In Home Sleep Study

[mulligan]

According to Dr. Bruce who will help me through my journey, my body mass index is 35 (72 inches/ 252 lbs) and that will require a Sleep Study. While I have no issue taking one as I can do it at home, I wonder how many people ever get told they don't have a sleep disorder so they can be treated and become a life long patient of the sleep clinic!!

I believe I have the option to drop to 235 (which I am working on anyway) and I can complete a questionnaire and have my spouse validate it and then not have a mandatory sleep study.

Has anyone taken a home sleep study and passed? Weighing my options

 

[N3368K]

I had a home sleep study and was diagnosed as having OSA. I sleep much better now with my CPAP. It isn't that big a deal. It was a yawner with the AME and FAA. All done through my PCP. Never saw a sleep doc. Again, FAA approved.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[mulligan]

I understand it is not a big deal as long as you are in compliance. I wish my PCP could sign off on this like yours did. When I called for a referral, they were like deer in the headlights and asked "who told you that you needed one?"

I explained that AME requires it so now they are looking into a referral for me. Found one on my own that will let me do it at home so at least I have that going for me. Don't want to do one in a lab with all those extra leads and people wathcing!!

 

[AggieMike88]

Health first, fly later... Don't be wimping out on good health and proper professional care due to cost or desire to fly.

I also suffer from OSA. And am glad that I went to see the top board certified sleep doc and sleep lab in my area. The level of care I got was excellent, the price reasonable for the value I got, and the FAA was very happy with the results I sent in. I too am happy with the results because I get a much better quality of restorative sleep.

 

[JimNtexas]

According to Dr. Bruce who will help me through my journey, my body mass index is 35 (72 inches/ 252 lbs) and that will require a Sleep Study. While I have no issue taking one as I can do it at home, I wonder how many people ever get told they don't have a sleep disorder so they can be treated and become a life long patient of the sleep clinic!!

I believe I have the option to drop to 235 (which I am working on anyway) and I can complete a questionnaire and have my spouse validate it and then not have a mandatory sleep study.

Has anyone taken a home sleep study and passed? Weighing my options

Yes! I was diagnosed with OSA about four years ago with the horrible in lab sleep study and had an OSA SI.

I lost some weight and prior to my July 2015 physical with Dr Bruce I had an in home sleep study (from the same lab that did my original in lab study). The results came back as 'negative for OSA'.

Dr Bruce issued my medical without the SI, and last week I got a letter from the FAA confirming that my OSA SI had been canceled!

I see no reason to go to a sleep lab anymore. Oh, and my insurance paid 100% of the home study. If you don't have insurance you can get one from several on line places for around $400.

 

[mulligan]

I scheduled an appointment as requested and now it is just wait and see. I asked the office manager "how many people get tested and do not have OSA?" She said unfortunately, it is a VERY small %.

 

[Matthew]

I scheduled an appointment as requested and now it is just wait and see. I asked the office manager "how many people get tested and do not have OSA?" She said unfortunately, it is a VERY small %.

Probably some reasons for that %. People that don't fit the profile for a high likelihood of OSA don't get tested.

If you have it, you are better off finding out about it and dealing with it. The SI is simple, and the benefits of treating it are pretty high.

 

[Doggtyred]

According to Dr. Bruce who will help me through my journey, my body mass index is 35 (72 inches/ 252 lbs) and that will require a Sleep Study. While I have no issue taking one as I can do it at home, I wonder how many people ever get told they don't have a sleep disorder so they can be treated and become a life long patient of the sleep clinic!!

I believe I have the option to drop to 235 (which I am working on anyway) and I can complete a questionnaire and have my spouse validate it and then not have a mandatory sleep study.

Has anyone taken a home sleep study and passed? Weighing my options

I've been on a CPAP since 2009 or so. Being a life long patient of the sleep clinic means (as a non-active pilot) that I see the doc once a year, have them dump my data and answer a questionnaire and my prescription is renewed. I order supplies as needed.

If I was flying, I might have to do a data dump a little more frequently... I'm not sure whats so onerous here. If you were a first class or second class you'd be going to a doc every 6-12 months as a "lifelong" patient of the AME...

Sleep apnea is underdiagnosed, and has some pretty nasty physical outcomes with regards to your heart, not to mention what inadequate good quality sleep does.... I sleep better now than I ever have before..

 

[GMascelli]

My opinion only.......

I did the take home, thought it was BS so I went to a sleep doctor for an exam then an overnight at the hospital for real sleep study. Slept seven plus hours and my number was AHI 4 in REM sleep and a 3 otherwise. I should have listened to doctor Bruce sooner. See a sleep doc and get an exam then go from there.

Flight physical good to go with report in hand for FAA.

 

[Shopshirt]

The 3rd Class Medical SI for Apnea is why I signed up to these forums.

I did the home study at the request of my wife and was then referred to a Sleep center. I'm concerned about getting my initial physical because of the Apnea and will more than likely be on CPAP. However, that being said if you have it you have it. You won't know until you take the test.

I just started ground school and I am quite worried about getting my initial 3rd class because of it, however, I would rather be healthy with an SI than at risk.

 

[AggieMike88]

The 3rd Class Medical SI for Apnea is why I signed up to these forums.

I did the home study at the request of my wife and was then referred to a Sleep center. I'm concerned about getting my initial physical because of the Apnea and will more than likely be on CPAP. However, that being said if you have it you have it. You won't know until you take the test.

I just started ground school and I am quite worried about getting my initial 3rd class because of it, however, I would rather be healthy with an SI than at risk.

Obtaining the OSA SI is a simple thing if you demonstrate you are compliant with CPAP therapy and your PCP is willing to write a status letter that ticks off the correct items. Just have the data printout for the AME and the doctors letter when you go in. And bring in a copy of your original sleep study too.

 

[Matthew]

Obtaining the OSA SI is a simple thing if you demonstrate you are compliant with CPAP therapy and your PCP is willing to write a status letter that ticks off the correct items. Just have the data printout for the AME and the doctors letter when you go in. And bring in a copy of your original sleep study too.

Mike,

It used to be that if you had OSA, your next medical (or initial, if you didn't already have one) had to be deferred to OKC for review. Typically months.

I think, and this is why I quoted you - for verification, the new procedure is such that if you have OSA and are being successfully treated, and have your paperwork, the AME can issue the medical in-office, OKC will get the paperwork and follow up with the SI. This way there is no delay.

I think they are trying to not let a deferral scare off pilots from getting OSA diagnosed and treated.

 

[AggieMike88]

Mike,

It used to be that if you had OSA, your next medical (or initial, if you didn't already have one) had to be deferred to OKC for review. Typically months.

I think, and this is why I quoted you - for verification, the new procedure is such that if you have OSA and are being successfully treated, and have your paperwork, the AME can issue the medical in-office, OKC will get the paperwork and follow up with the SI. This way there is no delay.

I think they are trying to not let a deferral scare off pilots from getting OSA diagnosed and treated.

Thanks.. I was typing my reply at home on my iPad and didn't have immediate access to the references you mentioned.


For ShopShirt... the big takeaway from your question and our input is to have your submission packet 100% squared away in the form that the FAA asks for. If you have all of the required information, awesome. But what makes it spectacular is formatting that info in such a way that both the AME and the low level reviewing staff at OKC immediately see you meet the standard and can be issued your medical.

Leaving things out, or having it poorly formatted just causes delay and runs the chance of worms escaping from the can.

Formatting is just a simple letter from your doc using words a 6-grader can understand. Plus copies of any lab reports.

 

[Shopshirt]

I haven't received my review and CPAP yet. Does anyone know how many days I have to be on CPAP before I can submit the report?

 

[Matthew]

I haven't received my review and CPAP yet. Does anyone know how many days I have to be on CPAP before I can submit the report?

The longer the better, I think generally not less than 30 days. They will want:

"A copy of the cumulative annual PAP device report which shows actual time used (rather than a report typically generated for insurance providers which only shows if use is greater or less than 4 hours). Target goal should show use for at least 75% of sleep periods and an average minimum of 6 hours use per sleep period."

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...me/guide/special_iss/all_classes/sleep_apnea/

 

[Matthew]

I haven't received my review and CPAP yet. Does anyone know how many days I have to be on CPAP before I can submit the report?

To add to my previous post: Your report(s) will be a status letter from your treating physician, and a report downloaded from the CPAP itself for reference. Since you haven't got your CPAP yet, consider how you'll get the data out of it. Some can only be downloaded with proprietary s/w that your clinic or someone else will have, some can be downloaded at home yourself. If you are waiting for your doc, clinic, or DME provider to issue you one, remember that you can shop around on your own.

 

[AggieMike88]

If you are waiting for your doc, clinic, or DME provider to issue you one, remember that you can shop around on your own.

Big point there....

I got hosed on my first unit because I hadn't a clue about the process. The Paykel Fisher unit I was "given" retails for about $450-550 on the various online sites. I paid nearly double that because of how they double dipped my insurance company.

Matthew and I both like the DeVilbiss brand machines. Not only are they well constructed, but obtaining the therapy compliance report is super easy, requiring no additional software purchase or pricey cables to connect to a laptop.

Once you're given your "prescription" (same concept as getting a script for a pill), you can send that to one of the well respected suppliers such as CPAP.com or Cpap-Supply.com and shop for the system that fits both your dollar budget and feature requirements.

And of the two, I like using the latter supplier. I've gotten good customer service from them, fair prices, and the owner of the company is a pilot.

 

[Matthew]

+1 on cpap-supply.

There are two parts to this, the CPAP and the mask. You can get the machine anywhere you want, same as the mask, but...

The machine is simple to configure, it will be set to match your prescription, any supplier can do this online or in-person. The mask is different, you'll need to try several to find one that works for you. Because of that, I recommend using your DME supplier for a mask until you find a good fit. After that, reorder online whenever you need a replacement.

 

[AggieMike88]

Good advice about the mask. Everyone's face is different and there is no "one fit all" solution for this.

 

[JimNtexas]

I didn't mind wearing the CPAP, but the thing I hated was having to log six hours a night on the darn thing.

Dr Bruce required a 31 day machine log with (IIRC) 28 of those days showing over six hours usage per night when he gave me my physicals. I've heard of AME's wanting a whole year's worth of CPAP machine logs.

Four hours on CPAP was no problem, but six was hard. If it didn't just come off on its own I'd wake up at the five hour point with my mouth bone dry and just toss the mask off.

Even the sleep client told me that four hours a night was plenty for most people.

Edited to add: The 'Resmed S9 - autoset with humidifier' with the free 'Sleepyhead' software is the best CPAP available.

 

[Shopshirt]

So I've been on the Resmed S10 for about 14 days. I'm swapping out masks trying to find the right one for me. I do feel better but choosing the right mask has been tough. I've had no problems keeping the mask on all night I think I'm averaging 7.5 hours of use per night. Are the AME's just looking for compliance or do I have to be at or below 5?

 

[bbchien]

Shopshirt, you need to show 30 nights, in which 23 of them show >6 hours/night usage, each year. That is the absolute minimum.

The AHI can be as high as 7 but above that some eyebrows are going to be raised.

...just passing though....

 

[Shopshirt]

Good to know thanks Dr.

 

[eman1200]

According to Dr. Bruce who will help me through my journey, my body mass index is 35 (72 inches/ 252 lbs) and that will require a Sleep Study. While I have no issue taking one as I can do it at home, I wonder how many people ever get told they don't have a sleep disorder so they can be treated and become a life long patient of the sleep clinic!!

I believe I have the option to drop to 235 (which I am working on anyway) and I can complete a questionnaire and have my spouse validate it and then not have a mandatory sleep study.

Has anyone taken a home sleep study and passed? Weighing my options

bump. whod'a thunk, your first thread was riddled with subliminal AoA references.