newbie, no prescription

I am new to this listserve, and I have no insurance and no prescription, but I do need CPAP (I fit every symptom listed on this site, and my sleep partner has absolutely verified all points in explicit detail). So, are there internet retailers who can supply products without prescription? If not, where is the least expensive place to obtain a prescription (I live in a very small town in Northern California).

Thanks

You could find a machine on Craigslist or Freecycle or in the paper. You would need one that is data capable though to really find out what is going on since you are going at it blind. You can buy everything else without a prescription.

Have a friend order a M-Series auto CPAP with AFLEX and an integrated humidifier from CPAP.com. On your own. (w/o a prescription) you should purchase a card reader and Viewer Software from CPAP.com. Purchase a SPO-7500 Oximeter from Turner Medical so that you can watch your oxygen uptake at night. Study everything on this forum.....read all info listed under the yellow lightbulb.....become an active participant in this forum....meaning "ask a lot of questions"......and you'll do just fine. Also, it'll be far less expensive than going thru the medical industry sleep disorder cash cow chute. Moooooo!

Read all the reviews on the various masks....and order one from CPAP.com. Expect to go through 4 or 5 before you find "the one".....

Start w/your family doctor. Ask him if he will script a CPAP for you w/a pressure setting of 6 cms. If he is reluctant to do so, ask if he will script an overnight oximetry for you. That should only run you about $25. Be sure you and he both get a copy of the downloaded results. THAT might convince him to write the CPAP script. If it does you can then purchase a CPAP thru cpapauction.com as an inexpensive and somewhat safer way to go than thru some of the other auction and used CPAP sales sites.

lotklear wrote:I am new to this listserve, and I have no insurance and no prescription, but I do need CPAP (I fit every symptom listed on this site, and my sleep partner has absolutely verified all points in explicit detail). So, are there internet retailers who can supply products without prescription? If not, where is the least expensive place to obtain a prescription (I live in a very small town in Northern California).

Thanks

It seems to me that although you believe you have all the "symptoms" you really can't know if you have sleep apnea and whether a CPAP can help you without at least a sleep study. A sleep study will determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea, how severe it might be and the pressure setting needed to prevent most apnea events. Once your study is done to confirm your condition and treatment pressure, the sleep doctor should write you a prescription. I'm not certain it is a good idea to try to treat yourself without at least confirming your condition and the pressure needed to give you significant relief. If you have a friend who has apnea and treats using an APAP with results reporting, maybe you could try doing your own sleep study using your friend's APAP but I doubt it would be the best route to follow.

Here's a list of machines that are "full data capable" and those that are not, as of October 2008:
viewtopic.php?p=307168#p307168

lotklear, another thing you might try is start asking everyone you know in your town this question:

"Do you know someone who uses a "CPAP" (pronounced See-pap) machine? I'm not talking about using oxygen. I'm talking about a machine and mask used for sleep apnea."

Chances are, you'll come across people in your town who either use CPAP or know someone who uses it. Often the "user" has quit using the machine and it's just sitting in a closet, or they were given a newer machine at some point and still have the old machine packed away. They'd probably give the old (or unused) machine to you.

Chances are, it won't be a machine capable of recording full data, but at least it's "a cpap machine", and that's better than nothing. If I were going to use a machine without software or any way to monitor my treatment, I'd start out using " 10 " for the pressure and see if I felt better.

Do be aware, though, that "CPAP" isn't a magic bullet that you start using and immediately "feel better." Even if cpap is doing its part of the job perfectly (keeping your airway from collapsing when throat muscles and tongue relax too much during sleep) there can still be many other reasons why a person could continue feeling fatigued, sleepy, and tired. Other health reasons, med side effects, poor sleep hygiene, other sleep disorders (like Periodic Limb Movements.) The list can go on and on. Also, trying to sleep with a mask on can be disrupting to sleep until you find a mask that really suits you and you get used to this crazy new way of trying to go to sleep.

So, if you do try "CPAP" and don't feel "great" right away or within a few weeks, don't get discouraged. There can be a lot of tweaking to do to get comfortable with "cpap." And since you don't have a prescribed pressure, there will be some trial and error there, too.

The two best things you have going for you, to succeed at CPAP treatment, are your own knowledge that you have obvious symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and "need cpap", and that both you and your sleep partner are all for your using "cpap." The kind of determination that is sending you looking for a machine, and the attitude of "I NEED this!!!" will work in your favor.

Another possibility -- if you (or someone you know) has an understanding family doctor, you might be able to get a prescription. That would make getting exactly the machine you want much easier...you could buy it yourself from an online vendor like cpap.com, or on cpapauction.com (Rx is required at that auction site.)

If a family doctor understands even just a little bit about sleep apnea and "cpap", sometimes he/she will be willing to scribble "CPAP @ 10 cm H2O" on an Rx for you, without requiring a sleep study or a visit to a "sleep doctor." Nothing else requires a prescription...just the machine itself. You can buy masks, humidifiers, hoses, filters, etc., online without a prescription.

Here's my story -- how I went about getting myself on "cpap" without a sleep study, and without a prescription at first:

viewtopic.php?p=5977#5977

Not trying to hijack here, but I feel the need to say a big thank-you to rested gal for that fantastic post and the link to her story. That's the kind of stuff that makes this forum so great. I get blown away on a regular basis here reading posts like that one. NICE!!

Thanks, rested gal!

jeff

FWIW, if you get an automatic machine (craigslist/ebay/estate sale/hook or crook) the thing will largely set itself to you (APAP versus CPAP). I saw some posts i believe recommending starting at 6 - sounds right to me.
mask choice - with an RX or not it's a personal choice, though i'm fairly satisfied with the Swift LT (unless you're an avid mouth breather - i was until the swift kept my nostrils open during sleeping - plus there's a bit of a vacuum which is enough to keep my mouth closed).
i was able to get a very slightly used Resmed S8 Autoset II (same as my RX machine) with a humidifier for $375 - keep your eyes open - you will of course need a tube and mask to go with your machine - and unless you get scared enough (bad sleep study numbers, etc.) you may drop away from CPAP/APAP (it's not a barrel of laughs, though i do sleep better with it). good luck!

One thing - if your sleeping partner can tell you this - that your mouth is open once you're asleep - then you'll need a "full face" mask (it doesn't cover your face, just your mouth along with your nose) because otherwise any air being pumped into your nose will go straight out your mouth and make therapy useless. The ones known to be good for a lot of people are the Quattro, Liberty, Ultramirage FF, all of which can be seen on Cpap.com.

The only mask that really works for me without causing sores or discomfort is the Probasics Zzz-Mask (full face) and I've tried just about all others.

ANd make sure that you don't have a medical history that would be a contraindication to CPAP. IMO I would start at your family physician/practitioner and see if he/she can assist you. THere are many county run and state run/funded clinics that wil treat you free of charge or for a fee based on your income. THey wil have contatcts who may be able to do the same for a sleep study. There are many resources out there. I, personally, would be hesitant to start treatment without a formal visit and exam. I know that many people would say I am crazy for saying that, but as many know, OSA has many different symptoms, and all symptoms that mimic OSA, are necessarily OSA. I.E. - ALl who snore don't have OSA, and all OSA sufferers don't necessarily snore. You get the idea. You want to make sure that you don't have any other disease process going on.

Hello---Start w/your family doctor. That is what I did and I took my husband with me so he could explain to the doctor that I do snore and stop breathing all during the night. I did have insurance so I went for a sleep study to verify this. But you could ask the family doctor if he will script a CPAP for you w/a pressure setting of a minimum of at least 6 cms--like the others have said here.

Craig's list has some listed on there too --you can buy those privately without a script but they want more money for those used ones that their insurance paid for in the first place--than if you go to cpap.com and get one with a script.
Good Luck!!
Carrie

Lotklear, if you are definitely looking to determine if this is for you and do not want to go to a Dr or whatever, there is a CPAP for sale here locally. It is a Remstar M Series Plus with C-Flex and the heated humidifier (worth $469 new on cpap.com - just checked) based on what they told me when I called, they are asking $200, and they said that the price wasn't firm so you may get them to come down off that ("I spent all my money on Christmas"). This is just straight CPAP (with C-flex) and it will not give you the diagnostic info that a data-capable machine would. They said the man has used it twice and cannot use it due to his sinus problems (and probably not enough patience/willingness...they sounded kind of ignorant....lol). It is listed in craigslist > in Alabama > in Dothan > type "cpap" in the search box. If you do check on it and want to go that route, I will be glad to pack it up for you and make sure it is shipped safely (again, lol....they sounded ignorant...."its the top of the line.......what?.....he wants to know what the number is off the bottom Harold....here you talk to him you know more about it"). Blessing upon your quest!

Oh here is the URL for it ... makes it easier ... http://dothan.craigslist.org/for/972414077.html

Tracy

In your story you mentioned asking your vet for a prescription! Can a vet prescribe cpap for a human?