Sleep Apnea Store Opens in Louisiana

[Titrator]

Greetings,

If you live in the greater Baton Rouge or greater New Orleans area there is a new store for you to visit.

The Sleep Apnea Store opened in January 2008 and offers customers free mask fitting and in house machine trials. Specially trained clinicians will help you decide what mask and machine works best for you and answer any technical questions you may have. Before making your purchase, you can try an easy breathing machine, the latest mask design, and even a pillow designed for CPAP users.

The Sleep Apnea Store carries a full line of machines, masks, and accessories for a sensible price. I encourage you to come by and explore the store. Your sleep will be glad you did.

Located At:

5215 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-766-9352

AND

3828 Veterns Memorial Blvd STE 201
Metairie, LA 70002
504-888-4449

AND

69164 Highway 59
Mandeville, LA 70471
985-249-6410

These stores are owned and operated by Health Management Services, Inc.www.hmssleep.com and are not affiliated with CPAP.com or its parent company US Expediters, Inc.
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap.com, CPAP

[bbob]

what a fantastic idea ! I hope it does well and franchises all over the country.

[Babette]

PLEASE START ONE IN TACOMA, WA!

Congratulations and Best Wishes and YEE HAW!
Babette

[writes4me]

Hi, saw the original poster was from Houston and I wondered if there is a Sleep Apnea store here? I live in Rosenberg, just down from Sugarland and I'm Houston almost every day.

I'd love to visit one of those stores as I'm shopping for a new mask. The store where I have gotten my machine, mask, etc. has a very, very limited line. They also have a hard line on people asking to try more than one mask or machine. I turned down the first machine they wanted to give me because I'd read the reviews on this site. The person then told me that was all my insurance was ever going to give me so I'd better take it. I didn't agree and went back to the doctor. She also didn't agree and she ordered me a different machine.

Then I kept having trouble getting a mask. I went from a full mask (which made me like I was ready for a moonwalk), to 2 different nasal masks (neither of which worked even half of the time) to a nasal pillow system. But all those choices had to be pushed by me. I'd have to bring in pictures of different masks because often the people that were supposed to know about this stuff, just looked at me with a blank stare.

One person even told me that I'd only get to have one mask and either it worked or I'd have to buy another one somewhere else. Then another person, after 3 visits with no mask fitting right, told me that this 4th mask was it. I couldn't try anymore that I was just being difficult.

I wanted to take my difficult behind and my difficult money and insurance with me. As it is, I'm finding my latest mask is okay but I'd really like to see if something else (another like it) would work better. I'd like to take my difficult money to buy a new difficult mask.

Thanks

[irritatedRPSGT]

Are you kidding me? I can't believe stores like this exist. There's a reason patients have to come for a cpap trial study. Actually, there are two...1. to get the proper pressure and 2. to get the mask that works well for the patient.

Now, I'm the first to agree that this isn't always the case. A lot of bad techs use the path of least resistance and slap on a FFM (full face mask). They don't take the time to work with the person or explain that mouth breathing will 'usually' take care of itselft once the proper pressure is achieved (optimal). If it's doesn't, that's what a chin strap is for. They also don't listen to the patients complaints. We are there for the patient--not the other way around. Most techs either don't know that or forget it.

There's also another issue I've seen lately. Aside from people coming in saying "I'm a mouth breather" there's also been a lot of "I'm claustrophobic". Nasal pillows become very uncomfortable when used at a high pressure. This, again, falls under the 'patient care' aspect of our job. Patients feel claustrophobic b/c of the apnea they're experiencing. Once the CPAP is doing what it's suppose and holding open the airways, this is taken care of. The best type of mask to use is a nasal mask.

A good lab should have a mask fitting protocol in place. It should give different masks to try for each complaint. It may take a few hours and a half dozen masks, but if the pts comfortable it's worth it. We want pts to want to use this at home. If they're not comfortable where's the incentive to put it on, let alone sleep with it all night !

This is something that needs to be done in a lab/clinic and by people who know what they're doing. Talk to your Dr. or the lab you went to--Don't go to a store!

[jen09743]

WARNING: do not go here unless you have a PRESCRIPTION!!! You can't even get a small rubber insert replace for the face mask. So with all the healthcare issues and prices going up and people screaming they are not getting paid, I now have to find a dr, pay him for a visit, and pray he will give me a prescription for a rubber reline of my mask? Absolute BS BS BS.

You just lost a cash paying customer that needs a rubber inline and will never come to your business again. Warning! do not go here unless you have a physician and insurance company that is working with the business. You will never get help.

[chunkyfrog]

Any doc can write a RX for CPAP or supplies--even a dentist.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone has used one written by a friendly veterinarian.
All you can do is ask. The doc who originally RX'd the machine and mask should be able to write a new RX for 99 months-
WITHOUT an office visit. Apnea does NOT just go away.
Drop into the free clinic with proof you use CPAP, and ask for a prescription;
mentioning your financial situation.
They may even try to help you with supplies. Just do it.
You can buy almost anything on Craig's list--no prescription required. (local recommended)

[squid13]

I think what she is saying is that you need a prescription for everything from nasal pillows to mask cushions, hoses, etc. A prescription for every single item you buy.

[chunkyfrog]

That doesn't make sense at all--
My Rx covers EVERYTHING.
They just need one on file--and the poster doesn't have one handy.
It would be really dumb to need a separate scrip for every little thing.
Even most drugs are refillable. Either that, or he spoke to the head ninny.

[avi123]

Do you agree with Ted the Sleep Guy ( http://www.binarysleep.com/phpbb2/searc ... +Sleep+Guy ) that ASV machines are for the birds? See it here:



At one time Ted the Titrator was a moderator in this forum and lived in TN where RG lives. I am wondering if in the meantime he moved to NY and became Ted the Sleep Guy?

[NateS]

WARNING: do not go here unless you have a PRESCRIPTION!!! You can't even get a small rubber insert replace for the face mask. So with all the healthcare issues and prices going up and people screaming they are not getting paid, I now have to find a dr, pay him for a visit, and pray he will give me a prescription for a rubber reline of my mask? Absolute BS BS BS.

You just lost a cash paying customer that needs a rubber inline and will never come to your business again. Warning! do not go here unless you have a physician and insurance company that is working with the business. You will never get help.

jen09743,

You are commenting on a four year old post! When did you have this experience? What exactly were you told, and by whom?

Nate

[chunkyfrog]

Poor jen is sleep deprived. . .

[fda guidelines]

This is for the posting on needing a script. It is not a the stores fault that our government mandates rules on every type of medical device available. If you look at any LEGIT website that offers cpap supplies you will see that they all require a prescription. That is not a store requirement it is the government.

[greatunclebill]

this makes an excellent case for buying on-line especially if paying cash. i bought a cpap on-line with a prescription. after that it's a prescription-free ride. i bought a large mask cushion, then a quattro fx medium for me and finally a quattro fx for her small for my wife. they don't care who it's for or what size it is as long as the buyer has a prescription on file.

[archangle]

If you look at any LEGIT website that offers cpap supplies you will see that they all require a prescription.

Simply not true, especially for replacement parts. Not even true for masks at some LEGIT sites.