Passed a sleep study after years on CPAP

I posted this before but did it as a guest and was told to sign up to get better answers so I signed up and am asking again with hopes to get answers. I have been on CPAP for several years and was just tested 2 times in the last couple of years. I was tested twice so soon because I had moved and got new doctors and insurance. I recently moved again and was required by new doctor and insurance to have another test. This time (less than a year since my last) I passed with flying colors nothing wrong! Can someone just be cured from Apnea/Hypopnea? Nothing has changed in my health I was never overweight nor have I lost weight; I am 5'7" and weigh 130lbs. I take a truck load of meds but they are still all the same ones I have always taken for my heart,blood-pressure, cholesterol,EOE/Eg/EGE. The biggest problem to this is now I can't get any supplies. My primary who ordered the test had no answers and said he never heard of it but had no answers for me on what to do.

Had you been using your machine right up to the time of your additional studies? Most of the time, they ask that the person not use them for "X" number of nights before a test as there can be a residual effect.

In your initial sleep study, did they REQUIRE you to sleep on your back? And, if they did, was that a natural position for you to normally sleep?


Den

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sandrajbaker wrote:I posted this before but did it as a guest and was told to sign up to get better answers so I signed up and am asking again with hopes to get answers. I have been on CPAP for several years and was just tested 2 times in the last couple of years. I was tested twice so soon because I had moved and got new doctors and insurance. I recently moved again and was required by new doctor and insurance to have another test. This time (less than a year since my last) I passed with flying colors nothing wrong! Can someone just be cured from Apnea/Hypopnea? Nothing has changed in my health I was never overweight nor have I lost weight; I am 5'7" and weigh 130lbs. I take a truck load of meds but they are still all the same ones I have always taken for my heart,blood-pressure, cholesterol,EOE/Eg/EGE. The biggest problem to this is now I can't get any supplies. My primary who ordered the test had no answers and said he never heard of it but had no answers for me on what to do.

Did all three tests show an AHI that does not need treatment?
What were the results of the tests?
Do you currently use XPAP?
What supplies do you want?
Also, your machine did not show up in the profile. Usually that means it is discontinued. What are you using now?

FWIW, I need your problem.

Is it possible that your original sleep study was wrong and all this time you were using a CPAP when it wasn't really necessary? Was the result of your original sleep study that you had borderline OSA?

Do you have the results of your negative sleep studies?
If you normally sleep with cpap, how does it feel if you skip a night?
A sleep study is far from an ideal environment for sleep, and erroneous results are not impossible.
Which study results "feel" right? Consider your own gut feeling.

My two other studies were in two different states with different places and doctors so I am pretty sure they were correct. It runs in my family all my siblings and parents as well as my kids inherited it from me too but most family were able to get the surgery to fix it, I was told mine is not fixable. Without the machine I sleep 12-16 hours and feel very lethargic. I was told that it's mostly the Hypopnea that is my problem. I do not sleep on my back.

Sandra, I assume you wish to continue your CPAP therapy. If your primary physician will prescribe it for you, you don't need anything else to purchase equipment. In fact if you have a copy of old prescriptions, you can use those to establish an account at CPAP.com. Insurance may not pay for your equipment and supplies, but unless you have very good insurance, you can probably get everything you need, including an upgraded new machine for less.

What machine are you using now, and what settings work for you? Do you want to replace the machine, or just get replacement masks, filters, etc.?

Thanks Den they did not have me stop using the machine before the last test. I guess I need to talk to my doctor again about this last study and see what he says. I don't know why my machine does not show on my profile it is a Philops Respironics REMstar SYSTEM ONE with the humidifier and I use an over the mouth and nose mask.

Thanks sleeprider, I just want to get my replacement parts but would love a new machine as this one is several years old. i have insurance that will pay for it so that's why I need to go through the whole testing thing and get approved.

sandrajbaker wrote:Thanks sleeprider, I just want to get my replacement parts but would love a new machine as this one is several years old. i have insurance that will pay for it so that's why I need to go through the whole testing thing and get approved.

grayghost4 may be able to find you a new(ish) machine for something similar to what you'd pay after insurance, and you'd own it outright, without having to jump through their hoops

palerider wrote:

sandrajbaker wrote:Thanks sleeprider, I just want to get my replacement parts but would love a new machine as this one is several years old. i have insurance that will pay for it so that's why I need to go through the whole testing thing and get approved.

grayghost4 may be able to find you a new(ish) machine for something similar to what you'd pay after insurance, and you'd own it outright, without having to jump through their hoops

My thoughts exactly!

Sandra, I had my last sleep study in 2008. At that time, I got a prescription from my primary care physician that has provided me with replacement masks, hoses, filters, etc ever since. I moved from California to PA two years ago, and asked my current physician (internal medicine) to write me a prescription for this:

Diagnosis: sleep apnea (327.23)
Equipment and supplies:
E4070 BiPAP AUTO CPAP
A4604 TUBING WITH INTEGRATED HEATING ELEMENT
A7034 NASAL INTERFACE
A7035 POS AIRWAY PRESSURE HEADGEAR
A7038 CPAP disposable filter
A7039 CPAP gross particle (foam) filter

I got exactly what I asked for, and got the equipment. Why deal with sleep specialists and more expensive studies, when your own doctor can do this with your guidance?

Another possibility, your HBP is usually considered a co-morbidity, and if this was not considered
in your insurance evaluation, it probably should have been. The paperwork may have been filled out incorrectly.
This is much more common than you think, so please look into it.

I know of one sleep center and doctor who diagnoses everyone with apnea.

I had a close friend who went there and was diagnosed with apnea. Our doctor thought it was ridiculous and a test was done at another sleep center and there was absolutely no indication of apnea.

There is a high cash flow from apnea. There is the sleep study, follow up doctors visits, sale of supplies, and of course the sale of the machine. Also, how likely is it that a person will get a cross-check at another sleep center.

The insurance companies are wising up to this.

This impacted me since I didn't go in to see a doctor about feeling sleepy because I didn't want to get false diagnoses.

This sleep center and doctor is still in operation and I haven't heard of him or the center being shutdown.

sandrajbaker wrote:Thanks Den they did not have me stop using the machine before the last test. I guess I need to talk to my doctor again about this last study and see what he says. I don't know why my machine does not show on my profile it is a Philops Respironics REMstar SYSTEM ONE with the humidifier and I use an over the mouth and nose mask.

We need more information. It says "REMstar something" near the display.

Remove the water tank and turn the machine over and find the label on the bottom of the blower (not the humidifier.)

Look for something like "160 REF" on the label. Tell us what it says.

Do you have access to an oximeter? You'd need a decent one which could give you the results from an entire night's sleep as opposed to one which just gives you a "spot" reading. If your O2 levels are good throughout the night, that could give you an idea about which studies are giving you the true picture.

Are there any environmental conditions which could have contributed to your past problems? No changes in smoking or drinking habits? If you can post the results of your sleep studies, people here could give you a better idea of what might be going on.