Multiple sleep tests

[roym]

Do people on the forum get sleep test done frequently. Once you get it done and get your cpap machine do you just run with it for a decade or so (till the machine gives way) and then you go back to get a prescription and get a new machine from insurance. I do have medical insurance ...
ps: how often do these machines last?

[Tez62]

roym, welcome, you will get a lot of different opinions, I see my sleep specialist once a year to review my data and have a chat and have a sleep study every second year. Some will say it's a bit of over kill but if our bodies change we should have a regulary sleep study I think. The machines should last at least 5 years, most will last a lot longer, I have a friend who has had his over 10 years, doesn't really look after it and it just works. He never checks his data and I don't think he has ever been back to his sleep specialist, but it works for him.

[trish6hundred]

Hi roym,
I had to have two sleep studies in 2008, because I didn't get to sleep in enough time for them to titrate me in the same night.
They say the machines last 5 years but some have had machines longer than that. I think it is recommended that you get a new one after 5 years.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.

[brianwood619]

Just had my second sleep study, my doctor wants it every two years, we just confirmed things are still bad with my OSA, and they titrated me up another number so now I am at 12 on pressure, we'll see how that works

[GRak]

My initial test was done 7 years ago after a few months of "nagging" from my wife. She seemed to object to my snoring and "gurgling"

I recently had another sleep lab test on the request of my cardiologist I had been experiencing the onset of tachycardia almost every night a 3 am, lasting from 1 to 12 hours. Since the tachy only started at night, while I slept (never whilst awake!). My current machine records run time only, and he thought a full data machine would be beneficial.

I did not sleep a wink! I know I have OSA, due to apnea events the few times I had to sleep w/o my machine, and early evening if I fell asleep on my Lazy Boy chair.

I explained this to my sleep doctor, and he decided to let me try a home study. I had enough anxiety that again, I could not sleep, so the sleep Doc could not write a prescription for a new machine.

He told me to contact him in 6 months to discuss possible options if there is any new evidence of OSA.

I decided to pursue getting a new machine through "other avenues". Long story short, as they say, I now have a F&P Icon Auto that I bought off of Ebay for $300 (only 36 total run hours!). I also got a copy of InfoSmart. It seems to backup my opinion that I still have OSA. I will try to get another appointment with the sleep doc in a few months to verify.

As an aside, my tachycardia problem has been fully resolved. It seems changing from Carvedilol to Sotalol has it completely under control!

[SnuffySleeper]

I had one initial sleep test that got me diagnosed with OSA. Then my doctor said I'll have another sleep test with the cpap machine in a month to see if it's effective and what's going on. After that he said he would like a sleep test every six months depending on the results. So I dunno, that seems like a lot compared to others on here.

[me50]

I had one initial sleep test that got me diagnosed with OSA. Then my doctor said I'll have another sleep test with the cpap machine in a month to see if it's effective and what's going on. After that he said he would like a sleep test every six months depending on the results. So I dunno, that seems like a lot compared to others on here.

That does seem a bit excessive (but I don't know your medical history as your doctor hopefully does), especially when you can see the results of your sleep each night with your machine. If things aren't going well, it would show up in the data and that is much less expensive than a sleep study. At 20% of the cost of a sleep study, that could cost someone close to $1,000. Even if we could, I wouldn't pay that every 6 months (I am just not fond of being wired up, hooked up, etc. even once in a while)

[SnuffySleeper]

That does seem a bit excessive (but I don't know your medical history as your doctor hopefully does), especially when you can see the results of your sleep each night with your machine. If things aren't going well, it would show up in the data and that is much less expensive than a sleep study. At 20% of the cost of a sleep study, that could cost someone close to $1,000. Even if we could, I wouldn't pay that every 6 months.

I am in Canada though, so it's free for us Yeah, I am beginning to think my doctor suspects something is seriously wrong, it's kinda scary.

[me50]

That does seem a bit excessive (but I don't know your medical history as your doctor hopefully does), especially when you can see the results of your sleep each night with your machine. If things aren't going well, it would show up in the data and that is much less expensive than a sleep study. At 20% of the cost of a sleep study, that could cost someone close to $1,000. Even if we could, I wouldn't pay that every 6 months.

I am in Canada though, so it's free for us Yeah, I am beginning to think my doctor suspects something is seriously wrong, it's kinda scary.

are you having problems with your cpap therapy or having symptoms that would make your doc have concerns that something might be seriously wrong?

[SnuffySleeper]

are you having problems with your cpap therapy or having symptoms that would make your doc have concerns that something might be seriously wrong?

I don't think so, it's all new to me though. My AHI on my 1st sleep test was very high and he stop short in saying it's almost the worst he has seen (he just says it's as bad as it gets) as I stop breathing for a long time and just showed me paper with big red circles around the wav forms (like in sleepyhead) on it then took it back. Also my follow up appointment was moved up after the sleep test because of the results.

My stats seem ok, I range from 7 to 1.9 AHI each night with the majority being CA events.

The Cpap definitely helps, I don't wake up with a heavy head, headache and have more energy in the day. Maybe if my second sleep test goes well, I won't have to keep coming back.