Looking For Tips On How To Interact With The Doctor

[cphilip]

Hello Neighbor. I'm in the Pendleton Clemson area...

I too had a couple days bout with air in the stomach but relieved it by putting a wedge in to sleep on. This raises my head up a good deal above my stomach and somehow keeps the air from going in, or closes my mouth more or something. Not sure but its worked every since. I am no tremendous pressure on a BiPap... 25 and 21. I can't say it will work for anyone else... but its worth a shot.

Now as far as interacting with a doctor... The last time I was at the Dentist I think I offended him when I said that his profession hadn't progressed in over 100 years except for the price of the little picks and fancy grinders. He wasn't pleased... and then there is always that old stand by phrase; Kiss my (insert race here) arse.

[novatom]

"novatom has a plus machine, so no data... their first goal should be getting the DME to take back that piece of crap and give them a decent machine. (assuming they picked the right thing for their profile)"

Palerider, why is my machine a "piece of crap?" It gets 4.9 out of 5 stars on cpap.com (unless those reviews are not to be believed). Is it just the lack of data that makes it a "piece of crap"? And by data, I'm not sure what you mean. My machine has an SD card so it's recording all the data for Sleepyhead, Encore, etc.

This is the first time anyone has described my machine as a "piece of crap." I haven't been able to adjust anything on it because the sleep clinic set it so I couldn't, so I haven't really been able to determine whether it's capable of doing everything I want it to (plus I just don't know everything about the CPAP process yet). Other than that, my first 2 weeks on it have been OK, (although I don't have anything to compare it to).

Can you elaborate?

[HoseCrusher]

Understanding that there are machines that report summary data and other machines that offer detailed data and there is no cost difference between them.

The question is Which do you think would be more useful if you encountered a problem?

[OkyDoky]

Novatom, If you have the correct machine listed, it won't give you detailed waveform and events information that we use to monitor with software and see what is going on to determine if changes are needed. Look on the bottom of your blower unit for the REF# after you take the water out of your humidifer. Then you can go here to get the clinical manual for your unit. http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

[novatom]

Novatom, If you have the correct machine listed, it won't give you detailed waveform and events information that we use to monitor with software and see what is going on to determine if changes are needed. Look on the bottom of your blower unit for the REF# after you take the water out of your humidifer. Then you can go here to get the clinical manual for your unit. http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

Thank you for that link, OkyDoky, that was very helpful. I am the office right now so I'll have to check it out when I get home. However, the few times I exported the information from the SD card into Sleepyhead I got all sorts of waveforms and events information. Isn't that the same thing? There sure is a lot of detail to it, more than I could deal with. And I assume that was what the doctor would be looking over. He just wants the SD card, not the machine.

What other data is there? Why is the Sleepyhead data not adequate enough?

[OkyDoky]

OK good, so maybe you have chosen the wrong machine. Just check the number like I said and post for someone to help you.

[palerider]

"novatom has a plus machine, so no data... their first goal should be getting the DME to take back that piece of crap and give them a decent machine. (assuming they picked the right thing for their profile)"

again, assuming you picked the right machine in your profile (the machine listings are very confusing, so if you made a mistake, it's completely understandable).

the 'plus' machine from respironics records *no* useful information onto the sd card, only the hours it was used.

if you've loaded the data into sleepyhead and see flow waveforms and event breakdown, then you've chosen the wrong machine for your listing (as okydoky suggested), and my comment does not apply to your machine.

[49er]

Mike - try taking even just half a Tums - just plain Tums - before bed and see if that helps your GERD because it did mine. More than that and it may backfire. I long, long ago stopped taking and PPI's, or anything else because they all had side FX, but plain old Tums doesn't.

I have tried it all in dealing with the reflux. Sometimes I get a lot of relief and sometimes I don't. I've really never found anything that helps 100%. But I can tell you that, since using the CPAP, it has been far worse. When the doctor poo pooed my comments about that and told me that doesn't happen I didn't know what to say. I'm the one experiencing it. I know what's going on. Yet he says it doesn't happen. Wow.

Mike,

True Story. Several years ago, I went to see an allergist who served on the White House Staff. When I told him that Allegra was causing insomnia, he said that wasn't supposed to happen. I wish I had said something smart allecky like, "well, I just told you it did and you need to listen to your patients even if you think you know it all being an ex White House Staff physician." But like you, I was tongue tied.

My point Mike is sadly many physicians act like you are the first person reporting a symptom when it is alot more common then they think it is. Maybe in your case, people haven't shared problems because they feel the doctor will blow them off. Or maybe you are the first person to say something. But it shouldn't bleeping matter.

As was previously mentioned, if this doctor isn't helping you, find someone who will.

49er

[novatom]

OK, thanks, the product names can be confusing. It seems with this model, there are several versions, and the variation of the names is very subtle.

This is my machine:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... cflex.html

According to the description, it has this:

Encore Data Management and Reporting
On-board memory has been added to the CPAP as well as storing information on a generic SD Memory card and reads through any SD card reader. This machine only tracks and shows compliance data through the on machine display or through the Encore Software.

Hmmm.. is it that last sentence that you were referring to? Because if it is, it's wrong. I AM getting detailed data, I know it via Sleepyhead.

Now I'm even more confused.

[OkyDoky]

If that is the machine, it states it is a 250 which if you read at the bottom states only tracks AHI and compliance data which means no detailed waveforms. So check the number tonight when you get home.

[Sleeprider]

Novatom, just pull out the water reservoir so it doesn't spill, turn the machine over and read the model number on the bottom of the blower. You will see REMstar [model name], and below that will be a number next to the block that says REF ####. That will clear it all up. Maybe the Plus is new and improved, but I doubt it.

[Mike208]

Mike - try taking even just half a Tums - just plain Tums - before bed and see if that helps your GERD because it did mine. More than that and it may backfire. I long, long ago stopped taking and PPI's, or anything else because they all had side FX, but plain old Tums doesn't.

I have tried it all in dealing with the reflux. Sometimes I get a lot of relief and sometimes I don't. I've really never found anything that helps 100%. But I can tell you that, since using the CPAP, it has been far worse. When the doctor poo pooed my comments about that and told me that doesn't happen I didn't know what to say. I'm the one experiencing it. I know what's going on. Yet he says it doesn't happen. Wow.

Mike,

True Story. Several years ago, I went to see an allergist who served on the White House Staff. When I told him that Allegra was causing insomnia, he said that wasn't supposed to happen. I wish I had said something smart allecky like, "well, I just told you it did and you need to listen to your patients even if you think you know it all being an ex White House Staff physician." But like you, I was tongue tied.

My point Mike is sadly many physicians act like you are the first person reporting a symptom when it is alot more common then they think it is. Maybe in your case, people haven't shared problems because they feel the doctor will blow them off. Or maybe you are the first person to say something. But it shouldn't bleeping matter.

As was previously mentioned, if this doctor isn't helping you, find someone who will.

49er

It's amazing to me how some in the health care profession can be so unwilling to accept that, maybe, just maybe, something they have not ever seen is happening. You're right, it shouldn't matter. He basically told me I was wrong. I believe it's coming to an end with him. I have not heard back yet but I have a feeling he will say there is nothing else that he can do, I have failed CPAP, and refer me back to the ENT. That's what I think is going to happen.

[Julie]

Hi - while Cpap may be making it obvious, is it possible you have issues with dairy or gluten that have not been obvious til now but that Cpap has made so? Worth looking into?

[palerider]

Novatom, just pull out the water reservoir so it doesn't spill, turn the machine over and read the model number on the bottom of the blower. You will see REMstar [model name], and below that will be a number next to the block that says REF ####. That will clear it all up. Maybe the Plus is new and improved, but I doubt it.

the link he listed is the old 50 series plus.

even the new plus doesn't record data.

[49er]

It's amazing to me how some in the health care profession can be so unwilling to accept that, maybe, just maybe, something they have not ever seen is happening. You're right, it shouldn't matter. He basically told me I was wrong. I believe it's coming to an end with him. I have not heard back yet but I have a feeling he will say there is nothing else that he can do, I have failed CPAP, and refer me back to the ENT. That's what I think is going to happen.

Not to sound like a broken record but it is time to see another sleep doctor.