I was diagnosed with RA many years ago. I have seen a consultant once or twice a year until covid.
No-one has ever told me that I should not drive. I don'y feel unsafe but I only take short tips now. I have never felt that my hands are making my driving difficult. I can hold the steering wheel comfortably. However, do you think I should be having more contact with GP surgery.
I don’t really know what your GP could do, if you can drive and hold the steering wheel ok then surely that’s the same as anyone else who drives, if you were having problems then that’d be different and you would have to look at whether you were safe yourself, your GP wouldn’t do that. Happy driving.
Thank you I must admit I feel safe to drive, though I have given up on long journeys now.
Carry on carrying on!
Gosh, if you can hold the wheel safely, your vision is up to the required standard and you are able to do everything you need to then I would definitely carry on driving. I wouldn’t bother with the GP.
a friend of mine she got her Mum a refresher course specific for older people to regain confidence and said it was the best thing as her Mum was much more confident after.
Maybe try an automatic
One of the first things my specialist said to do was get an automatic when he saw my swollen wrists. Then I had trouble turning the key and I now have push button start. Just glorious. I was lucky I could upgrade, not easy for everyone.
I’m confused why would you need to see a gp, if you have no issues. You don’t need to inform dvla unless you’ve had to make adjustments to the car in order for you to continue. This would include things like additional mirrors, to accommodate neck stiffness.
You don't need more contact with anyone unless you have a problem . You should have a number to contact your rheumatology team if you need to see someone. If you don't have a problem with driving then then there is no issue, obviously if your in a flare and in to much pain then I'm sure you wouldn't drive anyway. Rheumatoid arthritis is not a condition you need to report unless its causing you problems when driving and you need adaptions to be able to drive safely
So long as you can honestly declare yourself fit to drive each time you sit behind the steering wheel and, you don't need any adaptions to your car, then you should be ok. Other than that, some drugs state on the packets, don't drive can cause drowsiness, i.e. codeine, but if you take at night, then you should be ok during the day.
What questions do they ask on the self-certification to drive form after age 70, do you have any other medical conditions that might need declaring?
I still drive, I’m sure many people with RA do. As long as you feel safe then carry on. I had to disclose another health problem to the DVLA so to be 100% honest I disclosed my RA and all the drugs I was on and they weren’t interested.
I have checked about this and you need to ensure GP, RA consultant happy for you to drive, if any changes then have to inform your car insurers. More info in link below.
gov.uk/driving-medical-cond...
But they aren’t going to check you can drive are they, it’s on us to decide if we are safe or not as RA isn’t a notifiable disease. Not once in over 30 years have I ever had driving mentioned to me by rheumys despite my hands and feet being a mess 🤷🏻♀️
I was advised to stop driving, not even allowed an automatic until after surgery and the 'all clear' BUT my arthritis affects my knees and they seize up if I'm not moving
I have been driving for years with crippled hands. We have a steering ball fitted which is so helpful. You will know yourself if u dont feel safe
Keep your independence as long as you can . If your car is helping you get out and about, carry on driving. If you feel safe and are confident, I think it is down to you to make that decision.
Having RA is not, in itself, a reason why you shouldn't drive. Indeed, if you have RA, being able to drive may allow you to get around whereas walking and getting on/off a bus could be very difficult.
It could become an issue if your joints get so painful and stiff that you can't safely operate the controls or move your head to look around. This might only be a problem if you are having a "flare" and you could be fine most of the time.
Changing to an automatic or adding some blindspot mirrors might be enough to resolve such problems.
I remember, when I was first diagnosed with RA and before it was controlled by methotrexate, that I sometimes avoided changing gear because my hands were too sore. I also had a spell when I couldn't twist my neck to look behind - which caused problems on single track roads. I would also get very stiff after driving for more than an hour. That didn't affect my driving as such but did make it a slow process getting out of the car!
If you are suffering a lot of fatigue then you would be well advised not to drive for too long at a time.
If you are getting older, you may of course be having more problems (unrelated to RA) with your cognition, eyesight, medications etc that could make it advisable to cut back on driving or even stop. If a GP noticed such things then you might be advised that it is better not to drive. Otherwise, you are probably in a better position than your GP to know if you are having problems driving.
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