What type of doctor manages your care?

[tillymarigold]

I'm just wondering what type of doctor primarily manages everyone's care. As in, who sent you for a study, who saw you after the study, who prescribed your machine, etc.

Please don't tell me you don't have a doctor--I *hope* that everyone who's using some sort of apnea treatment was prescribed that treatment by *someone*!

Edited to add: I had put an "other" option but it didn't save. Oops.

[TXKajun]

I voted General....although I wouldn't exactly say my care is "managed" by him. I see him every 3 or 4 months, he asks if I'm still using my CPAP and I say yes. That's about as managed as it gets from him.

On the other hand, he's a pretty fair Internal Medicine/GP doc for both Sweetie and I, so between him and this forum, things are going well.....cept he wants me to get 17-20 lbs lighter by mid-January. Yeah, right...T'giving, Christmas, New Years...uh huh! LOL But I'm gonna do the best I can.

Kajun

[Wulfman]

I stay away from doctors as much as possible.

(This started almost 3 years ago.)
GP sent me to the "sleep doctor" (pulmonologist) that is in the same clinic.
(I've never been able to find him on any "certified" lists)
Had sleep study.
Got prescription.
Ordered equipment from CPAP.COM.
Went back to sleep doc (I think) one more time.
Went back to GP 6 months later for a different reason. (Oct. 2005)
That was the last time I've seen a doctor and have been monitoring my own health since.


Den

[CarrieS]

No one LOL me...I tell my primary to write up something if I need it, and if I have problems I come here and other web resources and then run it by my DME or if a script is neccessary ask my Primary Doc to write it up. I alos have an ENT for Recurrent Polyps and to get his opinion on surgery for my OSA but he doesnt treat it for me. So I guess my answer is ME, lol unless my insurance makes me get someones help I pretty much take care of myself and just tell my doc or DME whats up and what I need and it happens.

[WearyOne]

My story's kinda interesting (I think). My son had been suffering from a circadian rhythm disorder (non-24 hour sleep/wake) for about four years. Once he turned 18 last year, I set him up for an appointment with a sleep center. (Many centers don't want to see them if they're under 18 and/or the docs know next to nothing about DSPS or non-24 hour). Set up the appointment on my own.

I started researching sleep apnea (again), and even found this forum. Ended up calling the sleep center back a few days later and asked if I could see the sleep doc at the same time. And I did.

The rest is history.

So, I set up my own appointment with the sleep doc and he follows my care in that area. Well, I say "follows." I don't really see him that much, but if I was having problems or questions, I would go to him. (Neurologist certified in sleep medicine.) And I have to say, he is very knowledgeable about sleep apnea and circadian rhythm problems.

Pam

[cflame1]

Originally it was me, as the GP that sent me for the original study didn't know anything about OSA (and didn't want to do more than sign scripts).

Now, it's my board certified sleep doc (what I chose in the poll), but he's also a pulmonologist. I picked him off my insurance list and he (and his staff) do a really good job at picking up on things that I miss.

[roster]

Mine is managed by Dr. Cpaptalk.com. I take his instructions to the guys and gals with the licenses on the walls and tell them what Dr. Cpaptalk.com said they should do

So far this is what Dr. Cpaptalk.com has told me to have the doctors do:

1. Get a FF mask to stop mouth leaks (Done).
2. Have an upper GI endoscopy to check for silent gerd (Done and confirmed diagnosis/started treatment).
3. Get a prescription for apap with data card to monitor results (Done and showed the results to a new sleep doc who immediately scheduled me for a new titration which showed my original titration was way off).
4. Have a nasal endoscopy to see why I require cpap pressure of 20 cm (Done).
5. Have surgery for turbinate reduction and correction of double septum deviation (Surgery scheduled for November 27).

That's how Dr. Cpaptalk.com has managed my health.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Titration, CPAP, Prescription, APAP

[RosemaryB]

My GP suggested I get the sleep study. He's sent a lot of patients for them and is pretty savy about screening well. He says all but one have had SDB. (About 4 years earlier I asked another GP for a sleep study and he talked me out of it).

Once I got the dx, I found Dr. Cpaptalk also. I now know more about some aspects of treatment for this disorder than my GP, than my DME, and more than the sleep doctor I heard speak at an AWAKE meeting. Also more than a bunch of other doctors. It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I was so smart to find Dr. Cpaptalk.

No other doctor prescribes pantyhose tights, mack's earplugs, and the rubber band fix .

[WildIris]

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:51 pm Post subject: What type of doctor manages your care? Delete Spam

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I have had diagnosis and treated sleep apnea for two years now.
I have a board certified doctor at the local Sleep Center which i was referred to by my General Practioner, when i had problems with falling asleep at work. After my sleep study.I was set up with CPAP pressure of 13 increased to pressure of 15 after wearing a oximeter for 3 days,which showed i was still dropping my O2 Saturation to the 70's.

Initialally, i had three month appointments, then 6 month appointments. My "care" has now progressed to once a year visits unless i "have a problem" then i can call to make a appointment sooner.

I am the one who requested a prescription for an APAP and set my own pressures after researching articles and reading cpaptalk forums and having proof from software readouts, all of this i discussed with the board certified doctor's phycision assistant before making changes. I have seen the board certified doctor one time, two years ago.

[kteague]

Started with pulmonologist with sleep specialty, was not initially diagnosed with OSA, but RLS and PLMD.

Neuro doc I was already seeing took over my limb movment treatment.

Went to sleep doc years later - diagnosed with OSA and sleep doc managed it unsuccessfully.

Found cpaptalk - hallelujah!

Neuro doc referred me to movement disorder center neurologist, who works in conjuction with a particular sleep doc (neuro), who is now managing both of my sleep disorders.

Kathy

[FirstTimer]

My Cardiologist told me that I needed to see a sleep doctor and I would have to have a sleep study done. I am happy to say that I did what the
doctor told me to do. I have been using a CPAP machine for about 3 months. And I feel better than I did before. I sleep about 8 to 10 hours at
night. It has been great for me.

[Bearded_One]

I am managing it myself. Many years ago I used to go a board certified sllep doctor who prescribed CPAP then went on to do a type of MMA and then sent me to an ENT for a UPPP after the MMA flopped. After the UPPP also flopped I stopped going to any doctors for my OSA, although I continued using my CPAP.

I hadn't seen a doctor about my sleep apnea for about 12 years. A bit over a year ago I decided that I needed a new CPAP machine and I wanted to start using a local DME instead of having masks mailed to me from a DME in the city where I used to live.

I saw a Physician's Assistant at the same practice as my primary care doctor who did some blood work and then wrote a script for a sleep study at a local McSleep Clinic. I had a sleep study and titration and the only people I saw were the sleep techs. I talked to the McSleep Clinic receptionist on the phone who made my appointments and then faxed my script and sleep study to the DME -- I didn't talk to a doctor.

My internist probably wasn't even aware that I had sleep apnea or a sleep study. During a physical I had a few months ago I mentioned that I was doing well with the new CPAP; he then asked me if I had sleep apnea.

[sleepie]

i voted pulmonologist----but i must say that I TELL HIM WHATS GOING ON WITH ME SO FAR---they see alot of people and i can't expect him to spend as much time on me--as i do--reading encore reports---but he ALWAYS ASKS ----the guide question---HOW DO YOU FEEL---i tell him great so far---but in all honesty ---i learn nothing from him---i get it all here-----pat

[DreamStalker]

I didn't know how to vote for doc type.

Mine is a psychiatrist/internist/AASM accredited sleep doc

... but the sleep center founder is a biologist/biochemist/lawyer/internist/neurologist/sleep doc (guess he had some uncertainty as to what he wanted to be when he grew up)

[JeffH]

You forgot to add a box for "what's a doctor?"

Some of us can't afford to see doc's.