Curious.......

[herbm]

I have seen my sleep doc twice, ones pre-diagnoses for the Rx to get the sleep study, and once 3 weeks of treatment as a follow up.

He told me on the first visit that he only needs to see me once per year.

I don't worry much about the cost of a simple Dr. visit -- I have had good insurance for 35 years, and typically pay about 20% of the $100 (plus or minus) fee. If I NEED medical help, then it's no big deal at that price; taking the time; going to the doctor (making an appointment, showing up -- especially if sick) is a bigger nuisance than the price.

Sure, I took my Rescan result report to the sleep doc, but I had been making my own settings since DAY 1 and didn't really need him for that.* He looked at them and was delighted -- never mentioned that these were not "his Rx" settings. He either didn't notice or didn't care.

With his settings and seeing me only once per week, my treatment would either be far less effective or would have taken 5 visits over 15 weeks. I had it "right" in three days on my own, and didn't even use his setting on the FIRST NIGHT.

I will go back in a year as he indicated to get a new Rx (for the machine etc.) so that my therapy will continue.

Practically necessary? No.

Expensive? Not really.

[SnuffySleeper]

Did you get a titration study done HerbM? If so, what were the results of the polysomnogram? That would give you your optimal pressure at all sleeping positions far more accurately than just data from the cpap machine could. It wouldn't take 5 visits over 15 weeks.

[PaulaO2]

Herb, any doc can write the script for the CPAP. My GP wrote it for my current one. I saw no reason to see the sleep doc and have Medicare pay an outrageous amount of money for a 5 minute or less "appointment" when my GP could write it while I was seeing her for something else.

[retired_guy]

Herb, any doc can write the script for the CPAP. My GP wrote it for my current one. I saw no reason to see the sleep doc and have Medicare pay an outrageous amount of money for a 5 minute or less "appointment" when my GP could write it while I was seeing her for something else.

and therein lies the magic. If you've got a good GP, one that you have confidence in and one that has confidence in you, then most generally all the angst about how will I convince someone to do this or that will go away. It is just so easy to say "Hey doc, if you're done examining my gizzard, would you write me a script for a Resmed S9 Autoset with Humidifier and a climatline hose? Thanks a bunch.........."

Good docs will know you and trust you not to do too many stupid things with your body. If you reward their faith by learning all you can about your condition you really wouldn't need and DME's or sleep docs at all.

[SnuffySleeper]

Herb, any doc can write the script for the CPAP. My GP wrote it for my current one. I saw no reason to see the sleep doc and have Medicare pay an outrageous amount of money for a 5 minute or less "appointment" when my GP could write it while I was seeing her for something else.

and therein lies the magic. If you've got a good GP, one that you have confidence in and one that has confidence in you, then most generally all the angst about how will I convince someone to do this or that will go away. It is just so easy to say "Hey doc, if you're done examining my gizzard, would you write me a script for a Resmed S9 Autoset with Humidifier and a climatline hose? Thanks a bunch.........."

Good docs will know you and trust you not to do too many stupid things with your body. If you reward their faith by learning all you can about your condition you really wouldn't need and DME's or sleep docs at all.

If you never see a sleep doctor and get a titration test, how do you know how your body will react to high pressures? Just buy an auto-cpap and hope for the best? Might be good advice for some, might be dangerous for others....

[JimZZZ]

But in reading this forum, the posts of the ones with the auto-set machine, it seems to me that some of you engage with your doctors quite often.

Not my experience. I have never met my doctor. I know his name from the titration report but my only contact other than the sleep lab technicians has been two visits with the PA.

Incidentally, the titration recommendation (prescription) was dead wrong but with the help of the good folks on Apnea Board I got my therapy on track.

If it weren't for this forum I would be suffering from the mushroom syndrome, i.e., living in the dark and being fed BS.

[PaulaO2]

Herb, any doc can write the script for the CPAP. My GP wrote it for my current one. I saw no reason to see the sleep doc and have Medicare pay an outrageous amount of money for a 5 minute or less "appointment" when my GP could write it while I was seeing her for something else.

and therein lies the magic. If you've got a good GP, one that you have confidence in and one that has confidence in you, then most generally all the angst about how will I convince someone to do this or that will go away. It is just so easy to say "Hey doc, if you're done examining my gizzard, would you write me a script for a Resmed S9 Autoset with Humidifier and a climatline hose? Thanks a bunch.........."

Good docs will know you and trust you not to do too many stupid things with your body. If you reward their faith by learning all you can about your condition you really wouldn't need and DME's or sleep docs at all.

If you never see a sleep doctor and get a titration test, how do you know how your body will react to high pressures? Just buy an auto-cpap and hope for the best? Might be good advice for some, might be dangerous for others....

No, you misunderstood and I am sorry for that. We are (or at least I was) talking about when we need an upgrade. A new prescription is needed each time. My S7 had reached the end of its life and the DME said I needed a new prescription. My GP and I talked about it and she wrote it for me. We have a great relationship and was more than willing to help me with anything I needed. I talk about my sleep apnea a lot with her, even more so now that I have a data capable machine. (when she found out they gave me one that wasn't, she was appalled, but that's another story)

As for getting an APAP without a sleep test, that is actually the way a some sleep docs go if the patient cannot afford a sleep test. Or if the titration could not happen the same night as the diagnostic test. Personally, I think a week with an APAP will give a much better true titration result than a single night at a sleep lab.