Were you prescribed a humidifier?

[birdshell]

A few postings lately have had to do with humidity. This seems to me to be a pretty standard prescription in current sleep medicine, i.e. a CPAP machine with a heated humidifier. I'm personally thinking that MANY previous non-compliant CPAP users were not issued humidifiers, whether passover or heated types.

So, that brings about this poll. Thank you for adding your input.

Sincerely,
Karen,
Who just wonders...

[carbonman]

Amazing as it is, my original 'script included a HH and c-flex,
but no usable data.

[CorgiGirl]

When my husband got his first machine 5 years ago, the army doc refused to prescribe a humidifier, so he lived without one until this year when he got a new machine. The Madigan (army) sleep clinic was so over-booked when he requested an appointment, they sent him out to a civilian who say, "oh my yes you need a humidifier!" He was compliant before, but is more comfortable now.

[kteague]

In 2005 was told that since I was ok for 4 hours in the lab, they wouldn't order one unless I found I needed it later. No c-flex either.

[Shellie_p]

13+ Years ago when I was diagnosed they didnt perscribe humidifiers like they do now. My Sleep doc told me that IF I couldnt use the CPAP straight to let him know that he could perscribe a humidifier but insurance would not cover a heated one unless I had tried the passover unsuccesfully for 3 months and whatever my difficulty was had to be serious enough to justify the heated one. (nosebleeds etc) I did use the passover and never had anyother issues.

Then went for 5+ years with no humidity. Only recently returning to use a humidifier 4 months ago my doc wrote me a script for a humidifier. NO specification of heat. And the DME gave me a heated obne. I didn't argue, cause I didn't wanna possibly lose the heated!! LOL
And now I find out I can't tollerate the heat!! it gives me a nasty sore throat if use the heat.

[echo]

They didnt give me one (last year). They finally gave me one only after complaining incessently of really dry mouth and throat (turns out it was mostly due to mouth leaking). Still, I would never go without it now (nosebleeds etc). I use it in passover mode. Turning on the heat now gives me horrible congestion and feeling of suffocation (but oddly enough, up until January I used it successfully at low to medium heat). A bit like Shellie's story's!

[Wulfman]

My circumstances don't exactly fit with the options in the poll.
My doctor didn't actually "prescribe" (write) a humidifier on the prescription, but I went ahead and ordered one from CPAP.COM with the rest of my order. I checked with my insurance provider and they agreed that a humidifier was pretty much standard these days and a benefit for compliance to CPAP therapy......so it was included in the invoice of items for which they reimbursed me.

On a side note......he didn't write anything pertaining to a mask on the prescription, either. When I asked my insurance provider about that, they agreed that the therapy would be rather difficult to do without something to attach the machine/hose to my face.

Den

[birdshell]

ROTFL!! Den, I can just picture you sleeping with a tube held in your mouth and pinching your nostrils shut!

[jnk]

ROTFL!! Den, I can just pidture you sleeping with a tube held in your mouth and pinching your nostrils shut!

All you would need is some garden hose and duct tape. And mouth leaks would be no problemo.

[JayC]

Doc wrote the specs.....make/model/HH

I have yet to use HH. I guess I should soon in case it is defective, so I will know.

I have some nasal swelling and didn't want to complicate and close off my passages with too much heat.

Maybe I will do a passover night soon....

J

[CorgiGirl]

JayC, not everyone reacts to the heated humidifier the same way. I tend to get clogged up when I don't use it. So you might try it and see if it helps with your swelling...can't hurt to try and might help!

[Zoot]

My insurance does not recognize humidity as a prescription, it is a comfort so I paid 275 dollars for the M Series humidifier.

[birdshell]

JayC, the ResMed machines don't really heat much at all until it gets set up to IIII (or 4 in Arabic numerals). So, you may want to start with a setting of I or II, just because of that.

Congestion can happen from too much or too little humidity. I know that is counterintuitive, but that is how it works for most of us.

Best of treatment to you,
Karen

[JayC]

Good point.

I was having issues BEFORE starting APAP, so I wanted to work on regular neti/nasal wash first.

It IS time for a test run....

JayC, not everyone reacts to the heated humidifier the same way. I tend to get clogged up when I don't use it. So you might try it and see if it helps with your swelling...can't hurt to try and might help!

[Bookbear]

The PA for my sleep doc actually wrote the Rx, and the doc just signed it. I had already found this forum and had done a lot of reading, and I felt that a humidifier was going to be a necessity for me; so I asked for that to be put on my Rx. I have problems with nasal congestion, so I wanted to be prepared if the cpap air alone made me more congested. I find that I need the humidity. If I don't have it, I get much more congested.

My insurance company was giving me the run around about the cpap (ONE DME choice only, NO humidifier) and the DME was giving me the run around (NO data machines, NO EPR or Cflex, NO apap), so I bought from cpap.com. I saved myself a LOT of hassle.