Dot Physical

^^^^^^^^^^^ One of the best sleeping pills I ever had. Its 500MG of Levetiracetam. I take it 2 times a day along with gabapentin to control my epileptic seizures!

 

The answer to every question on a dot physical is No.

Tell them nothing.

 

Doctors make a pretty good income, I seriously doubt kickbacks are the motivation for sending people for a study.

http://dotphysicaldoctor.com/can-do...use-medical-card-unless-you-have-sleep-study/

 

I went for the sleep apnea test thinking it was a scam or they would say I have it just because they could. I was not tired, every once in a while I could take a nap. I learned how to sleep on demand because as truck drivers we want to alway be at 100%. So I would sleep if waiting for loading or unloading.

I found out I had sever sleep apnea. I thought they were crazy until I seen my sleep study test. The numbers showed I had 97 events per hour. An Event of not breathing has to be 10 seconds long to count. I had 97 per hour. That 970 seconds per hour. That's 16 minter per hour I was not breathing. They may have saved my life. I don't have crazy dreams anymore. I would tell anyone to at least think about how good you sleep. I now only have 1 Event per hour, 1-4 Events per hour is normal for everyone. That's why they have different levels of sleep apnea. I have so much more energy know. I did not notice how little energy has because it was just normal. I can't sleep on demand anymore because I'm not tired if I sleep 7-8 hours.

 

My blood pressure is controlled by medication, and because it medically controlled, I have to get my DOT physical done every year. My BP when under control is generally around 120/70. I was told that when I get my weight under control, I can come off the meds (DUH!), and go back to a two-year DOT physical schedule.

 

Glad it worked for you. However, most people do not want government-forced medical treatment, regardless of whether they need it.

If I get a sleep apnea test it will be because I want it, not because big daddy government tells me to get one.

 

But the government isn't. There is no law saying this or that needs a sleep study. It's solely up to the doctors best interest. They are responsible.

I'm just worried that if they pull this sleep apnea thing on me, I may never get my CDL. It is different for experienced truckers because their company will likely have their back.

 

It's not different for experienced truckers at all. Trucking companies will throw an experienced driver under the bus as fast as they will anyone else.

 

Kick backs is not the issue. The issue is the events leading up congress slapping the hands of the FMCSA on this. There are hundreds if not thousands of sleep labs in operation today. There are many physicians who do DOT physicals that are also invested or outright own these labs. These sleep labs are in response to what was the sleep apnea policy and guidance of the FMCSA before congress acted. These physicians are still forcing drivers to undergo these sleep studies under a policy that is no longer in place. I was having a meal in a local eating place and struck up a conversation with a driver with the local bus company HRT. He told me he recently had a physical and everything was OK until the doctor entered the room. This physician according to the driver was only concerned about his BMI nothing else and refused to give him a card till he agreed to do a sleep study. The driver went to another provider and got his 2 year card.

 

It's not different for experienced truckers at all. Trucking companies will throw an experienced driver under the bus as fast as they will anyone elso.