Posted by Sleepyrick on September 04, 2003 at 10:34:05:

A recent question on the Narcolepsy forum about US Commercial Drivers License regulations and sleep studies promted me to do some research that readers here might be interested in.

I found the US Federal regulations for CDL medical exam. Here's what it has to say about Narcolepsy:

Guidelines for Patients with Narcolepsy Syndrome
--Narcolepsy is generally a life-long condition although the sleep attacks can be shortened or reduced in number by pharmacologic treatment in some patients. But these drugs also have other side effects which generally do not control the sleep attacks completely. Patients with narcolepsy syndrome should not, therefore, be allowed to participate in interstate driving.

Guidelines for Patients with Sleep Apnea---
This task force recommends that individuals with known OSA be allowed to obtain certification to drive only after successful therapy has resulted in multiple sleep latency testing values within the normal range or repeat sleep study during treatment that shows resolution of apneas. Continuous successful therapy for 1 month usually results in major improvements in pathological sleepiness. Sleep apnea subjects obtaining medical qualification should agree, as a condition of continuing qualification, that their sleep apnea therapy will continue in an uninterrupted fashion while they maintain the operator's certification. This task force recommends the additional requirement of yearly multiple sleep latency testing or repeat sleep study in individuals who have had the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

These are found in the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations, in the Office of Motor Carriers, in the Federal Highway Administration,
a part of the Department of Transportation.

For the overall regulation on CDL Medical Exams, with detailed instructions on performing the medical exam, and copy of the forms, see The Federal Register vol 65, #194. October 5, 2000. or easier, search for "49CFR391.43" at the government
printing office:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/index.html

That regulation references several conference reports for specifics on how to apply the rules. Sleep Disorders are covered in two places, the Neurology report, and the Pulmonary/Respiratory report. These are found at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rulesregs/medreports.htm

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