Friday, June 01, 2012

Neurologist or Pulmonologist?

By rwalker732 Tuesday, September 18, 2007

I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and am now experiencing Insomnia, where I wake up around 2:00 AM, and can't get back to sleep.  This has been going on for 8 weeks.

 

I want to get a second opinion from a sleep specialist.  My question is, should I go to someone in Neurology or Pulmonary Medicine?  What is the difference, as far as Sleep Disorders go?

Drooling & Auto-Set CPAP
Michael Rack, MD, Health Pro
9/26/07 1:06pm

The place to start is with your original sleep doctor, the sleep physician treating your osa.

 

For a 2nd opinion, it would be best to go to a sleep physician who was also a psychiatrist.  If such a doctor isn't available, I would recommend a neurologist/sleep doctor.

3/22/08 11:40pm

I am using the same machine as the one you are using. I haven't experienced the drooling but when I sleep on my back I have awakened with the air getting into my mouth. The air pressure seems stronger than usual. I'm still getting used to the whole process. Despite all the problems, are you feeling better during the day? I read someone say they would wake up feeling refreshed. I did have a day that my energy stayed for the entire day. One day, amazing, one day in I don't remember. I hope it comes around again, sooner.

Anonymous
Mack Jones
3/23/08 12:58pm

I'm a neurologist with OSA. In my opinion it makes no difference whether you see a neurologist or a pulmonologist as long as they are board certified in Sleep Medicine and their sleep lab and technologists are certified.

 

 

Anonymous
trying_to_be_helpful
10/ 6/09 2:06pm

Anyone reading this, The advice of a Doctor who HAS the condtion is usually the best advice.  Since google turned up this post pretty early in its search results for "apnea pulmonogist neurolgists" I will try to elaborate on the doctor's good advice.

 

http://www.absm.org/diplomates/byname.asp

 

This gives a Alphabatized list of the members of the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

For some odd reason, there site makes you to pick the letter of the last name to get Doctors that start with that last name.

 

http://www.absm.org/diplomates/byname.asp?lastname=G

 

I just omitted the "lasname=G" part.

 

Good luck finding help with this insidious problem.

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By rwalker732— Last Modified: 10/02/10, First Published: 09/18/07