newbie saw sleep doc today with results from sleep study

ok, i'm really wiped out today, so it's hard to remember everything he said. but he said
percentage of time in sleep stages
stage 1 16.2%
stage 2 80.6
state 3 3.2
stage 4 0
rem 0

he said that is why i'm tired. He said I had obstructive hypopnea events...56. he said the index was 10.9 with a mean duration of 17.5 seconds and the longest was 26.5 seconds.

the supine apneas and hypopneas total were 35 and non-supine were 21.

he said all the arousals are why i am so tired and not having stage 3, 4 or rem sleep. So, i tolld him how exhausted i've been since 9/6 when test was done, and how hard it has been to work, told him about the dizziness and dozing on the freeway on monday and was so tired and stressed i had chest pain. So he took me off work, and is expediting the process to get me on a machine. he is putting me on a devilbiss machine. he said he likes those. he said he is starting to use a new GE machine but wants to wait to consider that. he said to start with the devilbiss to do a lease to buy (i guess insurance company does this) and then in the future he'll switch me to something else and i can use the devilbiss as a backup. i asked about the data machines, and he said the devilbiss will show data also. he said he gets concerned about patients and sleep docs that only look at numbers because he said he has to look at the numbers on my machine but also my symptoms and how i'm feeling because that shows sometimes more than the numbers. he said he thought a straight cpap machine and the pressure will not have to be very high to keep my tongue from blocking my breathing and that will fix me all up. he took me out to his office staff who got me in to a sleep study tonight for cpap machine titration.....he said the devilbiss comes with heated humidiier and it will be exactly what i need....

so what do you think? i'm walking into walls today. have been awake all day but did take a light namp from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. i couldn't help it, i had been to the mall walking trying to stay awake and just coulnd't go on without shutting the eyes. i have a headache so will have to take a tylenol p.m. tonight to be able to get headache to go away to be able to sleep....

so.....what are devilbiss machines like? will this be okay? i am optimistic this will get better : )

i have a stuffed up nose so will be doing FFM to begin with.......

so.....any advice? anything more i need to know? he told me who the DME is i'll be working with .....

Stay awake and avoid caffeine for the rest of the day so that you will be able to sleep during the sleep test. You might even want your doctor to write you an Rx for one sleeping pill tonight, to ensure that you sleep.

Hi Junebug,
I have been on my DeVilbiss IntelliPAP AutoAdjust w/Smartflex for 4 weeks tonight. I love it....very quiet and I have had excellent results since day one. I hope they will give you the auto machine as it can also be run in straight cpap mode, if necessary. The price difference is negligible between the two machines so push for the auto....especially since you will own it after the rental period is up. As for the data....yes, the Smart Codes on the DeVilbiss give out very good info, but the software is more detailed. When you are situated with your machine, if you need help, just PM me! Oh, and be sure you get one with the new SmartFlex installed. Even if the DME has the older models in stock, they can all be upgraded via free firmware. Be firm on this....it is a great feature they've just added as of Aug. 1.

I have no idea why he thinks you will only need a low pressure. Until you are titrated, there is no way to know this. Some folks who have severe apnea need low pressure, and some with mild apnea need higher pressure.

Best of luck tonight! Keep us posted tomorrow on how it goes. You will probably sleep well once you are masked up and can breathe!!

This point cannot be emphasized enough: INSIST ON THE INTELLIPAP AUTOADJUST MACHINE. You will be glad you did. And provided there aren't any complicating issues, this is a nice machine.

GE? This must be something very new. Will have to check into it.

timbalionguy wrote:This point cannot be emphasized enough: INSIST ON THE INTELLIPAP AUTOADJUST MACHINE. You will be glad you did. And provided there aren't any complicating issues, this is a nice machine.

GE? This must be something very new. Will have to check into it.

Probably Philips (Respironics).

I would take this doc with a grain of salt... having the data is CRITICAL for success. If you still feel like crud, you need to see what the AHI is like, whether you have leaks, etc. You cannot determine ANY of that by gauging how you feel in the morning. Sheesh, just sounds like he is too lazy to look at the data, but hey I may have become overly cynical reading too many horror stories on a particular forum......

Thank you for your responses. I think he was saying "low pressure" etc. to try to allay any fears i may have had. I made it through with the cpap. Had a little bit of claustrophobia issue with the mask. At one point they took it off for me, then I had a short break and went right back to it. I had REM sleep a couple times so that is good. They had me try a nasal mask this morning also. I'm going to shower to get the crud outta my hair, then nap. I need to use the nasal washings to get my nosey in better shape so I can use the nasal mask, i think that is less claustrophobic feeling. I'll still need to get used to the FFM though for times when my nose is stuffy.

Thanks for your suggestions. feeling sleepy......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mask fit is very, very important.
Do not leave their place with anything that flat out does not fit.
And, remember that you have, like 30 days, to make sure it does fit.
Within that time you can keep coming back til they give you a mask that FITS.

might want to steer away from the tylenol pm....can make sleep apnea worse!

welcome to the forum...

wow....sleep apneas make it worse? then why did the sleep doc staff, and the sleep techs on both sleep studies recommend it then?

They cannot do a sleep study unless you fall asleep.