Newbie with lots of questions!

[sleepylilbean]

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[Pugsy]

6.) The mask I got for the CPAP machine I tried was a ResMed Quattro FX. It appears to be the right size for me but unlike my dads mask (that was too big) it has a thin/flimsy/flexible cushion part that seems to encourage leaks. It literally flaps sometimes. Are there more solid cushions I can buy for it or is there something else I can add to it to help it seal better? I've tried just making the straps tighter but it ends up really hurting my head and I get a headache from it.

Unless the mask cushion was brand new it could simply be that the cushion is old and tired and in need of replacing anyway. These cushions sometimes will last months and months for some people and barely make it a month for others before they get leaky and nothing can seem to be done to fix the leaks (and there are some things that can be done...more on that later).

3.) What should I expect from Medicaid with this? Do they pay part or all? Are there limited choices of machines?

Medicaid usually pays all but it depends on the state and there might be a copay involved.
You likely won't have any choice in machine and the DME is likely to want to supply the most basic of machines because they make more money dispensing the lower cost (to them) machines.
Please read this about the full data machines and at least get yourself educated on what machines are better in terms of useful data than others.
https://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

I hate to say it but often Medicaid users get screwed more than others because of the way medicaid pays and the cpap user doesn't have as much recourse against DMEs that will do the screwing...hopefully the one you end up using won't be that way.

1.) I know different locations vary but how long did the process take from the time you got referred to the time you actually had the CPAP machine in hand? Is there any way to speed this up?

Unfortunately this is one of those things that people on Medicaid get screwed on...no one gets in any hurry because Medicaid patients are often treated like the ugly step child.

Is there anyway your finances would allow you to buy a machine privately? I know of some machines that would be full data great machines to use that have little or no hours in the $350 to $600 range.

You need to request copies of your sleep studies...make sure what type of sleep apnea you have and what treatment is advised before buying out of pocket if that is something you want to do.

4.) I'm a mouth breather. Is a full mask the way to go for the best therapy? I saw that with the nasal type masks you can get a chin strap. Do people generally end up with a full mask anyway? What about with the oral masks?

Why do you mouth breathe? Is it because of chronic nasal congestion issues that you can't get cleared up enough to use the nose alone?
If you simply cannot adequately use your nose most of the time...get a full face mask of some sort and yes you could look at the oral mask like the Oracle.
Now if the mouth breathing is simply out of habit or just for part of the time and you can normally get the nose cleared up for the bulk of the night...then you might consider a nasal interface mask with chin strap to help keep the mouth shut. I thought I was a mouth breather at night but it was just habit from gasping for air at night because of the apnea events. Took a couple of months but my mouth seemed to learn that it was okay to remain shut...so old habits can be broken.

5.) Why do I feel like I'm suffocating 5 hours into using a CPAP machine (REMstar Auto Smart CPAP System (P/N: 1007381)?

No way to really hazard guess here because we have no way to know what's going on after those 5 hours.
It could be any number of things and that's why we talk about machines with full data available...so we can at least look at the software reports to maybe get an idea what might be going on.
How old is this machine you borrowed?
Take a look here and see if you spot the machine or at least one that looks like it.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machines/apap-machine.php
Once we know what kind of machine there may be some data available on the machine that might help.

[kteague]

Hello and welcome. I'll take a stab at a few of your questions.

3. Medicaid should pay all. However, their reimbursement rate to the vendor is probably rock bottom so you may have trouble getting the vendor to give you a higher end machine when the reimbursement rate is low. Before getting so far along then reaching another delay, I suggest you contact the DME and ask them exactly what machine they routinely dispense. Give yourself some time to shop around so you know what you are up against. If it comes down to a battle you can't win, keep in mind that while an auto machine can give you a bit more data and options, there are CPAPs that are data capable and I would not feel slighted to have one of those. Just be careful. The names are similar so get exact and full names.

4. Do you mouth breathe during the day also? If your mouth breathing is due to a deviated septum or other causes, you will probably need a full face mask. If your mouth breathing is only when sleeping it may be a response to the sleep apnea, or simply that your jaw goes slack. I was a mouth breather at night. My first several months I used chin straps, mouth tape, denture adhesive between my lips, all trying to avoid a full face mask and eventually was able to train myself to keep my big mouth shut. Some prefer to just go ahead with the full face mask and not have the hassle. Depends on personal need and preference.

5. Since you have not been titrated to know your needs, it's likely the machine was not set to a range of pressures that meets your needs. Some need more pressure during REM, and at 5 hours in I'd have to suspect that could be what you're looking at. If the machine you were using was either starting too low to reach your needs quick enough, or capped off at a pressure less than your maximum need, you could experience the sensation of inadequate air.

Good luck expediting things. I had pretty good luck being available to fill in for a cancellation.

[grayghost4]

starting from the bottom

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resmed-S9-Sliml ... 43dc43ec0e

[sleepylilbean]

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[sleepylilbean]

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[KittyCathy]

Thank you very much for all your tips. It's very useful.

[Julie]

Ignore last post - has made 3 this a.m. but no mention of OSA/Cpap.