?

Please help, I'm really worried.
Many thanks
Click to expand...

Glad i found this comment from you, i had my medical on the 4th of December after a 3 year ban. I got a letter today from the dvla sayin im required to take another test. Iv never been a aheavy drinker and stopp for the 3 month lead up. sine having that on the 4th iv been drinking and smoking a bit of weed. Cant belive it i really though id fly through the medical with not drinking.
Thats all it said they no indication just say failed to meet there requirements
 
cyclomethicone said:
Glad i found this comment from you, i had my medical on the 4th of December after a 3 year ban. I got a letter today from the dvla sayin im required to take another test. Iv never been a aheavy drinker and stopp for the 3 month lead up. sine having that on the 4th iv been drinking and smoking a bit of weed. Cant belive it i really though id fly through the medical with not drinking.
Thats all it said they no indication just say failed to meet there requirements
Click to expand...

Oh, so have they written to your GP too or are they just wanting another blood test?
Moodle
 
Smithy said:
Hello there,

I was banned from driving in Sept 2011 and classed as a high risk offender, hence needed to have a medical before my licence is returned. I had this medical in Aug 2013 and heard nothing from the DVLA until end of Nov 2013 when they asked me to go for a second blood test because further up to date info is required. I did this and am waiting for the results.
I am able to drive in the meantime but was having problems maintaining ongoing insurance without an actual licence so my insurer asked for a copy of the first medical report from the DVLA to see what the problem is.
This came in the post today and the results sections states: "Unable to quantitate CDT due to overlapping CDT and non CDT isoforms. Total transferrin also appears low. This is indicative of liver dysfunction"
I am now really scared as in the past year I have only drank alcohol on a handful of occasions as a result of what this whole experience has done to me. My own doing I know but I guess I learnt the hard way.
There is no way that this "dysfunction" is a result of me drinking now, as a simply don't anymore. I take quite high doses of Solpadeine Max which contains paracetamol and codeine (for pain) but other than that I don't take anything at all.
Does this now mean that the DVLA will refuse my licence?

Please help, I'm really worried.
Many thanks
Click to expand...

Hi Smithy,

Perhaps they aren't quite happy with the initial test and want a further test done which would hopefully be ok? Were you ever a very heavy drinker before your ban? Have they said you cannot drive now or are they just wanting another blood test done? You could take the letter to your GP and see what they think but I know that having been in hospital recently for something else and mentioning the CDT it seems a fairly uncommon test as the doc there had no idea what I was talking about!!!

Tough one... Transferrin I believe transports iron around your body and but I am no expert on this...did you tell the doc who did your medical what pain relief you take?

Moodle
 
Moodle said:
Hi Smithy,

Perhaps they aren't quite happy with the initial test and want a further test done which would hopefully be ok? Were you ever a very heavy drinker before your ban? Have they said you cannot drive now or are they just wanting another blood test done? You could take the letter to your GP and see what they think but I know that having been in hospital recently for something else and mentioning the CDT it seems a fairly uncommon test as the doc there had no idea what I was talking about!!!

Tough one... Transferrin I believe transports iron around your body and but I am no expert on this...did you tell the doc who did your medical what pain relief you take?
Click to expand...

Hi Moodle,

I was a heavy drinker before my ban, I was on a bit of a rocky road with depression etc but the whole experience was a massive wake up call to me and I changed my drinking habits totally. I try to abstain altogether as when I do drink I struggle to stick to one or two but hand on heart the max I drink, and have for the past two years, is a bottle of wine a couple of times a month.
I rang the DVLA when I got the letter requesting the 2nd blood test asking why and they did give me a bit more info about CDT etc and offered me a copy of the pathology bloods report.
I saw my GP today and as you rightly said, they have no idea what CDT is and couldn't explain it to me. They said it's a new test that the DVLA are doing alongside the usual GGT, AST, MCV, ALT etc. and not a test routinely performed by GP's. She couldn't take further bloods to re-check it either as she wouldn't be able to interpret the results!
Youre right about the iron thing too, although from what I've read, people that drink excessively have a higher range of CDT whereas mine couldn't be quantitated and overall transferrin was low. This, they said is a pattern indicating liver dysfunction.
My GP has done further bloods today (GGT and full blood count) as these are the two that indicate excessive alcohol use. The DVLA didn't give me the results of these particular tests, I guess it was all the GP could offer and felt pretty useless!!
I guess all I can do is wait, they haven't said that I can't drive yet and have already written to my doctor after the first medical (I guess to discover if I have an existing condition that could result in this anomaly, which I don't)
Thank you to all that have replied, I will keep you updated.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Smithy said:
Hi Moodle,

I was a heavy drinker before my ban, I was on a bit of a rocky road with depression etc but the whole experience was a massive wake up call to me and I changed my drinking habits totally. I try to abstain altogether as when I do drink I struggle to stick to one or two but hand on heart the max I drink, and have for the past two years, is a bottle of wine a couple of times a month.
I rang the DVLA when I got the letter requesting the 2nd blood test asking why and they did give me a bit more info about CDT etc and offered me a copy of the pathology bloods report.
I saw my GP today and as you rightly said, they have no idea what CDT is and couldn't explain it to me. They said it's a new test that the DVLA are doing alongside the usual GGT, AST, MCV, ALT etc. and not a test routinely performed by GP's. She couldn't take further bloods to re-check it either as she wouldn't be able to interpret the results!
Youre right about the iron thing too, although from what I've read, people that drink excessively have a higher range of CDT whereas mine couldn't be quantitated and overall transferrin was low. This, they said is a pattern indicating liver dysfunction.
My GP has done further bloods today (GGT and full blood count) as these are the two that indicate excessive alcohol use. The DVLA didn't give me the results of these particular tests, I guess it was all the GP could offer and felt pretty useless!!
I guess all I can do is wait, they haven't said that I can't drive yet and have already written to my doctor after the first medical (I guess to discover if I have an existing condition that could result in this anomaly, which I don't)
Thank you to all that have replied, I will keep you updated.
Click to expand...

Hiya Smithy,

I thought that the DVLA now only use the CDT test? What were the figures they gave to you? I had a private CDT and that just said <0.5%....

I am surprised the doc just did a GGT test and not the other liver markers such as ALT/Bilirubin etc etc.. GGT I think is the marker for excessive consumption... Im impressed the DVLA offered to give you the results as from what I have read on here from others some staff wont offer up that information without a request in writing... they seem to be quite helpful with you...definitely interested to know what the CDT result was...

Lets hope the next blood test comes back ok for you....

Moodle
 
Moodle said:
Hiya Smithy,

I thought that the DVLA now only use the CDT test? What were the figures they gave to you? I had a private CDT and that just said <0.5%....

I am surprised the doc just did a GGT test and not the other liver markers such as ALT/Bilirubin etc etc.. GGT I think is the marker for excessive consumption... Im impressed the DVLA offered to give you the results as from what I have read on here from others some staff wont offer up that information without a request in writing... they seem to be quite helpful with you...definitely interested to know what the CDT result was...

Lets hope the next blood test comes back ok for you....

Moodle
Click to expand...

Hi Moodle,

It was my GP that said that the CDT test was in addition to the others rather than the only test that they do so I really can't be sure. It sounds like you might be equally as clued up on this whole thing as my doc really doesnt seem to be much help. Initially the DVLA did just read my results from the screen but then I did write in to get a copy of the path report to give to my insurer (Adrian flux whom I must add have been great, and very reasonably priced).
The doc said that the main markers to prove that I wasn't drinking to excess were GGT and full blood count, I would have asked for ALT, AST etc but as far as I understand there are other factors that can elevate these enzymes as well as alcohol.
If the CDT test is the only test they do and this 2nd blood test comes back same as first then if they can't quantitate my CDT levels due to "overlapping cdt and non cdt isoforms" then can they still fail me without getting an actual result?
I did tell the doc who did my medical that I was taking pain killers and I'm wondering if the paracetamol from the Solphadeine max may be the reason for this anomaly as I take max doses most days for pain.
From what I understand it is mainly alcohol that elevates GGT and as I'm not drinking much mine should come back normal, so at least if they write to my doc then this test could support me.

Thanks again Moodle, I hope that I can make sense of all this soon.
 
Smithy said:
Hi Moodle,

It was my GP that said that the CDT test was in addition to the others rather than the only test that they do so I really can't be sure. It sounds like you might be equally as clued up on this whole thing as my doc really doesnt seem to be much help. Initially the DVLA did just read my results from the screen but then I did write in to get a copy of the path report to give to my insurer (Adrian flux whom I must add have been great, and very reasonably priced).
The doc said that the main markers to prove that I wasn't drinking to excess were GGT and full blood count, I would have asked for ALT, AST etc but as far as I understand there are other factors that can elevate these enzymes as well as alcohol.
If the CDT test is the only test they do and this 2nd blood test comes back same as first then if they can't quantitate my CDT levels due to "overlapping cdt and non cdt isoforms" then can they still fail me without getting an actual result?
I did tell the doc who did my medical that I was taking pain killers and I'm wondering if the paracetamol from the Solphadeine max may be the reason for this anomaly as I take max doses most days for pain.
From what I understand it is mainly alcohol that elevates GGT and as I'm not drinking much mine should come back normal, so at least if they write to my doc then this test could support me.

Thanks again Moodle, I hope that I can make sense of all this soon.
Click to expand...

Hiya, the full blood count is handy anyway as it can pick up anaemia etc, I had read somewhere that the DVLA now only use the CDT test but that this hadn't been confirmed...so it might well be that they combine the two perhaps... I had always thought it odd if they do use the CDT test only appreciating it only picks up a small window of time whereas if you have been a heavy drinker for a long period of time your liver may well take a fair while to get back into shape provided there is no permanent damage... I expect if a GP did a blood test on anyone who had been to a xmas party at this time of year and had a skin full they would find this to be elevated I believe.... What was your CDT level?

I think its a good thing that you have been to your doc about this, keep us informed...

Moodle
 
Smithy said:
Hi Moodle,

It was my GP that said that the CDT test was in addition to the others rather than the only test that they do so I really can't be sure. It sounds like you might be equally as clued up on this whole thing as my doc really doesnt seem to be much help. Initially the DVLA did just read my results from the screen but then I did write in to get a copy of the path report to give to my insurer (Adrian flux whom I must add have been great, and very reasonably priced).
The doc said that the main markers to prove that I wasn't drinking to excess were GGT and full blood count, I would have asked for ALT, AST etc but as far as I understand there are other factors that can elevate these enzymes as well as alcohol.
If the CDT test is the only test they do and this 2nd blood test comes back same as first then if they can't quantitate my CDT levels due to "overlapping cdt and non cdt isoforms" then can they still fail me without getting an actual result?
I did tell the doc who did my medical that I was taking pain killers and I'm wondering if the paracetamol from the Solphadeine max may be the reason for this anomaly as I take max doses most days for pain.
From what I understand it is mainly alcohol that elevates GGT and as I'm not drinking much mine should come back normal, so at least if they write to my doc then this test could support me.

Thanks again Moodle, I hope that I can make sense of all this soon.
Click to expand...

Moodle said:
I expect if a GP did a blood test on anyone who had been to a xmas party at this time of year and had a skin full they would find this to be elevated I believe.... What was your CDT level?


Moodle
Click to expand...

Hi Moodle,
That's the thing, they can't determine my CDT level or as the put it "CDT could not be quantitated due to overlapping CDT and non CDT isoforms" so I don't have a % value or result as they can't calculate/determine it.
That's why I'm struggling as if the 2nd test comes back same then can they refuse my licence when not even being able to do a CDT count?
That's aside from the fact that they've stated that this pattern is indicative of liver dysfunction which I'm equally worried about, although my GP did say that as high as 1 in 4 people could be determined as having liver dysfunction of some kind.
 
Moodle said:
Oh, so have they written to your GP too or are they just wanting another blood test?
Moodle
Click to expand...

Yup another blood test as well, although i dont have to pay for it. Why do they need another sample? the letter said i didnt meet their requirements?
I thought id met them all just fine, 3 year ban,150hrs community service, 12month suspended sentence, did my medical and paid my money!!
Why make me wait even longer. Well im not drinking over xmas at all now i had a few beers the other night but thats it.
 
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