Newly diagnosed with RH

Hi and welcome!

If I were you, check out the DVLA regs for insulin using diabetics - not because you are one, but because there is some interesting info about hypos and what hypos need to be reported. Also some good guidance on what testing such diabetics need to do around driving. Some of that is translatable (using common sense!) into having RH.

There is a form, also available on the DVLA or the GOV.org website which you need.
This link should start you off with your info gathering
https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions
Half way down the page is a link to 'check if a health condition affects your driving' and lists all the applicable health conditions.
Hypoglycaemia is on that list.

I recently had to use the form myself, for a different medical condition. I knew about the hypoglycaemia, but not that pituitary gland tumours needed reporting too. Actually, it turns out that not once in the 20+ years that I have been diagnosed with it, have I or any doc, nurse or consultant that I have ever seen, suggested that I need to inform the DVLA. But there it is in the DVLA info. So you can imagine my horror, and my rapid submission of the doc! And you can also imagine my relief when a month later I got a letter saying 'Thank you for informing us. From the info you have given your driving is unaffected. Please let us know IMMEDIATELY if anything changes.'

Phew!!!

crazyhorse11 said:

Hi all,

I have recently been diagnosed with RH after years of having hypo's. I fainted for a few seconds last October and have since been under an Endocrineologist at the hospital. After an OGGT and months of blood sugar monitoring I have offically been diagnosed with RH.

I have a couple of questions and wonder if you guys might be able to help me out:

Am I required to tell the DVLA and my insurance company about RH as it's not a listed condition on the DVLA site but Hypoglycemia is?

Does having RH make you elligble for free blood sugar monitor strips and lancets, thoose things are expensive when you are regualrly checking your BS levels?

Thanks in advance.

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Hi,
I was told that if I had a license, I would not be able to drive.
The recurring episodes of Hypoglycaemia would automatically disqualify you.
I also believe it would be irresponsible to drive whilst not having the reassurance that you are not going to go hypo!

Ask your GP to put you on the register of diabetics.
This would allow you to get your strips on prescription free.
I asked my endocrinologist to write to my GP, to ensure that he realised how essential blood glucose testing is.

Welcome to the forum.
Keep asking and let us know how you are doing.

Best wishes.

crazyhorse11 said:

Thank you both very much for the replies. I have been driving for 15 years with no problems however I have contacted the DLVA this week and they have advised me to fill in the Diabetic notification form and to include a covering letter to explain that I have RH.

I've always kept some form of chocolate/sugar in my car just in case, however I now believe this is the incorrect thing to do. I was advised by my Endo to take dextrose tablets or lucazade. With all this experience you guys have, can you advise me, should sugar be avoided at these times when having a hypo?

I will contact my doctor about getting free prescriptions for blood testing.

Thanks for the help, it's much apprei

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The problem with treating a hypo is if you have too much of anything that has sugar in it or carbs, you may find yourself in a recurrence of going hyper then hypo again.
The trick is to find something that raises your blood levels slowly enough to not send you too high to prevent the hypos.
I have found a single plain biscuit, like rich tea, with a cuppa, eases my blood up and then I test to see, what is happening, then after fifteen minutes, I have a very small low carb meal. So I don't stimulate the insulin.
The worst thing happened to me after an eOGTT, when I went hypo and drank lucozade. I was in hospital for another five hours, because, my blood glucose levels were bouncing all up and down.
That was a lesson I never want to repeat.
It is always advisable to avoid fluctuations in your blood glucose levels.

Best wishes.

A brain that has sufficient ketone bodies would have adequate alternative fuel supply and would be able to function well in times of lower glucose levels...