Need some help with this problem!

hopeful · Post by **hopeful** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:17 pm

There has to be one doctor who would work with you to either give you a financial break on the sleep study, or give you an authorization for an auto cpap and allow you to collect data at home for later review by a sleep doctor.

I think if you take the tack that you want to try it working with the doctors, at the least cost, and not prescribe auto cpap treatment for yourself, you may get more cooperation.

I believe there are some sleep clinics out there that arrange for an auto cpap data collection at home first, then do the sleep study. This to me seems extremely intelligent. Certainly a few days on an autocpap wouldn't hurt anyone, and the home data validates what is often a very unusual set of measurements during the night in the sleep study for most of us (who have trouble sleeping in a strange room with a guzillian wires stuck all over our bodies).

Even if you need to travel to another city or location to find someone who is cooperative and will work with you, don't give up!

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:45 pm

I'd try your old GP first. He already knows you, you are an established patient there, and he might be a lot more sympathetic to your plight than a specialist or sleep center. There could be a teaching hospital where you could get a free or very reduced cost sleep study, but with a APAP you really don't need one, unless you want the numbers on how many apneas, hypopneas, oxygen desaturations, etc. you are getting. But most of that can be done on the split night function of the Remstar, so why take a night our of your life which will probably be worse than any you've had so far. A night you could be studying or relaxing.

Most GPs remember their medical school days when they were your age and didn't have two dimes to rub together for decent food, accomodations or anything else, and long, long hours of duty. Probably most of them suffered from sleep deprivation too, apneatic or not.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:45 pm

hopeful wrote:There has to be one doctor who would work with you

Yes, there is one doctor that will work with you and rested gal knows him.

You sure are hopeful! In my experience, the only way you can get a doc to work with you is to demand the kind of treatment that you have determined is best for you. Make him give you a reason why he can't do what you want. Their obligation is to their patient and not to their malpractice underwritter. If a doctor refuses to let you try an apap at your own expense, because he is too ignorant to know it won't harm you, then he is not serving your best interest. He is serving his.

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:04 pm

Tired in Tenn:

Here ya go. Another link for Self Titrating vs sleep study.

Link Here

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:12 pm

Here's what I'd do... I'd ask the doc to write out a script for an overnight at-home study using a recording pulse oximeter----but specifically one that has sleep screening mode. He can write the script and get it covered by insurance as if it were a suspected pulmonary issue rather than a suspected sleep disorder. Then, if the overnight report shows significant desaturation, that should be sound basis for your primary physician to get his confidence back about writing a script for AutoPAP. Not a perfect method, but a likely one IMO.

Be sure he selects a sleep-screening capable recording pulse oximeter, though.

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:15 pm

SWS- I think he indicated that he doesn't have insurance so that wouldn't be covered either...

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:17 pm

My insurance will not cover a sleep study, sleep medications, or any durable medical equipment related to a sleeping disorder. Attending a sleep study is out of the question unfortunately, due to the associated cost.

Oh... I interpreted that as if he has insurance coverage, but that it would not cover anything sleep disorder related.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:18 pm

He has insurance but it doesn't cover Durable Medical Equipment or sleep studies for apnea

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:18 pm

-SWS wrote:
My insurance will not cover a sleep study, sleep medications, or any durable medical equipment related to a sleeping disorder. Attending a sleep study is out of the question unfortunately, due to the associated cost.
Oh... I interpreted that as if he has insurance coverage, but that it would not cover anything sleep disorder related.

My bad, reread it. There is some insurance so that might be a good idea

Think I need to go get sleep

Tired-in-Tenn · Post by **Tired-in-Tenn** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:47 pm

Hi All, I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind thoughts, suggestions, and support...this is a great board. I'm a bit more calm than I was earlier today when I got home from the doctors office...I feel that something will work out...hopefully I'll be able to get an appointment at that other physicians office tomorrow and get a script for an APAP. I've printed off the links that were posted and will be armed with those and the info from the cpap.com site on the unit I plan to get... If he won't do it, I feel certain that another option will present itself.

Also, in my second post today I kind of slammed on the intelligence of doctors (or rather pre-med students)...I was out of line...and apologize if there are any physicians who read this board.

I'm holding out hope that things work out tomorrow and I can get an appointment with this other physician, the other options with approaching a sleep clinic and such are good ones, but I'm so close...I've been working extra to be able to afford an APAP and just want to get on with using one so I can hopefully start getting back to feeling normal again...it's like the carrot's right there, but I just can't reach it!

Thanks again everybody, I'll post an update...hopefully with good news!

Tired-in-Tenn

Need some help with this problem!

Wanted to add my voice of concern and support