Am I required to have a sleep study to get a cpap?

1) I have no health insurance
2) I am absolutely convinced I have sleep apnea

With no insurance I can't possibly afford to go have a sleep study done. Can I just buy or rent the machine to see if it solves my problems?

You can buy a used one. Check Craigslist in your area, see what's available, then ask here to make sure you get something good before you buy.

But we're going to be careful about giving medical advice. It's going to be hard to figure out how to set your machine unless you've got someone who can watch you sleep or you can videotape yourself, or you get one of the more expensive machines that can self-adjust.

youngclark wrote:1) I have no health insurance
2) I am absolutely convinced I have sleep apnea

With no insurance I can't possibly afford to go have a sleep study done. Can I just buy or rent the machine to see if it solves my problems?

whether you need a sleep study is entirely up to whoever writes the prescription for it.

many people can write rx's, not just doctors, and that's all that's needed to buy a machine online.

or, you can do like I did, buy one on craigslist, make sure it's a data capable one, and monitor things on your own... an auto machine makes that much easier.

Talk to your dentist--he can write the prescription.
Some pharmacists can, I am told.

I found this one on craigslist. What do you think?

REMstar plus m series. (broken humidifier though) $50

youngclark wrote:I found this one on craigslist. What do you think?

REMstar plus m series. (broken humidifier though) $50

*if* it's the one with the card reader, you'll need to buy a special smart card reader to be able to pull the data off of it, and use an old, cumbersome version of software. (cumbersome in that it installs a database server on your windows machine, since it's designed for a whole doctors practice worth of patients.)

you'll need the reader for the smart card:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Respir ... r-USB.html

if it doesn't have the smart card module in it, you'll need that:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/m-seri ... odule.html

if you don't get a data capable machine, you're flying blind.

youngclark wrote:I found this one on craigslist. What do you think?

REMstar plus m series. (broken humidifier though) $50

NO! Run fast, run far! The "Plus" machines only record hours of use, no treatment data (AHI, leaks, etc.). There's no way to see what's going on, what pressure you need, how well the machine is controlling apneas..... If you're going the DIY route you need a fully data capable machine.

In the Respironics (REMstar) line, avoid any machine with "Plus" in the name. In the ResMed line, avoid any machine with "Escape" in the name. For more details see janknitz's blog on machines here: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/category/machines/

In addition to being sure you get a machine with full data capability, check out for yourself or if long distance, ask for a photo of the machine's display showing Total RUN hours (not total USE hours). Use hours can be reset to zero, but Run hours cannot.

The Respironics M Series Plus Cpap machine doesn't collect or report any useful data that might help evaluate therapy
It's a brick. Even with the card reader there's nothing to see except how many hours it has been used.
See this blog.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

Pugsy wrote:The Respironics M Series Plus Cpap machine doesn't collect or report any useful data that might help evaluate therapy
It's a brick. Even with the card reader there's nothing to see except how many hours it has been used.
See this blog.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

DOH! sorry, was thinking of the 'pro'.

I should just avoid saying anything about respironics machines... hehe.

kaiasgram wrote: In the ResMed line, avoid any machine with "Escape" in the name.

they should call it the 'resmed RUNAWAY!' *lol*

I found this one but the price is enormous.

RESMED S9 AUTOSET with 5hi humidifier - $785

palerider wrote:

kaiasgram wrote: In the ResMed line, avoid any machine with "Escape" in the name.

they should call it the 'resmed RUNAWAY!' *lol*

or "Narrow Escape"

That is practically NEW price.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... er%20.html

youngclark wrote:I found this one but the price is enormous.

RESMED S9 AUTOSET with 5hi humidifier - $785

That's a great one if you can find a better price.
Also Phillips Respironics 60-Series AUTO - there's one in my locale that's almost new with mask and humidifier for $265.

Those will both help a lot with self-treatment.
If you can't find a good price we can talk about the next level down in price.

kaiasgram wrote:

palerider wrote:

kaiasgram wrote: In the ResMed line, avoid any machine with "Escape" in the name.

they should call it the 'resmed RUNAWAY!' *lol*

or "Narrow Escape"

I like it