Make or break

[MaxINTJ]

This week is my 2nd titration. What should I demand of the tech administering it? I have already made it clear that I CAN get good data when on an ASV and have yet to see any good data while on APAP or CPAP.

They have told me to bring my good mask and my (horrible) Amara View.

They are supposed to prove or disprove both CPAP and ASV and I want to be perfectly clear in my instructions.

I will also be bringing my SD card of crappy data for them to look at.

I'm considering this the tipping point - either they get it right and get me the equipment I need, or they do nothing and I learn to live with SDB and no sleep until death do us part.

[lindalrc]

Write down (in as brief a form as possible) EXACTLY what you need. Get your doctor involved by asking him/her to read what you have written and indicate his/her medical agreement. Should cut down on the he said/she said stuff.

Also, be sure the tech reads the document and indicates understanding.
L

[TASmart]

Given the difficulty you have sleeping, I would definitely get some Ambien. If I recall, Ambien is the one that has a shortish half life so it can be used to both get you to sleep and to help you get back to sleep. Lying there awake will do no one any good, excepting the Sleep Centers pocketbook of course.

[Pugsy]

Given the difficulty you have sleeping, I would definitely get some Ambien.

Tas....his doc isn't too keen on prescribing sleeping pills. He's kinda "anti drugs" in that regard...same reasoning I suppose for nixing the daytime awake pills.
That's sort of how he got here....used to take sleeping pills of some sort and then the doc said "no more" and sleep went to hell because the pills were no longer masking the issue.

I am not so sure his doc would give him Ambien even for the sleep study if that was just what you were referring to in this situation.
He's kind of an old stick in the mud about that sort of stuff.
In terms of the sleep study coming up and sleeping...I have mixed feelings about adding sleeping meds in that situation because his main problems are arousals and not OSA per se. We sort of want the arousals to happen so that they can maybe figure out why they are happening and some way to fix them or stop them from happening so much. If we mask them too much they won't happen and thus can't figure out how to fix them.

[MaxINTJ]

Given the difficulty you have sleeping, I would definitely get some Ambien.

Tas....his doc isn't too keen on prescribing sleeping pills. He's kinda "anti drugs" in that regard...same reasoning I suppose for nixing the daytime awake pills.
That's sort of how he got here....used to take sleeping pills of some sort and then the doc said "no more" and sleep went to hell because the pills were no longer masking the issue.

Yeah, effing BS if you ask me. Effing BS even if you don't ask me.

[MaxINTJ]

Write down (in as brief a form as possible) EXACTLY what you need. Get your doctor involved by asking him/her to read what you have written and indicate his/her medical agreement. Should cut down on the he said/she said stuff.

Also, be sure the tech reads the document and indicates understanding.
L

Excellent suggestion!

+100

[Pugsy]

Yeah, effing BS if you ask me. Effing BS even if you don't ask me.

I agree with you here. There's a time and place for all medications even the ones that are sort of shied away from for some reason or other.

Kinda makes a person which they had a friendly and cheap "friend" down on the street corner to help out.
Believe me...something I have thought about often in the past.

[chunkyfrog]

This kind of stuff often leads to people trying herbal remedies.
Note: they are not as harmless as the dealers claim.

[MaxINTJ]

Yeah, effing BS if you ask me. Effing BS even if you don't ask me.

I agree with you here. There's a time and place for all medications even the ones that are sort of shied away from for some reason or other.

Kinda makes a person which they had a friendly and cheap "friend" down on the street corner to help out.
Believe me...something I have thought about often in the past.

It would be nice if doctors actually listened when a normal intelligent patient wanted drugs. Most of us are fully capable of knowing ourselves and doing research when needed. I understand there are junkies and just plain stupid people, but they should know who those are and THEN question the drug request.

[TedVPAP]

Good luck. If this does not help, change doctors.