General Chat

I agree Bob, he has to go back to see consultant and will know more. I think if M was considered at this stage to be seriously unfit to drive they would have told him not to.

My partner had a bleed on the brain a few years ago. The consultant told him to stop driving at the first appointment and to contact dvla. O.h. wouldn't stop driving until I threatened to contact dvla so he did call in the end and they sent forms to the doctor and his gp and him and it took 6 months before they decided on the evidence of those forms (one of which was incorrectly filled in, stating he had collapsed when he hadn't ) and then they decided he had to send in his licence and not drive for I think it was six months or a year while he waited to see if he had any more problems. At no point while they were getting the forms in did they tell him to stop driving, it was ridiculous. Then they asked for his licence and said they would write to his doctors again in at the end of the time. He appealed but by the time they wrote back and said he could drive again and have his licence back, the time was up anyway. It was a complete farce!

Lizx

surely the condition has to be verified first?

you don't want to jeopardise your driving licence, one way OR the other........

tinks they have to be informed immediately
or he will be fined
the DVLA are very strict on what they are not told

Thank you Tinkers that's what he has been told, I think he is just concerned for the long term as he has been told he will have the condition for the rest of his life.

before informing dvla I think it would be best to speak to the hospital first

when I found out I had sleep apnea the nurse wanted to see how things went with me first before telling dvla but after 3 or 4 months or so the nurse said I had border line? sleep apnea and didn't need to tell the dvla

Joy thank you so much I will pass this on to M.

https://www.gov.uk/obstructive-sleep-apnoea-and-driving

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

I don't think it would nessaserly stop him driving

but I do think its against the law if you don't tell them
and might make the insurance void if they were not informed them to


get a application form from the post office and read it
its under the medical questions

Thank you Joy, I was not aware of that. Does that mean you would automatically have to give up your licence.

it says on my driving licence app
you have to tell the DVLA If you have this :-( :-(

I also suffer with sleep apnea
its not nice to have and it took ages getting used to sleeping with the mask on

Pat.i don't think they have exactly told him the "type" of apnea he has, just that the assessment showed he stopped breathing ninety times in an hour. He asked about his weight, and the Consultant said losing weight might help but it was not for certain. He is very tall, and well built but does not look obese to me.

He is taking his family on holiday at the end of the month, the consultant has told him to go away and enjoy himself, and he will talk to him in more depth on his return. I think it's the long term effects that are concerning him, particularly if he has to stop driving.

Sleep apnea can affect anyone, regardless of weight.

My nieces husband is short and wiry and he suffers and has to wear the mask

My nephew who is Downs, also suffers, but he too has a mask, which he sometimes wears.

Paula he should have been told which type of apnea he has.

He will either have something obstructing his airway whilst sleeping usually due to being overweight or a rarer type a problem stemming from the brain.

If it's due to fat around the throat/neck area he should lose weight to help himself. The brain type he won't be able to do anything about.

He may not appear to be or be only just overweight but it's where the weight is that's important. Has he increased his collar size on shirts recently?

I've been there it's frightening. I don't have to use breathing apparatus but was offered it if it didn't go away as I lost weight. Mine has gone.

Male 6ft 3in and 16.5 stone has a BMI of over 28 which is overweight.

http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

I believe the DVLA need to be informed and may require him to surrender his licence until the doctors give the OK.

My OH has it and has to use a mask and CPAP machine at night and is now otherwise OK.

My friends partner is a sufferer,,,,,,hes early 60s,,,only slightly overweight,,,,he has a mask and oxygen at night or should do....he sleeps on 3 memory foam pillows,,at first it scared the living daylights out of him and was afraid to go to sleep ,,,,,but has learned to live with it,,,,,he gets plenty of fresh air during the day and has learned to have relax time before bed,the hospital are ok with him,,,,,,,,,,infact we all have a moments during sleep when we miss a breath or two,this is when the heart/chest muscles go into a deep relax but our reflexes kick start us up again with a snort or a gulping shudder----or at least thats what others may hear, . :-D

Its more common than people think,

I am over weight ( shame ) I wake up choking and gasping for breath. Always thought I was snoring and that's what woke me up?

doesn't seem to be overweight then

He thirty six years old , six foot three and sixteen and half stone.