Will lofta help me find the right pressures?

[Swsch2985]

Did my home sleep study through lofta, ordered the CPAP and signed up for the "support" package and will be meeting with the "coach" (website says they are respiratory therapists). Right now I am prescribed setting of 4-20 (auto). Will they help me narrows the ranges to my optimal pressures?

[srlevine1]

Technically, they are operating as a DME and under the supervision of the prescribing provider, who has apparently chosen to set the machine minimum/maximum pressures to allow the machine to self-titrate in response to your needs. Normally, a DME will not recommend pressure settings and will ask you to consult your physician. Without data from your machine, either from a modem transmission or your SD card, they have no point of reference to suggest beneficial changes. That applies to the physician also.

My suggestion is to download OSCAR and post a few charts for community advice. Then discuss your plan to alter the settings with your physician during the compliance period to avoid any potential issues. Ask your physician to review the Oscar data and make recommendations.

You can always ask Lofta for an RT to review the data, but I am unsure if they would be willing to provide actual settings in a formal, documented manner.

[SarcasticDave94]

Welcome to Apnea Board,

From what we see here as being typical, since they've already ordered a CPAP, we'll suppose they saw enough events to order it, and they've skipped the lab diagnostic again due to what they saw in the home test results.

From there, the doc and RT might suggest a titration which is in lab overnight, you're wearing a CPAP and a tech remotely edits pressure to record the affects on Apnea and related events. It's likely not necessary as you can set this yourself legally and free.

Some doctors and staff may not do a titration test, assuming falsely that the auto CPAP will take care of it well enough to fit all. It doesn't do well enough to skip tailored settings per person. Again, it's something you can do free. In this scenario, it'll be a post back and forth from you to members here on the Board. Most of us are not medicals like doctors or an RT, we don't claim it nor charge fees.

Anyway, here's how you can choose to proceed. First, you'll have a CPAP ready to go for your first night. You mentioned 4-20 Auto, we call this default settings using the AutoSet mode. Translation they didn't set anything except maybe mode. No offense but anyone can do that. Open box... Here it's programmed?! Yeah right thanks.

OK onward. You've set up your CPAP plugged into power and sitting on the nightstand or something like that, the mask is on the hose, CPAP on the other end, water in the humidifier. You'll want to adjust the mask for proper fit (our handy wiki can be helpful here), I suggest here's where 2 things come into play the RT will very likely not mention - if your CPAP has the slot get a 2-32 GB standard SD card placing it in that slot and getting our free report tool OSCAR. This does nothing to upset your ability to use the CPAP nor hinders compliance at all; insurance company cares about did X use the CPAP at least 21 of 30 days at 4 hours, with 90 days to meet that criteria.

Self titration is using the data, still recommend OSCAR charts for this, you see what it says, you can post OSCAR screenshots here, it says blah blah stuff, we look at it and sipping on coffee... Ya know you have X events still, you try editing pressures to 8-15 or similar, try again next night, repeat until your CPAP is set for yourself, again free no doctor visit 30 minutes away, no waiting, post and someone here says it looks like this that the other.

BTW the 4-20 possibly would be better at 7-20 with the item called EPR (exhale pressure relief) at 3

Anyway that's how we do stuff here to get people the best therapy as painless as possible and again I'll say free

Post back here with questions and when you start therapy.

Oh srlevine1 mentioned the DME forgot them... They're the supplier and subject to doc and insurance not exactly you though, they can be a pain...

[staceyburke]

What I have seen is that the DME only looks at 2 things.  1st have you used the machine at least 4 hours a day.  2nd if your AHI is below equal or below 5 then you are cured...  If the AHI is way over they will ask the DR to give them changes.  Other than that you are on your own.

[srlevine1]

Why is it that, when I read SarcasticDave94's responses, I always imagine a Ricky Gervaise voice and style of delivery?
But he's right. The doc is about: get in, get out, get paid. And the DME is about: minimum service to get paid. You are the unfortunate inconvenience in the scheme of things.

[SarcasticDave94]

I am not sure, I guess that's the British comedian. Hope he's funny.

Sorry for the upcoming off topic...

September 2016, I had my bariatric sleeve surgery, lying there on the cutting table, had to have the surgical hat thing on to keep my red hair in place, the nurses and I are chatting while they're telling me what to expect. One is like "hey you kinda sound or look like Jim Gaffigan"... I'm fading into anesthesia nappy time and I'm thinking "bacon got me here!" Never found out if I actually said it...

Back to the normally scheduled CPAP discussion.

[Swsch2985]

Thank you for the reply!

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Thank you! This is helpful I will get an SD card and download Oscar