Getting official medical help with osa and sp02 levels?

[ravenous28]

How wise or trustworthy is it to go to a sleep specialist for help with understand truly what’s going on. My pcp didn’t want to talk to me at all about any of my questions about a home sleep study i got done. As soon as I brought up any questions about sp02 levels from my results, he told me that’s something I would need to see a sleep specialist about. Even basic questions I had about my last report were shrugged off it seems. Do general pcp not really know much of anything about sleep study reports? I feel like doctor i have for my pcp is useless. His nurse called me and said he wanted to schedule an appointment to talk about my sleep report then when I go in he didn’t want to even explain anything to me. Anyone ever in the same boat? Is it best to just seek out a specialist at this point?

[palerider]

It's better to educate yourself, and take care of your own needs. It's not that complicated.

[jimbud]

I had same experience. Home sleep study. Went to pick up machine and mask asked questions, no response. Went back for follow up. All they wanted was compliance info. No answers to questions. Told them I wanted sleep study and prescription. They did not want to give them to me. I demanded them. They gave them to me. I went home and sent prescription to CPAP.com, got OK, ordered Resmed Autoset 10 for Her with supplies and mask. Took DME machine back to them and demanded return receipt. I have not looked back. This site is all I need for information and help. Google helps also. Good luck with your journey. JPB

[palerider]

An educated and involved patient is much more likely to be a successful patient.

[ravenous28]

What exactly does it take to get your prescription from your doctor? Can they deny giving it to you or do they have to by law if you had an in lab sleep study proven you have osa? Does the prescription ever expire or is it good for life? What about a person who has proven osa, tried cpap failed the trail 7 yrs ago on insurance, can they be denied by the doctor the prescription if they wanted to come back to cpap or do you have to get another proven sleep study done yet again in lab? From what I understand, my doctor said it’s frowned upon not going through the insurance and going rouge because you need them to give you the supplies and support needed..

[Jay Aitchsee]

What exactly does it take to get your prescription from your doctor?

It takes a doctor (or dentist) willing to write one. Prescriptions don't necessarily expire. Some are written for 99 years. Insurance companies may require a new prescription every year and may set the guidlines for doctors to write one for funding puposes.

If you are not going to use insurance, many DME, our sponser included, will sell you equipment regardless of the age of your prescription.

Many supplies, like masks and parts of masks and the like don't really require a prescription if you are paying out of pocket, like on Amazon.

The big driver here is the DME wanting to be reimbursed by insurance,

If you are going to use insurance, you have to play by the insurance company rules.

If you are going to buy a machine from a DME, with or without insurance, you need a prescription, the age requirement of which is determined by the DME and or insurance company. Your prescription from 7 years ago may be honored by a DME, if you are not using insurance.

If you buy from a private party, you need nothing but money.

You can get plenty of support here from the forum.

You may find a specialist will offer as little help as your PCP. Many of us have gone through multiple Sleep Specialists before finding one acceptable, but I think it is worthwhile to have a good one on your team.

[palerider]

From what I understand, my doctor said it’s frowned upon not going through the insurance and going rouge because you need them to give you the supplies and support needed..

I've only got one thing to say about that...

HOGWASH.

I suggest finding better people to tell you things.

Maybe that doctor is getting some kickbacks, who knows.

[ChicagoGranny]

As soon as I brought up any questions about sp02 levels from my results, he told me that’s something I would need to see a sleep specialist about. Even basic questions I had about my last report were shrugged off it seems.

Post a copy of your sleep study in this thread. (Redact your name and any other personally identifying info.)

Are you planning to use insurance or self-pay?

[ravenous28]

I already bought a airsense 10 already, works good however my dilemma is my dr doesn’t know I’m doing it and I sort of feel like a criminal I guess. Right now as it stands I’m still using the mouthpiece and testing for compliance but I’m not sure it’s going to work...so I’ll be just using the cpap in the end.. when I asked my doctor what I should do if I find out on the sleep study that my mouthpiece isn’t working, if I could go back to cpap. He said, well you already failed cpap back in 2012... so the next step would be for me to see a sleep specialist and then he can decide what to do with me...example put me back on cpap auto... which I already have currently...

Anyone have any advise on what to do in my situation? I Don’t know if it’s against the law to use cpap without your dr knowing but I also want him to know because I’m getting strung along... and all I really want is my prescription so I can properly buy a cpap of my own in the future from valid websites...

[Okie bipap]

It is not against the law to use a CPAP machine without notifying your doctor. Many of the members of this forum have gone rogue and did the whole thing on their own without any doctor's help. I go to a sleep clinic every six months, but I still make my own pressure changes as I think best for my own treatment. You will probably get better advice here than you would from your regular PCP. Our PCP never asks anything about our machine usage other than asking if we are still using them.

[Jay Aitchsee]

It is not against the law for an individual to buy, sell, or use a cpap machine with or without a doctor's knowledge.
It would be wise to inform a treating physician of all medications and treatments one is using.
You are entitled to a copy of any prescription written on your behalf as well as any other test results or records held or performed by any medical entity. See HHS, Hipaa Guidelinges.

[bonjour]

Post a copy of your Sleep Study and your typical nightly Sleepyhead charts. The best advice is given from knowledge and not ignorance.
Specialist come into play more when you have issues that you cannot address.
To tell or not, the truth usually works, especially when you can demonstrate both knowledge and success.

[ravenous28]

It is not against the law to use a CPAP machine without notifying your doctor. Many of the members of this forum have gone rogue and did the whole thing on their own without any doctor's help. I go to a sleep clinic every six months, but I still make my own pressure changes as I think best for my own treatment. You will probably get better advice here than you would from your regular PCP. Our PCP never asks anything about our machine usage other than asking if we are still using them.

True but how do I get to the point where I can get him or any other dr to give me a real prescription for it so I can buy stuff on official websites now?

[Pugsy]

Your prescription is part of your medical records and by law you have a right to have a copy of all your records under HIPPA regulations.
They might squawk but they have to give your records ...all of them...to you if you provide a written request.

[ravenous28]

Yeah but what should I do now that my Pcp is now basically saying if the mouthpiece fails for me then no I can’t retry cpap on insurance from him again and he wants me to pay for and go see an sleep specialist now? What more is the sleep specialist going to suggest for my osa other then cpap again? The irony of all this is that I know can tolerate cpap because I’ve been using it for months. Well the new ones out now with auto. He had me on a s9 back in 2012 with 15 cm and because I was primarily a mouth breather I was swallowing the air and my stomach was getting really bloated. Back then no one helped me out or adjusted any settings so obviously I told myself this sucks I can’t do this..but now with the airsense 10 autosense it’s like night and day and it works out good and I know the results reflect that on the resmed my air app, sleepyhead and pulse oximeter. The problem is getting this dr to agree to that without having to go through an entire whole new expensive time consuming cpap trail at a lab setting just to prove it...plus now having to pay a specialist now to do this all over again. I feel like it’s excessive when all I want to do is tell him look I know my airsense 10 auto is working for me can you give me my prescription. Sadly I’m in a bind now because they have me marked as failing cpap and I’m screwed now from coming back or Atleast with this pcp. What’s interesting here in Pittsburgh is there’s a battle with upmc and highmark and I have to switch to a highmark pcp anyway come June this year. So perhaps I should just start over with a new pcp and explain the messed up situation I’m in. Yeah it’s fine now because I have the airsense 10 that was given to me from a family member but if it breaks on me it’s going to be hard for me to get a replacement without a proper prescription...
I feel like I’m stuck really.. sure I want the mouthpiece to work and perhaps maybe it will show that on the next home sleep study, but if it doesn’t then yeah I know cpap is the only way to go. What would you do in my situation? Pay to see a specialist and start all over from ground zero, get a new pcp and start fresh or just keep paying rouge somewhere for the newest resmed for the rest of my life. I personally feel like the doctors and my pcp really doesn’t care if I suffer from osa. I had to pay 100 dollars just to have a follow up with my pcp just for him to tell me the next step is to see a specialist.. now more $$$ spent.. what’s next see an ent, throat surgery on and on it goes..