Illegal?

OldLincoln wrote:Am I reading the below quote from the other forum correctly? It seems to be saying the centrals are triggered by having O2 levels above what's needed so the body simply doesn't take a breath.

For the few days I was on that other forum, I did hear this particular theory several times. I'm pretty sure you're reading the quote correctly. Many of the posts over there seemed to be directed at scaring people in to thinking they will hurt themselves if they change their own pressure. Also, despite the people who always say "ask your doctor", there are plenty of posts where members will tell a newbie that their doctor is wrong and not to listen to them at all. It's kind of weird.

[quote="Wulfman"]Another fallacy about the arguments that "You shouldn't change your therapy pressure." or "It's illegal to change your own pressure." is that when patients are given an APAP......either as a therapy machine or as a diagnostic tool (I believe this is SOP at Kaiser, from what I've read) is that your pressure IS GOING TO BE CHANGING ALL NIGHT LONG.......because, they're normally handed out at the wide-open settings of 4 - 20 cm.

I got my diagnosis/titration from Kaiser. They gave me a home test recorder. It had a chest band, nasal cannula and an oximeter. They did a diagnosis from that. For titration they gave me a mask attached to a recording APAP. They just came back with a number.

My regular doc gave me the prescription, I never saw a sleep doc. He didn't seem to know the difference between an APAP and a CPAP. But I did (thanks to this place) and he didn't have a problem with writing the prescription for APAP.

These days my "redneck sleep lab" is better than theirs. I have a recording oximeter, a data-capable machine and a video camera.

Let me throw another wrench into the argument, when my Bi-level APAP changes pressure,, will IT go to jail?

Wait another thought,

If I have been good or bad,, (Too much exercise or chocolate cake) and I have to adjust my insulin, am I breaking the law? Same thing if you ask me, I have a script for x amount on insulin, and I change it to meet my needs.

Tom

Good point, Tom...about pressure needs changing depending on many things.

Funny point, Tom...about your autotitrating bipap machine behaving like a criminal! Wonder how high bond would be set? And could we trust a bailed outta jail machine to not "run away?"

6PtStar wrote:I have heard that it was illegal to change your own pressure for several years. So far no one has been able to provide a copy of the LAW or a link to it that makes it illegal. I will consider stopping when someone provides me with a link to where it says this. I'm sorry but I don't beleave it.

Jerry

My sleep doc is pretty conservative. If it was illegal, he'd be telling me not to do that.

He knows, we discuss it every visit, and he hasn't felt the need to chastise me about it.

Relax,
B.

Illegal or not, I can't say thank you enough to the people that helped guide me through changing my own pressure. I am sleeping GREAT. Still a little uncomfortable with the mask. But I am getting enough rejuvenating sleep by morning and am waking up at 7 am ready for the day, EVERY day. I've never been like that in my entire life. I'm more energetic, active, and am doing a better job at work. If I'd left it as the doctor had it, I'd still be muddling around every day, probably thinking about giving up on the treatment since it clearly wasn't working. Different strokes for different folks and all ... but I can't imagine NOT taking a role in my own treatment.

My primary doc at my last visit, after looking at my software printouts: "You are obviously very skilled in the use of that machine." (Yeah, that's right. I took all the credit for what you folks taught me in this forum. Sorry.) But I consider that statement to be a ringing endorsement of the approach I learned here. And if they ever put me in jail for changing my pressure, I'll have time to sit back and reflect on all the things I've done in my life that I never got caught at and should probably be in jail for anyway.