Can anyone recommend where to go for a sleep study in Ensenada or TJ?
Les needs one done and the States are giving us dates MONTHS out. we would like to do this a.s.a.p. He needs one of those sleep aid machines and
insurance will only cover it if we get the pre-testing done. Our insurance will cover this anywhere in the world.
gracias ~ BlancaEnsenadaDr - 12-12-2012 at 06:11 PM
Hi Blanca, the study in Mexico is known as Estudio de la Apnea del Sueno. You can Google it like I did and I came up with a Doctor in Ensenada who is
an Otolaryngologist or Otolaringologo as they say in Spanish, and it appears in Mexico they use Ear Nose and throat specialists to study this disorder
unlike the US that uses primarily Pulmonologists or lung specialists. Here is the one in Ensenada:
there might be more, just Google it. Sweet dreams!!shari - 12-12-2012 at 06:13 PM
interesting Blanca...Juan needs one too so let me know how it works out for Les...re...getting appointments etc...what insurance do you have? I wonder
if his Iste insurance will cover it?
Sleep Apnea
bajaguy - 12-12-2012 at 06:26 PM
The study (in the US) usually consists of an overnight stay at a facility set up to monitor you as you sleep. They hook up several electrodes to your
body and head and record the electronic data. They also film you as you sleep.
You will end up with either a C-PAP or a B-PAP machine......and depending on how you breathe when you sleep a couple of face masks or nose cannula.
Check Google for the machines and the procedures
[Edited on 12-13-2012 by bajaguy]BajaBlanca - 12-12-2012 at 08:13 PM
Shari - I will keep you all posted as to what happens
Doctora: THANKS !
bajaguy - we have guests all the time with the machine - I have seen big ones and smaller ones and noisy ones and quiet ones. I's appreciate any
input from anyone who has experience using either the C or B ones. Thanks all.
[Edited on 12-13-2012 by Gypsy Jan]BajaBlanca - 12-13-2012 at 09:26 AM
for some reason, GJ, that site is not letting me sign in/join ):
I have written to both doc/clinics, the one in Ensenada and the one in TJ. Let's see what comes of it. The centers in the States are mucho hard to
deal with - they want to schedule for March onwards.
[Edited on 12-13-2012 by BajaBlanca]BajaDixon - 12-13-2012 at 04:35 PM
I just went through this process in No Cali and I didn't have to stay overnight. They just gave me a unit that hooked up to my wrist and the next day
I took it back to them. They did a computer printout that explained my sleep patterns. Then they gave me a CPAP machine and sent me home. That was a
month ago and I've been back to them twice so far getting a different mask and restting the machine to pump less air.
Sleeping with one of these things takes some real adjustments in your life. I think about 1/3 of people just quit using it. Not a good idea though to
quit.
If his sleep disruptions are less than 25 an hour there is an option for a dental appliance that shifts the jaw. My research shows that they don't
recommend that if the testing shows over 30 per hour.
Best of luck. Some people swear by these machines. So far I'm on the fence, but hopeful.EnsenadaDr - 12-13-2012 at 05:08 PM
I guess it all depends how bad sleep apnea is. Some doctors are recommending surgery, depending on sizes of tonsils and adenoids, so its good to have
a thorough exam by an ENT first. If you hav.e COPD, some people swear they can't live without the machine, literallyBajaBlanca - 12-13-2012 at 06:00 PM
Les did sthe tonsil n adenoid operation eons ago and the problem in getting worse, not better.
Baja Dixon - thanks for that information. very forthright and honest.EnsenadaDr - 12-13-2012 at 06:33 PM
Maybe talk with BajaDixon and find out from his doctor if they can do the test electronically...BajaGuera - 12-13-2012 at 07:11 PM
All the tests are electronically in that you have to be hooked up to the sensor which is electric, whether plugged into a socket or run by battery.
I've had it both ways. Twenty years ago at Kaiser I had to spend the night, and five years ago for a re-evaluation but did it at home. You take the
equipment home with you and return it the next day. Easy as pie and in the comfort of your own bed.
The new C-Paps are a 100% improvement over the first ones. The surgery is basically reaming your throat and is not only an extremely painful, but
long recovery.Udo - 12-13-2012 at 07:35 PM
Shari...
I'm bringing my sleep meds (as well as my other meds).
Juan can try one of my pills.
They are very tightly controlled and they are very stingy about my refills.
MY sleep study is coming up in mid January.
See you Saturday!
Quote:
Originally posted by shari
interesting Blanca...Juan needs one too so let me know how it works out for Les...re...getting appointments etc...what insurance do you have? I wonder
if his Iste insurance will cover it?
durrelllrobert - 12-13-2012 at 08:18 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
Maybe talk with BajaDixon and find out from his doctor if they can do the test electronically...
Or better yet can they do it over the internet?BajaDixon - 12-13-2012 at 09:14 PM
I've got Kaiser so there is no way a specialist will talk to any non Kaiser people.
Over the internet, huh? That's pretty funny, but you know what? It will probably soon be available at the rate technology is progressing!
At the risk of seeming like I'm a know-it-all I'll comment on the sleeping pills- They warned me not to use any because many of them relax those
throat muscles to such a degree that it makes the sleep apnea even worse. It makes it real tough to sleep without the benefit of a drowsy pill when
there is a mask strapped around my head and a machine pumping air into it. They keep telling me to stick with it, that I'll get used to it. I hope so.BajaBlanca - 12-18-2012 at 08:52 PM
if it makes you feel better BajaDixon, all our guests swear by the machine and say one gets used to it ... to the point that you can't live without
it.
Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
Maybe talk with BajaDixon and find out from his doctor if they can do the test electronically...
Or better yet can they do it over the internet?
motoged - 12-19-2012 at 05:37 PM
I have used a C-Pap machine for about 12 years....won't sleep without it except in extreme situations (desert moto camping ).
I had laser surgery to remove my uvula and all that did was lighten my wallet and caused severe throat discomfort for a month. I STRONGLY suggest
that folks don't waste money on surgery or dental appliances. The dental appliance only moves the lower jaw forward a tiny bit.....nothing else.
Meds do NOT successfully treat Sleep Apnea.....it is a physical issue of tissues collapsing and blocking airways....surgery runs the risk of affecting
a persons ability to swallow correctly, changes voice to the point where the palate is affected and you sound like a harelip (no disrespect meant),
increase frequency of aspirating food and liquids (choking), etc.
Businesses that sell C-Paps sometimes do their own testing....my hospital assessment was a joke....a university respiratory program was WAY more
helpful.
Good luck with your learning curve
It takes a few weeks to get used to sleeping with a C-Pap machine, but well worth the adjustment periodBajaBlanca - 12-20-2012 at 09:39 AM
great info motoged. we have an appt. for the 26th in Ensenada.DavidE - 12-20-2012 at 05:48 PM
Hard Earned Advice Dept.
I had to learn to sleep on my side. Even 25cm pressure was not enough to unblock my airway. Drs claimed I was having more than a thousand events per
hour. I started with a CPAP and ended up with a BiPAP.
I consider the Respironics machine to be the most dependable model factoring in variables in Mexican electricity. My BiPAP will NOT WORK with a
modified sine wave inverter. Only a pure sine wave inverter. This is a bad surprise for folks who live off grid. The machine should have a humidifier
attached or it is probable a sleeper will yank the mask off at night because of a bone dry mouth and throat. The water tank has a heater which is
adjustable. But room temperatures in the 50's can bleed off all the heating and wake a person up with cold air on the face or in the respiratory
tract. This is a problem for me here on the coast. They sell lightweight insulating sleeves for the tubing and I wish I had one
Many machines have instruments built in that detect APNEA events and record them. I find the data to be indispensable as well as detecting and
recording the percentage of mask leakage. If you can get the machine that has BOTH the foam pre-filter and the HEPA secondary replaceable filters.
These machines pump out a lot of air and a pollen level that does not affect normal respiration is multiplied and can lead to allergy symptoms.
COFEPRIS DOES NOT ALLOW the importation of BiPAP supplies. The parts are seized in Mexico City by Aduana. This is true for mail, DHL, FedEx, you name
it. Get all your supplies in the states.
Mexico may not have a full selection of masks. I have a lot of problems with mask leakage and require a full mouth and nose mask. The gel type mask
has been a godsend but the parts for all machines and masks need to be changed out regularly. Get extra masks, mask seals, machine filters, machine to
mask hoses, and humidifier tanks because down here you are going to be SOL.
The machines run perfect off of battery 12-volt power but must be disconnected when charging the battery bank. Respironics for instance has
palpitations if someone tells them they subject the machine to 15 volts. The load for the machine is 1.1 amperes. For machine and humidifier 5.2
amperes.
Another vote for "Could Not Live Without It". The best description for improvement I ever read was "LIFE CHANGING". I fear even taking a nap without
it. My blood pressure had gone above 200/130 when sleeping.
The big difference between BiPAP and CPAP is the BiPAP can be adjusted for lower pressure when exhaling, and can be adjusted for a more rapid
response. The BiPAP for me was a must.
For really bad problems getting a mask to seal to the face a private outfit sells "gaskets" that fit between the mask seal and the face. They really
work. If you are a good seamstress Blanca you can make excellent counterfeits from cotton material similar to that in an undershirt.
).