Titration Re-Do's of Sleep studies post CPAP use

Does anyone know of a rule of thumb followup sleep study CPAP sleep over once someone has been CPAP'ed for awhile. My pulmonary doc says ''see you in 3 mos." that was it!
So unless we get the software how do we really know how we're doing?

Has anyone dealt with a follow up study once they've been CPap-ing for awhile? At $4000 a clip, you'd think these docs/sleep ctrs would be pushing for a follow up sleep over at some point down the road. ?

Gailzee,

I was told to have another test in 1-year, unless there is a significant change in my weight. And before everyone stones me, I understand that being overweight does not cause sleep apnea; throw your stones at Dr. Phil. At any rate, changes in your weight (+/-15 lbs) may alter the amount of pressure you need to treat your apnea.

While I understand and respect everyones desire to monitor their condition, I prefer to lead as normal a life as I can with this condition. If you sleeping through the night, starting to feel rested, and your significant other does't notice the signs that originally tipped them off to your condition, I'd take the doctors advice.

Of course, I have been fortunate and received fantastic treatment from my doctor and the sleep center (I'm still writing the letter of appreciation to the sleep center for all their help). If your equipment was set properly and your feeling better, trust your care givers and wait the 3-months.

I too, went back at three months.

Doctor (pul) did a breathing lung test. Went through several pages of questions and when I told him I wasn't feeling better, and had a hard time keeping mask on when I woke up, he ordered a new test. This time they tried me on BiPap, and have now been on it for about a month. I LOVE it.

They did raise my pressure from 9 to 14. That may have helped.

At first I had that mask problem, but at my follow up visit, he told me how to correct the problem. "Get over it. Leave it on." Wow, such good advice. It worked. I now have been sleeping through the night, 8-9 hours, and just leave the mask on. I think I am one of those people who are slow to respond, but I notice I don't take as many naps as I used to.

I also have changed my sleep habits, with turning off the TV. For forty-five years, I had to have noise to sleep. I would wake up the second a power failure hit in the night. Well, I've changed. I now set the sleep timer for 30 minutes, turn on my machine, and off to snooze-land.

I also got a GOOD chin strap from CPAP.COM and it has done wonders. Best 25 bucks I could spend.

I also tried a new mask. That is nice but I have gone back to my original. ?????????

Hang in there, keep trying. If your doctor is any good, he will get you figured out.

gailzee, if OSA is your only sleep disorder and since you mentioned in another topic that you're getting an autopap, my bet is that you'll not have to be concerned about needing another sleep study for a long, long time - possibly never again. I think what you'll be working on in the near future is getting your machine/mask/etc. optimized for you. That may even mean trying a different machine, but I don't think it's going to mean having to have another sleep study to find out how things are going.

Most of the sleep specialists I know recommend a new sleep study when you begin to feel symptoms again OR if there is a significant change in your weight that might affect your pressure.

Unless there are some very unusual circumstances, there is no need to schedule someone for a sleep study every year.

I was a severe apnea patient, but I went 7 years after my titration study before I tried another one. And we did that one mostly because it HAD BEEN so long, not that I was having symptoms.

On the other hand, some steroid treatments for a neck and shoulder problem have resulted in some significant weight gain. I think I'm okay, but every once in a while I feel a little sleepy. I'm planning to talk to my sleep physician at our next appointment (I see him annually) about having another titration, which would be 4 years since my last one.

Dave

I wonder how many patients on straight CPAP are getting rechecked on any kind of a regular basis to see if they are getting too much pressure instead of not enough. Certainly there would be symptoms of the old type if the pressure needed to be upped. But what if the pressure was too high. How would you know? I also wonder too what the effects would be of having the pressure too high over a period of several years.