NJ Transit barring engineers with sleep apnea until condition is treated

News12 New Jersey ^ | November 21, 2016

[SMGFan]

Federal regulators are warning railroad agencies nationwide to watch out for sleep apnea in train engineers. It comes after learning last week that the engineer in the fatal Hoboken train crash has the condition. The Federal Railroad Administration says it will issue a safety advisory this week for all railroads to screen and treat workers with sleep apnea.

[mmichaels1970]

In my case, I was diagnosed after mentally blacking out (but appearing physically awake and functional) while driving my son and family to a college visit 18 months ago now. I mentally "blacked out" for some 20 minutes while driving, yet carried on a conversation with my then wife at the time and appeared awake.

My sleep apnea caused a condition called "pseudo-RBD". I was having at least 35 breathing events per hour and my blood/oxygen level was at 81%. With the pseudo-RBD, the body gets so starved for oxygen that it "unparalyzes" itself while you are dreaming, allowing you to act out your dreams.

My wife was told to never sleep in the same bed as me if I'm not wearing my CPAP.

We also just saw a local news story that said that opiates (painkillers) in apnea sufferers can cause the blood/oxygen level to drop even further during sleep becoming potentially deadly. There was a period of time when I was on Percocet for a back injury before my apnea diagnosis and things got notably worse.

Sleep apnea is a lot nastier than many think.

[mmichaels1970]

Here is a link to "Dead in Bed". Summary of the story: don't take any painkillers without using your CPAP.

[usconservative]

You certainly taught me something new today, I did not know about taking painkillers w/sleep apnea. Thank you!

[packrat35]

I have it and usually, over weight people are the most likely to have it.

I would fall asleep in movie theatres and when I caught myself dosing at red lights finally got checked.

I just got a stomach bypass and as i am losing weight, I look forward to ditching the mask.

[packrat35]

They said I was stopping breathing almost 100 times an hour!

[mmichaels1970]

I did not know about taking painkillers w/sleep apnea. Thank you!

You're welcome. I always knew I had sleep apnea but, until recently, never took it as seriously as I should have.

[packrat35]

I called that “zomimg” when I drove on long trips and thought was normal for years.

I would suddenly discover I had driven over 20 miles with little recollection.

[Kommodor]

Yikes. Apnea stinks. Untreated, yeah, same goes for bus drivers, trucks, etc.

Blacking out with your eyes open is not fun.

[usconservative]

I called that “zomimg” when I drove on long trips and thought was normal for years.

I thought being tired and falling asleep at the drop of a hat was normal for a very long time with me. I can remember in my 30's having issues falling asleep while stuck in traffic, putting my car in park before I literally passed out. On more than one occasion a car honking like crazy behind me is all that woke me up.

The neurologist that checked my brain activity said that the brain will find a way to get rest any way it can. Blacking out or "zomimg" as you call it is one way. The brain needs rest or it dies, it's that simple.

Lack of sleep/restorative sleep has been attributed to everything from short term memory issues to weight gain, physical ailments and mental/sanity issues.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

No medicine for blood pressure. Blood pressure is normal thank goodness.

I just have lung problems from a childhood spend in major pollution.

As I get older the problem gets worse.

[Coleus]

it’s not rocket science, if a man is middle aged, is fat and/or has a fat belly, sagging man boobs, etc, then he most likely will have sleep apnea and/or diabetes..this is nothing new.