OK, fikus56, you're among friends, and asking friends for opinions. Myself, I've been exactly where you are now, except I didn't get an ST. I did my diagnostic sleep study in lab for BPAP because I couldn't tolerate straight CPAP. Test date was early 2017, just about the time I joined Apnea Board.
Sleeprider and Gideon walked me through the steps of getting my hard copies of the diagnostic test and helped with the Respironics Auto BPAP as best as they could. Sleeprider had to interpret my test results. Short highlight was 24 Obstructive to 124 Centrals and I forget the other stuff, except one Central was 90 seconds long. The pulmonary sleep medicine doctor decided I needed the BPAP aforementioned, not telling me of the extreme CA on the lab report. WRONG WRONG WRONG ANSWER for a guy (me) with predominantly Central Apnea. I ad-libbed my way through the dance the rest of the way with them as cheerleaders.
How long did Dave use the BPAP Auto? I think it was a very long 4 nights, period. Not months. I called my pulmonary office and requested to be scheduled for an urgent need office visit the following Monday. I got that visit scheduled mid-morning the prior Friday. I took a 7 AM opening. Yeah ok pre-COVID. Do you best to emulate.
I took my diagnosic printout that was highlighted with what was discussed here on AB in my thread
HERE (Dave's thread).
Friend, take my advice, call them soon and tell them the ST machine isn't going to work successfully in treating your CA (Clear Airway to the ResMed/Central Apnea to people) over the long haul consistently. Because your Central Apnea are consistently inconsistent, meaning up and down frequently without setting changes.
Best to you on this, and we will help you. We advise, you do the work.
PS: you can fail the ST machine later if the doc decided you failed or fail it now. There's compliance remember? Failed compliance for medical cause. That was my insurance ruling if I recall it rightly. Demand the ASV, politely yet firmly. No, or later, isn't the accepted answer.
Yes maybe the ST machine is doing fair for you now. How about this? Put up your OSCAR summary that shows the rolling tally of events in therapy. CA going up sometimes, and other nights pretty quiet? Ah, yep, that's CA for you.
Dave
