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DavidSleep
+0 points
·
over 5 years
ago
Original Poster
I have been using my APAP for a little over a year now and have been consistently getting a good nights sleep with AHI between 2-4. I saw my doctor a couple of times in the first few months. Once to get a better mask and once because he just told me to so he could download my card and check my info. He said I was doing very well. On the way out he said to make my next appointment with the receptionist. I didn't. My insurance doesn't cover the office visits and I can see from the info my app shows me that I am within the expected AHIs for what would be considered successful treatment. More importantly I just feel rested and no longer tired during the day. I have not seen doctor for a year now. How often do any of you see your doctor, if there are no obvious problem?
In the part of Canada I live, there is no easy access to an actual sleep doctor. One could see a sleep technician, but I question the value in that. I monitor my results with the free Sleepyhead software, and have no plans to see a doctor or technician unless the results are bad. I make my own changes to my machine set up. An AHI of 2-4 is ok if you have issues with central apnea, but if it is simple obstructive apnea, most can average closer to 1 with a well set up machine.
I probably should add that I have mixed apnea with more than half of residual apnea events due to centrals. I can average about 2.5 for AHI, but still go over 5 at times. When I cannot achieve an average under 5 with my current A10 AutoSet, then I will likely ask for another sleep study. It may be time for a new machine. Until then I see no benefit, but I do monitor my results very carefully with Sleepyhead. I have no insurance coverage for CPAP therapy. Here it is considered "elective" treatment, and is not covered under our provincial health care system.
I am also scheptical of the detailed attention sleep doctors pay to the machine data, and worry that if I do not do it myself, it will not get done.
Biguglygremlin
+0 points
·
over 5 years
ago
Sleep
Enthusiast
I hired a device to do my own sleep study.
CPAP machines are available through the hospital system here, so I saw a sleep doctor (15mins) to authorise my first machine and a technician (5mins) to pick up that machine. I haven't seen anybody since.
That was over four years ago.
I am not recommending this approach. Independence and initiative can be overrated and sometimes just plain stupid but that's my story.
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