Does sleep apnea affect passing DOT physical?

Get a new doctor.
Tell the new doctor you have no symptoms of apnea..

 

If you have sleep apnea and can sleep with the machine you will benefit from it greatly. My mother-in-law would be in the bed over 24hrs. and get up tired. The first time I used that machine and woke up rested and felt great I knew it was beneficial. I thought it was a bunch of crap before.

 

When I was going through the sleep apnea process I had a tiered system.
2 weeks of data got me a 30 day card
30 days of data got me a 90 day card
90 days of data got me the 1 year card
Their seems to be no set standard with this and it was really irritating. Each doctor is allowed to make their own judgement. I had a few that were dead set on 90 day minimum. Concentra is the place I ended up going to. Didn't matter what Concentra I called either they all gave me the same breakdown where as with other clinics I would get different answers from location to location.

 

Never lie on your long form. Just disclose your sleep apnea diagnoses. It will not affect your ability to get your CDL.

 

This is the one area I will tell people to lie on. Sleep apnea is not required, and congress has even told FMCSA to prove it's required in a specific law before making it part of the physical. FMCSA did an end run, instead of proving apnea is an issue they simply recommend checking for it.
Since FMCSA refused to follow the intent of congress about it, why should I volunteer for the apnea scam?

Now the above is if it's simply recommended by the dot dr. If it's an actual previous diagnostic and you are in compliance because it actually helps, sure go ahead and say as much. Just don't volunteer to be part of the scam.

 

I got caught in the trap when they told me my neck size was too big. Even though it is not law and is up to each doctor per say its impossible to argue the point with them especially when they hold your livelihood in their hands.
I was unhappy with them especially since their is no set standard and each doctor had their own criteria wanting 90 days of data for example. Needs to be a standard across the board.
With that said the cpap does make a difference. When I first got it I thought it was a bunch of bs. I've been on it a year now and my opinion has definitely changed and I would not go a day with out it.

 

I don't disagree for some people it's useful. Funny thing is though I've never talked to someone that was told to go get a test and they didn't need a CPAP. A 100% rate for recommending a CPAP is, to say the least, very unlikely. Then there is the fact this always seems to be an issue when one is trying to get a job, thus no insurance to pay for the testing and machine.
I know personally 2 people that have been diagnosed with apnea and must use the machine, but even the machine stats show there isn't an issue. One is 0.2 even per hour and the other is 0.7. No apnea is less than 5 events per hour with mild being 5-15 events per hour. They both only use it to be complaint. I.e. the month before physical expires they get that 70% @ 4 hours a day (or whatever the requirements are)

 

Yeah was out of pocket for both the test and machine. Did an at home test which was cheaper but overall its still a pain in the ###. My apneas were pretty high came in at severe with very low blood oxygen.
All about the money. 100% diagnosis rate pure cash grab. Kind of like anything in healthcare. Dentist wanted to stretch-out something that can be done in one appointment to 3. Why? cash grab.
Told him if he wants to rob insurance companies that his prerogative but he wouldn't be robbing me, no insurance for him to fleece. His tone changed real quick when I dropped the no insurance bomb on him.

 

He was not diagnosed as apnea, he was given a 3 month until he had a test completed.
As I said, find a real doctor..

 

Read the post again. OP was PRESCRIBED a CPAP machine by his Doctor. You do not just pick one up a Walmart. It is a prescribed medical device. This wasn't "ordered" due to a DOT physical. Apparently the OP was diagnosed with sleep apnea by their personal doctor. If you have a diagnoses and a prescription for a device, it must be listed on your long form. It will not disqualify you from a DOT Medical card.