CPAPtalk.com

OP: the only way you're going to be able to keep driving without using your CPAP is to prove that you no longer have sleep apnea. A lawyer can't do that. You'll need a medical test. As others have said, weight loss might reduce your untreated AHI -- although the severe nature of your apnea makes that less likely. You could try losing that extra weight you are carrying and getting another sleep study. If your AHI is below the limit without a mask during that study, your doctor will, I'm sure, sign off on it. But until then, you must use your CPAP if you want the privilege of driving.

robysue wrote:

70sSanO wrote: The doctor specifically told me that the rules have changed and that if an individual has indicators of a sleep disorder, including neck size, a sleep study would need to be done to determine if a sleep order exists.

The question that was raised (much) earlier in this thread was:

If you have a professional driver's license and a required sleep test reveals that you do indeed have moderate to severe OSA, must you use a CPAP in order to continue to qualify for your license? Or is it possible to use an oral appliance instead?

Like bv1800, I strongly suspect that the answer is: No, you can't use an oral appliance because there's no way to verify compliance. But I would like some confirmation as to whether this is actually TRUE or not from someone who has some first hand experience dealing with DOT regulations.

After I raised the issue earlier in the thread, someone PM'd me with first hand experience who confirmed your suspicions. Understandable but kind of a shame, particularly if you have mild to moderate apnea where the chances of success are a lot greater with an oral appliance if you wanted to go that route.

49er