Help!! Newly diagnosed & going on 3rd sleep study

[Spiker]

OK. I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea 4 weeks ago. No surprise to me since half my family has it. They said it was moderate and had me come back a second time for titration. That was when it really hit the fan. The tech said the second night I went into severe respiratory distress. She could not get me stabalized on cpap or bipap. Now they want me to come back a third time for auto pap titration.

Why would I need to go back for an auto titration? Why couldn't this one be done at home? I haven't seen the results of the first study yet; I'll be picking them up today and then my doctor will call me. I want to sound like I know what I am talking about. It seems to me that they have all the pertanent data to substantiaite the machine without being at the lab this time.

Any thoughts? I really want to get going with this because I am lucky to get 2 hours of sleep at night and now my job is suffering, not to mention my marriage. I am not so pleasant when sleep deprived.

[PaulaO2]

Ask the doctor if the sleep lab is going to hook you up to an autoPAP and let it figure you out, then why can't you just be loaned an autoPAP and do it yourself from home. You'll sleep better at home, you'll sleep longer at home, and frankly, you just don't want to pay for a sleep test that can get the same results at home.

If they want to monitor your vitals, ask to also be loaned a pulse oximeter. Between the two things, they'll get the same results.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Spiker and WELCOME! to the forum.!
What Paula said.
Best of luck to you in this frustrating situation.
Hang in there for other suggestions.

[Spiker]

Thank-you. I was not aware of the pulse oximeter.

[PaulaO2]

It's the thing they put on the end of your finger. It measures not only the pulse, but the blood O2 saturation.

The main advantages to a sleep lab is they can detect what level of sleep, whether you are struggling to breathe, what your body position is during events, and if you have any body movements (jerking as your brain is trying to wake you up to breathe).

A good autoPAP can determine the difference between an obstructive event and a central event, can report on the length of time and the pressure needed to end the event, any hypopnea events.

If they agree to the autoPAP at home, request a ResMed S9 Autoset or the Resprionics System One Auto. Both are data capable and good machines.

[Spiker]

Excellent! Thank-you.

I realize some people get upset when they find out they have sleep apnea. I am excited! I look forward to a good nights sleep. Now I understand what a new mom goes through with sleep exhaustion!