Frequency at which you see your sleep Doc...

[Alicia41964]

I am curious. How often do all of you see your sleep Doc? I had my study, went back for the results, leaving with a machine and an oxygen concentrator. Went back @ 3 months for a f/u. Went back @ 6 months for another f/u. I went to make my one year appointment ( I started CPAP in May 2010 ) and they told me that I am not "due" for my yearly until October of 2011. I was kind of flabbergasted, so I politely hung the phone up and reflected a bit. I've' had one pulse oximetry study @ home within the last 10 months. Getting better... I've become educated, thanks to all of you folks here. I really want to know more about my diagnosis and how my therapy is coming along, within the scope of what the Doc had envisioned for my "recovery". Don't you go back every few months until therapy is optimal? Seems to me that since I've got the machine in hand, numbers seem "ok" for now, they don't think that I need to see/talk to anyone. Is this something cooked up by the insurance companies or is it the Docs and their practices? I feel as though waiting until October could be potentially hazardous to my health, should something not be going well with my CPAP or oxygen. Am I being paranoid or do you think that I have a valid concern? Please weigh in and let me know what you think. Be honest, I need that!

[Wulfman]

Your profile shows that you have a data-capable machine and the software. WHY would you NEED to go back? (other than for some unforeseen "problem")

I had one meeting with my "sleep" doctor before my sleep study and two shortly after. The last was in June of 2005. He got more money out of me and my insurance than I wanted to pay him.......and I have had no inclination to give him any more. He was also "questionable" as far as his knowledge about this therapy in my opinion.


Den

[cotech50]

I had sleep test ordered by ENT I was seeing for another issue. I went back for last follow-up for that issue, he looked at his notes, examined me and said I was good to go, not one word about the sleep apnea and its treatment. I might add he did not order the apap thet was done by the pulmonologist who analyzed the sleep study so MAYBE I DO NOT HAVE A SLEEP DOC. Good thing I have a good RT at the DME!!!

[BlackSpinner]

Mine also is not interested in seeing me unless my AHI changes since he knows I have a handle on the machine info.

[lbw]

For me I had sleep study. Result sent to DME. One visit wiyh sleep doc. Next appointment 1 1/2 yr after unless I have issues.

[Lori Dawn]

I went to my GP complaining of being tired all the time in 2005 or 06, I'm not sure exactly. A sleep study was ordered. I went there at 10:00 at night, got hooked up by the tech. Did my study. He woke me up and kicked me out at 5:00 in the morning. I got a call from the GP's nurse saying that I needed to go to a DME and get a CPAP and mask. I used it for a while, four or five months, but could never get the mask to fit right and I leaked all night long. The DME gave me three different masks and they never did fit right. I gave up in frustration. Then in May of 2009, I had another physical with my GP, again complaining that I was so tired I laid in bed all the time. Same thing as last time. I gave up in less than two months because I felt worse than when I started. I got it out of the closet three weeks ago and started using it again. I have yet to even meet my sleep doctor. I guess he resides at the sleep clinic? I don't even know! And the DMEs know NOTHING!!!!

[Leadhead]

I last saw mine in 1999.

[idamtnboy]

Sleep doc reviewed the study results and ordered the S9 and DME brought it to my home. A month later saw the sleep doc, and then again just a couple of weeks ago at 6 months after the first visit. When I left she said, "See you in a year!"

[mmkof5]

After discussing my symptoms with my GP, he referred me to my sleep doctor. 1st appointment with her was in January, 2010. Discussed my issues with her and she ordered a sleep study which was done at the end of February. Next appointment with her was in March. Titration was done at the end of March.

Since titration I have seen her every 45 to 60 days. Took me from April, 2010 to February, 2011 to find a FFM that I could actually use! Since settling in with the Quattro FX I have managed some pretty decent numbers. However, no improvement in the symptons that got me in her office from the beginning. Neither of us are happy about that!

Now I am scheduled for another sleep study plus MSLT test at the end of April.

I am so thankful that I haven't been "lost in the shuffle"! I believe she is really concerned that I'm not feeling any better. She has not given up on me and I haven't given up on her. I told her at my last visit that I had the software for my CPAP machine and took her reports concerning my therapy data. She took the time to go over all of the data-pointed out what she thought was improvement, good and concerns. Maybe I'm "living in a fairy tale" but I honestly think she is doing everything she can to help me find a solution.

Right now - I'm sticking with her like glue!!!

I visit this forum several times a day when I can find the time. It has been invaluable to me in regards to information! Again, I'm going to shine the spotlight on Pugsy! I was so frustrated when I joined this forum. She took me under her wing and has helped me tremendously interpreting my data to me so I could get a sense of what is happening/not happening. Honestly-had it not been for her- my CPAP machine would probably be sitting in a closet collecting dust!!! She's a definite "KEEPER"!!!

[EricinNC]

Much of it depends on your insurance and how good the patient/doctor relationship is. If you have a good insurance plan that reimburses your doctor well, and the sleep doctor seems to like you personally, the odds are your sleep doc will want to see you reasonably frequently.

If on the other hand your insurance plan is a managed care plan and reimburses your physician poorly, they most likely wont be too happy to see you very often. Also, if the relationship is "rocky," they will probably not want to see you because what doctor wants to see a patient they are not exactly crazy about?

Eric

[Lizistired]

I think I would prefer not to see mine again.
Oct: PCP referred me for sleep study, $$
Nov: Appt with sleep doc referred for sleep study, $$$
Nov Sleep Study $$$$$
Dec 3rd Titration, $$$$$
Dec 14 Picked up my script and picked a DME.
Dec 17 Picked up my machine. $$$$
Jan 30 day follow up with sleep doc. Didn't learn a thing. He wanted to explain my inital test results to me, Duh, that should have happened before, or right after the titration. I was way past that. He said, "I guess we'll see you in a year." $$$

I'm going to talk to my ins co and see if it's necessary. I can email him the data, but it's a waste of my time. I don't expect to need his services. Thanks to the forums, I have an APAP and can manage my own therapy.

[nanwilson]

I saw the sleep doc (he also uses a cpap) once and that was almost a year ago.
They sent me home with a mask and machine and haven't even had a phone call since.....but then I don't have insurance or any money. Since that time I have tried or traded 7 masks and have bought a used m-series ..all from members on this forum. The only ones that care ARE THE WONDERFUL MEMBERS OF THIS FORUM!!!!!!!!! And for that I thank you.
Cheers
Nan

[BernieRay]

I generally see mine once a year unless something is going on that the nurse can't handle through a phone call. I'm glad the folks here have been able to make up the difference for you!

[Suetois]

I saw my sleep doctor before the sleep study and then a week after the sleep study when he explained the results, gave me a copy, diagnosed me with severe sleep apnea, and prescribed the machine (a fully data capable APAP model) and mask--which I picked up that morning. They had me come back in two weeks to check how things were going (not well), so if I remember right they had me come back in another two weeks. I was exhausted from fighting with the mask every night ,and my AHI was too high. At that point he changed the upper pressure setting and prescribed Lunesta to help me sleep. He also suggested a switch to BiPAP, but I wanted to wait for a month in case the mask was the real problem. I went back a month later and got a different mask (my fifth and the first one I had to pay to try). A month later when I went back I was tolerating the mask without major leaks, and my numbers were looking good, but I was still tired all the time. He explained that quite a few CPAP patients continue to experience daytime fatigue despite the fact that their therapy is a success in terms of compliance and their AHI, so he prescribed Nuvigil. Three weeks later I saw him again. We agreed that I probably didn't need Lunesta anymore, so he tapered me off that, and also recommended trying a slightly smaller dose of Nuvigil. I'm scheduled to go back in 3 months. Between the support and information I found here, and his excellent involvement in my care, I think I've had a near ideal experience. (Or as near to ideal as you can get when it takes you more than 4 months to get the leaks, AHI, and fatigue all under control.) The DME, OTOH, hasn't been as helpful as you could hope, but even there persistence and a good attitude paid off. They didn't try to stick me with an inferior CPAP machine. The tech was impatient with my need to continue trying different masks, but I knew from reading here that I needed to insist on that until I found something that would work for me. I think she needs to know more about different masks, but she's probably mostly responsible for dealing with insurance issues.

Sorry this got so long. I just wanted everybody to know that there *are* good, and successful, experiences to be had.

[Pugsy]

I don't feel the need to see sleep doctor at this point. Last visit was in Aug 09 for 3 month followup after starting cpap. (Mainly visit was scheduled to check for compliance for insurance needs but once I explained no insurance involved with machine purchase they didn't even want to see machine or data card). Problems were discussed and it was agreed I had a good understanding of problems, treatment and what to look for. I have software to validate treatment and troubleshoot if something doesn't seem right. I am aware of other factors affecting sleep quality and I deal with them.

I do see my PCP regularly and work on the other issues. I do have run of the mill plain vanilla OSA worse in REM and no other sleep disorder problems to deal with so there is no need for me to see sleep doctor for just a "followup" to say "come back next year". Now if something new came up that I couldn't understand or handle, then that would be a different story or if I had other sleep disorder factors (PLMS, insomnia that couldn't be explained, centrals, etc) I wouldn't hesitate to go back for a discussion about mitigating factors that I didn't have a good handle on.