Does anyone here have very severe apnea?

[questionsgalore]

My first sleep study is showing an AHI of 99. The medical care here is very bad and I have a delay in getting a machine due to scheduling on the second test and available appt. with the doctor. Should I get a machine on my own and start using it?

[bonjour]

Does a bear s*** in the woods?

MANY here have severe apnea.

On medical care where are you and what is the delay?

What specifically are the results of your study in as much detail as possible please.

Apnea presents in many forms other than the most common which is obstructive and it's important to know which.

Most important is to get a machine that is fully data capable. Which machine depends on your specific diagnosis.

[amenite]

My first sleep study is showing an AHI of 99. The medical care here is very bad and I have a delay in getting a machine due to scheduling on the second test and available appt. with the doctor. Should I get a machine on my own and start using it?

Given an AHI of 99 I don't see why you shouldn't start on your own if there will be a significant delay. After my initial study the doctor kept me waiting 5 weeks for a followup appointment and I had no idea that my AHI was over 100. Had I known the actual number and knowing what I know now (hindsight being 20/20 of course) I wish I had started on my own. Somewhere during those 5-6 weeks it took to get started on xPAP I might well have driven head on into a tractor trailer or something.

[LSAT]

My first sleep study is showing an AHI of 99. The medical care here is very bad and I have a delay in getting a machine due to scheduling on the second test and available appt. with the doctor. Should I get a machine on my own and start using it?

The day you start on CPAP therapy, your AHI may drop to 5 or less...over time you can get it to <1.
Where is "here"?

[questionsgalore]

This is my sleep study data. Let me know what you would do. What machine etc.

Sleep Data -
Monitored time 470 min, slept for 229 min. Sleep latency of 25.9, REM latency 84.5, wake after sleep onset 215 min.

Breakdown of sleep staging: Stage N1 12 min, Stage N2 133.5 min, Stage N3 55 min and REM 28.5.

Diagnostic Data -
146 apnea events with index of 61.5/hours, 22 hypopnea events for index of 9.3/hour of sleep, 168 apnea and hypopnea events were observed during the analysis period as follows, 146 obstructive apneas, 0 central apneas, o mixed and 22 hypopneas for an apnea/hypopnea index of 70.0.

124 desaturations based on 3 percent or greater drop from baseline. Lowest SaO2 was 79 with an average of 92 percent

During titration in split study 116 desaturations occurred.

Heart rate - 63.9
Arousal Stats -
from 9:30 pm to 5:30 am 301 arousals (78.9/hour), 288 respiratory arousals, 0 leg movement, 9 spontaneous arousals and 4 snore arousals., 0 PLM arousals.

Diagnosis -Very Severe OSA with overall AHI of 70.7 /hours

Started at 4 and went to 8 pressure on IPAP/EPAP with incomplete study without adequate reduction in AHI .

[palerider]

questions galore...

answer, notsomuch.

[MrGrumpy]

If I had an AHI of 99 and my doctor did not have me a machine and proper mask within two or three weeks max, I'd probably call local law enforcement on him. That goes beyond negligence, thats criminal neglect in my personal opinion.

Yes, I would be getting a private prescription and buying a machine out of pocket if the "medical care" where you are is that slow. The question I have is, if your AHI is that high, whats your oxygen desaturation? And also, if your AHI is that high, yet your medical team wont get you to the next step of getting you gear and a titration study, are they running a sleep study mill operation just to be able to bill your insurance? Ive been to one sleep study where I highly suspect the doctor was doing exactly that.

Are you confident they did a proper diagnostic job? I mean, telling you have an AHI of 99 and not following through sounds strange unless its purely lack of insurance and money on your part to pay for your copays and deductible.

My first sleep study is showing an AHI of 99. The medical care here is very bad and I have a delay in getting a machine due to scheduling on the second test and available appt. with the doctor. Should I get a machine on my own and start using it?

[LSAT]

If I had an AHI of 99 and my doctor did not have me a machine and proper mask within two or three weeks max, I'd probably call local law enforcement on him. That goes beyond negligence, thats criminal neglect in my personal opinion.

Yes, I would be getting a private prescription and buying a machine out of pocket if the "medical care" where you are is that slow. The question I have is, if your AHI is that high, whats your oxygen desaturation? And also, if your AHI is that high, yet your medical team wont get you to the next step of getting you gear and a titration study, are they running a sleep study mill operation just to be able to bill your insurance? Ive been to one sleep study where I highly suspect the doctor was doing exactly that.

Are you confident they did a proper diagnostic job? I mean, telling you have an AHI of 99 and not following through sounds strange unless its purely lack of insurance and money on your part to pay for your copays and deductible.

My first sleep study is showing an AHI of 99. The medical care here is very bad and I have a delay in getting a machine due to scheduling on the second test and available appt. with the doctor. Should I get a machine on my own and start using it?

In his post, he said his average 02 was 92 with a low of 79...I don't know where he got the AHI 99, his sleep study said average AHI 70.7.

[D.H.]

I suspect this poster is in a third world country. In the U.S. and most other industrialized countries, it is theoretically illegal to get a CPAP machine with a prescription. Of course, that's not reality, you can get one.

Since you are not getting the support you would get in advanced country, you will need to do the best you can.

[Janknitz]

The problem I see with getting a machine before prescription is that you may need a BiPAP, and if you buy a CPAP/APAP you will need to buy yet another machine. That could run in to a LOT of money.

[palerider]

The problem I see with getting a machine before prescription is that you may need a BiPAP, and if you buy a CPAP/APAP you will need to buy yet another machine. That could run in to a LOT of money.

buy used, then sell it for the same price (if not more) if you don't need it.