Postby Rustsmith » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:45 am
Sleep doctors are usually either pulmonogists or neurologists who add the sideline of sleep medicine to their practice. Running sleep clinics can be a lucrative business for these doctors, especially if they own the side company within the clinic that sells the machines. That certainly turned out to be true of the doctor that I visited.
So, how do yo find a "true sleep doctor"? You need to ask around because you are not going to be able to tell the "doctors" from the business men with an MD just by looking at credentials. You can ask your friends who they do and don't recommend. You will be amazed at how many people you find using CPAP machines. Also ask your GP for a referral, but be aware that he may also have a stake in whatever he tells you.
Even if you do end up in an assembly line operation like I did, all is not lost. You are NOT required to buy your machine from the supplier associated with the sleep testing center. The doctor is required to write you a prescription, one way or another. You can get the machines online for much less than the local supplier will probably charge. Also, demand a copy of your sleep study report. Do not settle for a simple one or two page summary. Ask for the detailed report that should have lots of numbers and graphs. I was told I had an AHI of 10 (the minimum for insurance coverage), but when I got the detailed report I found that I had 1 apnea event and 7 hypopnea events for a total AHI of 8.
So, I continue to use the CPAP machine primarily because my wife says that it stops me from snoring. I do not feel that it improves my sleep, as is evidenced by my nightly AHI score that ranges from 2 to 5.
And finally for those who have not read this entire thread, I am not overweight so my problem is not classic sleep apnea but a related condition that occurs is thin people called UARS. UARS does not have the associated loss of oxygen saturation and therefore is not associated with cardiac problems. But UARS can destroy sleep by causing micro-wakening events, in my case 28/hr.
Steve
Augmentation Evaluation
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9005Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.