Dr. Pugsy is a national treasure. Congratulations from here, and lots of thanks!

Just saw this: http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/13324 ... story.html

When I was prescribed a bipap, the DME I was using refused to give me the machine I preferred. I took a copy of my prescription to another local company, and explained the situation. I told them that if they'd give me the machine I wanted (it was the same billing code), they'd have a new customer. T...

I don't know if it'll cover this situation, but there's a handy web site called "thistothat.com".

Add me to the list.

I just commented to my wife last week that I noticed that my cough had almost completely disappeared. It had been kind of mild, a clearing-of-the-throat sort, and I was so used to it that it took a while to notice the improvement.

I probably had it for most of the last year...

I think the current bi-paps can go to 25. Typically, I believe the lower level is set, during a sleep study, to at least partially keep your airway open, so that the higher setting will be able to respond quickly and efficiently to an apnea or hypopnea. You might need just one or two centimeters/H2O...

Some people walk in the rain: others only get wet.

We spend approximately one-seventh of our lives on a Monday.

How it feels depends on how much air actually got down there. A little will just make you a bit uncomfortable, but more than that can be quite painful (stomach pains, and a feeling of uncomfortable fullness), certainly enough to wake you up and keep you from going back to sleep for awhile. I unfortu...

The data finally showed up. I tried all the advice that you so kindly provided, short of contacting my DME (since it's a weekend, and they're closed). What finally worked was to select the data except for the first night (which, strangely, referred to a CPAP and had the wrong pressure). This even af...

I was just switched to a new machine (from auto pap to auto bipap). Both machines were from Respironics. On the new machine, when I read the SD card, the first night's data is there, but a "no data available" message shows up for every night since then. The software is Encore Viewer, not Encore View...

I forgot to add that the doctor said "There is no advantage regarding compliance or effectiveness in using an auto-titrating BiPAP."

Has anyone seen anything that might be used to refute this?

It appears that I don't have a choice. I contacted my sleep doc to inquire whether the prescription could be modified to allow an auto-bipap. The answer was no. I was told that an auto-bipap was ten times more expensive than a regular bipap, and that it was not medically necessary.

I’ve recently been prescribed a bi-pap machine. I’m not sure if I even have a choice, but I’ve been wondering if there’re preferences here among members for straight or auto bipap machines. My inspiration pressure has been suggested at 18 cm/h20. I’m currently on an auto-cpap, and some nights the 90...

Well, what do you think of some tape?

Thanks for mentioning that the billing code is probably the same, whether for a "straight" or auto bipap. When I called my DME and told him that, he agreed, as far as the insurance was concerned, but wondered how he'd set it up for my prescribed pressures. He only stocks the regular bipaps. He ended...