Sorry she is having so many problems, but good for you for being persistent with helping her. Another idea is to at least have her try nasal pillows. Is she a known mouth breather or did they just start her with a full face mask for some reason? Some known mouth breathers however can re-learn and us...

I've used the Quattro FX and Airfit F10. I really really wanted to like the F10, because it has some obvious improvements from the QFX, but I wasn't able to. I liked how lightweight it was and the cushion design (didn't get as much face oil build up, so I suspect it would last longer, and there is n...

Yes, DME is the supplier for the equipment, but can also mean the equipment itself. I'm confused how you appear to be paying the list price even though you have insurance. Although they are not covering anything as you haven't met your deductible, if it is run through insurance, you would still get ...

I think those are helpful illustrations on how to adjust the pillow. I personally don't see how sleeping on your back while using CPAP would be so bad, as long as your pressure was titrated for that and/or you use an auto machine with a sufficiently high max pressure. Without CPAP, sure it could be ...

With my S9, yes, it also doesn't ever get hot, but warm, and the temperature adjusts accordingly up & down. That is just how it is. I too would have expected it to feel warmer to the touch. Water usage will depend on ambient temperature & humidity, but I too only use about half a tank even on max te...

I can also share my experience. My sleep doctor started me on Ritalin before I even started down the sleep study road, as I was having extreme daytime sleepiness, including the dangerous situation of nodding off while driving. My doctor actually brought up the idea of a stimulant medication after ou...

PLMs can increase or decrease with the addition of CPAP, if your prior study with a lower PLM index was without CPAP. An increase in PLMs after starting CPAP could be attributed to having less arousals from apneas & hypopneas, so the PLMs could more fully appear. Typically doctors primarily look at ...

If you have a high deductible and little chance of meeting it, then you are likely better off price-wise going online, especially considering your DME's policy. I'd start with the CPAP.com masks with free return insurance first, then move on to others. Its quite a great thing they offer as you are l...

I didn't have much luck with mask liners...they made the mask seem too tight, especially around the nose, had it feel like it was slipping around my face, and kinda claustrophobic. I do however find its helpful to use Lanolin + gentle medical tape on the bridge of my nose as needed. The Lanolin is s...

The key is what insurance pays (negotiated amount), not the DME's list price. Our co-insurance (and any deductible) is only based on that (often much smaller) amount. My DME has a list price of over $400 on FFMs. However, I only pay 20% of an amount closer to the CPAP.com price for the mask. It depe...

Flexeril and Skelaxin and the like don't cause drowsiness for me, just Zanaflex, which is what I take at bedtime for my neck issues (helps with insomnia too). I found Flexeril to be quite mild and didn't notice any effect whatsoever, drowsiness or any muscle relaxing properties. Zanaflex doesn't see...

Agreed to call your insurance and ask specifically what the DME policy is for your plan. Might it be possible you can get DME as medically required, and it was only Apria who incorrectly said a mask every 6 months? Before opening it, I'd check if it is covered by insurance. It would be pretty ridicu...

I agree with Ogeo. Unless you are paying cash (in which case you would be better off online 100% of the time), the list price at the DME doesn't matter. You can try to get your insurance to tell you their negotiated amount for each item (machine, humidifier, hose, mask, filters, cushions, etc) ahead...

I also have a DME policy which is replacement as medically necessary. It was surprising as I had read so much about supply schedules and such. My DME said that anything near the typical replacement frequency would likely get approved no question, plus they expect patients to go through a number of m...

Starting CPAP I quickly learned the APAP mode & EPR was not a good fit for me. I sleep much more soundly with a constant pressure without EPR. I started low and planned to increase the pressure a bit every few days as seemed appropriate per the data. However it turns out my AHI was lower with a lowe...