Happy lunchtime all,
I work for a small coach company and yesterday I had to leave work early as a I started with a migraine. Initially, I just had blurred vision (mainly in my left eye) without any other symptoms. This led me to believe that it was a recurrence of something that happened a couple of years ago when the vision in my left eye went blurry for about twelve hours. Despite thorough investigation by a opthalmic specialist, no cause was found.
Anyhow, I initially informed my boss that it was blurred vision. I got home and shortly after my head exploded and it became obvious that it was instead a migraine - the blurred vision was the 'warning'. The blurred vision stopped almost as soon as the migraine proper started.
Today, the migraine has gone and left me feeling a little dizzy. I informed my boss that it was, in fact a migraine and not simply blurred vision and that I would be fit to drive on Monday morning but he has said that he wants me undergo medical tests and to obtain a report from my GP stating that I am fit to drive a PCV before I can start back. I've rung the medical department of the DVLA and they say that I'm fine to drive a PCV and have made a note on my records.
Is migraine a notifiable condition? Can my boss still insist on these tests and reports even though the DVLA say I'm ok to drive?
Thanks in advance.
PS to the Mods - not sure if this'd be better off in the "I Have A Question" thread. Feel free to move it if necessary. Thanks.
Edited by rtj70 on 12/09/2009 at 13:57
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I don't know if migrane is a DVLA notifiable condition, but i do feel that your employer is just being responsible given the type of job you do.
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I can understand his approach to an extent, but he doesn't provide sick pay, except for SSP so while I am off work having these tests that he, and not the DVLA, has insisted on I am not being paid and I cannot afford that at the moment.
Also, the blurred vision associated with migraine has never come on suddenly but over a period of a couple of hours so I have always had plenty of time to get off the road safely. I know that, one day, the blurred vision may occur suddenly and without warning but if we all had to have tests for what might happen, there'd be nobody left on the roads!
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Difficult one this but be aware of what the law says:
Section 94 Road Traffic Act 1988
Provision of information, etc. relating to disabilities
(1) If at any time during the period for which his licence remains in force, a licence holder becomes aware?
(a) that he is suffering from a relevant disability:
[Section 92 -relevant disability? in relation to any person means? any other disability likely to cause the driving of a vehicle by him in pursuance of a licence to be a source of danger to the public]
or prospective disability which he has not previously disclosed to the Secretary of State, or
(b) that a relevant or prospective disability from which he has at any time suffered (and which has been previously so disclosed) has become more acute since the licence was granted,
the licence holder must forthwith notify the Secretary of State in writing of the nature and extent of his disability.
(2) The licence holder is not required to notify the Secretary of State under subsection (1) above if?
(a) the disability is one from which he has not previously suffered, and
(b) he has reasonable grounds for believing that the duration of the disability will not extend beyond the period of three months beginning with the date on which he first becomes aware that he suffers from it.
(3) A person who fails without reasonable excuse to notify the Secretary of State as required by subsection (1) above is guilty of an offence.
It would appear that the employer was not only looking after his own intrests but also that of the general public in demanding a Doctors opinion.
dvd
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(b) he has reasonable grounds for believing that the duration of the disability will not extend beyond the period of three months beginning with the date on which he first becomes aware that he suffers from it.
Firstly, thanks dvd for your input - always welcome.
Would the point above apply to a condition that, like mine, is intermittent? I'm trying to balance complying with the law with being able to earn a living.
Cheers.
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Badwolf: I suffer from cluster headaches, which as their name suggests come in clusters, often years apart, every day at more or less the same time, lasting up to six hours, for a week to three months. At their worst they are so agonizing that driving - indeed anything but moaning in the dark and throwing all one's clothes off - is out of the question. The headaches may be similar in some way to migraine because I do sometimes get a sort of digital sight foxing for an hour or two, in my case not associated with a headache cluster though. Ordinary painkillers even in overdose quantities are useless when the headache is a bad one.
There is a small injection, sumatriptan succinate (brand name Imigran), which removes the headache completely and more or less instantly (five to seven minutes at most as a rule) without causing any side effects at all. It was originally developed for migraine. Your doctor will be able to prescribe it if you are a suitable subject for it, but you may have to urge him or her as it is expensive (£22 a shot last I heard). I don't know whether it works on visual disturbances as well. But it's so marvellous for the pain that it's well worth checking.
Edited by Lud on 12/09/2009 at 16:36
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Lud, many thanks for that it's much appreciated. I'll see what my doctor says.
Cheers.
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Aha Lud - a fellow sufferer. Not a lot of people have heard of them, and I only found out about the injections at the very end of my last cluster, but they did seem very effective so would recommend them to the OP.
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Pure oxygen is cheaper than sumatriptan and usable by anyone who hasn't got severe lung damage, smokie. It doesn't work as quickly or as certainly, but is the cure of choice for cluster headaches, available on the NHS from medical gas suppliers (the London one is called Air Products). Bit of a hassle setting it up for the doctor and you, but after that works a treat.
Doesn't always work, but usually does if you persist for half an hour. I'm told sumatriptan doesn't work on everyone either. But having access to the two together helps (in my case anyway) to allay the terrible fear of another cluster that one had in the aspirin/paracetamol/codeine-if-you're-lucky era.
Edited by Lud on 12/09/2009 at 22:18
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Your GP may be able to give your employer a letter to reassure him- but tell them frankly of the recent problems in case another condition has arisen. Talk of your head 'exploding' is very worrying for me as a potential passenger. Certainly sounds if you need some treatment/standby drugs before you can be considered fit to work.
I've got to watch my condition as well and that is notifiable to the DVLA etc. Type 1 diabetes.
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Headaches / Migraine
Suggest you look closely at the (in)famous Dr Atkins book.
He claims that it is overloading the body with carbohydrate that can cause severe headaches - effectively the body begins to lose control of blood sugar levels, blood sugar levels fall and as a result the brain demands more blood as it is running short of sugar (the fuel the brain runs on), body responds by providing more blood and as a result blood pressure rises in the brain (causes severe headaches, and in some cases strokes). Will have to dig out the chapter number and the name of the condition.
I used to get severe migraines (the lie in a dark room and throw up type). only had one since I changed my diet to reduce carbohydrates 8 years ago and that is when I slipped back onto the "normal" high carb diet - never again.
My doctor doesn't agree that it was the diet change but cannot provide any other explanation. He was worried about me having a stroke but is not worried about it now.
No doubt those from the medical establishment will castigate me - but can they explain why I stopped getting them?
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Just to balance the above potential cause with another, I also suffered from dark room and throw up migraines from age 25 to age 51. At 51 (6 years ago) I had the mother of all migraines which was eventually traced to a slow growing pituitary brain tumor (which is certainly a DVLA notifiable condition). After tumor removal and radiotherapy I am as good as before, or perhaps better as the migraines have never come back.
See your GP is my advice, I didn't and it very nearly killed me.
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Canuck
Glad you are well now.
I to suffered the dark rooms and hot flannel on forehead for a number of years - I retired 10 yrs ago and haven't had one since - only thing I can think of was stress - I didn't think I was stressed but my daily job was just nip up to Liverpool or Bangor -or Stow and I live in Shropshire then do a day's work like 8hrs in 5 because three have been traveling. Look at your lifestyle it could be a contributing factor.
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A severe migraine can produce symptoms of partial vision, confusion and disorientation that render you temporarily unfit to drive. I get them very occasionally and shudder to think what would happen if I got behind the wheel in that condition - worse than a drugs trip (I would imagine).
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