HI
I was sent home from work today because I told my boss that I was on some cream “diltiazem” which has side effects of tiredness, dizziness and fainting.
My boss said I cant return to work til I have a medical certificate saying Im safe to drive a truck.
Anyone heard of this?? because I haven`t.
Thanks
Jim
if some of the side effects are drowsiness, fainting and so on i believe they are well within thier rights to send you home. but i may be wrong.
if youre not affected by it then go and see the doc and see if he can give you a letter saying it doesnt affect you!
if you are on full pay take the break and enjoy it 
good luck mate in getting it sorted
These symptoms will be listed on almost any prescription medicine you will ever take.
dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/medical/aagv1.pdf
These are the doctors guidelines from the DVLA, just have a look at the top of page 22 in the right column but speak to your doctor asap.
I have sent you a PM.
Malc
Giblsa:
if some of the side effects are drowsiness, fainting and so on i believe they are well within thier rights to send you home. but i may be wrong.if youre not affected by it then go and see the doc and see if he can give you a letter saying it doesnt affect you!
if you are on full pay take the break and enjoy it
good luck mate in getting it sorted
Thanks for the reply
No company sick pay, so its a big money problem. I can`t understand how they can just make me go home with no pay.
“if some of the side effects are drowsiness, fainting and so on”
I feel fine!!!
It says that on the packs on stuff you take for cold/flu etc… lemslips etc…
Got docs booked for tomorrow. Will see what they say.
Jim
I think you will find that if a boss sends you home for something that MIGHT happen, then they are liable to pay you - different if you turned up when unfit to drive
Diltiazem may cause dizziness. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before driving, operating machinery or doing any other jobs which could be dangerous if you were not fully alert.
Diltiazem may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
dizziness or lightheadedness
flushing (feeling of warmth)
headache
excessive tiredness
slower heartbeat
upset stomach
loss of appetite
vomiting
diarrhea
constipation
stomach pain
dry mouth
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
Found this on net so as i see it any thing that may inpead your driving or make you a risk then you should not drive.
If you have just started takeing this it might take a coupel of days for any of these side affects to kick in. Go see your doc again and if it affects your job then he should sign you off for a few days.
If i was your boss i would not let you drive either in case you fell asleep while driving and killed some poor sod.
Plus i think it would effect the insurance as you would be driving while knowing the possible side effects
tony66:
Diltiazem may cause dizziness. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before driving, operating machinery or doing any other jobs which could be dangerous if you were not fully alert.Found this on net so as i see it any thing that may inpead your driving or make you a risk then you should not drive.
If you have just started takeing this it might take a coupel of days for any of these side affects to kick in. Go see your doc again and if it affects your job then he should sign you off for a few days.
If i was your boss i would not let you drive either in case you fell asleep while driving and killed some poor sod.
Plus i think it would effect the insurance as you would be driving while knowing the possible side effects
I think the above is the reason the DVLA use trained medical people instead of haulage bosses or lorry drivers to decide if medicines prescribed to patients are safe.
The link I posted earlier is the bible that the DVLA issue to GP’s and Surgeons.
Before a medicine is granted a licence so that it can be made available in the United Kingdom, it must pass strict tests and checks to ensure that it is acceptably safe and effective. All effective medicines, however, can cause side effects (also known as adverse drug reactions), which can range from being minor to being very serious. For a medicine to be granted a licence, the expected benefits of the medicine must outweigh the possible risks of the medicine causing adverse effects in patients. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell whether a possible side effect is due to a medicine, or something else.
Disqualifies from driving if resting BP consistently 180 mm Hg systolic or more and/or 100 mm Hg diastolic or more.
Re/licensing may be permitted when controlled provided that treatment does not cause side effects which may interfere with driving
Almost any medicine will have a long list of possible side effects, the reason doctors train for upto 6 years and we train for upto 3 days maybe gives a clue why
tony66:
Diltiazem may cause dizziness. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before driving, operating machinery or doing any other jobs which could be dangerous if you were not fully alert.Diltiazem may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
dizziness or lightheadedness
flushing (feeling of warmth)
headache
excessive tiredness
slower heartbeat
upset stomach
loss of appetite
vomiting
diarrhea
constipation
stomach pain
dry mouth
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleepFound this on net so as i see it any thing that may inpead your driving or make you a risk then you should not drive.
If you have just started takeing this it might take a coupel of days for any of these side affects to kick in. Go see your doc again and if it affects your job then he should sign you off for a few days.
If i was your boss i would not let you drive either in case you fell asleep while driving and killed some poor sod.
Plus i think it would effect the insurance as you would be driving while knowing the possible side effects
I went to the docs on Friday. He basically laugh at what I told him. I too googled the above side effect for Diltiazem but thats were the confusion starts.
I am using Diltiazem 2% Hydrochloride Cream which is NOT is being used for Angina or high blood pressure. Its being used for an ■■■■ fissure(Google it)
So I dont get the same side effect, I dont need to inform dvla and I`m fit to drive. Thats my doc telling me.He said that my company can write for a report which will cost them about £60.
Problem solved, back to work on Monday but Im still without pay and I don`t fancy my chances of getting it back. Lesson learned.
Jim
Good luck on convincing your boss and it seems as though I was right about lorry drivers not knowing what doctors do.
I did ask in my PM about the cream, but I sure as hell aint gonna google anything ■■■■ 
.
Wheel Nut:
Good luck on convincing your boss and it seems as though I was right about lorry drivers not knowing what doctors do.I did ask in my PM about the cream, but I sure as hell aint gonna google anything ■■■■
LOL with googling anything ■■■■.
Only just got that PM. Thanks again. Good luck marc.