New to CPAP

[bluegrassmandolin]

I've just been diagnosed with sleep apnea but my doctor didn't really go over much of it. Can anyone out there help clear up some questions? I would really appreciate it!

1. They are bringing in a machine to be set at 8cm? I think that was the number I saw on her report. What does that mean in regards to me and the apnea?

2. She said my oxygen dipped down to 72% and called it some big ugly word. With the CPAP during the test it stayed above 90%. Can anyone tell me anything about that?

My dad has the same thing and my wife and I just want to learn what we can in case any of our children develope problems later on. I don't know if it has anything to do with anything but I also have a pacemaker. I got it about 13 years ago when I was still in my teens.

Thanks again for any info you can give me

[NightHawkeye]

I've just been diagnosed with sleep apnea but my doctor didn't really go over much of it.

Yeah, docs are funny that way. Being the highly-educated, dedicated and caring professionals they are, you'd think they'd know better.

1. They are bringing in a machine to be set at 8cm? I think that was the number I saw on her report. What does that mean in regards to me and the apnea?

It means that you're near the average range of air pressure required to keep your windpipe open. Doesn't really say much about the severity of your apnea though.

2. She said my oxygen dipped down to 72% and called it some big ugly word. With the CPAP during the test it stayed above 90%. Can anyone tell me anything about that?

72% pretty much sucks. It means that your body was getting pretty beat up every night while you slept. Above 90% is good though, so it sounds like you'll do well with CPAP.

Welcome to the forum. There's a wealth of information and experience on-line here. Explore it, and keep asking questions.

Regards,
Bill

[snoregirl]

I tend to look at the financial twist on things.

So here is my 2 cents.

Get a copy of your prescription from your doc and a copy of your sleep study (S) and keep them in your personal files. You can buy stuff online later with the same prescription.

You do NOT have to take a machine from a DME that the doc faxes your info to. Your insurance co may have a list of in network DME's but I would bet that there are more than the one who is coming with the machine.

You should do your own math, not just believe what the DME tells you (this goes for anything from your insurance copay, to what your insurance will cover, to setting up the machine....). Copay and deductable (if you won't meet it in other ways this year) vs. cash online price. Know the cash price of the machine the local DME is bringing. Easy from Cpap.com and what you will pay total. It is best to do this up front rather than taking something and saying oh crap, I wish I had known, months down the line.

Depending on how good your insurance is (or how bad) you may do better cash without the insurance company involved or you may find your insurance is good and even with the high prices charged by the local DME you may do better (out of your pocket) to get the machine from the local DME. Only you can figure that out.

Insist on a machine that can collect useful data. Consider exhale relief, consider auto titrating, consider all the options of the different machines. Don't be afraid to say no, I think I will call someone else for my machine because I really want "this" one.

Try a bunch of masks. They will most likely want to give you a cheap one as the reimbursement from insurance is the same. Get what you feel is comfortable, and try it at full pressure.

Good luck.

Let us know how it turned out.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap.com, DME, Prescription, auto

[Linda3032]

Please re-read what Snoregirl just wrote regarding a good machine. It's far easier to only accept a good one now, then it is to try to switch it out later.

Some of the better machines are:

Resmed S8 Vantage or Elite

Remstar Auto M Series with cflex
Remstar Auto with cflex

Remstar Pro M Series with cflex
Remstar Pro 2 with cflex

All the Remstar machines listed above will store data on the smart card which can be downloaded via software.

[muld00n]

Hi bluegrassmandolin and welcome to this forum. I too like to play mandolin and I also have sleep apnea. You will be able to get lots of good advice from the kind folks on this board.

Again, welcome.
Steve

[JeffH]

Welcome bluegrassmandolin,

You will find lots of help here and people just like yourself. I don't play mandolin, but I do enjoy David Grisham's playing. I too have a pacemaker that was put in at a fairly young age (29). That was almost 22 years ago!

Get a good machine and mask and you will feel more comfortable more quickly.

Best of luck,

JeffH

[dsm]

Welcome b-g-m

You sure picked the right place to get answers

Great bunch of folk here & lots of awareness of OSA and all that it entails.

Some more thoughts on this in addition to the other informative posts...

Apnia Obstruction
The purpose of a cpap machine is to hold a person's airway open thus preventing it becoming closed (this tends to occur at the back of the throat) and the person not being able to breathe in. Holding the airway open with positive airway pressure is known as 'splint'ing the airway.

Central Apnia
One other type of Apnia is what is called 'central apnea' but this is not normally treated with a standard cpap machine. Central apnia is where the person simply stops breathing - usually because the signal from the brain to the breathing muscles, stops being sent.

Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
The importance of a good blood oxygen level (called the SpO2 reading) is that oxygen in our blood feeds our body & when it drops our muscles & other parts of the body suffer. This alo affects normal tissue regenration etc: that takes place as we sleep. a drop in SpO2 % is called a 'desaturation' or 'desat' for short. As I just learned myself this week, a drop of 4% (say from 95% to 91% is classified as a desaturation. Too many desats causes sleep problems.

Good luck with your therapy

DSM

[pedroski]

Hi Bluegrass,

Fairly partial to bluegrass myself. You've already received heaps of good advice, I just wanted to welcome you to the forum, and encourage to stick the treatment phase out. You'll have hiccups like we all have, but with the help of the very helpful and knowledgeable members here, you'll soon sort any issues out and be happily chugging along again.

Peter