I had a sleep test done and the doctor got very angry

[MarkMyWords]

It occurred to me to ask about the (even very slim) possibility that you had a passing respiratory problem when tested (that prompted the testing) and it just went away... things do after all. Can you think back to pre-testing and come up with anything at all that might fit and that could have skewed test results but otherwise then disappeared?

Thanks for the question , Nothing really springs to mine .

[MarkMyWords]

Not all people are aware of sleep apnea symptoms ..... the fact that you no longer experience the symptoms does not, in of itself, mean the apneas are gone. Apnea events can occur more frequently under certain conditions. Events like REM sleep, a tucked chin, sleep position contribute to the frequency, timing and number of events you will experience. You might recognize those events that awake you fully, but will be oblivious to the ones that only caused a partial arousal.

When you get your data capable machine and download OSCAR you will see the ebb and flow of your nights events. Some nights events may come in a cluster and other nights events will be widely spaced apart.

Thanks for you input , its appreciated.

[MarkMyWords]

Regarding how to interpret your exam, the most important statistics are Apnea Index (AI), Hypopnea Index (HI), Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) (a sum of the previous 2 numbers) and Oxygen desaturation time (time below oxygen saturation of 90%).

From what I understand from the tests, your oxygen levels dropped below 90% for about a minute and you had an AHI of 35.0 (HI = 15.6 and AI = 19.4). Your AHI number is classified as severe apnea. It can be interpreted as meaning that on average you wake up 35 times every hour of sleep because you're choking!

Since you had a high AHI when sleeping on your left side, it's also unlikely that you are candidate for positional therapy alone, but I'm not sure 25 minutes of sleep on that side is enough to make this conclusion.

My personal symptoms of untreated apnea were: headaches every morning, waking up during the night with full bladder multiple times and feeling as I'm more tired than before going to bed. Do you have any of these?

If you can afford the machine, I suggest getting an APAP as others have mentioned. I'm not aware of clinics faking sleep studies to sell CPAP machines and as someone already mentioned most people who go to the sleep doctor have some issue, so it's not surprising that most sleep studies are positive.

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sle ... ng-results

Before my sleep test my only symptom ( 1 ) was waking up in the early hours of the morning after going to bed , and a feeling that I could not breath in enough air. I had and still do not have any day time symptoms at all

During the 3 week waiting period to get the sleep test results the original symptom ( I could not breath in enough air ) has gone and not to date not returned.

Before the sleep test I did some times wake up during the night to urinate , but I assumed that was an age related thing ( 65 years old ) . I still some times wake up after going to sleep to urinate .

The whole sleep test procedure combined with an uneasy feeling about the CPAP sales pitch made and the doctors comment ( up to you if you want to get a CPAP machine ) me wonder .

The CPAP machine and mask are very expensive here and obtaining one from abroad has its problems like the machines warranty and high government import duties . So before committing to pay out a lot of money , I just wanted to be as sure as I can .

I’m now wondering what the possible scenario would be if I just waited a bit longer to see if any symptoms do return before buying the expensive CPAP machine and mask.

[Setj]

I have managed to find a reliable source for a ResMed AirSense 10 – Autoset unit and Phillips DreamWear Nasal Mask . Obtaining a second sleep test is going to be problematic .

Keep this simple. Just get that model machine and don't worry about another sleep test. I had multiple sleep tests, and in hindsight, all but the first one were a waste of time.

[cyberdreamer]

Regarding how to interpret your exam, the most important statistics are Apnea Index (AI), Hypopnea Index (HI), Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) (a sum of the previous 2 numbers) and Oxygen desaturation time (time below oxygen saturation of 90%).

From what I understand from the tests, your oxygen levels dropped below 90% for about a minute and you had an AHI of 35.0 (HI = 15.6 and AI = 19.4). Your AHI number is classified as severe apnea. It can be interpreted as meaning that on average you wake up 35 times every hour of sleep because you're choking!

Since you had a high AHI when sleeping on your left side, it's also unlikely that you are candidate for positional therapy alone, but I'm not sure 25 minutes of sleep on that side is enough to make this conclusion.

My personal symptoms of untreated apnea were: headaches every morning, waking up during the night with full bladder multiple times and feeling as I'm more tired than before going to bed. Do you have any of these?

If you can afford the machine, I suggest getting an APAP as others have mentioned. I'm not aware of clinics faking sleep studies to sell CPAP machines and as someone already mentioned most people who go to the sleep doctor have some issue, so it's not surprising that most sleep studies are positive.

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sle ... ng-results

Before my sleep test my only symptom ( 1 ) was waking up in the early hours of the morning after going to bed , and a feeling that I could not breath in enough air. I had and still do not have any day time symptoms at all

During the 3 week waiting period to get the sleep test results the original symptom ( I could not breath in enough air ) has gone and not to date not returned.

Before the sleep test I did some times wake up during the night to urinate , but I assumed that was an age related thing ( 65 years old ) . I still some times wake up after going to sleep to urinate .

The whole sleep test procedure combined with an uneasy feeling about the CPAP sales pitch made and the doctors comment ( up to you if you want to get a CPAP machine ) me wonder .

The CPAP machine and mask are very expensive here and obtaining one from abroad has its problems like the machines warranty and high government import duties . So before committing to pay out a lot of money , I just wanted to be as sure as I can .

I’m now wondering what the possible scenario would be if I just waited a bit longer to see if any symptoms do return before buying the expensive CPAP machine and mask.

Oh, you might be right, I just read that aging is also a possible cause of waking up frequently to urinate. I know our bodies produce a substance that slows urine production at night and sleep disturbances disrupt the production of this substance. In my case, it probably was the reason for my nocturia before CPAP treatment.

Before having a sleep study, I considered buying an oximeter to evaluate if my oxygen saturation dropped below 90% at night. They were a lot cheaper than the machine here in Brazil and more easily available. Maybe you could try that to confirm the diagnosis.

If you do not trust the sleep study and do not have any of the several symptoms, I think it is unlikely you will persist using the CPAP long enough to get used to it. In the beginning, it's hard enough for people motivated enough by clear symptoms of sleep apnea. However, there is also the possibility that you are used to your current situation and after using CPAP, you will be amazed at what feeling good actually is.

TL;DR Try an oximeter to confirm the sleep studies results

[MarkMyWords]

I have managed to find a reliable source for a ResMed AirSense 10 – Autoset unit and Phillips DreamWear Nasal Mask . Obtaining a second sleep test is going to be problematic .

Keep this simple. Just get that model machine and don't worry about another sleep test. I had multiple sleep tests, and in hindsight, all but the first one were a waste of time.

Thanks for the advice , your …... I had multiple sleep tests, and in hindsight, all but the first one were a waste of time.

Sounds interesting . Can you please tell me a bit more ?

[MarkMyWords]

Regarding how to interpret your exam, the most important statistics are Apnea Index (AI), Hypopnea Index (HI), Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) (a sum of the previous 2 numbers) and Oxygen desaturation time (time below oxygen saturation of 90%).

From what I understand from the tests, your oxygen levels dropped below 90% for about a minute and you had an AHI of 35.0 (HI = 15.6 and AI = 19.4). Your AHI number is classified as severe apnea. It can be interpreted as meaning that on average you wake up 35 times every hour of sleep because you're choking!

Since you had a high AHI when sleeping on your left side, it's also unlikely that you are candidate for positional therapy alone, but I'm not sure 25 minutes of sleep on that side is enough to make this conclusion.

My personal symptoms of untreated apnea were: headaches every morning, waking up during the night with full bladder multiple times and feeling as I'm more tired than before going to bed. Do you have any of these?

If you can afford the machine, I suggest getting an APAP as others have mentioned. I'm not aware of clinics faking sleep studies to sell CPAP machines and as someone already mentioned most people who go to the sleep doctor have some issue, so it's not surprising that most sleep studies are positive.

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sle ... ng-results

Before my sleep test my only symptom ( 1 ) was waking up in the early hours of the morning after going to bed , and a feeling that I could not breath in enough air. I had and still do not have any day time symptoms at all

During the 3 week waiting period to get the sleep test results the original symptom ( I could not breath in enough air ) has gone and not to date not returned.

Before the sleep test I did some times wake up during the night to urinate , but I assumed that was an age related thing ( 65 years old ) . I still some times wake up after going to sleep to urinate .

The whole sleep test procedure combined with an uneasy feeling about the CPAP sales pitch made and the doctors comment ( up to you if you want to get a CPAP machine ) me wonder .

The CPAP machine and mask are very expensive here and obtaining one from abroad has its problems like the machines warranty and high government import duties . So before committing to pay out a lot of money , I just wanted to be as sure as I can .

I’m now wondering what the possible scenario would be if I just waited a bit longer to see if any symptoms do return before buying the expensive CPAP machine and mask.

Oh, you might be right, I just read that aging is also a possible cause of waking up frequently to urinate. I know our bodies produce a substance that slows urine production at night and sleep disturbances disrupt the production of this substance. In my case, it probably was the reason for my nocturia before CPAP treatment.

Before having a sleep study, I considered buying an oximeter to evaluate if my oxygen saturation dropped below 90% at night. They were a lot cheaper than the machine here in Brazil and more easily available. Maybe you could try that to confirm the diagnosis.

If you do not trust the sleep study and do not have any of the several symptoms, I think it is unlikely you will persist using the CPAP long enough to get used to it. In the beginning, it's hard enough for people motivated enough by clear symptoms of sleep apnea. However, there is also the possibility that you are used to your current situation and after using CPAP, you will be amazed at what feeling good actually is.

TL;DR Try an oximeter to confirm the sleep studies results

Thanks , the oximeter idea sounds interesting so Ive just ordered a Fingertip Pulse version and I will post back on how things work out once it arrives.

Your comment …. there is also the possibility that you are used to your current situation and after using CPAP, you will be amazed at what feeling good actually is.

Is some thing that keeps coming up in my mind and some thing that I’m taking to heart .

Ive decided to hold off spending the large amount of money on a CPAP machine and mask , for a bit longer . A few days ago I installed a Car Camera Video Recorder with night vision ( the sort that sits on the vehicles front windscreen ) in the bed room . My wife was relegated to a spare bedroom . I was surprised just watching my self sleep , my wife had already told me that I breathed through my nose while sleeping and my mouth remained shut with no snoring . I always try to sleep on my side. Some of the beginning of the videos showed me laying on my side , mouth shout , but as the night wore on some videos showed me laying on my back and my mouth was obviously open, but I appeared sleeping soundly .

Generally I could not see any body movements or actions that looked other than normal or any thing that shocked me .

[zoocrewphoto]

Part of the problem with sleep apnea is that many of the symptoms are not obvious as symptoms, or they are easy top blame on getting older or gaining weight. I honestly thought my only symptom was snoring (not everybody with sleep apnea snores though. My mom is more severe than me, and she does not snore.) I thought the bathroom trips were normal as I am that way during the day too. And I thought I slept pretty well otherwise. I only got tested because I knew I had it (due to snoring), and I saw a news story that sleep apnea causes high blood pressure which leads to heart attacks and stroke. My doctor had been warning me that my high blood pressure was bad and not responding well to medications. And I was at risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Since having the sleep study and being on cpap, I have discovered that a lot of my health problems that I blamed on getting older were actually caused by the sleep apnea.

Here are some of the improvements I discovered:

I fall asleep faster now.
I stay asleep better.
Fewer bathroom trips.
No more nightmares.

No more morning headaches.
No more choking or gasping fits.

Blood pressure is normal with only 1medication (instead of 3 and still high).
I'm not as tired during the day. I feel better.
I am more cheerful. I don't get grumpy often.

[D.H.]

If you're not satisfied with the treatment you're getting in Cambodia, you might consider traveling to Thailand. Thailand is the only country that I'm aware of that is promoting medical tourism specifically for sleep medicine. It happens to be relatively near to Cambodia, so you might want to try that.

[ChicagoGranny]

Thanks for the advice , your …... I had multiple sleep tests, and in hindsight, all but the first one were a waste of time.

Sounds interesting . Can you please tell me a bit more ?

Typically, the first study is to get a diagnosis. This allows the doctor to write a prescription for machine, mask and supplies. Insurance companies require a study before they will cover these items.

Additional studies are to find the correct machine settings. The patient who uses free OSCAR software can better find the correct machine settings over several nights. The sleep lab usually has only one night, and thus the machine settings are not optimized. (We sleep differently every night, and most sleep differently in their own bed as compared to a sleep lab.)

[MarkMyWords]

A big thanks to every one for your sound advice, comments and suggestions .

Well last night I set the bedroom video camera rolling and went to sleep and at 2.30 am I was suddenly awoken by a feeling like I could not breath and gasping for air . The feeling went very quickly. So it seems my original symptom that had gone away have returned .

I have now placed an order for a new ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet machine that comes with a free promotion bundle of a ResMed AirFit N30i Nasal Mask ,a Rescomf XD100 CPAP Disinfector and a NM4 Nasal Mask With Headgear .

So my CPAP adventure now starts and hopefully the benefits as well . I will of course post how things go along the way and no doubt be asking more advice from every one here.

So again , thanks to every one for your kind help .

Regards - Mark

[ChicagoGranny]

Rescomf XD100 CPAP Disinfector

Useless

[cyberdreamer]

Rescomf XD100 CPAP Disinfector

Useless

Just to clarify, from what I understand, there's a concern with ozone toxicity and CPAP manufacturers only recommend cleaning the equipment with regular soap and water. On top of that, lots of members don't even clean their hoses and masks and have no problems in the long run.

Maybe you could cancel your order for the Rescomf disinfector and save some money.

[cyberdreamer]

A big thanks to every one for your sound advice, comments and suggestions .

Well last night I set the bedroom video camera rolling and went to sleep and at 2.30 am I was suddenly awoken by a feeling like I could not breath and gasping for air . The feeling went very quickly. So it seems my original symptom that had gone away have returned .

I have now placed an order for a new ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet machine that comes with a free promotion bundle of a ResMed AirFit N30i Nasal Mask ,a Rescomf XD100 CPAP Disinfector and a NM4 Nasal Mask With Headgear .

So my CPAP adventure now starts and hopefully the benefits as well . I will of course post how things go along the way and no doubt be asking more advice from every one here.

So again , thanks to every one for your kind help .

Regards - Mark

At least, now you know for sure what you're up against. Good luck with the treatment!

[ChicagoGranny]

Maybe you could cancel your order for the Rescomf disinfector and save some money.

Sounds like it is part of a package. The supplier's method for getting rid of useless inventory.