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Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
#11
RE: Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
The doc can tell IF they really look but most of them don't do more than look at the statistics which is a certain time frame average (a week, month, 3 months, etc.). The OP notified their doc and the doc said to get another sleep study to see if the pressure needs to be lowered and that it would/could take 5 weeks for authorization from the OP insurance company. These docs need to listen to their patients and use repeat tests as a last resort unless there is a critical reason for it and if there were a critical reason, they wouldn't be waiting up to 5 weeks to retitrate. JMHO and YMMV
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#12
RE: Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
Personally, I would let the auto machine do what it was designed to do. I gave my doc the benefit of the doubt for a month, knowing that my machine should be on auto. When I went back in, he said looks good. I asked him about putting the machine on a lower setting (he had me on 18) and we've lowered it to 14, with the ability to ramp up. This really should have been the setting from the beginning imo.

The only thing I might do would be to run an oximeter a few nights and make sure the few events you are having aren't dropping your 02 sats.

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#13
RE: Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
(03-05-2014, 03:40 PM)brantel Wrote: ...I had an appt. with my sleep Dr. yesterday and she wants to do another sleep study/in office titration to determine if my pressure should be lowered. They told me it could be up to 5 weeks before Cigna will authorize another study.

For whatever reason, she has my machine set fixed at 16 and does not use the auto-set function of the machine.

Last night for a test, I set my machine to Autoset with a 10-16 range. I looked at the data this morning and the machine only got to a high pressure of 12. The AHI last night was 0.66 and leaks were 0.

So do I just wait and suffer with the high pressure or do I change this thing permanently myself?

I can tell you that my Dr. pulls the data each trip to her office and I think it will tell on me if I do change it.

You have already changed your machine and are getting effective treatment so why would you want to change it back?

If you think she will be irritated note a few things:

You already chanced it and the machine keeps a record of that.
It's your health so if the sleep and AHI are much better why wait bureaucracy to catch up?
You might be able to avoid the expense and inconvenience of another test.
You can probably find another sleep doc easily if she doesn't accept your actions.

I would never TELL you to change your machine yourself, but I did, and I would help you figure out what changes YOU want to make.

You have already done that on your own so the point is practically moot.

Glad you are doing well.


Sweet Dreams,

HerbM
Sleep study AHI: 49 RDI: 60 -- APAP 10-11 w/AHI: 1.5 avg for 7-days (up due likely to hip replacement recovery)

"We can all breathe together or we will all suffocate alone."
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#14
RE: Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
You took control of your food after the surgery... Don't be afraid to take control now.
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#15
RE: Need advice..set my own pressure or wait?
Most of the time the doctor doesn't even WANT to see detailed data collected. The doc will look at your usage and look and your AHI and most really don't care about where your pressure is going.

If the doc does give you a bunch of grief and you are getting better results, just tell them to jam it.
What's he going to do? Have the Men in Black haul you off for immediate disintegration?

You're the patient. Diabetics often have to judge their own diet/insulin requirements and an error there
can be a lot worse than anything you can do.

But you CAN get more optimal therapy by yourself and start sleeping better.

If any major problems come up THEN you can go see the doc.

Cheers!
Wink


"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." - Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Cool
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