CDL w/mild to moderate sleep apnea

I have a CDL license and have mild to moderate sleep apnea, or so the Dr. says. I have been reading that you don't have to use a cpap machine if your apnea is mild to moderate. I can't tolerate the machine and need a different way to be in compliance. Has anyone went with a dental devise and which one would be compliant?

mlr3370 wrote:I have a CDL license and have mild to moderate sleep apnea, or so the Dr. says. I have been reading that you don't have to use a cpap machine if your apnea is mild to moderate. I can't tolerate the machine and need a different way to be in compliance. Has anyone went with a dental devise and which one would be compliant?

I find that hard to believe...where did you see that? Moderate sleep apnea could be as high as 29 events per hour. 30 is severe.

Please inform us of your itinerary.
I, for one am fond of getting home alive.

IF (big IF) you wore a dental device and IF (another big IF) it resolved your OSA issues (proven by using it during an in lab sleep study) how on earth would I know that you used it every night? Take you at your word??? I don't think so.

You have to deal with the rules and regulations in place right now by the DOT.
They don't consider dental devices as an option for therapy (probably for good reason and not just because there's no way to make sure someone is actually using it).

If you can't abide by or follow the rules necessary to keep your CDL license...find another job. Easier said than done I know only too well since I am a wife of a truck driver who has to follow the CDL and DOT rules and regulations just like everyone else.
You will get zero sympathy here.

mlr3370 wrote: . . . can't tolerate . . .

Why?
Please explain.
We might have solutions to make it more comfortable.
Our providers too often set a person up for failure--we can often help.

Please train for another profession, Sleep Number Bed testing might be good! Jim

mlr3370 wrote:I have a CDL license and have mild to moderate sleep apnea, or so the Dr. says. I have been reading that you don't have to use a cpap machine if your apnea is mild to moderate. I can't tolerate the machine and need a different way to be in compliance. Has anyone went with a dental devise and which one would be compliant?

Under current FMCA rules If you cannot pass an in lab sleep study you must go on CPAP. This is the only recognized treatment.

You need to use it a minimum of 4 hours per day for 7 out of 10 days. Since you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea you WILL need a printout showing you are compliant to pass your DOT physical.

I was where you are now, I know it is hard to get used to CPAP, but I had no choice if I wanted to keep my job.

I started out keeping the mask on for 4 hours a night. then each day I set a goal of 10 minutes more than the night before. Now I never sleep without the CPAP.

There is a lot of useful information on these boards that can help you.

Gary

The word "can't" is an extremely destructive word.
Erase it from your dictionary before it kills you.

chunkyfrog wrote:The word "can't" is an extremely destructive word.
Erase it from your dictionary before it kills you.

Look it up in the dictionary, they include the picture of a loser right next to it. Jim

mlr3370 wrote:I have a CDL license and have mild to moderate sleep apnea, or so the Dr. says. I have been reading that you don't have to use a cpap machine if your apnea is mild to moderate. I can't tolerate the machine and need a different way to be in compliance. Has anyone went with a dental devise and which one would be compliant?

You need to find a way to "tolerate" the machine. Though I never looked at it that way and maybe that's why I had a relatively easy time of it. There are many folks here who can help you with advice on how to make it easier for yourself. Believe me, it's your own life that is at stake here.

I tried numerous dental devices and the only thing they did was painfully change my bite and make it very difficult to have breakfast in the morning. They did nothing for my snoring or Apnea.

I don't think we are going to convince him, I think I say his truck by the lake, some one was out in the water, paddling in circles with one oar! Jim

Denial is a cruel mistress.

" I have been reading that you don't have to use a cpap machine if your apnea is mild to moderate."

"Please inform us of your itinerary."
"If you can't abide by or follow the rules necessary to keep your CDL license...find another job."
"Please train for another profession"
"Since you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea you WILL need a printout showing you are compliant to pass your DOT physical."
"You need to find a way to "tolerate" the machine."
"I don't think we are going to convince him, I think I say his truck by the lake, some one was out in the water, paddling in circles with one oar!"
"Denial is a cruel mistress."

Absolutely brilliant, these responses were. Sorry to spoil the party.

His question was not, "I'm falling asleep at the wheel. Can I get away with not using CPAP?"

He was asking about this:
https://dotphysicaldoctor.com/commercia ... ntain-cdl/

Medical Certification

The following recommendations were made to the FMCSA by the Medical Expert Panel.
A driver diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea OSA may be medically certified if:

Diagnosed with mild to moderate OSA (AHI <= 20) AND has no daytime sleepiness. Does not need to be treated with CPAP.

Diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA (AHI greater than 20). Must demonstrate satisfactory compliance with recommended PAP therapy and report that OSA is being effectively treated.

Zombie thread alert folks...2017 thread.

It's still a valid question. Maybe someone else can learn from it.