So Far So Good

Hi,
Two nights on my Cpap. I had some trouble sleeping the first night. Less last night, although I experienced bloating (or aerophagia) both nights. I can handle it if it doesn't get any worse than this! I will wait a few nights and try someone's suggestion to ask my doc to turn down my pressure one notch. (I am at 11 right now). I feel better already.

I am 60 and have had this problem for years. My kids and husband have been worried about me, but I resisted any action until my blood pressure started to swing wildly. I hope this helps that. Plus I got tired of being tired all the time.

I have a Resmed S8 Escape, with humidifier and an Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask (SMALL! Though I am medium height and weight - just have a small face, I guess).

Thanks for all the info I have gleaned so far from these posts. Really helpful!

WELCOME to the forum, OzarkCrone!!! You might want to give SERIOUS thought before your first 30 days on CPAP are up and tell your local DME that the Escape is NOT satisfactory. Tell them you want, AT LEAST, the Resmed S8 Elite w/EPR.

If you hang around this forum any length of time at all you are going to want to be able to share your data when you see so many others posting theirs.

Of course, that is not the reason you give your local DME. The reasoning you give THEM is that your doctor NEEDS data in order to accurately monitor your CPAP therapy. The last thing you want is your doctor adjusting your pressure or therapy by guess and by gosh!!

And it shouldn't do any harm at all to approach your sleep doctor or whichever doctor wrote your equipment order in this way: you are sure that he is NOT aware that your DME supplier provided you w/a bare-bones, compliance data only CPAP. You are sure that he will want the data from a fully data capable CPAP in order to adequately monitor your CPAP therapy and accurately make any adjustments that might be necessary and you just would NOT feel comfortable otherwise. Ask that he re-write you equipment order for a Resmed S8 Elite or, if he thinks an autoPAP would be even more appropriate, write the script for the Resmed S8 AutoSet Vantage.

You won't necessarily need the doctor to re-write your order if you are diplomatic and FIRM w/your local DME supplier that the Resmed S8 Escape just is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Insurances pay by HCPCS code and the Escape, the Elite and the Vantage are all HCPCS code E0601. Both are reimbursed by insurance at the same amount. The Elite is somewhat more expensive than the Escape and the Vantage somewhat more expensive than the Elite - but - it shouldn't cost you any more than the Escape is costing. Insurance is NOT interested in which CPAP you get, all they care about and pay for is that one HCPCS code. Local DMEs prefer to provide you w/the bare-bones, compliance data only Escape because it pads their profit margin somewhat. But that is NOT the purpose of CPAP. The purpose of CPAP is to provide you w/the proper therapy.