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BG levels and driving

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shiffcam13

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Type 1.5 LADA
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Hello everyone. For those who don’t know me, diagnosis was changed to LADA recently and started insulin a week ago - steep learning curve.

Looking for advice on driving. Have informed DVLA and our insurance company and know BG levels should be at least 5 to drive. Should this be a libre reading or a finger prick test? I believe there can be a difference between the two.

Missing the spontaneity of eating, driving and life in general.

Thanks in advance. Advice from this forum always appreciated
 
Have you filled in the form online to get the medically restricted licence? When you fill it out it explains the conditions you agree to.

You don’t have to be 5 to drive people just say that as it rhymes. You can drive under 5 so long as above 4, haven’t been below 4 in the last 45 minutes, and have had a snack.

You have to fingerprick for hypos and symptoms of hypos.

It’s important that you read the dvla guidance so that you are very clear on what you’ve agreed to.
 
Thanks @Lucyr - will do that - lots to take in. Have filled in the online DVLA form and have email confirmation from them saying they have received my notification.
 
As @Lucyr says, the DVLA should send you the guidance, I got a copy through this morning with my renewal. If not, it’s online on the Gov.U.k. website. Briefly. You can use Libre readings to do your initial test, and your 2 hourly ones while driving, except when they don’t accord with how you are feeling, or when you are under 4. For this reason, it is a requirement to carry a meter and strips in the car at all times in case you need to do a fingerprick test as backup.
 
Just to clarify, a Libre reading is acceptable to drive, so you don't have to finger prick unless Libre shows you below 4. If Libre shows you between 4 and 5 you can drive provided to eat some carbs first. It just needs to be enough to bring your levels above 5 whilst you are driving. For me that would be 1 or 2 jelly babies or a digestive biscuit or a couple of dried prunes or apricots or a dried fig.... I keep a pack of mixed dried fruit in my bag and my bag goes everywhere with me. .
 
Thanks @Robin that makes sense. Have hypo treatments in the car and learning I must keep ‘diabetes kit’ to hand at all times!
 
shiffcam13 said:
Missing the spontaneity of eating, driving and life in general.
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I guess it takes some getting used to but I am still spontaneous with regard to eating, driving and life in general.
The main difference is that I have to carry a bag full of diabetes paraphernalia with me rather than running out of the house with a credit card in my back pocket and a door key in my front pocket. But the bag is always ready as long as I am not hypo, I can do what I want when I want.
I do not leave hypo treatment in the car - it melts or goes super hard.
 
Thanks @helli. I needed to hear that and know life can be normal. There are just some extra steps to think about. Lots to take in in this last week. Getting there tho
 
Hi. I think you will find that DVLA guidance has recently changed and you now have to be 5 or above rather than 4 or above having taking a glucose tablet or liquid. Google the DVLA website to check.
 
DaveB said:
Hi. I think you will find that DVLA guidance has recently changed and you now have to be 5 or above rather than 4 or above having taking a glucose tablet or liquid. Google the DVLA website to check.
Click to expand...
Well in that case they’ve just sent me out of date guidance! it was still the same in my reminder letter received this week.
Form DIABINF.
'In each case if your glucose is 5.0mmol/L or less, eat a snack. If it is less than 4.0mmol/L or you feel hypoglycaemic do not drive'
That’s also the wording in the online link that @Bruce Stephens has linked to.
That’s just from doing your normal test before driving, though. If you have been below 4, then you have to wait 45 minutes, and until you are 5 before you can drive. Is that what you were referring to?
I may have misunderstood what you were referring to.
 
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I wonder if it is to do with the rather grey scenario where Libre is saying you are below 4 and a finger prick showing you above 4 but below 5 and the way I read it in that situation you have to wait for a finger prick to show you above 5 before driving. I may be misinterpreting that and would be interested to know how other people read it..... will go see if I can grab the relevant clause and copy it here...

Advice on managing hypoglycaemia or developing hypoglycaemia at times relevant to driving
• In each case if your glucose is 5.0mmol/L or less, eat a snack. If it is less than 4.0mmol/L or you feel hypoglycaemic do not drive.
• If hypoglycaemia develops while driving stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible.
• You should switch off the engine, remove the keys from the ignition and move from the driver’s seat.
• You should not start driving again until 45 minutes after finger prick glucose has returned to normal (at least 5.0mmol/L). It takes up to 45 minutes for the brain to recover fully.
• If you use a real time (RT-CGM) or flash glucose monitoring (FGM) system to check your glucose levels and the reading is 4.0mmol/L or below, you must stop driving and confirm your finger prick glucose test reading.
• Your finger prick glucose level must be at least 5.0mmol/L before returning to driving.

Those two points I highlighted are separate points so maybe I am misinterpreting that if Libre says you are 4 or below (and that in itself is interesting as not just below 4), then confirm with a finger prick which as I understand it takes precedence, so if a finger prick says 4.2 you are not hypo, but obviously still need to take carbs but don't need to wait 45 mins, just until you come up above 5.
Is that how others read it?
 
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rebrascora said:
I wonder if it is to do the rather grey scenario where Libre is saying you are below 4 and a finger prick showing you above 4 but below 5 and the way I read it in that situation you have to wait for a finger prick to show you above 5 before driving. I may be misinterpreting that and would be interested to know how other people read it..... will go see if I can grab the relevant clause and copy it here...
Click to expand...
I think you’re right about the basic premise, If you’ve been below 4, you have to wait til you’re 5, and it’s a 'grey area' if you’ve scanned and got a reading below 4, and checked it on a fingerprick and been above. I think the fingerprick score is what I'd show to the police!
The wording does say, do a fingerprick if you’re feeling doesn’t accord with the Libre. That was probably meant to mean, do a fingerprick if you feel hypo even if the Libre is above 4, but that can work both ways. Sometimes I know I will get a reading above 5 on a fingerprick, (and I do, when I check) even though the Libre is showing below 4, because I have good hypo awareness.
 
DaveB said:
Hi. I think you will find that DVLA guidance has recently changed and you now have to be 5 or above rather than 4 or above having taking a glucose tablet or liquid. Google the DVLA website to check.
Click to expand...
It hasn’t changed. If you’re below 4 then you need to wait 45 minutes and be above 5 to drive. If your 4-4.9 you can just have a snack and go without waiting till above 5
 
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