worried

[Berta]

l just found out about a month ago l have sleep apnea, 56 eplsodes an hour. l am on a nasal plLLow but what happens when l have a cold and can't breathe out of my nose? l can't afford a mask and the plLLow, l am now scared to sleep w/o my machlne. Any ldeas? They sald lt ls severe. My medlcare paid for all of this but won't buy me a full face mask too, help

[LSAT]

Berta....Medicare will buy you a new/additional mask every 90 days if 'needed'.

[kteague]

Yes, it is sobering, even scary, once we are fully aware of what we've been enduring in our sleep. There are masks available on sites like Craigslist, but it's a take-your-chances venture. And cpapauction.com is the auction portion of this site and sells new and newer masks. CPAP.com here sells all new, and online prices are often less expensive than if you bought it from you local provider. Except for Craigslist, you will need a copy of your prescription to place an order.

If you do get a cold before your coverage will buy you another mask, you can try to help congestion with things like a nasal rinse with a Neti Pot. Usually even with a cold, If I go ahead and wear my mask, in a few minutes the pressure will open up a way for the air to get thru. If it's REAL bad, I just sleep in my recliner.

It's good to plan ahead, but try not to worry. Most people get one or two colds a year, and just maybe by the time you get one, you'll have the other mask.

Kathy

[Scarlet834]

I just want to second Kathy's comments. I've been through the cold and flu season on CPAP and I've always been able to use my nasal pillow. I can think of only one night that was remotely difficult due to extreme congestion. That night I wore my equipment but made no special effort to avoid mouth leaks (I'm a mouth-taper). I still woke up feeling as good as you can with a cold. Even if you never get that second mask I predict you'll be fine.

Sharon

[montana]

Yes get on list to get new mask every 90 days. You will need to 'ask' for a full face mask and make sure you get right size.
Also you can get a different type each 90 days.

[LSAT]

Montana..........
Once you get a mask that is comfortable for you, there is no point in getting a new one every 90 days just because the insurance will pay for it. Replacement cushions need to be replaced, but a mask should last at least a year unless something breaks or you need a different type.

[MarylandCPAPer]

Hi Berta,

Check with your DME as to whether you can get a full-face mask with your current mask prescription, so that when you have coverage for a new mask, you can get one right away. I started off with a prescription for a specific nasal pillows mask. My DME would allow me to change to different nasal pillows masks but required approval from the sleep specialist or a prescription from an M.D. that treated me for a change to a full-face mask. The DME said it was due to liability reasons.

Ideally, the prescription would say "full face mask or mask of patient's choice." This covers you to get any kind of mask you like.

I have been on CPAP since December and have used four types of nasal pillows masks. Even when I have had some nasal congestion, I have been able to use the nasal pillows. Don't worry about a problem that may not arise. Everyone's experience is different, but I have had no colds since starting CPAP and usually have at least one cold per winter. Maybe CPAP helped me avoid a cold this winter. Restful sleep can do wonders for our health.

Welcome to the forum!

[pam933]

Hi Berta,

I was also in the same situation - but congestion was from allergies and not a cold. I bought a nasal mask off of cpapauction.com for $48 (paid for it out of pocket) and that was easier for me to use when my nose was congested compared to the nasal pillows. But after I bought it I read somewhere on here that if you are switching the type of mask (like pillows vs nasal mask) that insurance will cover one more often than just replacing the same type of mask - not sure how that works for medicare though.

I use a neti-pot once a day to help keep my nose clear and that seems to help.Also, I found this technique online that actually worked to help clear my nose (it's from this website: http://www.apneanet.org/lovecpap.htm). I didn't think it would work but it does.

A: Some patients have discovered that the air pressure of their CPAP is the only medicine they need to clear their stuffy nose. Try this:

Put on your CPAP headgear, then breathe in-and-out through your mouth for about two minutes. You will hear funny sounds while the CPAP air pressure clears your nose.
Then breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth for about two minutes.
Then close your mouth, and breathe in-and-out through your nose. It should be clear by now.
If not, repeat steps 2 and 3 until you can keep your mouth closed and fall asleep.