2018 Resolution. 'Cure' myself of Sleep Apnea.

[Mogy]

Pholynyk - It seems that I've been talking out of my ass a bit. There are more than a few labs in Alberta. I was just more going by what my brother-in-law went through about 10 years ago. It took him forever to get a diagnosis. The HST has streamlined the process a lot.
Alberta Health Care is supposed to pay for the testing if you can get a requisition from a Dr. They don't pay for any part of the machine. If you are working most companies insist on you signing up for their extended health care group plan. Blue-Cross covered 80% of machine. No deductible.

[pholynyk]

Good to know, Mogy, thanks for the update.

Ontario's plan seems pretty good for patients, and it is pretty expensive for the province. It does help the employment rate for sleep docs and techs, though. It would be cheaper to allow the home sleep tests and then pay for Auto CPAPs and some patient education. I'm pretty sure I don't want to take on the medical establishment, though.

[Timur]

Here is the latest on home sleep studies in Ontario

This was initially unveiled back in 2012

https://www.ctvnews.ca/device-to-diagnos...s-1.807025

And it took 5 years to get to this stage!

http://business.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/bresotec

I'm not sure exactly how many sleep labs are located in Ottawa ... I believe all the hospitals (including the Royal Ottawa) have sleep labs  and I believe there may be one or two "private" clinics.

Wait times for a sleep study here ? In my case I was triaged as urgent and had a sleep study within 2 weeks or so of being in ER with an arrhythmia.

Several of my friends asked for sleep studies based on what I told them about OSA and were triaged as non-urgent. Wait times for them ranged from about  9 months to a year, as I recall. And ironically they all have far worse OSA than I do it turns out! 

I'd love to have another sleep study to see how  my untreated OSA is at present, but only a HST not another in lab one! So I await this new HST .....

.

[Mogy]

The HST that I have been using is the ApneaLink by Resmed. There is someone on eBay who is selling them for US$500 plus shipping. I am tempted to buy one. The good thing about it is the oximeter that comes with it will connect directly to my S10 Autoset. They are $900 by themselves.

Anyone want to go halfsies?

[pholynyk]

After digging through the Ontario ADP site, I found this on the application information form:

To receive funding assistance for CPAP/APAP/BPAP
systems you must be assessed by a physician who
works at a sleep clinic registered with the ADP.

Note that ASV systems are NOT covered (confirmed by DME). It does not say that an in-lab sleep test is required, so the BrescoDX device may be acceptable if used by a registered clinic. I believe an in-lab titration would be required for an APAP or BPAP.

[Timur]

Thanks Pholynyk for that info.

LOL Mogy, I'd love to go halfsies on the Apnealink but unfortunately I just spent a whole lot of cash on some antique silver this past weekend.  Now the coffers are empty! 

Actually I am very impressed with your results. We are always told that lifestyle changes can improve diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure and even COPD so why not sleep apnea? I am often perplexed by the ardent and often fierce opposition. Imagine telling someone that they HAVE to use medication and not even try lifestyle changes for T2 Diabetes? It might not work in all cases but at least a person can try. In your case the results of HST is proof that something is working. 

My apnea is caused by anatomical features that I was born with and that  can't be changed. Just like my hereditary high blood pressure, no matter how much I exercise and how thin I am, I will always be on BP meds.

That said,  CPAP has been very positive for me and improved my sleep a great deal, ditto my mood, reduced anxiety and stopped my atrial tachy (knock on wood) so for me stopping is not on the cards, and I will be using CPAP for the rest of my days.   

But for those who are borderline mild and are prepared to work hard on other approaches such as weight loss, throat exercises, whatever , heck , why not? I wish I could lose 40 pounds and reverse my OSA .... but I am not overweight. 

Here are the recommendations for treatment in Canada, and for mild OSA lifestyle intervention (if appropriate) is first line treatment, not CPAP.

https://www.cadth.ca/news/cadth-recommen...leep-apnea


The one issue of course  is  that unlike glucose testing, it is hard to monitor your AHI on a regular basis, and so easy for sleep apnea to return under the slightest change of circumstances, and you might not be aware of it until you crash into a car on the highway. That would be my fear.