Do I really need Sleep Apnea Test in order to use CPAP machine?

[Destin]

Hi everyone.
I am new to apnea and have not been to a sleep specialist but from symptoms my wife has been describing to me for years now, I have sleep apnea.
Last week I ordered my machine from Amazon, did not need prescription or anything like that, have not used it yet and now just slowly learning about OSA etc and all other related stuff.
My 1st question is do I really need Sleep Apnea Test in order to use my ResMed S9 VPAP Auto with H5iTM Humidifier machine?
I mean I know I have it( OSA), there is no doubt, my only concern is how to find the initial pressure setting or do I even need to know it if on Auto-set mode?
Also , correct me if am wrong but wouldn't all the features my machine came with and capable of monitoring, like: central sleep apnea detection, sleep quality indicator, AHI, etc, wouldn't all this show what the sleep apnea test would?
Is the pressure number based on things like: age, weight, etc or is it totally unique for each person?
Any advise is greatly appreciated.
thanks!

[Mike1953]

What makes you think you need a VPAP machine and not a CPAP machine? Do you even know what a VPAP machine does? How do you know you have OSA's without a sleep study even one home study? It's like putting the cart before the horse IMHO!

[PaulaO2]

Well, you have a VPAP, and this is primarily for the treatment of central apnea. It can be set to treat obstructive apnea I think but it is kind of like digging the hole for a mailbox post with a backhoe. And buying the machine first is like buying the backhoe to do just that one job. You really should have done the research first THEN bought the machine.

And yes, you need a sleep test. The machine can only tell so much. It cannot tell what level of sleep, movement, O2, and how it all relates to each other. Only a sleep test can do that.

[Mike1953]

Thanks for the backup Paula02!

[Jim Bronson]

I'm a newbie, but I wouldn't have wasted my time with a CPAP without a sleep lab. The diagnostic tools they have in the lab that I used measure many sleep components, not just respiration. OTOH, if you have no insurance, then maybe the self-diagnosis, trial-and-error approach is better than just living with it. You might get lucky.

My Dr. started with a pressure of 8 and later recommended I increase it to 9. So far, so good.

[Destin]

What makes you think you need a VPAP machine and not a CPAP machine? Do you even know what a VPAP machine does? How do you know you have OSA's without a sleep study even one home study? It's like putting the cart before the horse IMHO!

Thanks for the response Mike,
The reason I came to this forum is because I do not know answers to most of the questions.
Maybe I've chosen wrong forum as I was not aware I had to graduate from OSA academy in order to post questions, sorry.

To your first question, I thought that vpap was better, more advanced version of cpap. I am new to this so I could be wrong.

To me it was like buying a car. I thought I bought one with auto transmission versus manual.
As far as the other question, wont vpap still help me breath while i sleep?
In other words, do I need a $2000 test in order to put on a hat when is 10 bellow zero outside?
Or am I trying to put on a hat in the middle of the summer?

As far as conferming if I have OSA, what else would you say I have if :
I do snore all the time, it's so loud I wake up to sound of my own snoring.
When I sleep , day or night, I frequently stop breathing for 10-30 sec at the time, waking from it while grasping for air.
All this confirmed by my wife who been there for the past 10 years.

My initial feeling is I may have to return my ResMed stuff before i get my home test done, but still, how much can I hurt myself using this machine out of the box?
It blows an air I obviously need and records my sleep pattern.
Again, sorry for stupid questions, and thank you all the forum members for your time.

[Galactus]

It is my opinion that you should get a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis of sleep apnea, as well as the severity and to insure there are no other underlying issues. You can use that machine to do everything you said, and you can treat yourself, but to get a starting point you should still get a sleep study done. There are also other good reasons to get a sleep test.

A VPAP is a nice machine if you need it. An Autoset or a BiPAP might have been a better choice. If you had a sleep study you would have a better starting point.

Might I ask why you don't want to get a sleep study?

In regards to everything else you asked about what the machine is capable of, the machine can tell you and everyone here just about all the information you need to know to treat yourself. And I'm sure everyone here will help you regardless of whether we agree with your actions, as the goal is really at the end of the day to get treated. Just keep in mind that though the machine can tell you what you need to know, you still need the experience, understanding, and definitions to put the data in context and adjust accordingly.

Though you may not feel like getting a sleep study you should get one anyway. No judgment on my part, just the best advice.

[DariaVader]

It *sounds* like you have apnea. you don't know if you have OSA or CSA, and it matters for deciding the best from of treatment. Why do you wish to bypass the sleep study?

https://resmed.com/us/clinicians/treatme...clinicians

[Destin]

Thanks for the info, I do understand I wont get way without at least home test. In the meanwhile, which machine is designed to help with obstructive apnea?
From what I understood, this particular unit ( S9 VPAP Auto ) does work for noncompliant OSA.
anyway , thanks for your time.

Well, you have a VPAP, and this is primarily for the treatment of central apnea. It can be set to treat obstructive apnea I think but it is kind of like digging the hole for a mailbox post with a backhoe. And buying the machine first is like buying the backhoe to do just that one job. You really should have done the research first THEN bought the machine.

And yes, you need a sleep test. The machine can only tell so much. It cannot tell what level of sleep, movement, O2, and how it all relates to each other. Only a sleep test can do that.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Destin,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
A sleep study will tell you how severe your sleep apnea is or if you have it at all.
It will also give you a starting or titrated pressure to better help you as to where your machine should be set.
Hang in there for more suggestions and much success to you.