Hi, When I was diagnosed in 2004 I informed DVLA of my diagnosis and they sent a letter saying basically following contact with the medics I can continue as normal. What I want to know should I now have told them that I am in medication and that I have had three relapses since then…all three in the last nine months? I’ve just noticed posts with driving licenses being restricted to three years etc that maybe I should have done this? Xxx
Thanks. There is no change since the relapses other than a weaker left leg however I have an automatic so it doesn’t affect me when driving. I will give them a ring. I need to drive for my job so I would not want it to affect this xx
lisa, my consultant said i should inform dvla of my dx rrms which i did and two months down the line they sent me back the 3 year licence! he also said i should inform my insurance company they were fine and there was no increase in premium cost. Tony…
Hi Lisa,a frustrating time for you,but a three year Licence is pretty much the ‘Welcome to MS from Swansea’. If we all tried to tell them about changes to our MS, DVLA would sink under the stress and paperwork. I didn’t/don’t need a car,didn’t want all the stress from South Wales so have surrendered my licence.By surrendering it rather than having it stolen, I can,if ever there was a need,re-apply and undergo assessment.
You are under legal obligation to inform DVLA of diagnosis and they will liaise with your Neurotic when renewal is due.You must also inform your insurers of what has transpired,but they are not allowed to increase your renewal 'rip-off '.Something which can cause hassle on renewal is any drug with fatigue,co-ordination issues or bad side effects when mixed with some other drugs. They will ask for what you are taking and amounts.Your Neurotic will answer the same questions,so best not to be tempted to tell Porky Pies.
If you take anything with “Don’t you even think about driving” it might be an idea to get off that drug if possible via the Neurotic.I would suggest doing this at least six months before renewal and copy all correspondence to anybody/thing involved.If you genuinely believe you might lose your licence don’t despair,just find solutions to having no car well before it happens.
Good luck,
Wb
hi lisa
as wb says, some meds can affect our cognition.
i take my painkillers in the evening so that i can drive.
my ms nurse says i should take them during the day and take more of them but if i couldnt drive i’d be so depressed i’d end up on even more meds.
3 yr licenses are the norm i’m afraid.
carole x
They haven’t given me a three year licence jysr replied saying there would beno rrestrictions on my licence following dr reports. I’m only on rebif but have obviously had three relapses since this letter so should I be telling dvla that? My insurers know I have a medical condition as I’ve put that in my details when obtaining quote details however it asked me no more about it from what I remember. So at the moment my licence has not changed x
Hi Lisalou, I understand exactly what you are saying, the other advice you have is good but you have told them and they haven’t given you a three year licence, they have left you with the licence you have always had. I understand this because I also do NOT have a three year licence, have just kept my licence as it was (the one that is valid until you are 70, I think it is). I think automatically issuing a three year license must be a recent change and back in 2004 when you told them and longer ago when I told them, they just let you keep your licence as it was. I have kept and filed the letter I received from them at the time telling me that I can keep my licence as it is. I don’t know if you should tell them or not tbh, do they know you are on rebif? They do know I am on betaferon and baclofen cos I told them at the time and that hasn’t changed. I worry a bit too when I read about everyone being on three year licences and i am glad to hear that there is someone in the same situation as me, although this doesn’t help you, I know. I feel that I have told them, done exactly as I should do, I have the letter to prove I have told them. If their policy has changed to three year licences and they want to change me to that, surely it would be up to them to contact me, if I didn’t read this forum I wouldn’t know about three year licences. I don’t know also if they need to know about relapses, did you consult a doctor about them , maybe you could ask you dr if they need to know, I’m not sure if they need to know about relapses o not tbh, I suspect if they were informed about every relapse, the would inundated with information. Sorry, I’ve rambled on, I just wanted you to know that not everyone is on a three year licence. Cheryl:-)
Thanks Cheryl. No I’ve only been on rebif since June. So that’s new but obviously doesn’t effect driving. I will ask my nurse when I next see her. Xxx