Auto CPAP without a sleep study?

[blongo]

Hi, can I just order an Auto-CPAP without a sleep study or doctor involvement? They are available at Amazon and it states that the device will auto-adjust pressures.

[FifthAvenue]

Why do you think that you need a machine?

[palerider]

Hi, can I just order an Auto-CPAP without a sleep study or doctor involvement? They are available at Amazon and it states that the device will auto-adjust pressures.

It will auto adjust, with some limits, that being it always starts at whatever minimum pressure you set it to, and it spends the reacting to breathing events, then trying to get back to the min pressure, if that pressure is too low, then you end up with more events than you'd have if the pressure were adjusted to what you need.

We can help.

[D.H.]

Not ideal, but considering many people don't have affordable access to health care, it's the best that many can do.

[MarkDeLange]

Been on apap now for 8 months no Rx just support groups. Doing just fine wit a 5 years old 12000 hr machine and 10 masks. Still trying to find my match

[purple22]

If you need more than the most minimal air pressures, it can be very frustrating to wait for the auto to get up the useful pressure. It can be quite difficult for a new comer to control leaks, particularly when the machine is cranking up the pressure.

Some medical schools with sleep clinics have programs that might let you do the overnight proof of need and find the right pressure for free, if you can prove financial need.

[chunkyfrog]

The local homeless shelter does nearly everything with donated apaps.
Sleep studies are too often a waste of precious resources.
A prescription can be wtitten by any medical professional, including a dentist,
physician's assistant, nurse practitioner or even a veterinarian.

[BeaRSnoR]

Hello.

So. I already have a device (via costly study, script and whatnot). I was looking at Amazon as an option for a backup duplicate device for travel and whatnot. I was even gonna let a medical professional (more money) dial it in so it so I am "legal". All of this would have come in a bit cheaper than buying the item outright from most DME companies. I also would be able to dodge the impending confusion cause by being an insured customer that wanted to purchase a second device (out of pocket) for travel. I say this because everytime I mentioned it to medical professionals / DME companies I would get this look
Personally, I would rather not break down and pack my cpap every time I think I "might" have to spend the night somewhere other than my residence.

Crazy thing is... I think amazon stop carrying devices today
Items I searched for the past few weeks seem to be vanishing, aswell. I searched RM and even Philip's. I found this board by searching "Amazon drops CPAP", and I ran across some commentary last year that seems to indicate why this change was made.

viewtopic/t115472/How-can-they-do-this.html#p1120083

Kinda inhales for those looking to dodge the typical DME company markups. Not to say that all DME companies are bad, but MANY prices are counter-productive for such a widespread issue. Especially if you already know what you need and want to cut out the middle man (i.e. you have a script and just want a backup / travel device)

I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. Just new to cpap and noticing there are a lot of hands to pay for the setup/device and variable redundancy/dexterity depending on your insurance, DME company, and your... acceptance of grey areas.

Hope this information is useful,

/BeaRSnoR

[FifthAvenue]

CPAP alternatives to DME include - Craigslist and other for sale sites, CPAP forum members, and Second Wind.

[igotsuckeredtoo]

If you get one I can share this for whatever it is worth.
When I worked in the trades and used supplied air to entire poison atmospheres it was regulation to set the supplied air pressure at 14psi. Apparently it is perfect for breathing and makes it impossible to kink the hose and cut the air off.
IDK if sleep CPAP are set by psi or cfm. My ResMed S8 setting was set at 14 whatevers. IDK how to convert from psi to cfm.
I also do not know what the setting on HEPA CPAP masks were when we used them to enter poison environs.

[palerider]

When I worked in the trades and used supplied air to entire poison atmospheres it was regulation to set the supplied air pressure at 14psi. Apparently it is perfect for breathing and makes it impossible to kink the hose and cut the air off.

14 PSI relative to atmospheric pressure would cause your lungs to explode all over the walls and ceiling.

14PSI absolute is approximately what atmospheric pressure is at sea level.

IDK if sleep CPAP are set by psi or cfm.

Neither.
They're set at centimeters of water. Much like your blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury.

My ResMed S8 setting was set at 14 whatevers. IDK how to convert from psi to cfm.

You can't convert from "pounds per square inch" to "cubic feet per minute" any more than you can convert from tons to miles.

I also do not know what the setting on HEPA CPAP masks were when we used them to enter poison environs.

There's no such thing.

If you get one I can share this for whatever it is worth.

I'm afraid that all of that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with cpap.

[chunkyfrog]

If you get one I can share this for whatever it is worth.
When I worked in the trades and used supplied air to entire poison atmospheres it was regulation to set the supplied air pressure at 14psi. Apparently it is perfect for breathing and makes it impossible to kink the hose and cut the air off.
IDK if sleep CPAP are set by psi or cfm. My ResMed S8 setting was set at 14 whatevers. IDK how to convert from psi to cfm.
I also do not know what the setting on HEPA CPAP masks were when we used them to enter poison environs.

Ummm, this entire post is pure nonsense.
Sorry, folks, it is worth slightly less than bupkis.

[igotsuckeredtoo]

Zoinks don't hold back or anything.

A High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) is a filter type and they do use portable CPAP masks in the trades, some people prefer them and some people require them as you have to take a pulmonary function test before you are allowed to use any mask on a job.
As far as the rest sorry it didn't help, I figured the guy would want a minimum number to set at if he went ahead and got one without a sleep test.

[chunkyfrog]

There are a large number of systems used to measure fluid pressure, velocity, and volume.
Using the wrong units in the wrong place could be disastrous!

[palerider]

Zoinks don't hold back or anything.

Not when I see gobbledygook.

Just because two words (or acronyms) exist and are legitimate things, doesn't mean that they aren't nonsensical when used together.

A High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) is a filter type and they do use portable CPAP masks in the trades, some people prefer them and some people require them as you have to take a pulmonary function test before you are allowed to use any mask on a job.

There's nothing in common between a respirator for poison gas atmospheres and a cpap. Nothing in the settings, nothing in the masks.

You DID get the meaning of HEPA correct, but what you originally said,

on HEPA CPAP masks

is nonsensical, there's no such thing as a "HEPA CPAP mask". There are HEPA filters (but there aren't any for cpaps), and there are cpap masks.

As far as the rest sorry it didn't help, I figured the guy would want a minimum number to set at if he went ahead and got one without a sleep test.

Making things up doesn't help. 14psi would, as I mentioned, cause severe injury. 14cfm is about seven times the max any cpap mask vents.

Even 14cmH2O (which is the right measurement) is a fairly high pressure, higher than most people need.

Please don't confuse the issue, If you want to help, then please wait till you've learned something *about cpap*.