Is cpap worth it for mild apena?

[Diamondminek]

Mild apnoea usually only gets worse. And apnoea increases your risk of stroke, heart disease etc - if your lucky you recover,or you face disability and death. Cpap is the gold standard of sleep apnoea treatment, so it's the best one to start with.
I was told your ahi has little to do with your symptoms - mine was 15 but I felt like death, while the clinic treats people with severe apnoea who feel fine.
You might get an in lab sleep study to titrate your pressure, or you might just be sent away with an auto machine which will identify your pressure range for you. I suppose it depends how they want to tackle the centrals as well. Just make sure the machine you have is data capable so you can be in control of your health - although it sounds like you might have a good Dr, which is a good start

[Wulfman...]

Mild apnoea usually only gets worse. And apnoea increases your risk of stroke, heart disease etc - if your lucky you recover,or you face disability and death. Cpap is the gold standard of sleep apnoea treatment, so it's the best one to start with.
I was told your ahi has little to do with your symptoms - mine was 15 but I felt like death, while the clinic treats people with severe apnoea who feel fine.
You might get an in lab sleep study to titrate your pressure, or you might just be sent away with an auto machine which will identify your pressure range for you. I suppose it depends how they want to tackle the centrals as well. Just make sure the machine you have is data capable so you can be in control of your health - although it sounds like you might have a good Dr, which is a good start

I agree. They may have caught your apnea before it got worse. It doesn't go from "zero to 60" overnight. It develops over years. Consider yourself lucky, start your therapy and enjoy a longer life.


Den

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[chunkyfrog]

Due to your crappy insurance, I would ask to take an autotitrating machine home to self-titrate over several nights.
This is INSTEAD of another sleep study.
I would then ask for a prescription you can take or send to the supplier OF YOUR CHOICE.
Your best prices would be online; the worst are usually local offices of national chains.
We warned you.

[SunnyBeBe]

I wanted to add that I also had mild test results in a lab from my sleep study. Most days I felt rested and I wasn't normally tired. I was not a bad snorer either. My main two symptoms were frequent nighttime urination, which drove me crazy and occasional sudden awakenings in which I felt I was going to die, although, I wasn't gasping for air, but filled with fear. I thought it was panic. Still, with my mild condition, mainly hypopneas, I was prescribed Cpap and did it gladly.

I learned that long term deprivation of rest and oxygen wrecks your body. I began cpap treatment in May of last year. I've been extremely compliant and for some reason, I feel MUCH better. What stands out for me the most is that I feel better in general. I think my body is stronger. I have more endurance in everyday activities. My job performance is much improved. My disposition is more positive. My focus is better and my memory is drastically better. Last year, I was a little worried about my focus and memory. Of course, I'm not sure it's the cpap treatment. I also began taking Coconut oil, but, I tend to give the cpap proper credit. I do feel like my old self again. It's amazing.

I don't think that a few weeks is enough time. While my bathroom trips and sudden awakenings stopped when I started treatment, it took months for me to really feel a drastic change. I would give it at least 9 months. There are many here who know much more about this treatment than I do, but I know what I experienced. I just wanted to encourage you. Good luck.

[BlackSpinner]

AHI isn't everything. It is just an average of a count of events. It say NOTHING about the events them selves. You get the same AHI whether the events last 12 seconds or 62 seconds. Obviously a 62 second event does much more damage then a 12 second event. It also says nothing about clustering - maybe all your events happen during the time when you go into REM and you spend 20 minutes fighting for survival every 2 hours.

[SewTired]

My AHI is 5 and I found some relief with CPAP. The reality is that people with an AHI of 3 find relief with CPAP, but the current rules for prescribing a machine to be covered by insurance is 5 unless there are other issues involved.

[bwexler]

I agree ththat a few weeks is not a long enough trial period. At your age I would recommend a 70 year trial period after which you will have enough information to determine if you want to continue. Quick decisions on these matters may not be wise.
I also agree you should have a brief, one month rental, of either a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset or a Philips Dreamstation Auto for titration and to determine whether they can effectively treat your central apnea events.
Next get your prescription in YOUR hand along with the written copy of your complete sleep report and shop on line for the best deal on th machine you need. Your first mask may be easier to choose at a local DME with a LARGE selection of masks and a knowledgeable respiratory therapist, so you can see and try dozens of masks before you settle on the first one you take home.
You should absolutely stay in control of what you buy and where you buy it.

[palerider]

I agree ththat a few weeks is not a long enough trial period. At your age I would recommend a 70 year trial period after which you will have enough information to determine if you want to continue.

that's a heck of a trial period.

[ThisGuy]

I had my follow up with my ENT. He was pretty brief and said I had mild apena and cpap should work well for me. He didn't put much interpretation into the sleep study report. I asked about cnetral apenas and he kind of shrugged and said you can't really tell to much from the home study. He did explain central apena... But basically said the home study test is more of a pass\fail type test. He mentioned that if cpap does not work, there is a surgical procedure he can preform, but he doesn't think it's necessary and expects cpap to work well for me. Not having a titration and just having the at home study, he wrote a Rx for apap 6-16 and says to try it for 2 months and see how things go. I was given a choice of Home Health Depot and Lin Care to set up my equipment. I don't know much about either, but have heard negative things about Lin Care and a nurse said she had heard clients complaining. I still don't know how the insurance part will work, but now that I know the DME and have the Rx, I will spend some time on the phone with insurance to see what is covered and how.

[Wulfman...]

I had my follow up with my ENT. He was pretty brief and said I had mild apena and cpap should work well for me. He didn't put much interpretation into the sleep study report. I asked about cnetral apenas and he kind of shrugged and said you can't really tell to much from the home study. He did explain central apena... But basically said the home study test is more of a pass\fail type test. He mentioned that if cpap does not work, there is a surgical procedure he can preform, but he doesn't think it's necessary and expects cpap to work well for me. Not having a titration and just having the at home study, he wrote a Rx for apap 6-16 and says to try it for 2 months and see how things go. I was given a choice of Home Health Depot and Lin Care to set up my equipment. I don't know much about either, but have heard negative things about Lin Care and a nurse said she had heard clients complaining. I still don't know how the insurance part will work, but now that I know the DME and have the Rx, I will spend some time on the phone with insurance to see what is covered and how.

Two of the big outfits (Apria and Lincare) have "less than stellar" customer approval. However, lots of that depends on which office location a person deals with. Once in awhile, some of our forum members speak well of them.
But, be sure to NOT BELIEVE everything they (the DMEs) say......verify anything and everything with your insurance provider.

Be sure to get some sort of a copy (if there is one from a home study) of whatever they're looking at.
Yes, a trial with an APAP will give some clues and results over a period of time. I'm not sure it would take 2 months, but if they're going to use that time to dial-in your pressures, that would be logical.

Be sure to get a good mask that's comfortable, the proper size and WORKS.
The mask is one of the most important components.


Den

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[Hang Fire]

Be sure to get a good mask that's comfortable, the proper size and WORKS.

Yup. Be sure to get one that works. Check the fine print on the bottom of the box. Some of them say, "Works", and some say, "Doesn't Work".

[ThisGuy]

Home health depot called me the day after my follow up. They have the prescription for auto cpap and got approval from my insurance. Dr. didn't specify brand, so it's up to me. They said my insurance requires an initial payment of $320-360 based on which model I choose and then 10 payments of $45. Once my deductible is met, the monthly will drop to $9. He said although insurance has been approved, their own approval process will take another day or two. So, I should get in sometime next week to get the equipment. I'm planning to go with the AirSense 10 Autoset. I like the idea of the dream wearer, so hopefully it's a decent fit to start off with.

[IDontSnoreISwear]

AirSense 10 Autoset.

Good choice!

I just wanted to echo what the others said about the importance of CPAP therapy even if your "numbers" are not high. My sleep test result said "moderate" apnea, but my symptoms were extreme. For me, CPAP has been life changing in every way. Whatever adjustment period you are about to go through, it will be worth it, particularly in your case because one of the consequences of untreated apnea is high blood pressure which can be damaging to the kidneys.

Good luck!

[BlackSpinner]

Home health depot called me the day after my follow up. They have the prescription for auto cpap and got approval from my insurance. Dr. didn't specify brand, so it's up to me. They said my insurance requires an initial payment of $320-360 based on which model I choose and then 10 payments of $45. Once my deductible is met, the monthly will drop to $9. He said although insurance has been approved, their own approval process will take another day or two. So, I should get in sometime next week to get the equipment. I'm planning to go with the AirSense 10 Autoset. I like the idea of the dream wearer, so hopefully it's a decent fit to start off with.

If I were you I would call my insurance and run this by them.

[Tatooed Lady]

You might be AMAZED. My AHI was 10.4 when I took the portable study. I was always tired, woke several times on average at night to pee...treated, my AHI is usually under 1, I'm more awake (need testing for low iron though), and only wake once per night on average. I actually slept a couple times for 12 hours without having to use the bathroom, which is almost a miracle to me.
All said...my numbers were relatively low, but 2 years in, I'm not sorry I was diagnosed.