Sleep study required for DOT med card.

I just had my re-certification last week. Doc measure my neck, under 17 in. Weight 225, height 6’ 2”, BMI 29. Anyone over 300lbs, it’s not good.

 

I was at Concerta and they tried to pull the same stunt, "you need a sleep study". Even though I already have a CPAP machine (for unrelated reasons) which automatically does a sleep study every night and stores logs onto a SD card, and shows my sleep apnea index, which shows I do not have sleep apnea at all. So I went to DOT Express in Las Vegas instead and they were very good (recommended!).

 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Section 391.41(b)(5) requires that an individual must have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with the ability to safely drive a CMV in interstate commerce.

The Medical Advisory Criteria (Appendix A to Part 391, Section E),
identifies OSA as one of several respiratory dysfunctions that may be detrimental
to safe driving as this condition may interfere with driver alertness and may
cause gradual or sudden incapacitation.

Symptoms associated with sleep apnea include but are not limited to:
• Loud snoring
• Episodes of stopping to breath for greater than 10 seconds during sleep
• Gasping for air during sleep
• Awakening with a dry mouth
• Morning headache
• Insomnia
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty focusing while awake
• Irritability

--------------------------------------------------
FMCSA reminds MEs that the Agency has no rules, or regulatory guidance, or
criteria specifically on OSA screening, testing, and treatment beyond the
existing requirements in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(5) and the 2000 Medical Advisory Criteria which
IS NOT MANDATORY !!
--------------------------------------------------

 

When will people learn that you should never go to Concentra for a DOT physical?
There are many other, less costly places to go that are not aggressively pressing for sleep studies. Google DOT physical and then call around to other facilities in your area.

 

Another thing… the only time I would ever go to Concentra again is if my employer required it. I hurt my toe at work and Concentra was the closest facility to our location. In addition to X-rays and a mandatory drug test, they performed several other test for flexibility and I forget what else.
X-ray showed no break but I still had to come back for two more follow-up visits. If I did not return for the visits then Workers Comp Ins would not pay the bill.
Concentra runs their clinics like a salesperson trying to build up residual payments.

 

Those BMI calculators you have to take with a grain of salt because they don't differentiate between lean muscle mass and fat weight. To take an extreme and ridiculous example, a professional athlete or fitness/bodybuilding type could be 6'2"/225 and 6% body fat, but according to the BMI charts that person is on the verge of obese. FFMI (fat-free mass index) is a better gauge of whether a person is "fat" or not. The problem is getting an accurate read on your body fat percentage is a little difficult.

 

You're convinced you're going to live forever then by watching what you eat? Yes, this guy should do that so they don't take his job away and lessen his health risks by losing some weight, but my point is that you ain't gettin' away with anything either. Maybe just for a little longer than him.

 

Ya, I see very few of them types out here on roads… lol

 

Very few of them types anywhere out in general society...especially so in this country.

 

You nailed it. I have posted on here before about Concentra and they’re underlying motivations. I pay for my own physicals now and flip off Concentra.
I googled driver friendly DOT physicals and found one in Whiteland IN. He only does tests required by DOT and uses the tolerances set by DOT. For example he points out things in his office that are red, yellow, green, and has you identify the color. He said DOT does not require a colorblind test, only that you can distinguish red, yellow, and green.