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InneedofSleep,

I can also echo your pain. I had my first sleep study 5 years ago, and it was a disaster too. Not for the exact same reasons you stated, but disruptions nonetheless. At the place I first went to, it wasn't really talking, or tv's or noise in the clinic. I have been a stomach sleeper most of my life, and I know the sleep tech was just doing her job, but it seemed every time I started to almost fall asleep she'd be calling out over the intercom, "can you please roll back on to your back" (I would not realize it but I would go from my back to my stomach. They need a certain amount of the study on your back because that is where the throat can be most vulnerable to closing in that position) I just wish she had come in quietly and turned me over instead of startling me. I had zero REM sleep and no stage 3 or 4 because like I said each time I'd almost fall asleep I would be startled by the intercom. It must have happened 10 times over the course of the night. The last time I think I yelled at her I was so tired.

I got denied CPAP, even though there were hypopneas (narrowing of airway, but not complete obstructions) but not enough per hour to warrant a cpap machine. I should have fought it, or demanded another study, or prescription or something, but that was 5 years ago, didn't realize this forum existed, didn't know my options, and didn't get treated until last fall,, when i saw a jaw specialist for my TMJ, who took one look down my crowded airway, and small jaw structure, and bags under my eyes and said you need another sleep study. He said if I didn't sleep how conclusive could it have been.

The second one, I called the sleep clinic a few days before and explained my situation. I talked with a sleep tech and she suggested a few things. I brought a body pillow with me, earplugs, and some sleepytime tea. I also told the sleep tech when I arrived that night, to please let me fall asleep in the posistion I normally do, and then once I am in a deeper sleep, come into the room and "quietly" ask me to roll over. Once a person is in a deeper stage of sleep and awoken its a little easier to fall back asleep than in the lighter stages. He did so and the sleep study revealed I had 57 obstructions an hour. I believe several health problems cropped up over the past few years due to this (high blood pressure, and heart arrythmia, I'm on a beta blocker and I'm only 34 and in good shape and good weight) but I believe stress has been put on my heart due to the untreated sleep apnea.

For your health, either demand you get another sleep study, by speaking to your insurance company, either the manager of the clinic, or speak to your primary doctor about writing a script. I just had my 4th sleep study and this time I even asked my doctor to write me a script for an Ambien tablet and I slept like a charm, I even fell asleep in under 15 minutes.

Good Luck, but don't let this drop. Get another opinion, prescription or another sleep study. Your health relies on it.

Suzy

I'm going to second the suggestion that you look into buying a machine privately and skip the hassle and expense of another sleep study. I would talk to your doctor and see if he or she would be willing to write you a prescrition based on your symptoms, but if not, by all means cut through all the red tape by taking action yourself. I chose to go the path of self-diagnosis because I couldn't afford the cost of going through official channels. I've never regretted my decision. You should be able to find a new or near new comple Remstar Auto C-flex on yahoo auctions for 400-500. If it should turn out that it doesn't help, you should be able to resell it for what you have in it or a small loss. The machine I currently use, a Remstar Auto C-flex like you are looking for, cost me four hundred. My out of pocket costs for insurance deductible and co-pays on the sleep study and buying the machine through a DME would have been a lot more than that.

I third that.

Also, after you are comfortably set up with your Remstar AUTO with C-flex, go ahead and exercise the system, let insurance buy you a unit, that will be your spare. Or sell it on Yahoo, collect your insurance benefits.

-R

inneedofsleep wrote:I would like opinions as to what the consensus would be on my buying a Respironics Auto C Flex with the Encore software out of pocket and starting treatment now, as opposed to waiting 2 weeks for the results or lack thereof. Please advise. All I want is to sleep well without all of this unecessary aggravation and red tape.

I think I can relate to what you're going through, inneedofsleep. I failed two sleep studies myself, even though I've apparently had apnea for at least thirty years.

Getting an APAP machine with monitoring capability, which you can use at home under your normal sleep conditions, is a good plan. If your doc is willing to write you a prescription, then go for it. Try to stay objective about the results though. By that I mean, since other things could be causing your problems don't depend entirely on how you feel. If the machine indicates you don't have apnea, then investigate other possibilities for your problems. If the machine indicates that you do have apnea, but you still feel lousy, then try to work through your specific issues, just like many on this forum do.

FWIW, what I did after failing my second sleep study in twelve years was to use an oximeter for about a week. It indicated clusters of oxygen desaturations, just as one would expect with apnea. When I took the results in to the sleep doc he didn't hesitate to write me a machine prescription. This would be another avenue you could pursue if your doc is reluctant to write you a machine prescription. Just ask him to prescribe you an oximeter for a few days. Many folks have found that they can get an oximeter for free if their doc prescribes it.

You could always just buy an oximeter though. Oximeters can be obtained without a prescription, and there have been some recent articles on this forum about a new one for about $500.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Bill

Yes, sleep studies are a unique form of torture!

I was glad I had taken the day off the next day because I was a mess!

The whole process was entirely too slow for my taste, but I have been on the CPAP for 3 weeks and my opinion of the Sleep Center has improved (sleeping better makes you soooo much more tolerant

Hang in there - it is very frustrating to have relief in sight and not be able to reach it, but it works out in the long run.

I had my sleep study in Hackensack NJ, the hospital there is first-rate and the people compassionate. They book each person to come in at different times so that it goes smoothly and they ask you when you normally go to sleep. I am still struggling to accept my diagnosis, and to face the need for a CPAP.... didn't rush into titration study the way I did for initial study. I also had a narcolepsy scare from doing the deep REM in a daytime nap, which was scary.
You need to pick a sleep lab in a hospital which prides itself on being comfortable, there is another hospital in the area which has sleep rooms on a regular hallway with people goinmg back and forth and daylight streaming in during the MLST segment of the test... wonder how that distorts the results

hey arthuranxious:

i did my sleep studies at Hackensack, too! Can't say they're always wonderful, but they try. Do you go to Dr. H. or Dr. F? After 5 years, Dr. H is still my hero, a little old-fashioned, but nonetheless terrific. I owe him bigtime on a couple of different levels. PM me if you like.

Caroline

that guest was me.

arthur, welcome to cpap!

Caroline

I just had my first study done and found that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I understand that you don't want to try it again but if you voice your concerns to the Doctor maybe she could find a different sleep lab for you to go to. Like someone else said you have to let the techs know if there is anything you need after all that is their job. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do.