Commercial Driver License and cpap

ywp · Post by **ywp** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:58 am

My CDL physical is coming up. Since my last physical I have mild apnea and am using CPAP. I never had trouble with sleepiness. Sleep doctor has no problem with it, being mild.

How will this affect my state license, insurance, employment etc. when I disclose it and come out of the closet, being a hose head.

Thanks

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:59 pm

It would vairy according to the rules you have to follow in your state, unless disclosure is stated, I would apply the "Don't Ask Don't Tell Rule), always a good idea when dealing with a Government.

I would keep a record of my compliance, for safety. Jim

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:38 pm

I would NOT disclose it, let them find it out for themselves.

Disclose it and you are only shooting yourself in the head, you will put yourself under greater scrutiny, disqualify yourself from life insurance, cause any medical insurance premiums to rise and in some cases cause you to lose employment.

IF your doctor has any etics at all they will maintain the doctor-patient privileged information just as a attorney-client relationship.

Disclose a medical condition on your CDL and it will be available for every slime ball insurance company around.

About the best you can do is stay compliant, if you have a data capable machine you pull reports showing where you are compliant, if you ever get into an accident and it comes up you can resort to those compliance reports to make and defend your case.

Don't have reports? well then you are screwed like every other patient that doesn't have a data capable machine.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:39 pm

In some states Physicians are now required to report a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea to the State DMV. Just be careful what you are reading and answering no too, they may already know.

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:03 am

I live in Ontario Canada. My sleep specialist is required, by law, to inform the Department of Motor Vehicles that a person has sleep apnea and he/she has to state that that person can drive a motor vehicle, in his medical opinion.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:59 am

I am rather lucky here.The clinic that does our DOT physicals is different than my primary care Dr. so I have taken the "don't ask don't tell policy".
I would assume (i know that just gets you in trouble) that as long as it's being treated it's no different than any other mild medical condition.Besides theres a LOT of drivers out here with it.

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:18 am

"Guest" is right, as far as Ontario Canada is concerned. As long as it is being treated there is no problem with the drivers License here.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:18 am

Your profile shows that you have the REMstar M Series Pro. That's a data-capable machine. If you have the card reader and software, you can prove your compliance and the effectiveness of your therapy if need be. As long as I'm sleeping with my machine and getting good therapy, I don't consider myself as having "Obstructive Sleep Apnea".......to me, that term is for the UN-treated condition.
As the others have said......don't volunteer any information that can come back to bite you in the......."wherever".

Den

trice54 · Post by **trice54** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:07 am

About Ontario...I also live in Ontario (but just for last 18 mo.) and never heard that.... Did your doctors tell you that or is supposedly common knowledge? Do you need to carry some sort of statement from your dr saying it is ok to drive? Thanks...Trice

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:00 pm

trice 54 - my Sleep Specialist told me that. I don't have to carry anything. He sent a letter to the appropriate Govt. dept. That was almost 6 years ago. Like Wulfman says, if you are using your machine you are being treated and it is as if you don't have sleep apnea. It's not that it is cured but it is being managed so that driving is not an issue at all. I guess the letter is in my file! I did not even think about the issue of driving until he (the Specialist) told me that the law required him to write that letter. I think I have a copy of it in my files. He wanted me to know what he had said in the letter. He basically said I have sleep apnea, controlled by a cpap machine and, in his medical opinion, I am able to operate a motor vehicle. I had even forgotten about it until I saw this post!

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