Sleep Apnea?
 

Hi All,
I've got sleep apnea but haven't gotten a diagnosis yet as I've heard the OTR companies will disqualify you for it. Real or imagined?

I've got a good local gig now but I like to keep my options open and don't want to screw myself by getting(or claiming) a condition that freaks people out.

I've heard the CPAP machines are the problem, anybody with experience?

Thanks in advance.

CPAP-Sleep Apnea
 

Lots of posts about the condition and machines on pumpkindriver.com. BOL

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder and many companies will not hire anyone with any kind of a sleeping disorder. That said, a CPAP machine is usually required if you have sleep apnea and you run into a whole new set of rules regarding the inverters needed to power most CPAP's. There are battery operated ones...if you're driving a truck, that's probably what you'll want to get.

Re: Sleep Apnea?
 

I wouldnt think of it as screwing your self out of a job by disclosing you have sleep apnea.....the altenative would be not disclosing it and falling asleep at the wheel and killing a few people/yourself.

If a company wont hire you because of sleep apnea just keep looking.....Schneider is a strict company but they hire people with sleep apnea and will even supply you with a CPAP.

Heavy snoring leads to enlarged heart,high blood pressure ,increase risk of a stroke and all types of problems...

A CPAP will keep your airway open while you sleep and you will wake up feeling like Superman himself.

I was never diagnosed with "sleep apnea". My wife said I had it. I lost 75 pounds.....now I don't have sleep apnea anymore, I don't snore, and I sleep just fine. The third sentence in this post is a "hint". Got it?

I have sleep apnea and only informed the doctor that did my med card exam. He said as long as I used the machine every nite, there would be no issue. There was no question ever asked by my current employer during the hiring process. I have an inverter on my truck, but my machine can also run off 12v if needed. The amp draw is very minimal. I've used it when camping in my pickup for days at a time and it never run the battery down low enough to not be able to start the truck.
Sleep apnea is not considered a serious disorder unless it's not treated. If you've been diagnosed, but haven't started the machine yet, you're in for a big surprise once you get used to the mask.

Thanks guys, just wanted some perspectives on it. I will indeed take care of the problem and not be a danger to others. I definitely get the "hint" Skywalker, the wife's got me on a diet and I've been banned from my regular snack stops.

Good deal!! One thing that really helped me actually was the "South Beach Diet"..... it really works, as long as you don't lose the weight and go back to eating the stuff that got you heavy in the first place. Its mostly about eliminating sugar and carbs. The book has a comprehensive listing in the back that gives the "glycemic" values of foods....eating the ones with the lowest amount...will cause you to drop weight. I got rid of 75 pounds in 6 months. Best of luck to you!!

I have had a machine for many years, even wore one out. I won't sleep a night without it. I don't wake up feeling like superman, but that has nothing to do with sleeping just old age.

I've had Sleep Apnea all my life - in my case weight has nothing to do with it (though I'm losing weight anyway)

In Colorado, you have to have your regular (or sleep studies) physician sign off on a waiver.. and you have to re-test every year. Better hope your insurance will cover the test. I use National Jewish in Denver - $2200 for the study, $350 for the oversight physician - but then, they are the best respiratory hospital in the country.

My current machine is actually a BiPap... not only is air forced into my lungs (keeping the airway open), I have to fight against air pressure to breathe out. THAT took some getting used to.

How many of you other tornado breathers have done this, just to pull your wife's chain:

Roll over in the middle of the night, and open your mouth right next to her ear - letting all that wonderful air rush from mask to nose to throat to ear.
(note: this only works with a nasal mask, If you use a nose/mouth mask..you'll have to find some other way to yank her chain)

Suggestion: Don't' Mine hit me we a bucket of snow at 5 am for that trick. Good thing she's a paramedic - I nearly had a heart attack right then and there. I THINK she'd have CPR'd me and sent the kids for the defib.

Just to throw my 2 cents in, Swift will allow sleep apnea drivers, and they are the only company drivers allowed to run direct battery connected inverters, and idle their trucks. Go figure, gotta have a disorder to get the perks ;)

I think I remember hearing at Schneider that you can get free S.A. testing under their insurance and they'll provide the CPAP.

How do you know if you have it without getting tested? Within the past couple years I've gotten to where I can't sleep on my back because I snore so bad it wakes me up as soon as I doze off. As long as I sleep on my stomach I'm ok. I look sleep deprived a lot because of the darkness under my eyes and I'm tired pretty often.

The CPAP is free as long as you work for them for 1 year(contract). They also require you to sleep at least 4 hours a night with the CPAP, they are able to monitor how long you sleep through a data card you insert into the CPAP machine.

This is what I last heard of thier policy it may have changed.

I know I have it because I'm lucky enough to sleep with a nurse a few nights a week. :D I'm going to go through with the process in order to improve my life and my health but just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to do it at the expense of my employment. I want to try my luck with some regional work next year and just wanted to find out if this would be an issue.

Thanks to all for the responses.

Very interesting!! What does CPAP stand for?

I went from sleeping like a baby(no snoring) when I did the beer job, pretty fit @ 193 pounds to 215 pounds doing the fuel job and seems like I sleep longer and wake up tired.

The worse part is my wife has almost banned me from the bedroom due to very loud snoring. Does'nt matter if I sleep on my back, side, or stomach. I actually have been falling asleep on the couch for a couple of hours(i get home at 2 or 3 AM) till she gets up in the mourning so she can get a good nights sleep. Have tried the little nose ring thingy, spray for the throat, and Vicks under the nose.

If I can solve this maybe NO PANTY FRIDAY will turn into NO PANTY MONDAY,WEDNESDAY,FRIDAY!!!!

Peace Out, 8) 8)
Fuelman

Most companies require not only the sleep study but an additional test for Pilots,Truck drivers and Train engineers. You go through a series of sitting in the dark to see if you fall asleep during the day. Once you are singned off on them then I havent found problems with any company accepting you as a driver.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
I have a cpap machine just hired by Swift.
I have a 12 volt machine that I take on the truck.
All trucking companys will only give you a 12 month medical if you have Sleep Apnea.
Here is a good web site for SA http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/snoring/cpap.cfm

on a more positive note - you may not need a CPAP (or BiPAP).. I got along for years and years on a simple nasal canula feeding me concentrated O2. It's a lot more quiet than a CPAP (which aren't terribly loud in the first place), and it's a lot less.. intrusive. Just a little plastic tube under the nose, instead of a nose/face mask.

If you are diagnosed with SA and your insurance won't spring for the machine (I hate most insurance companies), don't get too wired up. They sell for as little as $250 or so. Or, you can go high-end with a humidifier and all built in for about $1500.