General question for someone just starting on a BIPAP machine
So, I have been on my BIPAP machine for about a month and a half now. My question is this: who is responsible for following my progress and adaptation to the machine and treatment ? Is it me, the DME who issued the machine and mask, or the sleep center doctor, or a combination?
I have gotten zero positive results since starting. Issue after issue finding a mask that is comfortable and doesn't leak ! I went back to the sleep center today and worked with the nurse to find a good mask that doesn't leak and is comfortable. I think I have found one. Time will tell. The download shows I have had constant high leak rates since day one and that is most likely why I have had no positive results.
Who should be following my progress to make sure I get started properly? The DME has given me no support. My Neurologist was the one who told me about the Resmed app so now I have started using it to see how I am doing. So far my leak rate and event rates are off the chart ! Hoping the new mask I got today will be the key to improvement.
RE: General question for someone just starting on a BIPAP machine
Welcome to the board. There are many knowledgeable people here that can and will help BUT we need data to do that. We get the data from OSCAR it is totally free to download and use. It is on the top of the site. Please read the link I have on charts at the bottom of the post. It tells you which charts are needed and some information on Oscar.
To your question it is you that is responsible for your care. Drs don’t have the time to work with a patient and even if they did it would take weeks to get any help.
RE: General question for someone just starting on a BIPAP machine
Welcome.
Officially your doctor, via scheduled appointments.
Unofficially, you.
CPAP followup has to be frequent in the beginning. You need to call and complain often to get anything done.
Apnea Board was founded for the purpose of helping CPAP users understand and manage their own treatment, and honestly, collectively we are pretty good at it.
The hallmark of our help is to make our advice data-driven. The preferred data is from
OSCAR. OSCAR (free) lets us see in breath by breath detail when necessary what is going on.
Make sure that you have an SD card in your machine, any brand, any size 2-32GB not bigger. 4-8GB is all you will likely use. OSCAR reads the data from the SD card and presenrs it. Post the standard daily chart and we will let you know what is going on and suggest improvements and why those improvement, if we don't say just ask in a followup.
Typically if you want to have good therapy it is up to you to do so. Post your Daily OSCAR charts
RE: General question for someone just starting on a BIPAP machine
Time and again, with virtually every member here, it's all on you. This is where it starts and stops, success rests on your shoulders.
The DME is there to sell you stuff with a little help sprinkled in, but nothing in-depth. Doc just needs to make sure you use it and that there's some perception that you're better for it.
The problem is they aren't using the PAP and they are insurance payment driven. They have their answers for the data they're given. Example if your AHI is less than 5 then you automatically are treated. But you might not be doing well with it. There's leaks, other Apnea like Centrals they don't account for most times, they will not but barely recognize negatives unless it means more testing and boat payments for them.
2 things to do now, edit your left panel user info and show us a standard OSCAR Daily detail chart. Then tell us how you feel, regarding the PAP and therapy.
Mask Primer
Positional Apnea
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
01-24-2022, 02:51 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-24-2022, 02:52 AM by holden4th.)
RE: General question for someone just starting on a BIPAP machine
I came to this forum ready to ditch PAP therapy and that would have been a massive and potentially fatal mistake. The folks on this board provided advice and suggestions that allowed me to:
Adjust my settings gradually to alleviate issues
Choose the right equipment - in my experience it's not the mask but the machine but the mask that makes all the difference.
get moral support from people in my position who got through this. Thanks to them so did I.
Congratulations, you've come to the right place. It won't be a rapid process (slow and steady wins the race) but with patience you'll get there and your life will literally be transformed. That first 'great' nights sleep will be a moment of epiphany! It certainly was for me.
You obviously want to make this work and because of that you will. So let us help you with the process. Download OSCAR, post some charts, ask any questions that you want and finally, welcome to Apnea Board.
NB: I also use BiPAP
