I'm switching to APAP in a couple of days

[StevenJ]

After nearly 6-months on CPAP and still feeling crappy with not so great AHI numbers I'm going to try APAP. Met with my PCP, showed him my charts and described how I was feeling. He called for an overnight pulse-ox test before writing the scrip (I have one of those and have been watching my desats) and I guess that told him what he wanted to know. Going to pick it up from my DME provider Friday. Talked to the DME today and he was sort of discouraging going to APAP. Said if my pressure wasn't high enough that it could be adjusted up to stop the apneas. Well, yeah, I guess so but who wants constant high pressure if it's only needed 5 or 10 percent of the time? Either he doesn't get it or I don't - not sure which. He said he normally rents APAP machines short term before a sleep study is performed. Then, when the study is completed they go with fixed pressure APAP. Hmmmmmmmm. OK.

He also said in the 10 or so years he's been in the business, I'm the only one who has done what I'm doing: downloading my data and monitoring my oxygen saturatation levels. That's when I told him I've been feeling so lousy for the last 6-months I see it as a necessity: I must do what I can to get to feeling better.

He told me there would be an out of pocket charge to go to APAP: said he must bill the insurance company at the same rate whether it's CPAP or APAP, and to switch me to APAP would cost me $500. Said: "If it was him, he would pay the difference to go to APAP". Easy for him to say . . . let him walk in my shoes for 6-months and let's see if he still feels the same way! My insurance company rents equipment for 10-months, then the patient owns it. So, in 4-more months I will own the APAP. Of course now that I'm in a new year with deductables to meet, I probably could have made a better deal buying directly through CPAP.com. but sometimes 'ya just gotta jump through the hoops. My next machine purchase will be a different story. I just hope I get the good results I've seen others here experience with APAP.

[KengEsq]

Your story is familiar to me. I switched from the S8 Elite II to the S8 AutoSet II recently. My DME told my primary care doctor that APAP is for diagnosis not treatment. I the saw my sleep doctor and he quickly prescribed my APAP and told me DME's don't like to provide APAPs because they are paid the same by the health insurer for both. My DME could not charge me extra from the switch because that is prohibited by my insurer (BC/BS). Check with your insurer to see if your DME is permitted to charge you extra.
So far my APAP treatment is far better than my CPAP treatment. I feel much better, had no difficulties changing and my numbers are consistently below 5.0 for AHI and below 0.2 for AI. With my CPAP my numbers were much higher and varied daily often exceeding AHIs of 22. My CPAP could not adjust to my changing needs based on changing sleep positions during the night and a multitude of other factors. My APAP adjusts to those needs. My CPAP was set for 8 cm H2O. My APAP is set from 6 to 17 and my 95% pressure is tending to be around 12 to 13. I am waiting for my card reader and ResScan software so I can better understand my events, pressure and treatment.
Good luck.

[Georgio]

Smart move. Both myself and my mother were failing cpap when we had basic no data cpaps similar to yours. Once we went on Apap we both relatively quickly adapted, started tracking data and started feeling better! Hoping it is the same for you.

Georgio

[RipVW]

Did the same, after more than a year of straight CPAP using my sleep study titrated pressure, found this forum, learned about data, learned that my AHI had average around 12 for over a year (hence I was not feeling any better than pre-CPAP), got my auto, found my "sweet spot" pressure setting, now my AHI averages 0.4 and I feel GREAT! Hooray for APAP (and for cpaptalk.com)!