How long from sleep study to getting Cpap?

[LisaEileen]

I am at the begining process of all this so sorry for any dumb questions. I have browsed the forums for a bit to get a feel for things and WOW, talk about being overwhelmed at all the info. I know nothing about all of the different equipment out there.

I had a sleep study consult in the begining of April. I had my first sleep study on May 10th. I didn't get any results back until May 31. The doctor was very brief. He told me that he has only seen 6 patients in his many years of practice who have the same issue I have. He wasn't very clear what my actual "issue" is, just that I don't have a lot of episodes, but it takes me 75% more effort to breathe than a normal person. He wanted me to have another sleep study. I got in the next day due to a cancellation. I was also told that I am "a very sleepy girl." I had to stay and nap all the next day. From what I was told, falling asleep in less than 5 min means that you are REALLY tired. I was averaging falling asleep in 2 min. From what I understand, they used a bipap machine on me that night. Again, I got some very brief results posted to my answering machine that a bipap machine would be best for me and one would be ordered.

Fast forward...I got sick of waiting and made some phone calls yesterday. Apparently my insurance company will not pay for a bipap because I don't fit their criteria for needing one. The doctor sent out a prior authorization letter today. I was told I have to wait another 2 weeks to see if my insurance will accept the prior authorization from my doctor.

At this point, I'm tired and extremely frustrated. I can't believe this is taking so long. My Mom and Dad both had a sleep study consult, sleep study and machine in their hands within 2 weeks. This is going on over 2 MONTHS. Is that normal? According to the doctor I really need this thing. My health has gotten really bad in the past few years including really high bp and needing to be on meds 2 x a day. He thinks the bipap will help my bp. I actually ended up in the hospital on Easter weekend because my bp was so high. I'm so frustrated that the insurance company can play with my health like this! I know some people would say to just go buy a machine. I wish it were that easy. I am the Mom of 4 children, including one who has autism. I can't work right now because I have to take care of my autistic girl, so I'm stuck with Medicaid insurance. We can't even live pay check to pay check at this point. I have a crossing guard job which helps during the school year, but school is out for the summer. I am lucky enough to be able to stay awake to even work that small job. I can't imagine working full time right now while I'm this tired. I have to keep myself going and going because as soon as I sit down, I fall asleep. I can't fall asleep or my autistic girl will destroy things in the house or worse yet, she has broken locks off of my doors trying to get out. Have I said I'm frustrated!? I don't know if anyone can even help me out, but it sure feels good to vent this all out to other people who might have a clue what I'm going through.

[vipertec]

From my first test to getting my machine took about three weeks , the morning after my second test ,when you sleep with an actual mask on ,i got to take my machine home ,it's been three months now and people don't run and hide when i'm coming their way!

[RipVW]

Hello & Welcome, LisaEileen! Glad you found this forum—SO much useful info and everyone here is so willing to help! Took about two weeks from my sleep study to when I got my CPAP machine. So sorry you're having to wait so long. Good luck!


"You are getting sleepy . . ."

[Muse-Inc]

Ahhh, LisaEileen, I'm sorry it's taking so long! It sounds like yours is not the typical case of apnea...maybe that's the hangup? I waited 10 days from study to CPAP pickup & training.

EDIT: There's a link to a study that identifies the oxygen deprivation that people with apnea experience with the resultant hypertension -- I think Rooster posted it sometime in the past few days. Study was done on Mt Everest. Interesting reading. If you print it out and give it to your doc, it might speed up the process so you get a machine soon.

[DyannaK]

Hello LisaEilene, Welcome to the forum... It does sound like you are having a pretty bad runaround I hope things get straightened out for you soon.. I had my titration study done on 12/28/2008 and had my machine brought put to me and set by by my DME on January 8, 2009. Eleven days is all it took me to get my machine, but it took me 3 wks and 2 days to get my titration appt set up after I had my initial sleep study. So basically it took me a little over 1 month to go from my 1st sleep study to the machine in my hands...

[BlackSpinner]

I booked my study in september for december, got my results in March, got my specialist appointment in April and got my CPAP (paid for by me) the next week.

[6PtStar]

Lisa, sorry you are having so much trouble. I always seems to happen when you are sleep deprived and have a hard time thinking.

I almost hate to post this!! I walked into my sleep study at 6 PM got out with a split night study at 6:45 AM the next morning and had my cpap and mask at 11:30AM that same morning. And this was from a DME that was not part of the sleep clinic. It can be done but it takes some help from you Doc to get er done. My insurance covered it all except for $11.00 if I remember correctly but that was almost 3 years ago.

Jerry

[LisaEileen]

Do you think it will pay off to be a huge pest? I was thinking of calling the doctors office every day until I know for sure he sent in the pre-authorization form once again. I just wonder if this would be such a big issue if he had ordered a cpap instead of a bipap? I'm guessing bipap is more expensive?

[freisss]

I was diagnosed in March. My doctor has gone through two different companies trying to get me a CPAP. As of today, I am still waiting. It's depressing to be tired all the time and I don't know what else to do. It's ridiculous that some days I have to take two naps just to keep going. What the is the deal with these machines; are they hand-made by sherpas in Nepal and you have to climb the mountains on a donkey to get one?

[Guest]

I had my split sleep study done on one night and my machine within a week. I Think being a pest does help to get things done faster. The squeaky wheel gets the grease kind of thing. So I say go for it. I'm so sorry you are having so many problems, if you can get this one taken care of the others can become so much easier to handle. Good Luck!

[allymcshop2]

I was fortunate enough that my Dr. meets patients when you wake up from sleep study and gives you instant results. I got my machine the same day masks and all. It was about 2 weeks from intial appointment to sleep study. So 2 weeks in all. Until then I used oxygen at night just to be safe

[Muse-Inc]

My new doc suspected apnea & wrote the referral to a Sleep Clinic doc that day. Took me 2 mos to get an appt with this one (he comes highly recommended), then another 6 wks to the sleep study, then 10 days to CPAP & training.

Meanwhile, I started reading about apnea...I was pretty much clueless at that time. After scaring myself half to death (hmmmm, with untreated apnea maybe I was already there ) and without a bed partner, I got a baby monitor and set it up so the co-owner of my house could listen in and come wake me if needed and taught myself to stop sleeping on my back. Luckily, while I did have noticeable pauses, there were followed by large breaths...when my breathing sounded weird, they came to my bedroom and told me turn over.

[Kiralynx]

LisaEileen,

It can take WAY too long, IMO. I had my consult in mid-August, my test in September, and finally got my machine on 28 October. (Oh, and I had a hurricane evacuation, plus my Mom in hospital in the middle of that.)

Others can give you better information than I on getting things rolling. I called my physician's office on a daily basis once I'd given a week for them to get the results. This resulted in my getting cancellation dates for my titration, and for the consult with the doc after the titration. Once I had the prescription, it was faxed to the DME covered by my insurance, and then I called the DME on a daily basis until their RT reviewed my tests. I told her outright that I wanted a Bipap, that I could not breathe against straight CPAP. I also insisted on a heated humidifier, and a fully data capable machine. As it turned out, I have complex apnea, and the best machine for what I have was what the RT recommended. She had the doc write out a script to that machine with all the other items I'd asked for, and my insurance accepted it.

I would like to send you to a great site for your autistic daughter: http://www.pecanbread.com. It's about a diet which really helps autistic children, and it has a support list of nearly 4000 parents who are implementing the diet for their kids. I help out there from time to time (I run a list for adults following the same diet, for Crohn's, UC, diverticulitis and IBS) as I am a darn good cook in this diet.

Luck!

[Jason S.]

Within a week of the second sleep study (titration) which was about 3 weeks after the first sleep study. Do NOT get a split night study. Your treatment should be based on an accurate test, which is a full night of sleep, not 4 hours of sleep, an interruption in the middle of the night, and then another four hours of sleep.

[neverbetter]

I waited 2 months for my equipment after my split night study, darn, what... 5 years ago?
I could have died waiting. I went for the test after falling asleep behind the wheel and going off the road with my kids in the car.