.

[lars4life]

.

[DoriC]

A titration is only one night in an unfamiliar lab setting all hooked up to wires,etc. It's not always 100% accurate so monitoring at home during a period of adjustment with software can sometimes give you a better picture. My husband was titrated at 13cms but after experimenting with different settings he does well at 12cms, pretty accurate but some patients have been way off with their titrations depending on the lab, tech,medical issues,and the interpretation by the Dr.

[builta]

Hi,

I was able to lower my settings a little but, in my case the sleep study was pretty close.

Your PR1 System One BiPAP Auto records lots of useful information. But it doesn't monitor all the things that are part of an actual monitored sleep study. Things like Blood O2 Level, msucle movements, body position and Sleep stage.

Do you have an appointment to see your sleep doctor again anytime soon? If so, you can discuss your findings with the Doc and when the Doc reviews your reading one can only hope that Doc provides you with constructive feedback. Mine was in total agreement with my active monitoring and control of my machine (but so Docs ....)

But, my Doc has Sleep Apnea also. He has first hand understanding. I really like that!

BTW my DME also has Sleep Apnea -I like that too!

Cheers

[nmevan]

My sleep study was very traumatic for me and the pressure I needed was well above 15.
After a month of using my auto bipap with a FFM the doctor decided that I could lower the pressure to about 13 at its height.
I have been using a nasal mask the last 4 days and my machine is telling me that I now need only 9 at the highest pressure, and my AHIs have gone down.

good luck

evan

[Guest]

Newly diagnosed with SA, my sleep study titration and RX pressure was bipap set to 25/21.
This is max pressure, was tolerable, but I had lots of mask leaks. I have been monitoring for
almost a month with Encore Pro and have self titrated down to 18/14 pressure.
Any lower and the numbers start going up. Why the difference between the study and mine?
Anyone encounter this?

Absolutely! A significant percentage of the users' posts I've read on this forum in the last six years report something similar. Sometimes they find their needed pressures are lower and sometimes they're higher.

I was actually prescribed a pressure of 18 cm. When I first tried that, I couldn't handle that much pressure......so, after about an hour, I reset my machine to 10 cm. to see if I could get used to it with that pressure. I had the software, so I could monitor my therapy and adjust if necessary. It turned out that I actually did pretty good at 10 cm. (AHI < 1.0), so I left it there for almost a year before finally working my way up to 12 cm. The only difference was that my snoring was reduced at 12 cm......AHI remained about the same.....< 1.0.


Den

[builta]

My sleep study was very traumatic for me and the pressure I needed was well above 15.
After a month of using my auto bipap with a FFM the doctor decided that I could lower the pressure to about 13 at its height.
I have been using a nasal mask the last 4 days and my machine is telling me that I now need only 9 at the highest pressure, and my AHIs have gone down.

good luck

evan

Hi Evan,

After all the things that you now have been through, do you think that another sleep study would be as traumatic for you. I also had a bad time during my sleep studies.

I actually had two nights worth for this study. The first night was hooked up to everything but no xPAP (you know the "how bad is my apnea" study- with the tubes at your nose and mouth). Then a month later I had a "titration study." I made the doctor give me an Ambien CR for that study and it helped.

Truth be said, I actually had my first sleep study back in 1987. Back then it was a two night affair with tests and naps and more tests and more naps (every two hours!) and you had to walk around with all the electrodes and sensors! But, I elected for "cut out part of my throat, remove my tonsils and uvula" back then. Boy did that hurt for two weeks! It actually worked for about 15 year but eventually I was on PAP.

My take on this whole thing is that people should be given an in home screen study and then allowed to use an APAP for about a month (or two). After that, then you should do the full sleep titration study (with feedback from the APAP). You would have had a chance to get over the trauma (or you would be so traumatized that you wouldn't even show up!)

But anyways, I think that the study would be more productive.

Mostly, I think that the sleep study, as a screening test for simple sleep apnea, is more for the insurance company (and a darn expensive thing to boot). If something more (RLS, Central,CS breathings etc) is an issue then sure go for the study!

Cheers

[nmevan]

builta

I would not feel anywhere near as traumatized for a second sleep study.
But I do agree that a take home study would be much more comfortable.
I bought an oximeter to try to get some results at home, but that is proving difficult since I don't know if I trust the device.

I'm actually going to consult with a different sleep doctor about some problems I continue to have that may or may not be sleep related.
But that is not until may 11.

I doubt I will ask for another sleep study unless the doctor suggests it.

thanks

evan

[lars4life]

.

[builta]

I have the Encore Pro software (same as sleep dr's use). I can look at... AHI, Therapy time, %PB, CA, OA, Hypop, RE, Flow limitations,
Vibratory Snore, Leaks, etc. All are extremely low values at 18/14 (orig RX was 25/21). As for Oxygen levels...they have me using
an oxygen concentrator at 3 liters/minute. This I have not changed. I feel great! Have no other medical condition, had a Carotid
ultrasound and was clean as a whistle. No BP meds, no cholesterol. A second sleep study is not in the cards for a long while.

Hi,

Wasn't suggesting another study. Just a discussion with the Doc so that you are both on the same page. You got the software, you see and feel your results a lot more then the Doc. Take control and go. It sounds like you've got it figured out.

My point was that the initial sleep studies are horrible and that is because of how intimate the testing and therapy is. To shove it all in your face, so early in the treatment, in some semi medical hotel room is very difficult. But the Doc and Insurance companies make life altering conclusions from the study. When they get it wrong, it takes a while to get it corrected and potentially leads to the high failure rate. I truly belive that this forum significantly improves a new user's chance of success.

Just remember that the Doc wants to "be in control" and has to write your prescriptions (yearly if you are using insurance and Store Front DMEs). Keeping the Doc in your back pocket is always a good thing.

Cheers