Help?

[fkarl]

a little help needed....
Been on the hose for about 10 months. Doing really well with therapy I use the swift nasal pillow and it works really well, except when I have a cold. I have to dump afrin into my nose every time I go to sleep... with my alergies on top of that this becomes more days than not. I'd like to order a full face mask so that I have that as a backup to my nasal pillows. It would seem from looking around that the quatro is the one to get.... not a problem there either, I can figure out the sizing and what not and buy the insurance in case I have to send it back....

The problem is this. Rented equipment. Or rather, the company I rent from. Way back when I started I needed some extra filters. I called and ordered them. two weeks later I still hadn't gotten them. I called again and got an answer as to why I did not get them... "yeah, we've been really busy here but I'll try and get them out to you next week. No promises though." No kidding, thats what the girl said. I waited another two weeks and called again. "I'll send them today, it has been really busy and its hard to get all the orders out all the time." Are you kidding me??? I never got them. When my monthly bill came I paid the first two months but on the third month I sent a letter back stating that I wasn't about to pay for service I was not getting. I never heard back from them. Six months into my therapy the lady from the sleep lab called to see how I was doing and I told her I was great but the service sucked. Told her the whole situation and my "solution". She laughed and said many folks have problems with the servicer in my area but that she didn't blame me.

So now what? It says I need a prescription to order the mask and I don't have one on paper. Can I call the sleep lab where I was tested and set up, would they have a copy? I never saw a Dr. at the lab..... don't even know the name of the Dr. that prescribed the equipment. I just woke up the next morning and was told a rep would be at my house THAT DAY with my equipment cause I was so bad. (74 stoppages in 91 minutes.) the rep came and was great getting me going. I don't even mind paying out of pocket for this mask if I have to.... I just don't know how to go about getting it.

Am I way wrong in the way I handled this? Its been 7 months and I haven't heard boo from the company. My insurance is still paying, ( I guess) I assume since I haven't heard from them either. Its the $25 or so per month that I am not paying.

All I want is a backup piece of equipment!! and maybe a new nasal pillow.... thanks for any advice you can offer.

[fkarl]

I should also mention that the Afrin trick works.... but I don't think I am supposed to use it that often. 5x perweek is probably too much.

[jweeks]

Hi,

Do you want to allow someone who doesn't even give a flying hoot about you be in control of your treatment and your health? I certainly wouldn't. Filters are just a few dollars. You can order them from folks like cpap.com, or buy them in the auction. I bought a 2 year supply for around $25. I have them when I need them, and I don't have to call anyone or worry about it. A new mask might cost $50 or $100 (or even a little more), but again, I can have it in a few days with no hassles, no paperwork, and no arguments with a DME that is too busy to help. This stuff is often less expensive than what my insurance co-pay is, so it even makes financial sense for me.

You are entitled to a copy of your prescription. Call the doctor of record or the clinic where your doctor works and ask for a copy. They might attempt to tell you that you are not entitled to a copy. Remind them of the HIPPA laws that state otherwise. In the future, always get copies of any prescription that a doctor issues. You might have to hurry on this. Here in MN, prescriptions have an expiration date. That may be the case in your state, too. It may very well expire after a year, and you are already 10 months in. It is very typical to have a 2 month follow up your sleep doctor, and then a 2nd follow up 6 months after that. If you haven't done that, you may want to get in for a follow-up visit, and use that chance to ask for an update prescription.

-john-

[Pugsy]

You don't need a prescription to order a nasal pillow replacement or filters.

Your primary care doctor can write the prescription that is required for full mask purchase now. Doesn't have to be fancy wording. "Cpap machine and supplies" will be sufficient.

Afrin 5 X a week? For how long? If longer than one week there is a good chance that some of your congestion issues are Afrin rebound issues. People often blame it on "allergies" when it is really Afrin rebound.

[Autopapdude]

I agree with the Pug here. The filters aren't expensive, so just buy a pack and change them more often. The same goes for any chest cold, or bronchitis, or sinusitis--more frequent filter changes mean cleaner air. As regards decongestants, be careful Rebound congestion is definitely an issue. My MD (who is very supportive of OSA therapy) writes me a 'script for Nasacort, and I use that only when it is an issue. I try to limit my use to one or two days, to prevent the rebound stuffiness (by only using it on the "worst" days of a cold or allergy cycle).

[fkarl]

I really appreciate all the help. I know that I am entitled to a copy of my scrip, just never got one. I also already bought my own filters, 2 years worth same as you. Didn't know that my PCP could write scrips for cpap stuff but it makes sense. I had pretty good luck at the lab when I talked with her. have no real desire to go for a follow up, nor was it ever mentioned that I would need one. I did talk with the Dr. at about one month out and he said it sounded like I was doing fine, which I was/am. He told me to call if I had anny issues with sleepiness or whatever. SO far so good. Just needed to get some idea of how to proceed as far as stuff I need prescriptions for.
I really do have alergies, been tested and am alergic to the stupidest stuff.... trees? Grass? whos alergic to grass??? About 100 other things, mold, cats, dogs, rabbits..... the list is pretty big. I have the nasocort, thanks for reminding me. (I still suffer badly from poor memory even after ten months on the hose.) He gave me that to use instead of the Afrin..... I just forgot. Although it didn't seem to work as well. I used it for about 2 weeks off and on when I needed. then, this latest cold and then alergy flare up and I went back to Afrin, forgot all about the Nasocort!! Thanks.
I'll change my filter too!

[DoriC]

The good folks at cpap.com sent me their own form called Prescription/Letter of Medical Necessity already checked off with the info required, I brought it to my Dr(or they would have faxed it to him ), he signed it and faxed it back to them which they will keep on record for any future purchases I make. Real simple. They are a wonderful company to deal with.

[Pugsy]

I speak from personal experience with the Afrin rebound. It is ugly...... Been there and done that numerous times. Usually following a simple cold. It is so damn easy to get hooked on it because it works so quick and so good compared to using the other stuff. When I am plugged up I don't want to wait a week for the various steroid sprays to kick in.. Zero patience.

Anyone who can legally write a prescription can write the prescription for cpap. MD, DO, Dentist even, PA, probably even a vet (horse/dog doc). Must of course have the doctor information on the script. I just called up my doc and said that I wanted to try a different mask and it was cheaper to get it online than through DME because I was limited to one every 6 months with insurance. I told them I needed a script to buy mask online and would they give me one?
Sure, no problem. I also said, Hey while you are at it just write it for CPAP and CPAP supplies because I might want to get one of those special battery powered machines for when I go camping...

That generic CPAP Rx will let me get an auto CPAP if I wish.....here at cpap.com along with any other supplies that I might need.

Check out the cpapauction . Last I saw the Rx requirement wasn't kicking in for mask auctions, just the machines. Sometimes some really good deals on masks can be had.