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.

 

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.

 

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.