This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Being a bus driver, I knew when I presented my dizziness and cognitive dysfunctions to the Dr. I'd be told not to drive.

I was wondering if anyone has had their licensed pulled by their Dr or stopped driving due to MS?

Both the neuro and family Dr. have told me "No driving." Of course, I follow their advice I'd never put anyone else in danger, especially with the way I feel.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has issues with inability to drive and if their Dr. ever stepped in and had their license revoked?

Thanks ~

i came close cg. told my doc last fall that some probs i'd had over the summer were resolving. i could see everything happening around me but i felt like i wasn't able to put it all together fast enough to be confident crossing an intersection, and it was worse at higher speeds. the doc said, if this happens again... (ominous pause) I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PULL YOUR LICENSE
oh okay it wasn't that dramatic but i was

around that time i made a significant difference to some issues with my throat, when i met a pharmacist who recommended magnesium

in roughly the same time period i asked for some mineral tests and found a rather shocking zinc deficiency worse than the usual for ms, and consistent with all the years of veganism.

since i have started taking magnesium and corrected the zinc deficiency i have not felt any issues with driving at all. i don't know whether it was one, or the other, or the combo, but i feel much better.

i used to be able to feel it physically sort of like a stretching pull behind my left eye when the visual signal wasn't quite getting through to comprehension. i haven't felt that in about a year.

i have never had dizziness to interfere with driving that must be really scary. the only other issues i had were right around dx time, trying to drive all leaned to one side, because of the post lumbar puncture postural headache, trying to get the right pedal when you have to peer down at your feet to see where they're heading... it's not fun.

all that mineral stuff aside, cognitive function is really aided by b-complex. do you already take b-complex? if not you might find it will help with the dizziness, especially b1. if you do, how much?
b12 really helps with cognition too. it's just an all around good complex for ms-ers and omega 3s too, brain likey

Hi, I'm glad you are asking! I'm sorry you are having trouble thinking and that impacts your driving, my motor issues are the thing in my case so I'll share that in case it helps.

I recently had my car adapted to accomodate my nearly paralyzed right leg. Cars in the US at least use a right accelerator and I could no longer lift it from the accelerator to the brake pedal. My rehab doc said get the car adapted or stop driving, so I got a left accelerator and that works great!

It was actually a great day to go to the adaptive car place that installed my left accelerator, I found out a lot of things.....
For instance:
1 they can adapt a car for you if you can move even only one finger!!! The rep who showed me around was a person with no arms-just hands out of his shoulders. He is an adaptive driving instructor, and he was delighted to tell me all about the possibilities. They had models on the showroom floor of all the kinds of controls you could choose from.

2 If you learn to use hand controls, all rental places are required, in the US anyway, to have a set, so you can rent a car if you like. The adaptive guy suggested I think about learning hand controls instead of the left accelerator for that reason.

3 Most towns have an accessible car place like the one I went to in Seattle which is a company called "Access Mobility" and if you want to go to another town on a plane or something they can get a motorized cart to you for rental while you are in that town through one of their branches!!!

4 these adaptive devices are designed so that others can still drive your car in the normal way. If my husband and I take a trip we can take turns driving.

For me it was an amazing day to discover the world has such options. I do not typically use a cart at this point, I don't own one, but it is not too far out in my future I'd say so it was really comforting to discover these things exist. I am not as fearful of the possible future as a disabled person as there are vastly more options than I thought.

I'd encourage you to go to your local access mobility type place ( In Seattle there's the access mobility company and one called Kersey) and just look at what there is and ask questions. I got hooked up because my physiatrist, that's an MD whose specialty is rehabilitation, told me about the company and gave me a brochure when she told me get it adapted or quit driving.

If any of you reading this go to MS support meetings, consider getting one of the reps to come to the meeting and talk about what there is.

The coolest thing for me was to hear that I can travel and get stuff in the visitied town. I had no idea....

that's pretty neat info for the physical aspects mr!

Yeah, I actually had a lump in my throat as I was shown around realizing what was available!

lol! it's very nice that it's there when needed, but pretty sad at the same time huh

For those who like chemical assistance ... and it is mild, I think Modafinil has some effects on driving skill. I am sure I read it somewhere.

I am sure when I first started I noticed I felt much more aware of what was happening in my peripheral vision; could of been over confidence. I did drive slower, but that may of been me over cautious on a new drug.