CDT

[113344]

Hello! I’m due to have a CDT blood test and have been reading posts about this. I can see people talking about alcohol misuse and/or dependency and that determine their guidelines re alcohol? . Who determines this and what if you’re just a someone who generally doesn’t drink much but unfortunately had this experience ? Are you classed as that? I’ve had the odd drink since and and I’m scared that i wasn’t supposed to do that to pass the test?

 

[Luna2000]

CDT will

Hello! I’m due to have a CDT blood test and have been reading posts about this. I can see people talking about alcohol misuse and/or dependency and that determine their guidelines re alcohol? . Who determines this and what if you’re just a someone who generally doesn’t drink much but unfortunately had this experience ? Are you classed as that? I’ve had the odd drink since and and I’m scared that i wasn’t supposed to do that to pass the test?

The CDT test will only tell if you have been drinking heavily within the last 4-6 weeks. Does your GP have any record of alcohol misuse or dependency within the last 6 years? If there is any mention on your file, then if you admitted to drinking on the DVLA Form, then you MAY have a problem. You are HRO for a reason, and although you may drink within the daily guidelines, the DVLA expects you to 'state' total abstinence if your GP has recorded any dependency/misuse.

It can though be a bit of a lottery. Just don't drink until the test and complete the form at the examination making sure you state you no longer drink with the date of your last drink close to the date of your ban.

 

[113344]

CDT will

The CDT test will only tell if you have been drinking heavily within the last 4-6 weeks. Does your GP have any record of alcohol misuse or dependency within the last 6 years? If there is any mention on your file, then if you admitted to drinking on the DVLA Form, then you MAY have a problem. You are HRO for a reason, and although you may drink within the daily guidelines, the DVLA expects you to 'state' total abstinence if your GP has recorded any dependency/misuse.

It can though be a bit of a lottery. Just don't drink until the test and complete the form at the examination making sure you state you no longer drink with the date of your last drink close to the date of your ban.

Hello thanks for your reply. I’ve not been drinking heavily at all for months so fingers crossed it’s reflected! Thank you x

 

[113344]

CDT will

The CDT test will only tell if you have been drinking heavily within the last 4-6 weeks. Does your GP have any record of alcohol misuse or dependency within the last 6 years? If there is any mention on your file, then if you admitted to drinking on the DVLA Form, then you MAY have a problem. You are HRO for a reason, and although you may drink within the daily guidelines, the DVLA expects you to 'state' total abstinence if your GP has recorded any dependency/misuse.

It can though be a bit of a lottery. Just don't drink until the test and complete the form at the examination making sure you state you no longer drink with the date of your last drink close to the date of your ban.

Also no recorded dependency or misuse x

 

[stu]

Hard to say for certain mate. I went from new years day to mid Feb with virtually no drink. Had 2 pints one night watching the local football team in the mid Jan, I had a glass of wine late Jan to celebrate the wife promotion at work and then one can of carlsberg before my test date. My score come out at 0.5% (which is a pass) and driving now.

My understanding is if you regularly surpass 14 units a week you would be seen as dependent. If you surpassed 14 units in the run up to this test it could be classed as misuse.

General advice seems to be that you need a minimum of a month off the booze to be confident of passing. My interpretation of that was simply this, I don't regularly exceed 14 units per week and i am not dependent but I recognised at the weekends that sometimes i exceed 14 units. Given the nature of the charge I guess majority of us exceed 14 units on occasion. Anyway, based on the above I decided I needed between a 1-3 months of no booze, in a sense I failed with that because I did have a little booze but I done enough to pass.

When is your test due mate?

 

[113344]

Hard to say for certain mate. I went from new years day to mid Feb with virtually no drink. Had 2 pints one night watching the local football team in the mid Jan, I had a glass of wine late Jan to celebrate the wife promotion at work and then one can of carlsberg before my test date. My score come out at 0.5% (which is a pass) and driving now.

My understanding is if you regularly surpass 14 units a week you would be seen as dependent. If you surpassed 14 units in the run up to this test it could be classed as misuse.

General advice seems to be that you need a minimum of a month off the booze to be confident of passing. My interpretation of that was simply this, I don't regularly exceed 14 units per week and i am not dependent but I recognised at the weekends that sometimes i exceed 14 units. Given the nature of the charge I guess majority of us exceed 14 units on occasion. Anyway, based on the above I decided I needed between a 1-3 months of no booze, in a sense I failed with that because I did have a little booze but I done enough to pass.

When is your test due mate?

Hello! I’m very much like you. Cut back so much and my habits are now so sensible, but have drunk a bit, last had a glass on Mother’s Day. Haven’t since and won’t till 11th April, day of test. Didn’t realise I had to be completely abstinent, as my situation that lead to this was a little bit different, but guess I won’t pass now

 

[stu]

Hello! I’m very much like you. Cut back so much and my habits are now so sensible, but have drunk a bit, last had a glass on Mother’s Day. Haven’t since and won’t till 11th April, day of test. Didn’t realise I had to be completely abstinent, as my situation that lead to this was a little bit different, but guess I won’t pass now

Honest opinion is you could well be fine. Did you have plenty to drink on mother's Day or a light drink? The way I see it providing you had under 14 units you should be well placed in theory. CDT levels supposably half in two weeks, so if you had a low baselines and spiked on on mother's Day even that will reduce by 50% over two weeks.

Personally, if the option is there, I would phone them and tell them you have work engagements and could do with having the test on the 25th April (onwards) but make sure that is within the 6 week window they allow you mate!

And of course don't touch a drop!

 

[113344]

Honest opinion is you could well be fine. Did you have plenty to drink on mother's Day or a light drink? The way I see it providing you had under 14 units you should be well placed in theory. CDT levels supposably half in two weeks, so if you had a low baselines and spiked on on mother's Day even that will reduce by 50% over two weeks.

Personally, if the option is there, I would phone them and tell them you have work engagements and could do with having the test on the 25th April (onwards) but make sure that is within the 6 week window they allow you mate!

And of course don't touch a drop!

Thank you! Had a light drink with my meal so hopefully I havent ruined what I’ve been doing. Wish they gave you more info. If I had to stop completely and knew it from the start I would have

 

[Pipacs]

Thank you! Had a light drink with my meal so hopefully I havent ruined what I’ve been doing. Wish they gave you more info. If I had to stop completely and knew it from the start I would have

They like keeping secrets

 

[Sundog]

In short, the answer to that is you via your feedback, and your GP.

Longer answer. If you’ve cut back loads and last drink was an isolated one or two on Mother’s Day, my guess is you’ll be fine on CDT. But even assuming that’s all good, it’ll also come down to what you’ve already written and say at that medical (plus what’s in your notes).

After the medical it is most likely they will write to your GP before making a decision (if they haven’t already). So - as Luna says quite correctly above - what will be critical is what the GP writes back, and/or what’s in your notes. If at any point you’ve been in a GP surgery and had any issues with alcohol mentioned, declaring any intake either during medical (or if you already have on DR1) within the last 6 months (or 12 if GP says you were ever dependent) isn’t going to look good.

However if it’s never been an issue between you and the doctor, chances are you’ll be just fine.

But the DVLA seem to be a lore until themselves, and one that’s getting stricter about this and seemingly changing their own rules for the harsher. So you obviously have to give consistent answers on DR1, during medical, and that should tally with what’s in your GP notes. If there’s nothing untoward in those notes it obviously permits a little more ‘bending the truth’ than it would if there is no evidence prior to your ban of any alcohol misuse or dependence. However a good many of us on here have a history with alcohol and have had to work very hard to persuade the powers that be in Swansea that we have recovered. Which - with any history - demands some abstinence. I wish you good luck.