Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Chevie · Post by **Chevie** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:47 am

I just read the comments under this article - http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012 ... /index.htm

Here you see dozens of people indicating they suffer badly trying to get good and sufficient sleep. Doctors are prescribing pills, but not a single person comments that they have undergone a sleep study.

Why not use the sleep labs more for diagnosis of underlying conditions?

grayghost4 · Post by **grayghost4** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:32 am

Cost .... $3 per week as opposed to $1500 to $3000 for one night.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:33 am

The sleep center I used also conducts research.

Chevie · Post by **Chevie** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:38 am

grayghost4 wrote:Cost .... $3 per week as opposed to $1500 to $3000 for one night.

This is only half of a cost/benefit analysis. Now, compare the benefits. That cheap pill may not be effective, or it may even be counterproductive. Sleep labs can often get to the root of the problem and provide a long-term, effective solution.

We only have one life to live. What is $1500 spread over a productive lifetime?

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:50 am

Insurance will rarely cover an "experimental" procedure, whether it is treatment or diagnostic.
The approved uses of a PSG are well-defined; usually by committees of doctors;
though I suspect some input by insurance companies.

Jay Aitchsee · Post by **Jay Aitchsee** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:28 am

Chevie wrote:Why not use the sleep labs more for diagnosis of underlying conditions?

It might be the science. Although there are several types of known sleep disorders, other than Sleep Disordered Breathing, I can't think of any that isn't treated by a "try this and see if it works" approach. RLS? Try Mirapex or maybe Klonopin. REM disorder? Again try Klonopin or ?, Insomnia? Try Ambien or Trazadone, Alpha Wave Intrusion? Try anything. And the list goes on.

Chevie · Post by **Chevie** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:10 pm

Jay Aitchsee wrote:
Chevie wrote:Why not use the sleep labs more for diagnosis of underlying conditions?
It might be the science. Although there are several types of known sleep disorders, other than Sleep Disordered Breathing, I can't think of any that isn't treated by a "try this and see if it works" approach. RLS? Try Mirapex or maybe Klonopin. REM disorder? Again try Klonopin or ?, Insomnia? Try Ambien or Trazadone, Alpha Wave Intrusion? Try anything. And the list goes on.

You are confusing some things that can be diagnosed without a sleep study - RLS, Insomnia.

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:13 pm

A "normal" in lab PSG sleep test records a lot of data, including sleep times, EEG, pulse rate, eye movement, leg movement, position, etc. in addition to breathing.

A competent doctor could tell a lot about many sleep problems from studying the results. The trick is getting a competent doctor and getting insurance to pay.

Chevie · Post by **Chevie** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:17 pm

archangle wrote:The trick is getting a competent doctor and getting insurance to pay.

Or how about working hard, smart and long to earn enough money to pay on your own?

That's one of the worst damn problems in the country - too many people expect someone else to pay for their problems and laziness.

Jay Aitchsee · Post by **Jay Aitchsee** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:14 pm

Chevie wrote:You are confusing some things that can be diagnosed without a sleep study - RLS, Insomnia.

Yeah, my examples were a little sloppy. You could substitute PLMD for RLS, but my point was - even if a disorder (other than SDB) is diagnosed by PSG, the treatment for many is by successive trial runs of meds looking for something that works.

Wulfman... · Post by **Wulfman...** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:27 pm

Chevie wrote:
archangle wrote:The trick is getting a competent doctor and getting insurance to pay.
Or how about working hard, smart and long to earn enough money to pay on your own?

That's one of the worst damn problems in the country - too many people expect someone else to pay for their problems and laziness.

Den

.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:12 pm

If you are a qualified researcher, you could work on using PSG to find additional diagnostic purposes.
If you are a random, but otherwise normal patient, lots of luck finding backing for your ideas.

Mgsnorer · Post by **Mgsnorer** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 9:47 pm

My then 18 year old son had a sleep study when he suffered with insomnia, along with migraines and depression. Most sleep docs are pulmonary specialists, but there are a few neurologists. The study ruled out apnea, RLS, and a few other things, but the neurologist was not able to recommend any treatment from the sleep study information.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:51 am

Mgsnorer wrote:The study ruled out apnea, RLS, and a few other things

In general, a sleep study cannot rule these things out. False negatives are fairly common. A good sleep doctor is wary of negative studies.

Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?

Re: Are sleep labs used for breathing disorders only?