Sleep Clinic a racket???

I'm beginning to think my sleep clinic is a racket. At first I was seeing my PCP and was having trouble so I got referred to this sleep doctor who's supposed to be the best in my area. I went in for another sleep study and was expecting to meet the doctor at my appointment. I was surprised to only meet with a Physician's Assistant. She does seem very knowledgeable, but it bothers me that now after several months I still haven't met the doctor. The PA told me I needed a BiPAP machine and she prescribed the pressures. (My PCP had recommended one of the self-adjusting machines.) But I'm doing the same as I was before - most I can keep the mask on is about 4 hours. Now the PA has prescribed Mirapex. She says I move around a lot and that might be why I'm coming awake and taking the mask off. I've been reading and see Mirapex has lots of side effects. Bothers me a PA is prescribing this potentially problematic medicine with no doctor in the mix. I took the Mirapex last night (cut it in half - she told me to do that) and it didn't help and it made me sick. Not taking it again and not happy with the level of medical oversight I'm getting. For my height I'm pretty overweight and no one has suggested I lose weight. It bothers me they go right to the Mirapex without even suggesting less intrusive solutions.

KTinTexas wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:52 am

I'm beginning to think my sleep clinic is a racket. At first I was seeing my PCP and was having trouble so I got referred to this sleep doctor who's supposed to be the best in my area. I went in for another sleep study and was expecting to meet the doctor at my appointment. I was surprised to only meet with a Physician's Assistant. She does seem very knowledgeable, but it bothers me that now after several months I still haven't met the doctor. The PA told me I needed a BiPAP machine and she prescribed the pressures. (My PCP had recommended one of the self-adjusting machines.) But I'm doing the same as I was before - most I can keep the mask on is about 4 hours. Now the PA has prescribed Mirapex. She says I move around a lot and that might be why I'm coming awake and taking the mask off. I've been reading and see Mirapex has lots of side effects. Bothers me a PA is prescribing this potentially problematic medicine with no doctor in the mix. I took the Mirapex last night (cut it in half - she told me to do that) and it didn't help and it made me sick. Not taking it again and not happy with the level of medical oversight I'm getting. For my height I'm pretty overweight and no one has suggested I lose weight. It bothers me they go right to the Mirapex without even suggesting less intrusive solutions.

I think if you are "pretty over weight", you shouldn't wait for someone to "suggest" that you lose. That's pretty unhealthy with or without OSA. Losing weight will not necessarily make any difference if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Does your insurance cover it?? If you’re not happy, switch doctors. Or troubleshoot the issue yourself. Why can’t you wear a mask longer than 4 hours?

Once I got my pressure optimized with the help of everyone here. I started loosing weight. I think my sleep apnea was a factor in gaining the weight. So far have lost over 30lbs. I would post some charts and let the experts here help you to get the right pressure. In the medical community under 5 is considered treated. It wasn't until I got my AHI under 1 most nights that I felt better. The pressure that you got for the sleep clinic is a starting point but home in your own bed without all the wires hooked up you may need a slightly higher starting pressure or ? Post some data let the experts help.

I wear the N-20 mask myself. Are you having problems with it? Maybe its not the right mask for you. There are many out there to try.

The machine you are showing in your profile is a single pressure machine. Is this really the machine you have?

I wonder if we go to the same sleep clinic. The home office (where the doctor works from) is based in Houston and I get the impression that this is more like a satellite office that is overseen by the PA. If so, I did a sleep study there and the doctor issued a report, but I never met him. The local medical community seems to think this clinic is the best thing since sliced bed because they routinely do PES (Esophageal manometry).

KTinTexas wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:52 am

For my height I'm pretty overweight and no one has suggested I lose weight. It bothers me they go right to the Mirapex without even suggesting less intrusive solutions.

Huh, usually people complain that the medical people say "just lose weight" and don't offer anything for more immediate relief.

My sleep doctor, who is head of the sleep lab specifically stated at [name of group and affiliated hospital], all patients see a sleep doctor!


I will only state that is is within the New York City limits.

I'm sure that you can find something comparable in Texas!

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:58 pm

My sleep doctor, who is head of the sleep lab specifically stated at [name of group and affiliated hospital], all patients see a sleep doctor!


I will only state that is is within the New York City limits.

I'm sure that you can find something comparable in Texas!

Before making these all encompassing grand pronouncements you need to get out of NYC and experience the rest of your own country. My town didn't have a doctor period. I was referred to a sleep clinic in a slightly bigger town 60 miles away. It was a 3 month wait to get tested and that was on a wait list. All they had were PA's with one doctor overseeing everything. You didn't get to see him unless you were dying or willing to wait like two years. Seriously dude or dudette you need to realize not everyone has the same experiences as you. SMH.

babydinosnoreless wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:02 pm

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:58 pm

My sleep doctor, who is head of the sleep lab specifically stated at [name of group and affiliated hospital], all patients see a sleep doctor!


I will only state that is is within the New York City limits.

I'm sure that you can find something comparable in Texas!

Before making these all encompassing grand pronouncements you need to get out of NYC and experience the rest of your own country. My town didn't have a doctor period. I was referred to a sleep clinic in a slightly bigger town 60 miles away. It was a 3 month wait to get tested and that was on a wait list. All they had were PA's with one doctor overseeing everything. You didn't get to see him unless you were dying or willing to wait like two years. Seriously dude or dudette you need to realize not everyone has the same experiences as you. SMH.

I said "somewhere in Texas." It's a large place; considerably larger than NY State! You might have to travel.

Consider how long the El Paso murder traveled! If he can travel that distance to kill, you can travel that far (and it won't be quite that far), you can travel that far to save a life; your own!

The sleep clinic we use use has a doctor in charge of it. He reviews all sleep tests and signs the initial prescription for the machine. We have never seen him. We see a nurse practitioner who is certified in sleep medicine. She explained the test results and conducts all of our follow up visits as well as signing the scripts for supplies. I doubt I would get any better care from a doctor than I do from the nurse practitioner. I had knee replacement surgery five years ago, and the nurses noticed my blood oxygen levels would drop when I slept. They put me on oxygen at night until I left the hospital. When I got home, they had an oxygen concentrater delivered to the house for me to use while sleeping. The pulminologist I say in the hospital scheduled me for a sleep study. I say him after the initial study and he scheduled me for a titration study for a bi-level machine. Medicare refused to furnish the machine because he failed to document an initial meeting where we discussed sleep apnea prior to the first sleep study. I tried calling his office many times, but they would never answer their telephone. I left many messages for him, but I never got a return call from him. After trying for over a month, I contacted the clinic I currently use, and was retested. I may never see the doctor, but I guarantee you I am receiving much better care than I ever received from the first doctor. The next time I was in the hospital, this same doctor commented I had a nice machine. I thought I sure do, but you didn't do anything to help me get it.

Sleep doctors mostly have no clue what they're doing beyond prescribing low volume cpaps for snorers

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:30 pm

babydinosnoreless wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:02 pm

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:58 pm

My sleep doctor, who is head of the sleep lab specifically stated at [name of group and affiliated hospital], all patients see a sleep doctor!


I will only state that is is within the New York City limits.

I'm sure that you can find something comparable in Texas!

Before making these all encompassing grand pronouncements you need to get out of NYC and experience the rest of your own country. My town didn't have a doctor period. I was referred to a sleep clinic in a slightly bigger town 60 miles away. It was a 3 month wait to get tested and that was on a wait list. All they had were PA's with one doctor overseeing everything. You didn't get to see him unless you were dying or willing to wait like two years. Seriously dude or dudette you need to realize not everyone has the same experiences as you. SMH.

I said "somewhere in Texas." It's a large place; considerably larger than NY State! You might have to travel.

Consider how long the El Paso murder traveled! If he can travel that distance to kill, you can travel that far (and it won't be quite that far), you can travel that far to save a life; your own!

If you have a working vehicle to get you there, the unlimited funds to fuel it and pay the costs of seeing out of network doctors and even then you might have trouble finding a place like the one you go to. It is not the norm.

Btw I'm not in Texas but I can have empathy for people who have situations different from my own. I can understand we don't all have the same insurance, access to doctors, the same challenges to overcome. Maybe if you qualified your posts,
this is what works for me or this is what I was told instead of posting dh's view of the world as if it were a fact, you wouldn't get jumped on quit so often.

Long day's journey wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:46 pm

I wonder if we go to the same sleep clinic. The home office (where the doctor works from) is based in Houston and I get the impression that this is more like a satellite office that is overseen by the PA. If so, I did a sleep study there and the doctor issued a report, but I never met him. The local medical community seems to think this clinic is the best thing since sliced bed because they routinely do PES (Esophageal manometry).

May very well be the same. I live in The Woodlands and go to The Woodlands location but I know they are all over the area.

Okie bipap wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 10, 2019 11:37 am

The machine you are showing in your profile is a single pressure machine. Is this really the machine you have?

It says "bilevel;" I guess I don't know what that means.