Hi RG! I asked this awhile back and got back a comment which I think was sposed to be humorous sarcasm, but still don't have an answer. I'm going straight to you because you are so knowledgeable and when I talk to my rt tomorrow I want to be knowledgeable.
The first time she came out to drop off my "loaner autopap" (respironics auto w/cflex and smart card) she said that looking at my sleep study results (a one page study) she does not have enough info (like ekg, eeg, etc) to determine what is the best and most appropriate treatment for me.
She is talking either a bilevel or a cpap but says in order to know the correct setting and if its actually helping me enough she needs to have the other data which the smart card will not provide. She's sposed to pick up the smart card to read it on Tuesday, if the dr gives her the rx in time to do it. I thought that the smart card info is enough to go on but she said no because it won't show the same info as another sleep study w/titration this time would.
I don't want another sleep study if I don't have to have one because of the money for it. I'm ticked that they didn't get the needed info in the first place but its because I only slept about 3 1/2 hrs and they didn't have time to do the mask testing, etc....
So..........in your opinion, will the smart card be enough for her to determine the correct setting for a bilevel? She seemed concerned that she needed to see how the settings effected my heart etc...which the smart card doesn't show. She said she could get a "number" from the smart card but it still wouldn't show her the effect on my body, etc....and urged me to ask the doc to order another sleep study w/titration this time. What do you think? T
Question for Rested Gal
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Question for Rested Gal
_________________
| Mask: Swift™ FX For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
| Additional Comments: Remstar auto w/cflex and Swift LT nasal pillows are my backups. Hosehead since summer of 2005 |
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rested gal
- Posts: 12881
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
- Location: Tennessee
Oh my gosh, Flower. I appreciate your confidence, but that would be an awfully shaky limb for a layperson to step out onto.
I looked back at your previous posts. If you had posted any as a Guest before you registered, I might have missed something. Was looking to see if you had posted even the limited data from the inconclusive sleep study you had. Couldn't find any report or numbers.
Anyway, I did run across this post by you:
Jul 04, 2005 subject: Brain Drain
In it, you spoke of feeling better after a few days on the autopap. If you are still noting improvement, then my gut instinct would be that you'd do well to stay on autopap, get the software to start looking at the data yourself, and use the message board to work on your treatment. If you did that, you could consult with the doctor if you wished, but we all know how busy doctors are and how little time (if any at all) a doctor would give to looking at data from a machine.
Probably all the doctor was interested in when he ordered the trial on autopap, was to see what the 90th percentile pressure turns out to be, so he can prescribe that pressure for straight cpap for you. Looking at that "bottom line" would take up about ten seconds of his time. That one page summary from your smart card will more than likely be all the DME sends him anyway.
As for what the RT is telling you about how she would not be able to set a bilevel machine properly for you without another sleep study and without looking at this, that and the other....I really don't want to say what I think. I have no idea what, if any, underlying health conditions you have, so maybe she has a reason for not wanting to do the settings on a bi-level machine for you herself.
I can only say this....if it were me and since I'm in good health other than the OSA....I personally wouldn't hesitate to put myself on a bi-level machine that could yield data, and would set it myself -- without a sleep study -- based on the data I already have from my autopap. In fact, I've done that.
I've used two bi-level machines just for the heck of it - and one of those was a very sophisticated ResMed VPAP III ST. It can take some tweaking, but it's not rocket science if you can see the data each morning and are a reasonably healthy person other than having OSA. The Respironics BiPAP Pro 2 was a piece of cake to set. But again, I don't know what your overall health situation is. I felt comfortable adjusting the settings of the two bi-levels for myself since I'm healthy in general.
At any rate, it would be easier to get the pressure settings right for a bilevel machine via a sleep study titration, but it's also possible to get a bilevel right oneself through some trial tweaking -- provided you had software data to look at each morning.
If you have insurance that will pay for the sleep study, however....take advantage of it. It would certainly give more information.
Makes one wonder why the trial with autopap happened at all, if they intended to put you through another sleep study rather than go with the pressure the autopap finds works for you. The RT's already planning to have you be on BiPAP and have another sleep study...yet she hasn't even seen your smart card data. LOL!
I'm not sure why she's so determined you are going to be put on a bi-level machine anyway, unless the DME she works for doesn't like to give people an autopap. Insurance generally won't pay the DME any more for an autopap than for a straight cpap, but will pay them more for a bi-level. Or maybe the doctor will only prescribe autopaps for a temporary trial, but not for permanent use.
If I were doing well on the autopap, as you seem to be doing, I'd want to stick with autopap. But I'd get the software to read the smart card myself.
____________________________________
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field. Those are just my personal opinions. I'm not recommending you do anything other than what your doctor tells you to do.
I looked back at your previous posts. If you had posted any as a Guest before you registered, I might have missed something. Was looking to see if you had posted even the limited data from the inconclusive sleep study you had. Couldn't find any report or numbers.
Anyway, I did run across this post by you:
Jul 04, 2005 subject: Brain Drain
In it, you spoke of feeling better after a few days on the autopap. If you are still noting improvement, then my gut instinct would be that you'd do well to stay on autopap, get the software to start looking at the data yourself, and use the message board to work on your treatment. If you did that, you could consult with the doctor if you wished, but we all know how busy doctors are and how little time (if any at all) a doctor would give to looking at data from a machine.
Probably all the doctor was interested in when he ordered the trial on autopap, was to see what the 90th percentile pressure turns out to be, so he can prescribe that pressure for straight cpap for you. Looking at that "bottom line" would take up about ten seconds of his time. That one page summary from your smart card will more than likely be all the DME sends him anyway.
As for what the RT is telling you about how she would not be able to set a bilevel machine properly for you without another sleep study and without looking at this, that and the other....I really don't want to say what I think. I have no idea what, if any, underlying health conditions you have, so maybe she has a reason for not wanting to do the settings on a bi-level machine for you herself.
I can only say this....if it were me and since I'm in good health other than the OSA....I personally wouldn't hesitate to put myself on a bi-level machine that could yield data, and would set it myself -- without a sleep study -- based on the data I already have from my autopap. In fact, I've done that.
I've used two bi-level machines just for the heck of it - and one of those was a very sophisticated ResMed VPAP III ST. It can take some tweaking, but it's not rocket science if you can see the data each morning and are a reasonably healthy person other than having OSA. The Respironics BiPAP Pro 2 was a piece of cake to set. But again, I don't know what your overall health situation is. I felt comfortable adjusting the settings of the two bi-levels for myself since I'm healthy in general.
At any rate, it would be easier to get the pressure settings right for a bilevel machine via a sleep study titration, but it's also possible to get a bilevel right oneself through some trial tweaking -- provided you had software data to look at each morning.
If you have insurance that will pay for the sleep study, however....take advantage of it. It would certainly give more information.
Makes one wonder why the trial with autopap happened at all, if they intended to put you through another sleep study rather than go with the pressure the autopap finds works for you. The RT's already planning to have you be on BiPAP and have another sleep study...yet she hasn't even seen your smart card data. LOL!
I'm not sure why she's so determined you are going to be put on a bi-level machine anyway, unless the DME she works for doesn't like to give people an autopap. Insurance generally won't pay the DME any more for an autopap than for a straight cpap, but will pay them more for a bi-level. Or maybe the doctor will only prescribe autopaps for a temporary trial, but not for permanent use.
If I were doing well on the autopap, as you seem to be doing, I'd want to stick with autopap. But I'd get the software to read the smart card myself.
____________________________________
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field. Those are just my personal opinions. I'm not recommending you do anything other than what your doctor tells you to do.
2 posts
• Page 1 of 1