Whats Next?

[bhebert]

I was a long time snorer and well realized that I had a serious sleeping problem before I took my first sleep study. I immediately recognized the benefits of the CPAP machine and have faithfully used it since; for 2 years now.

My sister "lent" me her machine after she didn't find any relief or benefits. I have been using this, but without the benefits of close medical supervision. I now have an upcoming doctor appointment. What should I request as a follow up study or test?

BH

[kwikwater]

You've started off on a good foot - you've discovered and believe in CPAP therapy. Your next questions will be fun to hear the results. Your Doc is gonna be flabbergasted that you got yourself into CPAP without a study or a doctor involved. Doc will be speechless is my prediction!! That is if you get a doctor that is anywhere real about it. There's a huge reality that doctors aren't all that involved for many of us. They guide us into a machine, then we're on our own.

I'm curious if you've played with pressure settings. I didn't read your equipment profile to see if you had a machine/software that gave you the opportunity. That would be a direction to pursue via a good titration or even a full sleep study. There are folks on this group that can help with changing settings, if you have the right hardware/software on your end.

Please let us know how the doctor visit goes!! I'm WAY curious!! Good Luck!!

[dave21]

Your posting was a little vague as it suggested you may have already had a sleep study before? If you had, I would have presumed that you would have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and you would have been given a machine.

If you haven't had a sleep study, I would simply say that you have been having sleeping problems, provide the statistics like daytime sleepiness, feel tired, can nap in the day etc and say that someone lent you an old CPAP machine and since using it you feel much better.

Suggest you have to give the machine back and would like to verify that you do have Sleep Apnea (that's providing you're covered by insurance).

The doctor might not take too kindly to you starting CPAP without proper monitoring (although a lot of us don't get that either when we start treatment). The problem being that you don't know what pressure you should be on, so you could be pumping too much air into your body or likewise not enough. Without any titration or monitoring of the pressure to verify that you do have Apneas and they are kept at bay for the most part, the doctor might not be too happy with your self diagnosis.

However, don't let that stop you, you should really go through the formalities of a sleep study without and then with the machine. If that all works out, you can probably get a much newer machine that will allow you to monitor your own stats for free like the ResMed S9.

[bhebert]

I did hack into my machine and set it up from 8 to 9. My sister was set for 14, my guess is that why she couldn't tolerate it.

My doctor is probably used to me making my own decisions. A previous doctor, on hearing about my various professions, started writing with his arm conspicuously covering his writing, I suspect he was documenting my delirium. My current doctor just understands.

I did have a sleep study and the Kaiser unit I went to reset my current machine for me. By the way, the group there was great, they told me the horror stories of major surgeries that had no benefits while CPAP was usually miraculous. I believed them and have been happy for it.

BH

[dave21]

I think you're right about pressure and not being able to tolerate it. I was titrated at 10cm but when I purchased my own machine and changed it to an APAP I reduced the pressure to 8cm because it just felt so uncomfortable. Now I'm above 10cm and don't have any problems.

I think that most doctors should do follow ups and if patients can't tolerate the pressure then the doctors should start them off on a lower pressure to start with to get used to it before increasing the pressure.

Thanks
Dave

[snnnark]

What concerns me is your sister. If she was diagnosed with sleep apnea and is not treating it, then that is worrying. There are other machines, masks and techniques that can make treatment viable. Maybe we can help her... just a thought.

[Slinky]

I agree w/Snnnark. You obviously have a good handle on where you are at and where you are going w/PAP therapy. We'd like to see your sister go thru another sleep and titration study and get a fully data capable PAP. Hopefully, if your sleep doctor is any good she could switch to his care as well. W/you in the background to assist and her joining us here I'm sure we can help her see the wisdom and comfort of good PAP therapy.