A New Member's Questions

[paolo]

Hi,

I just registered, but have been lurking recently, and its clear that this is the place to come for good information. Its so great that people are so helpful.

I have a bunch of questions and would appreciate any help.

1. Why is it necessary to have a titration sleep study if you have a auto titrating cpap?

2. If I buy a ResMed S9, how can I get access to software and daily stats?

3. Can I get the same info from my Respronics M A-Flex?

4. Where can I find Packard's comparison of the S9 and PR One?

5. Has anyone run the software for the S9 on a Mac?

I have the Respronics M A-Flex, and am now really trying to make it work after getting over MY REALLY BAD ATTITUDE.
I failed with nasal and mouth masks, and am now using a Mirage Quattro full face. I can sleep with it, but I wake every hour or hour and a half, I think from leaks. I ordered a Liberty, and will keep trying different ones until I get no leaks.

It nice to see I'm not alone with being frustrated with providers. It makes me nuts that I can't get stats out of the machine.

Thanks for any help. Sorry for so many questions. I've already learned alot form this forum.

Best,

Mitchell

[Ms.Snuffleupagus]

Hi, welcome aboard.
I have a mac and run ResScan 3.10 which is the software for the S9 series ( works for S8 as well) on the Windows portion of Bootcamp (I installed XP). Others use VMware. ResScan is not compatible with MAC OS.

I only had a home sleep study but never had a titration done in the lab. I was given an AutoSet which determined which pressure I needed. But I believe the lab titration is usually recommended.

[DreamStalker]

You need software to get the most out of a data capable machine. Some machines provide some of the data on the machine's LED ... better than nothing but not as good as the nightly detailed data one can get out of the software. As far as I know, all machine brands that off software options offer them only on MS Windoze OS.

As noted above, there are ways to load Bill Gatesware onto Mac OS or Linux OS ... Google "virtual box".

Diagnostic sleep studies in and of themselves have value. A sleep study strictly for titration may or may not have benefit ... depends upon your diagnosis. For simple plain old OSA, you can rely pretty well without and just use an APAP to titrate yourself. If you have something other than plain simple OSA, APAP alone may not be sufficient for proper titration.

[Ms.Snuffleupagus]

Well said DreamStalker. I might add I did have a lung function test following the home study and a full check-up including ECG. After the APAP was prescribed, I saw the sleep doc a couple months later who checked the print-out from my machine to see if things were going well enough and to determine if a lab sleep study was needed. In my case, it was not, at least at this point as I am responding well enough to my machine.

[paolo]

Thanks so much for your replies.

I just started to order an S9 from cpap.com and found out neither ResMed Rescan nor the card readers are for sale anymore.

So how can I get the data off an S9 if I buy one?

With all the frustration of dealing with Apnea, the unnecessary ***+#@)&*** of having to deal with the providers and restrictions really burns me.

Best,

Mitchell

[fiberfan]

The S9 uses a standard SD card. I bought an inexpensive card reader at an office supply store to read the card.

[paolo]

Thank you Fiberfan.

I'm a photographer so I have an SD card reader, but how can I get the software?

Does the old not for sale ReScan 3.7 work with the S9?

If so, how can I get it.

Best,

Mitchell

[Muse-Inc]

Value of PSG...hmm. I learned I had a high respiratory & spontaneous arousal index meaning I was easily aroused from deeper sleep to a lighter stage, so I had to eliminate all obvious arousals like noise, light, movement from my bedroom. I learned I did not show any abnormal brain waves other than the usual panicked reactions to apneic events (scary as heck to look at). I also learned I did not show any abnormal heart rhythms. I did not show any limb movements. I did not have any, repeat any, slow wave (restorative) sleep or REM sleep. I did not have any centrals or apneas...all hypopneas with numbers high enough to be rated as severe with significant oxygen desaturations. Oh, and when I was on my back they noted that my snoring was 'profound'

[fiberfan]

Mitchell check your pms.

[Slinky]

There are some 80+ sleep disorders. The value of an in-lab PSG is that APAPs can NOT detect any other sleep disorders than sleep breathing disorders.

When it comes to in-lab titrations vs at-home auto titration w/an APAP .... the value is less clear. The in-lab titration does get you to your needed pressure faster, but it is only one night of titration. The APAP if PROPERLY set will likely get you to your needed pressure faster and perhaps even more accurately since there will be data from multiple nights of sleep to determine your pressure needs.

The biggest problem w/APAPs is how too many "professionals" set them - i.e. wide open 4 cms to 20 cms. The ideal is an in-lab titration and then an APAP set 1-2 cms below and 2-3 cms above the in-lab determined titration pressure to find your real "sweet spot" of pressure need the fastest.

[paolo]

Thanks everyone. You are so helpful!

Best,

Mitchell

[JohnBFisher]

... The value of an in-lab PSG is that APAPs can NOT detect any other sleep disorders than sleep breathing disorders. ...

Slinky, I know you understand this, since you noted it, but I do want to emphasize the value of a good in-lab titration.

It can help eliminate major issues such as periodic breathing, REM Behavior Disorder (RBD), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), restless legs, central apneas, complex sleep apnea, and so on... And many of us who suffer those "other" issues, were not aware of them until the in-lab titration.

Not all labs do a good job at this. But as you note, if they can get you in the right range, and the APAP is set appropriately, and you don't have any other problems (as noted), then an the two combined can be VERY effective at getting to the right pressure range. One without the other is less effective.

So, in summary. The in-lab titration helps eliminate other issues. It also helps narrow the pressure range for an APAP unit, which allows you to attain more effective therapy sooner.

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