Sydney Morning Herald - 2/3 page article on cpap

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:06 pm

For our Aussie members who can get a copy of the SMH Thursday 31st May, go to page 12 - 'Health & Science' section. (can't find this online at the SMH web site - it may show up later today).

The SMH article was prompted by a study conducted in 1995 through the RNHS (Royal North Shore Hospital) Sleep Studies Clinic. The report on the study was released last week & prompted the SMH article.

There are two parts to the coverage. One part titled 'To sleep, perchance to sleep ...' (by reporter Steve Dow) explores the RNSH report & interviews a cpaper (a cpaptalk member) and the other part titled 'Aponea machine sparks debate' (by medical editor Julie Robotham) highlights some of the controvesy between the medical profession & manufacturers.

In the Robotham part, the Resmed recall gets mentioned - Resmed MD Paul Farrell gets quoted as does Dr David Joffe - senior staff physician at the RNSH Sleep Studies Unit. Dr Joffe said "[Manufacturers] are trying to mine the epidemic of fat blokes & other people that snore," - "If you've only got one product, its a bit like coca-cola: you've got to find more customers".

The original study as 6 gif images can be accessed here ...

http://www.internetage.com/cpapinfo/rnsh-study.html

To read the gif images, you will need to save them to your computer & open them with an image viewer (web browsers compress the image too much & make it unreadable).

If I can find the SMH article online later today, I'll add a link to it.

DSM

#2 fixed link

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:25 pm

The Julie Robotham part of the page has appeared at SMH 's web site (http://www.smh.com.au/ )

Here is the direct link ...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/apno ... 39008.html

The Steve Dow article has appeared as well ...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/to-s ... 38988.html

DSM

#2

Just got some inside info re the Julie Robotham article - it reflects a clash between Resmed's Peter Farrell & the Sleep Specialist community (such as Dr Joffe etc:). Farrell had apparently got them off side during an earlier interview some time back when he called the RT medicos 'The Sleep Taliban' because he believed they wanted to control the condition too tightly. - as we can see in Dr Joffe's swipe back, he has accused the mfg community merely of harvesting customers for their products.

D

Nev · Post by **Nev** » Wed May 30, 2007 7:32 pm

Thanks for posting these articles dsm.

The RSNH study should be compulsory reading for all sleep clinics!

I had no idea I had sleep apnoea. My wife used to complain about my snoring, but I didn't really believe her - I never heard it! When we moved to a larger town in 2002 and started with a new GP, she dobbed me in, and fortunately he was aware enough to send me straight to the local sleep clinic.

I guess I was just lucky with advice given on the side by sleep therpists at my two sessions and from my equipment supplier (as well as this board) which led me to APAP rather than CPAP, an efficient humidifier, a full face mask and a heated hose before I got to see a respiratory clinician a fortnight after my equipment arrived.

My titration study suggested CPAP at 14cm, so I set my PB 420E at 6 to 14 starting with the ramp from 4cm. Most of the time it stays on 6 with occasional increases to 8 or 10, but it's hardly ever gone above 12. Anything over 10 tends to wake me up.

I've managed to stay with it despite occasional setbacks with the UMFF, and have travelled interstate with my gear on many occasions without trouble.

I think if I'd been put on CPAP at 14 I'd never have coped. While I suspect my sleep specialist would have prescribed CPAP, he has followed my reports from the Silverlining softwre with interest and now only asks for an annual review.

I believe a team approach to the introduction and follow-up of PAP therapy along the lines of the RNSH should be taken up by all sleep clinics! But I won't hold my breath (excuse the pun).

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed May 30, 2007 7:53 pm

They may talk about Freedom of the Press in the USA but let me tell you, your Aussie reporters aren't bashful!!!!

And, in my estimation, the sleep therapy community and Dr Joffe came off looking like rude, uncaring blokes more interested in protecting their jobs in the sleep profession than in the patients' best interest despite the CBT, etc. to help patients adjust to xPAP. And I RESENT his referring to me and to other sleep apnea sufferers as "fat blokes".

I hope Sydney apneacs jump all over Dr Joffe in the Letters to the Editor columns for days on end now.

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:10 pm

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:14 pm

DeltaSeeker · Post by **DeltaSeeker** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:36 pm

DSM, thanks so much for posting those articles! I do like how they "tell it like it is." Luckily in Illinois they don't pull driver's licenses (yet) but I know there are 4-5 states that have laws on the books that will do so for being diagnosed with apnea. I like the article about the judge at the end where it says that if a judge being treated can be considered unfit for duty, then how about company execs, politicians, etc. He's right. And I'm sure doctors aren't immune to apnea. Heck they start out they're doctoring life sleep deprived after residency, etc.! I, for one, know I wouldn't want a doctor with untreated apnea operating on me! Heck, the worst *I* could do is type a bunch of garbled junk when my head hits the keyboard or my fingers stop on the keys (has happened many, many times!). Even so I almost lost my job over it. It was a real scramble for me.

As for the "fat bloke" doc - I say string him up and force feed him until HE needs CPAP! And doesn't he know you don't have to be fat to have apnea!!!!!!!! What an idiot!!!

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:44 pm

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:51 pm

[quote="mth712"]Yes I am sure he knows you don't have to be fat but most are.

Pulling the D/L would suck but it also would have made me take my treatment a lot more serious and try harder before this year.

I accept it now and can't go back to no cpap but now my energy is looking better maybe I will lose some weight and not need it- not likely - I like good food and Mountain Dew. I am going to try switching to a diet soda though. I drink about 5-10 cans a day.

DeltaSeeker · Post by **DeltaSeeker** » Wed May 30, 2007 10:25 pm

Man! That's a hoot hearing Dr. Joffee is overweight! Yes, I realize most of us OSA sufferers are overweight - myself included. 1st think my sleep doc said was "do you think you could lose more weight?" Jerk. Well, let's see, I had weight loss surgery and lost 100# before having to undergo 3 surgeries for surgical hernias which also precluded exercising. Hmmm. This I DON'T want to lose it???? Sorry - it's a sore spot for me.

BTW, studies have shown that it's mostly overweight people who drink diet sodas! Maybe it's the thought that it will somehow make up for our Big Macs? Or maybe all those chemicals just make us gain weight! That's it! It's a conspiracy to keep fat people fat! Label it diet and make it make them gain weight!!!

OK - I'm getting slap happy and sleep punchy now. Time to say G'nite!

Linda

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu May 31, 2007 7:49 am

I've read that in addition to "diet" drinks tending to encourage their fans to think they can drink MORE diet drinks, the ingredients increase appetite.

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:22 am

ehusen · Post by **ehusen** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:30 am

mth712 wrote:Yes I am sure he knows you don't have to be fat but most are.

...

I accept it now and can't go back to no cpap but now my energy is looking better maybe I will lose some weight and not need it- not likely - I like good food and Mountain Dew. I am going to try switching to a diet soda though. I drink about 5-10 cans a day.

Yup. I do think we Americans are a little overly touchy about our weight. Just because some people have apnea and aren't overweight doesn't mean that the vast majority of apnea sufferes aren't overweight. (At the very least their level of apnea is excacerbated by the extra weight). Just for the record, I was one of those overweight guys who lost a bunch of weight but, of course, still need the elephant mask.

"I like good food and Mountain Dew" - I could have written that. I often call Mountain Dew things like "MD (As in my doctor)", "The elixer of the Gods", or "That Magical Yellow Liquid...". I drink less of it now but I still cannot give it up entirely. And I certainly love food.

Just to give you and idea of how many calories you are taking in though in just soda. I did Weight Watcher's points (without the meetings) to help me lose the weight. I was, at the start, about 260lbs. According to WW this means I should be eating about 30 "points" a day. A 12 oz can of MD is 3 points. So 10 cans of it is 30 points, or your entire day's worth of food.

I know it's addicting buy maybe you can just try to cut down? Don't go cold turkey, you will get the mother of all headaches. (Trust me, I know.). I started first mixing in some Diet MD. Yeah, it's not a great taste and if you are reactive to some artificial sweeteners, it may not be right. I started mixing them half and half with diet and leaded to sort of wean myself off the high sugar stuff. I would also "cut" it with water. Eventually I got to down to 1-2 a day, even stopped completely on occasion.

You will probably lose several pounds just by cutting out most of the sugared soda. It's an easy way to jump start a weight loss program.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:35 am

O2 and H2O ... oxygen and hydrogen make a healthy environmentally friendly combo

It's the profit-motivated manmade stuff that will kill 'ya!

blowfish · Post by **blowfish** » Thu May 31, 2007 11:03 am

Mask

Additional Comments: Started w/FP431, got UMFF med. 5/10/07, got UMFF sm 6/12, tried Swift 6/16/07 (no good 4 me), I think the Hybrid (8/5/07) is IT!!!!

Mask	Humidifier