Home studies...who can help?

[Rosebud]

Hello.

Question for whomever might have anything to say on the subject: I've read something on here about a home sleep study. What do we need to do; who do we need to see; how does it work....you get the picture.

I have had my cpap for a little over a month, but I've been telling my husband for years that he needs to be checked, because he snores ALOT and I have had to nudge him awake in the middle of the night to make him breathe, but his bone-head dr didn't think he needed to be checked...go figure! Now that his blood pressure meds had to be doubled, the dr wants ME to time him and see how long it takes him to start breathing again and how often! Hello!!!! I'm just finally starting to get some sleep most nights, now he wants me to sit up and WATCH SOMEONE ELSE sleep??? I do believe he bumped his head! Anyway, I thought I'd see what I can find out about this home study first. I don't suppose it's as simple as peeing on a stick, but it might still be a good place for him to start.

Thank you all in advance.

[Wulfman]

Why don't you ask his "bone head doctor" if he's ever heard of a pulse-oximetry test. There are recording oximetry devices that record the amount of blood oxygen by clipping a little "thingy" on the finger and sleeping with it during the night. Then the data is downloaded and printed out.
Normally, these are free services from a local DME but the doctor has to write a prescription and send it to the DME to order it.

If his blood oxygen is desaturating into the 80's or lower, it's either time to get him a sleep study or you could buy yourself a "backup" data-capable CPAP machine......and if your husband just happens to use it, (hint, hint) so much the better.....it'll save a lot of money that way.


Den

[Fredman]

I just posted a thread on Remmers sleep studies vs. Sleep Lab studies. SWS another member provided a link to the Remmers home sleep study. You may find this interesting. This was how I was diagnosed:

http://www.21stcenturydental.com/Remmers.htm

Hope this helps!

[schatzi]

Hello.

Question for whomever might have anything to say on the subject: I've read something on here about a home sleep study. What do we need to do; who do we need to see; how does it work....you get the picture.

I have had my cpap for a little over a month, but I've been telling my husband for years that he needs to be checked, because he snores ALOT and I have had to nudge him awake in the middle of the night to make him breathe, but his bone-head dr didn't think he needed to be checked...go figure! Now that his blood pressure meds had to be doubled, the dr wants ME to time him and see how long it takes him to start breathing again and how often! Hello!!!! I'm just finally starting to get some sleep most nights, now he wants me to sit up and WATCH SOMEONE ELSE sleep??? I do believe he bumped his head! Anyway, I thought I'd see what I can find out about this home study first. I don't suppose it's as simple as peeing on a stick, but it might still be a good place for him to start.

Thank you all in advance.

Make sure your Dr. orders a sleep study, AT A SLEEP CENTER! Insurance, Medicare and Tricare pay for this. I think it is unconscionable for the Dr. to delay and have you monitor your husbands sleeping.

[Rosebud]

I want to thank you all for your helpful advice. I will check out the link and whatever other info I can find on the subject. I will also look into the pulse-ox test, but I have to agree that he should have ALREADY sent him for a REAL study. When I asked my husband why his Dr. didn't just order a study, he said "probably because they are so expensive". I said, "Well, they're cheaper than a funeral." His response??? "Yes, dear."

I'm still shocked and appalled at the Dr.s attitude, but I guess I shouldn't be. Although my husband has always liked him as his Dr., he used to be my Dr. too years ago, and now he is NOT!!! After 10 months of monkeying around with him trying to find out what was causing severe pains in my stomach, when I finally DEMANDED that he send me to a specialist, he did so grudgingly and said..."I think you need to be emotionally prepared that he won't find anything either." I was LIVID! I translated that to really mean..."You're a hypocondriac, and this is all in your head...deal with it." As it turned out, I had adhesions (scar tissue) from where my bowel has somehow attached itself to another organ...my guess, due to years of constipation.

Thank you for letting me dump on you all. I'll go see what I can find now.

Rosie