i'm not any expert on apnea as i'm brand new to it (or at least to diagnosis) but am not new to the medical system and honestly am not surprised by any of the rigamarole you've been going through.  doesn't make it okay, but you're definitely not alone.  i actually just found out from a kidney doc the results from my sleep study since my neuro failed to tell me the results.  but i digress....

about the ambien, i'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, but generally my understanding is that sleep meds and apnea don't go well together.  i tried variations of ambien and lunesta prior to my recent severe apnea diagnosis and both did either nothing or bad things for me.

i know it's often easier said than done & can get really exhausting, but keep bugging the doc...
good luck,
  melissa



Last edited by Sunfish on Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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"I get up, I walk, I fall down. Meanwhile I keep dancing." HILLEL

www.dinet.org
www.ndrf.org

Jean,

What is the possibility of you finding competent physicians?  A competent physician would be taking this very seriously.

Vicki


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Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Jean, if you can talk any doctor (GP is fine) into prescribing an autopap for you while you wait for your formal titration at the clinic, I think you'd be ahead of the game.

Use these two links for ammunition to convince your GP to prescribe an autopap (auto-titrating CPAP machine) - now - to get you started on much needed treatment - now.

Not Every Patient Needs to Go to the Sleep Lab Powerpoint presentation by a well respected board certified sleep doctor/pulmonologist, Dr. Barbara Phillips, at a meeting of the American Lung Association of the Central Coast -   November 2004

Can Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Titrate Their Own Continuous Positive Airway Pressure? Published: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Vol 167. pp. 716-722, (2003)

Thanks to all of you who replied to my post. Your encouragement has helped a great deal. I have called the doctor and the sleep clinic every day this week and it has gone from being at least two weeks to probably next Tuesday for the report to be read and given to my gp! I guess it does pay to be assertive - especially when it comes to one's own health    I'll of course believe it when i hear from the doctor and actually have a prescription for the cpap machine. I'll keep you posted as to what happens next week.  I am in such dire need of a restful night's sleep.  Thanks again to all of you. This forum has helped keep me going.  Hope you all have a good night.  Jean

After many more phone calls, I finally have some results!  My gp's nurse phoned me yesterday to say that she had faxed the results of my study to the DME, however my gp will not be in the office until next Tuesday     The DME called me and set up an appointment for next Wednesday as he said that even though he has the results, he needs an actual prescription from my doctor before setting me up with a CPAP.  So, progress is being made, albeit all too slow in my opinion.  I was so hoping to have my CPAP before Christmas so I could feel better. Oh well, perhaps starting the new year off with one will be a good omen for 2006   

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night  

  After many, many, phone calls and just being a royal pain in the you know what, I FINALLY GOT MY CPAP TODAY!  I can't wait to go to bed tonight...I know that I can't expect miracles but I have been feeling so terrible for so long that any improvement will be most welcome.  

I want to give a great big THANK YOU to all of you on this forum for all of your great advice, in particular to those of you who encouraged me to keep pushing the medical folks so I could get to this point.  If I hadn't done so I would be waiting at least a couple of more weeks before even having my test results, let alone my CPAP.  It's really a shame that we have to do this and I probably would not have done it without your support for which I am eternally grateful.  

I hope to be able to soon be sharing my story and helping other apneacs. Please wish me luck on my first night