My sleep test results - anyone want to take a look?

I got my results back today. They told me I had moderate sleep apnea. I'm going back tonight for another test and to get a machine tomorrow morning. Wanted to know if they're just trying to make more money off of me or if my numbers do indicate that I need CPAP. Thanks!

Total sleep time: 5.5 hours
Awake time: 78 minutes
Stage 1: 5%
Stage 2: 60%
Stage 3: 8%
Stage 4: 8%
REM: 19%
101 Hypoapneas
20.2 per hour

Sleep efficiency 1: 78%
Sleep efficiency 2: 81%
Lowest Sa02 w/a Respiratory Event: 83% Stage 2
Lowest Heart Rate: 54bmp

Notes: Sever snoring occurred during the study, in a crescendo-decrescendo pattern consistent with upper airway resistance. It occurred as he slept in various body positions. A moderate degree of obstructive breathing occurred during sleep, with apneas and hypoapneas occuring at an overall rate (AHI) of 20 events per hour. The average duration of apnea was 14 seconds and the average duration of hypoapnea was 17 seconds. Intermittent oxyhemoglobin desaturation occured during episodes of obstructive breathing, with a low of 83% and an average desaturation to 87%. A total of 53% of teh study was spent with an oxyhemoglovin saturation of 90% or less. Mild reactive bradycardia and tachycardia were observed in association with obstructive breathing. No abnormal rhythms were observed.


Thoughts everyone??

I think it is a good idea that you are going back for the second study tonight using the cpap machine. You qualify to join the hosehead ranks. They aren't blowing smoke or trying to make up something to get you to spend more money.

RyGuy1 wrote:A moderate degree of obstructive breathing occurred during sleep, with apneas and hypoapneas occuring at an overall rate (AHI) of 20 events per hour. The average duration of apnea was 14 seconds and the average duration of hypoapnea was 17 seconds. Intermittent oxyhemoglobin desaturation occured during episodes of obstructive breathing, with a low of 83% and an average desaturation to 87%. A total of 53% of teh study was spent with an oxyhemoglovin saturation of 90% or less.

No doubt about it. You need CPAP machine.
20 AHI and oxygen levels dropping to as low as 83% with overall average of 87% (please note that normal would be somewhere around 95% or higher depending on you and where you live.) Low O2 is bad for your whole body.

Might as well start getting educated on what to expect.
This is a good starting point.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/what-y ... me-part-i/

As well as this explaining full data and limited data machines. You want full data.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

And for general reading about sleep apnea. lots to read here. wiki/index.php/CPAP_Newbie

Welcome to the forum. Please register (free and no spam) then when times comes you can add your equipment to your Profile like I have mine added at the bottom of this post. Having always there is handy and means we don't have to ask all the time. Also if you register you then can send and receive private messages.

STOP! Be very careful about a DME associated with a sleep lab trying to get you to take home a machine the morning after your titration! Someone tried to pull that fast one on me, wanted to give me an outdated, overpriced dumb brick of a machine. you need to do some homework about what machine you want, and you want full data, not just compliance, Read Janknitzs blog about DMEshttp://tinyurl.com/2arffqx. Do not sign any papers until you are satisfied you are getting the best. DMEs are a lot like used car salesmen, and a sleep lab association is a big red flag! Kathy

Thanks Pugsy!

They actually send you home with a machine to "rent" for a short period of time just to get you started. You then shop around and find one that you want permanently.

What is DME?

RyGuy2 wrote:Thanks Pugsy!

They actually send you home with a machine to "rent" for a short period of time just to get you started. You then shop around and find one that you want permanently.

WOW! Where do you live?

DME= Durable Medical Equipment

To use the forum features fully, you need to register and log in. Once you do that, your username will be in blue and be clickable. Until you do that, you are very limited in what communication can transpire between you and other members.

Janknitz's blog is a treasure trove of info... one post, in particular, is how to deal with the DME BEFORE you go: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

Be sure to study her list of data capable machines (you want one) vs. those without data (you do NOT want one).

Or hes talking about how the insurance has you rent it while you prove compliance.

RyGuy2 wrote:What is DME?

Took me 3 days to figure that one out. While I knew that DME stood for Durable Medical Equipment, I didn't realize it was commonly used acronym for the supplier of such equipment.

You will have a lot to learn. So just start reading and absorbing what you can and asking questions about what you can't.

Start with your insurance company and find out what they require. Also remember that January is just around the corner and any deductible might need to be met again. Some insurance will allow a roll over of expenses in the last quarter to help satisfy January deductibles again and some won't...so get yourself educated on how your insurance does things and do the math regarding costs. Sometimes it saves money to use a DME locally and sometimes it saves money to us an online supplier for the machine. Masks I like to use DME for because it is easier to try new masks till you find one that suits you.

RyGuy2 wrote:Thanks Pugsy!

They actually send you home with a machine to "rent" for a short period of time just to get you started. You then shop around and find one that you want permanently.

I've never heard of that arrangement, some ins companies require a rental period to show that you will use the machine, but the machine you are given is the one you keep. Be very careful what you sign for, it is difficult to trade a substandard machine once you accept it. Call your ins co and find out who they contract with , how they bill and what they will pay. No one cares about your health as much as you, dont trust anyone else to have your best interests in mind

@Lizistired .... I live in NY. We have a very prestigious sleep center here which is the one I am going to. It's very nice, but that also makes me wonder their validity only because they have to pay for all their amenities somehow, ya know?

@Mayondair ... It's not the insurance, it's the sleep center. They charge 1.5x times more than the average sleep center and the rooms all have sleep comfort beds and there is in room dinner and breakfast...etc. And they send you home with a machine. It's a very nice facility.

And yes I will register!

Dinner? breakfast? Wow, sounds pretty nice. As for test validity, I'm there are standards for scoring of sleep studies, someone else may have more to say on that subject. Just be careful about equipment, we hear about newbies with mAchine trouble all the time. Welcome ! kathy

Dinner and breakfast! OK, How late do they let you sleep?
Mine woke me up at 5am. The night of the titration, had I known how much better I would sleep with the mask, I would have paid them to let me sleep until I woke up on my own.

Along with what others have already said, I just want to reinforce that you can avoid feeling pressured the morning after your titration if you have contacted them ahead of time and asked them exactly what machine they supply. If it's not acceptable you can work those kinks out beforehand. And do have what machine you want written down precisely. So many of the names are "almost" alike, but a slight difference can make all the difference. Some have gone on what they remembered and ended up with one of those "almost" models. Hope all goes well with your titration and machine selection.