CPAP

[Complete Turf Care]

I did another sleep study over the past 2 nights. This time was through a company called VirtuOx. They sent me a small device about the size of a cough drop. I had to tape it to my finger. I also had to download their app. When I woke up in the morning, I would click for it to stop recording and it would send the data somewhere.

The app said they will review the data and send it to my doctor, who is the one that ordered the sleep study. I should hear from her in a few days.

I could not wear my cpap for the 2 nights of the study. This was 1000% easier than going to a sleep center for 2 nights to do a sleep study like I had to do 10 years ago.

I will post more info when I hear from my doctor.

 

[MarkF48]

I did another sleep study over the past 2 nights. This time was through a company called VirtuOx. They sent me a small device about the size of a cough drop. I had to tape it to my finger. I also had to download their app. When I woke up in the morning, I would click for it to stop recording and it would send the data somewhere.

The app said they will review the data and send it to my doctor, who is the one that ordered the sleep study. I should hear from her in a few days.

I could not wear my cpap for the 2 nights of the study. This was 1000% easier than going to a sleep center for 2 nights to do a sleep study like I had to do 10 years ago.

I will post more info when I hear from my doctor.

If you are already using a CPAP why did you or your doctor want you to take another sleep test? If you are using a fairly current CPAP machine the doctor should be able to pull the data from it and determine if the machine is doing what it should and if it isn't, he/she may make some adjustments to the settings that could improve the therapy. I think the device you used from VirtuOx may be the 'Night Owl EzSlep' which is simply a pulse oximeter that measures Oxygen saturation (SpO2) of your blood, pulse rate, and movement through the night. The results can be an indicator that you might have apnea, but does not confirm the type of apnea you may have nor the type of machine that might be appropriate for therapy. It does not measure a few important parameters such as your breathing which is important to know if you have breathing pauses during your sleep. If you are presently using CPAP and you didn't use it for the 2 nights it might be used to determine whether you still need the CPAP or not, but I don't think much more.
I have a Wellue O2Ring which I wear nightly to monitor O2. I think it's similar to what you wore except as a wearable ring. I bought it before I was on CPAP and I was having significant drops in O2 while sleeping. I bought some of the test graphs to my doctor who then had me take a sleep study at the hospital. I'm on CPAP and still use the O2Ring to monitor my O2. My wife did have a home sleep study from the hospital that gave comprehensive results including breathing and was fully covered by insurance.
A good forum to join for apnea information.....

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum

This is an O2Ring graph of before I was using CPAP. The sleep study I had confirmed what the O2Ring showed. O2 drops lower than 92 are not good and prompted the sleep study.

 

[ponytug]

IIRC: Medicare usually requires a sleep study regardless of prior use.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

If you are already using a CPAP why did you or your doctor want you to take another sleep test?

Thank you for this information. And I think you are correct that it is the Night Owl that I used.

I have not seen a sleep doctor in 10 or more years. The CPAP machine I currently have is a Phillips Respironics machine which I recently learned from a post in this thread, has been recalled and is no longer used. Also, I am now on Medicare, so hopefully that will pay for the sleep study and new equipment.

I don't know what the next steps will be. I'll have to wait to see what my doctor says.

 

[WM75Guy]

Thank you for this information. And I think you are correct that it is the Night Owl that I used.

I have not seen a sleep doctor in 10 or more years. The CPAP machine I currently have is a Phillips Respironics machine which I recently learned from a post in this thread, has been recalled and is no longer used. Also, I am now on Medicare, so hopefully that will pay for the sleep study and new equipment.

I don't know what the next steps will be. I'll have to wait to see what my doctor says.

My 10 y/o Phillips CPAP machine was recently replaced with a Resmed and Medicare paid for it. My pulmonologist I see for sleep apnea used my original sleep study results to order it. The DME company needed copies to set it up and billed Medicare. I rent it for about $12 a month for 10 months and then I own it. I was happy I didn't have to get another study.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I too wore a device at home to be diagnosed with sleep apnea and was already on Medicare as was my wife. For whatever reason, she had to go for a sleep study. Actually, she's had two studies. Something to do with having "central sleep apnea". LOL, the sleep center has one room that is central to the complex which is where she was assigned. Both times. And both times the area had a tornado warning and everyone had to gather in that very same central room. And both times she had a lousy night. Medicare paid for my first Resmed and is paying for my new Resmed as well.

 

[kenmbz]

I use Oscar on my laptop to read and look through CPAP data.
The app can read and interpret many CPAP machine data sets.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

My new CPAP machine arrived yesterday and I used it last night. It is a Luna G3. There were no instructions on how to use it or set it up. But I used it anyway.

When I first put it on, it was not pushing enough air, and I was having trouble breathing. I tried to make some adjustments, but nothing seemed to work.

After a few minutes, it seems the pressure increased and I ended up sleeping comfortably all night.

I'll try to contact the supplier on Monday and see if there are any instructions or adjustments that need to be done. Maybe Google has some answers. I'll try that now.

 

[EarPlug]

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Thanks! That is a good video. I did find a user manual online and that video helps after reading the user manual.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I'm scheduled to pick mine up at the supply house this week. Are there any machines I should avoid?

 

[orezok]

I’m using the F&P nasal pillow headset. It’s comfortable and worked well. BUT, several times a night I start mouth breathing and it disturbed my wife (who then pokes me so it disturbs me also) LOL.

I was thinking a chin strap might help. What are your experiences and recommendations.

 

[gstrom99]

I'm scheduled to pick mine up at the supply house this week. Are there any machines I should avoid?

I've had good luck with ResMed and currently have a Luna. If insurance is involved, they usually pick the machine (that they cover) for you, and set up the specs per your Dr's testing. Should work out okay.

 

[bdhsfz6]

It turns out, the place I'm dealing with carries only ResMed. I'm still waiting for them to call with an appointment time. Backed up due to illness they say.

The person who I talked to on the phone asked what kind of mask I want. I told her, one that works with my full beard, lets me sleep on my side & stomach and lets me get up multiple times during the night to use the bathroom. She had no suggestions.

I don't have high hopes, but as long as they don't tell me to shave my beard, I'll see what they come up with and give it a shot.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

My new CPAP machine arrived yesterday and I used it last night. It is a Luna G3. There were no instructions on how to use it or set it up. But I used it anyway.

When I first put it on, it was not pushing enough air, and I was having trouble breathing. I tried to make some adjustments, but nothing seemed to work.

After a few minutes, it seems the pressure increased and I ended up sleeping comfortably all night.

I'll try to contact the supplier on Monday and see if there are any instructions or adjustments that need to be done. Maybe Google has some answers. I'll try that now.

To update this, I called the supplier to ask it they could increase the initial pressure. After a few phone calls, my prescribing doctor had to contact them to get them to increase the pressure. They increased it from 5 to 10 and it's much better now.

What's interesting is that they made this change from their office. I don't remember ever giving them access to my WiFi. They must have done it over cellular, or they somehow gained access to my WiFi.

 

[IXLR8]

To update this, I called the supplier to ask it they could increase the initial pressure. After a few phone calls, my prescribing doctor had to contact them to get them to increase the pressure. They increased it from 5 to 10 and it's much better now.

What's interesting is that they made this change from their office. I don't remember ever giving them access to my WiFi. The must have done over cellular, or they somehow gained access to my WiFi.

There is a good chance your machine talks to a cloud server somewhere. Your supplier just talks to the cloud server and then your machine talks to the cloud server and gets the update. I have an older ResMed and I can adjust the pressure as one of the menu options.

 

[Racer4]

To update this, I called the supplier to ask it they could increase the initial pressure. After a few phone calls, my prescribing doctor had to contact them to get them to increase the pressure. They increased it from 5 to 10 and it's much better now.

What's interesting is that they made this change from their office. I don't remember ever giving them access to my WiFi. The must have done over cellular, or they somehow gained access to my WiFi.

They use cellular.

 

[1 Old Man]

I’m using the F&P nasal pillow headset. It’s comfortable and worked well. BUT, several times a night I start mouth breathing and it disturbed my wife (who then pokes me so it disturbs me also) LOL.

I was thinking a chin strap might help. What are your experiences and recommendations.

They make a headgear chin strap just for this problem. Closes via Velcro.
My BIL used one for awhile but no longer needs it. Just search online.

Resmed Adjustable Single Chin Strap | The CPAP Shop

Single strap chinstrap Fastens at the top of the head Designed for comfort

www.thecpapshop.com

 

[1 Old Man]

.........
The person who I talked to on the phone asked what kind of mask I want. I told her, one that works with my full beard, lets me sleep on my side & stomach and lets me get up multiple times during the night to use the bathroom. She had no suggestions.

I don't have high hopes, but as long as they don't tell me to shave my beard, I'll see what they come up with and give it a shot.

Get headgear with nasal pillows. You'll knock other masks off your face if you roll onto your side.
Sleeping on your stomach will become a thing of the past. You can train yourself to sleep on your
back. Then try sleeping on your side. You may have a air leak....but NBD...you'll get where you
can readjust the pillows in your sleep. It will just take a couple of months to really really get
comfortable with the whole cpap thing. But once you get settled with it....you'll be amazed how
much better your sleep time becomes. And btw, I have a beard and fairly thick stash.