DVLA / Treadmill test

[Challenger2009]

Evening guys and hope everyone is doing ok, I have received a letter from the DVLA to undertake a treadmill test to see of I am fit enough to keep my HGV, I have coronary arterie disease and currently waiting to be seen again due ongoing issues with chest, arm and jaw pain plus lots of breathlessness and fatigue, I wonder how difficult the test is and if I should be even taking it, not having my HGV for a short time wouldn't effect me to much as I am mostly office based and currently work from home at the moment anyone able to give me there experience of the test I have read plenty online thanks in advance.

[Woodensider]

Hi Challenger.I had HA in February 2020 & my HGV was revoked immediately. I was due to do the treadmill test 6 weeks later but covid landed & that went out the window. Managed to get one about 12 weeks post HA. I was reasonably fit anyway, but found it quite easy. I had 2 nurses monitoring me with ECG & BP being monitored. If you are struggling with it they will stop it. It starts off level & quite slow then speeds up & the treadmill lifts to give the effect of walking uphill at a steady pace. I can't remember how long it lasted, but at least 12 minutes maybe longer.

You should also have an echocardiogram done at the same visit to establish your ejection fraction. This is an ultrasound image of your heart beating to establish it's efficiency as a percentage. I've read many different things on here about EF, but my cardiologist said a very fit person will have not much more than 55%. I was 30% during my HA. By the time I went for my treadmill & echo it was back to 50%. Hope this helps

[Challenger2009 in reply to Woodensider]

Many thanks for the reply

[Bigrig]

Hi Challenger2009, I am also an HGV driver & was getting severe breathlessness & fatigue along with arm pain & "heartburn" in 2019,

I was referred to rapid access chest pain clinic & took the treadmill test there, I couldn't complete the first stage & that was the start of my recovery process, licence revoked, meds, angiogram leading to triple bypass, then further treadmill test which I passed & got my licence back.

The DVLA treadmill test requires you to complete the 1st 3 stages of the "Bruce Protocol: each stage is 3 minutes long you are fully wired up to ecg & bloodpressure machines during the test & fully monitored throughout.

My advice is take the test, it will help to find out exactly what is wrong & move on to the appropriate treatment - good luck

[Challenger2009]

Afternoon, I originally had it suspended for 6 weeks on diagnosis but have been waiting on the dvla getting back to me, I don't drive them at the moment due to the daily issues I am having not comfortable in case something goes wrong hopefully after this I will get more answers.