Sleep Apnea ?'s

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by bigcountry30, May 29, 2009.

  1. bigcountry30

    bigcountry30 Light Load Member

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    Ok i sometimes wonder if i may have sleep apnea. I have read up on the subject and seem to have alot of the main symptoms. My main question is if I go to the dr and test positive for sleep apnea will this disqualify me or limit my ability to obtain my medical certificate. Any other useful tips or info is appreciated. I want to get tested but don't want to jeopardize my career that I love so much. I know i am at risk if i have it and don't get tested but need some input.
     
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  3. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

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    As it stands now, it won't disqualify you. If you have sleep apnea, it's better that you get tested and get on a CPAP machine because they actually seem to do some good - as posted by others here. Last thing we need on the road is another too tired driver!

    If you have apnea, the company that hires you and DOT will require that you use the CPAP machine. It helps if the trucks that a company uses either has an inverter that will support the machine or a policy that allows you to use own inverter in the truck. These are some questions you should be asking recruiters.
     
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  4. bigcountry30

    bigcountry30 Light Load Member

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    Yeah i am not going to be switching co's and we are allowed to have inverters. Our shop will actually install them for us we just have to purchase the equipment. As far as too tired this is one of the reasons i am wondering. i don't drive tired but here lately i have not been sleeping well at night and have found myself having to stop and take a nap during the day which i never used to have to due. I won't drive tired, easier for me to be late, than me to be dead or someone else.
     
  5. 112racing

    112racing Road Train Member

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    most of the machines will run off your 12 volt source unless you use the humidifier then you will need a small inverter but if you think you might have sleep apnea get it checked it causes alot of problems up to and including death!!! ( a guy up the road from me died in febuary after refusing the pacemaker or to use the machine)

    because i have it they put in a pacemaker because without the machine my heart would slow down to as low as 25 beats per minute with 75-100 being normal (i have no heart problems) and the average person with sleep apnea can stop breathing as many as 200 times a night depriving your body of oxegen is why your heart slows down .

    you will feel like a different person when u get the machine

    you only need like a 400 watt inverter for one with the humidifier
     
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  6. bigcountry30

    bigcountry30 Light Load Member

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    well my main concern was that it might disqualify me from keeping my cdl. If it won't then i am definitely getting tested. Do you feel rested now after a nights sleep? Do you have more energy? I have heard that the cpap machine can be very hard to get used to when trying to sleep, is this true? Keep the comments coming. thanks
     
  7. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

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    Hey bc, I've been on CPAP since 2001. I have used it successfully when OTR with Knight Trans. It will literally "make a new man" out of you.

    Now as far as it being hard to get used to, I did have a bit of a problem with the head gear. It took some experimenting to find what I needed that did not bother me.

    Interestingly enough, I am claustrophobic. I wondered if that would cause me a problem with the mask, but it did not. Of course neither did sleeping in the sleeper, which I had also wondered about prior to getting into trucking.

    There are so many different type masks that a person should be able to find one that is right for them. Good luck!
     
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  8. bigcountry30

    bigcountry30 Light Load Member

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    Thanks Big Don. Also does anybody know if sleep apnea is hereditary? I'll be calling my Doc next week to get setup for testing.
     
  9. 112racing

    112racing Road Train Member

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    i don't think they have actually diagnosed sleep apnea as a disorder long enough to determine if it's heredetary but snoring and waking regularly are major indicators. you think you are waking just to take a leak or whatever but it's the apnea doing it altho because you snore doesn't nessesarily mean you have it

    some people get used to it right away others like me take weeks make shure you try different masks during the test (i went thru 5) to get one that suits you there are forums if you google them and a lot more people than you think have it.

    if you are in compliance with your machine you should have no problems with your cdl/ medical card i have mine just make sure when you get a prescription (can't get a machine without a prescription) for the machine you get one with a card reader


    like don said you will feel like a new person!!!
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2009
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  10. bigcountry30

    bigcountry30 Light Load Member

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  11. 48Packard

    48Packard Ol' Two-stop Shag!

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    I've been on CPAP since Oct '07, and it HAS made a new man out of me!

    Despite the fact I'm still severely overweight (5'6", was 266, now about 250 and dropping), I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel.

    My father, a physician, has used CPAP for nearly 9 years. He's my height but of normal weight. We both suspect his father may have suffered from SA, but he passed in 1986 before a lot was known about it.

    I have a severe case, so I use the "snorkel" type mask. I've only missed one day in the entire time, and that was early on when I just couldn't get the thing comfortable one night, so I didn't use it the required 4 hours for it to count as a day.

    I had the waking up choking and gasping, tossing and turning, and getting up to pee up to 5 times a night. I probably did this for nearly 20 years. Now, that's all changed. I don't get the afternoon "drowzies" anymore, and even on those nights when I have a difficult time falling asleep, I still feel three times better than my best night without CPAP.

    BTW...my medical card can only be issued for one year instead of two because of the SA, and SA is in my record so that I have to use CPAP. But other than that, I'm good to go!

    Happy sleeping!
     
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