Sleep apnea diagnosis/driving “on topic”

TheMachine

Are you sure you want to punch out?
I’m not sure they liked it.

Quite clearly a life altering experience.

They haven’t revealed what happened to the driver of the semi that wiped out half of the junior hockey team yesterday in Canada, but apparently he ran stop sign.

They need to come up with something less intrusive. Say you and your lady, or man, lead an active nightly routine....can’t be looking like Bane.
 

Old Man Jingles

Rat out of a cage
Took me a long time to get accustomed to exhale against the incoming pressure.
I could never tell any difference in my energy, or alertness level that I could attribute to the machine.

I hated the mask on my face; if I woke up during the night and saw that the 4 hour window had passed, it was coming off right then.
Try the nasal pillows ... I didn't like the mask either.
 

brown_trousers

Well-Known Member
I bet there are a lot of people who would willingly get checked for sleep apnea and wear a mask when sleeping. But they dont, because they dont like the idea of big brother watching over there sleep stats, and the DOT keeping a tight leash on them.

I wonder if they are helping or hurting the issue by encouraging drivers to cheat and find workarounds to avoid getting a sleep study
 

upsgrunt

Well-Known Member
It's even worse now, the newest machines transmit all data to the health provider wirelessly. You must have 4 continuous hours of use each night, for that night to count as a complete sleep cycle. There is also a threshold percentage of use over the year that must be maintained, but I could never get anyone to disclose that number.

Before you go for your yearly DOT exam you must obtain a printout of compliance from the CPAP provider to give to the doctor at the time of the physical. I can tell you from experience that you have apnea, along with hypertension, they are looking more to disqualify you, than to pass you.


I was told at least 4 hours a night; 70% of the time to satisfy the DOT regulations.
 

Wally

BrownCafe Innovator & King of Puns
Once you get diagnosed with sleep apnea you have to use a C-PAP machine as long as you want a DOT Card. I have to get a letter from my pulmonary doctor before I go for my yearly physical. The C-PAP machine has a memory card you take to the doctor so they know you are using it. The surgery is a joke and it seldom works.
I would ask to use the machine to see if I "sleep better". This way you are never really diagnosed.
 
F

Frankie's Friend

Guest
I tried to get my DOT card renewed today, it expires Sunday. So I took the day off to go to my personal physician at 7:30 and the pulmonary doctor at 8:15 to get my C-PAP compliance letter. It took three months to get the appointment with the pulmonary doctor, I wasn't waiting until the last minute. I got my C-PAP machine memory card read and the compliance letter from the doctor with no problem, so off to the industrial clinic for the two hour wait for a DOT Physical I go.

New this year, the DOT Exam you print off UPSers.com is no good now where I am. They had to send my phone a link to log into a "FormFox" App to fill out the same info. The doctor does my physical and finds no problem, or so I thought. She refused to sign my DOT card because I didn't bring in a 90-day printout from the C-PAP memory card. Nobody from UPS HR or management has informed me about changes to DOT regulations, my Center Manager was completely clueless about any of this. I drove back to the pulmonary doctor after going back home to retrieve the memory card to get it read again. The therapist went home early so they couldn't fax the printout to the clinic. I drove back to the clinic and turned in the printout. The doctor still refused to sign the card despite me having two documents proving that I am in compliance. She said something about the DOT requires her to review this paperwork within 24-48 hours, now I have a 45-day extension to go back and get a signed DOT Card from that clinic. My Center Manager told me to get the two documents and he would authorize me going to a different clinic and starting a new exam. I wasn't allowed by the new DOT rules to do this, this is all online now.

Every year I go now the rules seem to change. HR is no help at the building I work in so I would suggest anybody diagnosed with sleep apnea to do a little research into what you exactly need to get a DOT Card these days. I wasted eight hours today for nothing, its ridiculous.

My last physical they were all over my neck size. Oh we must delve deeper into this...

Pretty annoying if you have a larger developed neck. Never had any complaints of snoring in my life and despite this she was adamant my neck size was an issue.

So if you like to workout, stop. Must have a skinny neck to drive...

I weigh 50 more pounds than you
and only 2 inches taller. I pass every year. I suggest you get a new doctor....

It's even worse now, the newest machines transmit all data to the health provider wirelessly. You must have 4 continuous hours of use each night, for that night to count as a complete sleep cycle. There is also a threshold percentage of use over the year that must be maintained, but I could never get anyone to disclose that number.

Before you go for your yearly DOT exam you must obtain a printout of compliance from the CPAP provider to give to the doctor at the time of the physical. I can tell you from experience that you have apnea, along with hypertension, they are looking more to disqualify you, than to pass you.

I have a 45-minute drive going to work, I used to have trouble staying awake. I had no problems at work, 17 stops an hour kept me awake. The amount of extra energy and alertness has been very noticeable since treatment. I get a good night's sleep and I am fully alert in the morning now.
We locally went thru this for a few yrs and found out the nurse/pract who gave our exams was married to the guy who ran the sleep apnea clinic.
We found that we had two other locations that we could use to take our med exam and chose to try them out.
It took 1/2 the time to get in and out plus the garbage 90 day temp cards disappeared.
If you are chronically tired i would suggest going to your personal GP prior to your card expiring to get checked out.
Fatigue is a part of our job at times but chronic fatigue may be masking another physical ailment.
Dont wait until you're forced off the road to seek help but also dont suffer thru some garbage clinic exam that is seemingly a cash cow without merit.
 

Danger96

Member
I’m currently off for knee replacement but just got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea with an absolute av heart block. I still have just under a year left on my DOT card. Will they suspend my DOT certification until it’s under control? I’ve heard it can be 90 days of verified use before it’s reinstated.
 

trickpony1

Well-Known Member
-Hover the cursor above your name in the topright corner.
-A menu will drop down.
-"user name change" is third from the bottom on right side.
-click on it.

I don't know how to change the picture.
Maybe a moderator can help.

It's for your protection.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
I’m currently off for knee replacement but just got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea with an absolute av heart block. I still have just under a year left on my DOT card. Will they suspend my DOT certification until it’s under control? I’ve heard it can be 90 days of verified use before it’s reinstated.
30 days of use
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
So I wouldn’t be able to drive for 30 days?
Since you have a card I’m not sure it’s a problem.

Mine was diagnosed during a Renewal. I got a 90 day card then was supposed to get a 1 year when I went back. But it took those whole 90 days to go through the tests and get my machine. Then I got another extension to prove I was wearing it.
 
Top