CDT and one-off binge - a warning!

Convicted Driver Insurance

Millie

Member
HI, I'm due my blood test (as a high risk offender), so had another private test for peace of mind. My first was in July and was 1.7 - this was after 4 weeks of abstinence, and I was drinking heavily before that. So I was happy with this, and didn't drink at all until my next dummy run on Tuesday 6 October. This was a full 3 months off. EXCEPT for a one off binge (why oh why!!) of 1.5 bottles of wine in one go on 2 October. I thought my CDT at the time of the binge would be very low, so diluted by the binge. I'd also done a lot of research, which suggested a binge won't show up on CDT. This was stated numerous times on the internet by doctors. So I was shocked when my CDT came back as 2.4.

I know how foolish I was to have the binge and have hugely beaten myself up about it. Different people may well be different - I'm 5'2 and 7 stone, which may well have affected the result. But my word of caution to anyone approaching the blood test is that a binge could well show up. Mine did. And I PROMISE I'm telling the truth that this was all I had in 3 months. So do not believe even what doctors say about CDT.

I've now booked my official DVLA test for 4 November - the furthest away I can without being outside the DVLA 6 week limit. By then the binge will have been about 5 weeks before, so I'm praying my CDT will have gone down to less than 1.7. I need it to be, as my GP has me down as teetotal and doesn't know about the binge. If I'm over this, it may well raise Qs, even though DVLA guidance is under 2.3. This is fine for most people, but not me - I have an illness which mean I shouldn't drink, so the fact I did would perhaps alarm drs.

So, my advice is that however much research you do into CDT - and much is contradictory even when posted by doctors - avoid drinking above recommended levels before your test, and avoid binges. My 15 units or so raised mine substantially - because it was all in one go I assume.
 
Hi millie

Thank you for the useful update. Could I please ask how heavy your drinking was if not being rude?

Thanks
Jojo
 
Up until July it was around 15 units a day, on average. Over 100 units a week.:(

My CDT went down to 1.7 after a month of abstinence following this.

Then up to 2.4 a week after a one off 15 units on one day, after 3 months of abstinence.
 
I know everyone is different but I really appreciate your response. Mine has been roughly the same and struggling and the time is getting nearer. Now I know I have a chance at least and cannot thank you enough for the information. I really hope yours goes ok as you have done so well xx
 
It's difficult, especially when there are other issues (for me, depression - which I also had to declare when reapplying for my licence). BUT you can do it. Trust me, as I did it - if I did, anyone can. Why I then let myself down with the binge I don't know. But hopefully I have enough time before the test to be ok.

My tips for stopping are to be healthy in other ways, as it helps how you feel about yourself. Go to bed early if needs be, so you don't sit about thinking 'what shall I do now, I'd normally have a wine'. As time goes on, it gets far easier. Also just think of what it will mean to have your licence back. Not just the freedom, but the chance to close that chapter of your life. That's how I'm seeing it anyway. x

Feel free to send me a private message if you're feeling bad.
 
HI, I'm due my blood test (as a high risk offender), so had another private test for peace of mind. My first was in July and was 1.7 - this was after 4 weeks of abstinence, and I was drinking heavily before that. So I was happy with this, and didn't drink at all until my next dummy run on Tuesday 6 October. This was a full 3 months off. EXCEPT for a one off binge (why oh why!!) of 1.5 bottles of wine in one go on 2 October. I thought my CDT at the time of the binge would be very low, so diluted by the binge. I'd also done a lot of research, which suggested a binge won't show up on CDT. This was stated numerous times on the internet by doctors. So I was shocked when my CDT came back as 2.4.

I know how foolish I was to have the binge and have hugely beaten myself up about it. Different people may well be different - I'm 5'2 and 7 stone, which may well have affected the result. But my word of caution to anyone approaching the blood test is that a binge could well show up. Mine did. And I PROMISE I'm telling the truth that this was all I had in 3 months. So do not believe even what doctors say about CDT.

I've now booked my official DVLA test for 4 November - the furthest away I can without being outside the DVLA 6 week limit. By then the binge will have been about 5 weeks before, so I'm praying my CDT will have gone down to less than 1.7. I need it to be, as my GP has me down as teetotal and doesn't know about the binge. If I'm over this, it may well raise Qs, even though DVLA guidance is under 2.3. This is fine for most people, but not me - I have an illness which mean I shouldn't drink, so the fact I did would perhaps alarm drs.

So, my advice is that however much research you do into CDT - and much is contradictory even when posted by doctors - avoid drinking above recommended levels before your test, and avoid binges. My 15 units or so raised mine substantially - because it was all in one go I assume.


CDT is only affected by long term drinking of at least 60mg of alcohol every day. One heavy drinking session will not affect your CDT level.

http://www.justanswer.com/health/7zm1a-son-cdt-test-dvla-order.html
 
Hi Millie,

Thank you for both your useful information to help others in a similar position and your honesty.

Please could I ask how your official test went on 4th November and if you had your license returned (with or without any restrictions)

Many thanks,

Louise.
 
Hi Louise

yes I got my licence back. It was one year but not to do with alcohol. It's be cause I also have bipolar disorder. It has been just a huge blessing and a massive lesson.

There's much on this site which I must say has been a great help in dark times. But whatever is said about cdt, none of us is a professional. My 1.5 bottles of wine in one day in 3 months knocked me over. This is against the understanding of heavy drinking for 2 weeks to raise it. I don't know why. Equally very heavy drinkers have had low scores. But this isn't typical . Stop drinking and you will be ok. Not just for your test but for your life.

When is your test? X
 
Ahh glad to hear you got your license back,

I don't know exactly when my test is but it will probably be in early November, so I do have time, it's just that I was a very heavy drinker and for many years so I don't know how this has effected things, I'm also worried that I may not be able to stick to not drinking.

Once I receive my application from the DVLA I will have a cdt text done myself then to see how I am doing and if I need to wait longer before returning it!

It does seem like a long way off
 
Hi,
thanks for that information. I was surprised to hear that after 3 months of abstinence that just one bottle of wine in one night can knock the cdt levels.
Im a bit unfamiliar with this "cdt" thing.... what is the level that it should be, and what is considered 'over'.
I too am suffering a lot with depression and can understand its so hard not to have a couple of drinks on an evening.
 
Hi,
thanks for that information. I was surprised to hear that after 3 months of abstinence that just one bottle of wine in one night can knock the cdt levels.
Im a bit unfamiliar with this "cdt" thing.... what is the level that it should be, and what is considered 'over'.
I too am suffering a lot with depression and can understand its so hard not to have a couple of drinks on an evening.

Everyone produces CDT so even a person who has never consumed alcohol will have some in their blood. Everybody's baseline levels are different too. The levels that DVLA are looking for can be found on this forum but basically it's graded by a traffic light system.

Green is 2.1% or less.
Amber is 2.2-2.9% and will prompt GP enquiries
Red is 3% or more and indicates alcohol dependence and license will be refused.

Generally it's considered that consistently drinking in excess of about 60g of alcohol a day will produce elevated CDT readings however, some people would not need to drink as much as others and some can drink much more and still maintain a low CDT reading. To give you some perspective, there is 8g of alcohol in 1 standard UK unit. So a single 25ml shot of whiskey (40%) contains 8g of pure alcohol. A bottle of 12% wine contains 9 units and 72g alcohol. A pint of Stella contains almost 22g of alcohol.
Personally, I abstained for 23 days after drinking a bottle of wine a day, everyday and got a reading of 1.0%. So it is possible to pass even after being a consistent drinker.

I'm sorry to hear that you're suffering from depression. We all know that drinking just makes it worse so I won't go into that but I can say that my drinking had become more of a habit (and a little boredom). As difficult as I know it is, it would help if you found something to distract yourself and otherwise occupy your time. For me, I found exercise to be very helpful but you'll still have make that initial choice between grabbing the bottle of wine/vodka/beer and putting on your trainers and going for a run/workout/yoga. However the post-workout 'high' that you'll experience from your very 1st session will start to help with your depression. These are just observations from my own experience and it is not my intention to preach. ✌
Good luck!
 
Everyone produces CDT so even a person who has never consumed alcohol will have some in their blood. Everybody's baseline levels are different too. The levels that DVLA are looking for can be found on this forum but basically it's graded by a traffic light system.

Green is 2.1% or less.
Amber is 2.2-2.9% and will prompt GP enquiries
Red is 3% or more and indicates alcohol dependence and license will be refused.

Generally it's considered that consistently drinking in excess of about 60g of alcohol a day will produce elevated CDT readings however, some people would not need to drink as much as others and some can drink much more and still maintain a low CDT reading. To give you some perspective, there is 8g of alcohol in 1 standard UK unit. So a single 25ml shot of whiskey (40%) contains 8g of pure alcohol. A bottle of 12% wine contains 9 units and 72g alcohol. A pint of Stella contains almost 22g of alcohol.
Personally, I abstained for 23 days after drinking a bottle of wine a day, everyday and got a reading of 1.0%. So it is possible to pass even after being a consistent drinker.

I'm sorry to hear that you're suffering from depression. We all know that drinking just makes it worse so I won't go into that but I can say that my drinking had become more of a habit (and a little boredom). As difficult as I know it is, it would help if you found something to distract yourself and otherwise occupy your time. For me, I found exercise to be very helpful but you'll still have make that initial choice between grabbing the bottle of wine/vodka/beer and putting on your trainers and going for a run/workout/yoga. However the post-workout 'high' that you'll experience from your very 1st session will start to help with your depression. These are just observations from my own experience and it is not my intention to preach. ✌
Good luck!

Thanks so much for that! I am 6 months into a 40 month ban and im probably still at the "resentment stage" where im aware im pretty much thinking "well i may as well drink as my car has been taken off me" (petty and childish i know!).
They came down pretty heavy on me, as although it was my first (and last! i hasten to add) drink drive offence, i had a ban of 12 months due to driving in excess of codeine/paracetamol 7 years prior.
I ended up getting 2 months prison sentence suspended for a year, two months electronic tagging, the 40 month ban and got a letter from the DVLA saying im now considered a high risk offender. (it also hit the local newspapers on new years eve which was mortifying!)
I am still drinking but intend to cut right down and eventually abstain completely... well, i guess i will have to due to the medical at the end of the ban, hence my interest in this cdt-thing.
If I can just get this awful year over with and manage to abstain for a good 12 months, i might even try to go for getting licence back early after ive done 2 years of the ban (which will be a year come december).

sorry for waffling on, but it feels quite a relief to get this off my chest!

Rosie
 
Thanks so much for that! I am 6 months into a 40 month ban and im probably still at the "resentment stage" where im aware im pretty much thinking "well i may as well drink as my car has been taken off me" (petty and childish i know!).
They came down pretty heavy on me, as although it was my first (and last! i hasten to add) drink drive offence, i had a ban of 12 months due to driving in excess of codeine/paracetamol 7 years prior.
I ended up getting 2 months prison sentence suspended for a year, two months electronic tagging, the 40 month ban and got a letter from the DVLA saying im now considered a high risk offender. (it also hit the local newspapers on new years eve which was mortifying!)
I am still drinking but intend to cut right down and eventually abstain completely... well, i guess i will have to due to the medical at the end of the ban, hence my interest in this cdt-thing.
If I can just get this awful year over with and manage to abstain for a good 12 months, i might even try to go for getting licence back early after ive done 2 years of the ban (which will be a year come december).

sorry for waffling on, but it feels quite a relief to get this off my chest!

Rosie

No problem. Most of us are here to help and support.
I know exactly what you mean, I went through a phase of "well, I can't drive so I may as well have a drink!"
That's a long ban but I promise you can get through it. It's not easy but that's the point.
Keep in touch if you need support, this forum has been very valuable to me and many others!
 
Hi Rosie,

Ive just read your posts and that is such a harsh sentence and the local papers reporting it was really bad luck! I remember being so worried that my case would hit the local papers, what would people think!! The reality of it is that most people (who actually knew you) would have just felt bad for you and those who wanted to gossip would have found someone else to talk about within a week!!

I started my ban bitter and full of resentment, I also had to resign from work as I had a company car and so having a license formed part of my contract. So I lost my license, my car, my job just before Christmas and it's totally rubbish!! You can't see a way out so I started watching daytime TV, not leaving the house and often started drinking by early afternoon, nothing like making matters worse!!

Ive only just found this site last week and it's really helpful and you don't feel so alone when you read other people's situations. Anyway, I'm trying to sort myself out now, I've started eating healthily, stopped drinking (only recently) and started applying for jobs ( not ones I want but something to fill my time until I get my license back) already I'm feeling better for helping myself.

A lot of people on here start by struggling it really effects people's lives! I read a post on here from someone who had a long ban and appealed it and won. She did use a solicitor to do it but she also explained how to go about it I will have a look and if I can find it again I'll forward on the link.

Take care

Louise x
 
Hi Louise

yes I got my licence back. It was one year but not to do with alcohol. It's be cause I also have bipolar disorder. It has been just a huge blessing and a massive lesson.

There's much on this site which I must say has been a great help in dark times. But whatever is said about cdt, none of us is a professional. My 1.5 bottles of wine in one day in 3 months knocked me over. This is against the understanding of heavy drinking for 2 weeks to raise it. I don't know why. Equally very heavy drinkers have had low scores. But this isn't typical . Stop drinking and you will be ok. Not just for your test but for your life.

When is your test? X
Hi Millie,

I hope you're still doing well!

Although your ban wasn't alcohol related, did you still need to do a blood test and be below the 1.6% threshold?

I realise this was a long time ago now so I'm hoping you can remember!

Not that it matters now, but CDT levels increase much more quickly in women, so perhaps that's why your binge put yours up so much.
 
Hi Millie,

I hope you're still doing well!

Although your ban wasn't alcohol related, did you still need to do a blood test and be below the 1.6% threshold?

I realise this was a long time ago now so I'm hoping you can remember!

Not that it matters now, but CDT levels increase much more quickly in women, so perhaps that's why your binge put yours up so much.
Not been on the forum for a long time i doubt she will reply
 
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