CPAPtalk.com

Thank you. It doesn't make sense that this has been an off and on concern for the last few years and I haven't done anything more than try some DIY treatments. HerbM said, "IF you think you MIGHT have sleep apnea, and you can in any way afford it the it is best to CHECK with a QUALIFIED doctor." I think I'll take your advice HerbM.

I appreciate everyone caring enough to give some input.

You did not describe your insurance, which might be a very important question as to how to proceed.

If you have a good insurance plan, then have your Primary Care Physician write for you to have an overnight recording Pulse Oximeter, which would be furnished by a company that does that. If you have low O2 at some time, assuming you did not accidentally push the little clip off, then you go onto seeing a Sleep Doctor. If the overnight study with the Recording Pulse Oximeter says you have a problem, then the insurance company would hopefully be willing to pay for an Overnight Sleep Study.

The first study that is done in a sleep lab is to prove you have Sleep Apnea. The second study is a titration study, to determine the exact type of Apnea you have, and determine the proper machine and the exact settings that should be on the machine to help you to sleep properly. This might done in two different nights, one to determine if you have Apnea, and another overnight Sleep study, however a Split Night Study can be done with the first part to determine if you have Apnea, (which insurance companies are fanatical about before they will pay for machines, supplies and such) and the second part of the night to do the Titration.

BTW: A Sleep Study is exhausting, as you are not likely to get much sleep during the night.

Treating Sleep Apnea is very frustrating, I think fifty percent of those who get to the point of having a machine in their homes quit. Someone else know the percentage of quitters? So if you are going to do this, you must be very determined to work through the issues which come up.

Some here, having no money for sleep tests, have acquired a machine which can be set on Auto, set it to a wide range, a mask they feel they can tolerate, and try to use the machine to titrate themselves. The process is frustrating enough without adding the worst part of all sleep studies (and I think every one here would agree they are awful) every night to the frustrations which make a lot of folks quit. Adding to that, a machine on Auto, will not detect all types of sleep apnea, or even find the right pressure or find the right pressure for simple Obstructive Sleep Apnea, OSA. (There are more types of sleep apnea than OSA)

If you do not have insurance, you can ask for a Sleep Doctor and Sleep Clinic to work with you on price. Most of their high prices are really meant to influence insurance companies to give the Sleep Clinic/Sleep Doctors a higher reimbursement. I had a Split night study on Medicare in November. A lot of insurance companies require that part of the study is to prove that I still have Apnea, although I have been on the hose for six years. The clinic billed Medicare nearly two grand for the night, and Medicare approved just over two hundred, with me being responsible for twenty percent. Does not seem fair to the clinic/and their RT's who go through a lot to be qualified, and licensed to do that work. Anyway, some clinics have more room to work with a straight cash customer than they first act like.

Those of us who sometimes have the power go out, adhere to the Idea of sleeping sitting up, ( but not our our back -the worst position for sleep apnea, sorry Sleepy Boy). If you can figure out a way to try this sometime, and you wake up feeling raring to go, then you can guess you have Sleep Apnea.

Most sleep doctors have a questionnaire which they ask everyone every time they come in. Does anyone have one of those handy?

Thanks purple. I don't have insurance, but I'm a part of a group that helps each other when high medical costs arise. Since I don't have insurance, would you suggest I go straight to local sleep doctor and skip a primary care doctor?

I realized starting a few years ago that I'm not able to sleep on my back because my throat closes up so easily that way. I've been experimenting with different positions on my side, but no one position consistently works. I still sometimes wake up gagging a little as I'm trying to fall asleep. I haven't tried sitting up. I'm not sure how I would do that.

If you have low O2 at some time, assuming you did not accidentally push the little clip off, then you go onto seeing a Sleep Doctor.

Sorry Purple, but this is a poor idea. This plan would leave all UARS sufferers undiagnosed and wondering what is wrong with them.

Go straight to a sleep doc.

Bill44133 wrote:I would strongly advise you to take a few minutes to view this video:

http://www.resmed.com/us/multimedia/und ... 40x380.swf

It put everything in perspective for me, and helped me understand what is going on.

I wish you well.

That is an excellent explanation. Thanks.

Sleep Studies are EXPENSIVE. It's probably actually cheaper to just get a machine, set it on the lowest level and see what it records.

This along with a Pulse Ox (that admittedly won't catch everything but will show most problems) could probably give you a good idea.

There are also home sleep studies, complete with the EEG (about $600 I believe) -- they are usually worthless for "insurance" but that isn't your issue.

Maybe the home sleep study is you best bet IF you have no insurance.

HerbM wrote:

Bill44133 wrote:I would strongly advise you to take a few minutes to view this video:

http://www.resmed.com/us/multimedia/und ... 40x380.swf

It put everything in perspective for me, and helped me understand what is going on.

I wish you well.

That is an excellent explanation. Thanks.

Your welcome

I actually used that video to explain to my family and co workers what was going on with me..
It helped every one in my life to understand why I kept falling asleep all the time.

OhHelpMe wrote:

If you have low O2 at some time, assuming you did not accidentally push the little clip off, then you go onto seeing a Sleep Doctor.

Sorry Purple, but this is a poor idea. This plan would leave all UARS sufferers undiagnosed and wondering what is wrong with them.

Go straight to a sleep doc.

OhHelpMe, I am glad you chimed in. When I said use a Recording Pulse Oximeter, I said this because it is often the standard used by insurance companies to take the next step and pay for a visit to see a specialist (sleep doc), and justify the price of the Sleep Study. I may not like it, but it is the way some insurance companies work. The other way insurance companies are so aggravating, is, as I described in my post, even though I have been on the hose for over five years, many insurance companies require that the Sleep Study prove that I still need Sleep Apnea Equipment, which in practice, means I spent a miserable five hours not sleeping, feeling a bit suffocated without any pressure. Like anyone would do Sleep Apnea Treatment if they thought they had a chance in hell of doing without it. It is another example of book keepers making medical decisions.

It is also good you chimed in because i do not have UARS, you are demonstrating the importance of the board and how it is good to have a number of different perspectives on the same issues.

There are a lot of Sleep Apnea conditions that can not be helped by simply getting a machine, setting it to a wide range auto, and the patient trying to "treat" their own problem. Sleep Apnea can be a very difficult problem to diagnose and treat properly. In fact, many have come to the board because even with the help of a Sleep Doctor, Sleep Lab, RT's, they do not get good treatment. So they come here looking for answers.

Thanks for everyone's input. I applied for financial assistance, got it, and talked with a sleep doctor this morning. I'm on my way to a sleep study this evening. The doctor seemed pretty sure I had a problem when he looked down my throat.

If I need to buy a machine, can anyone recommend a good vendor? I don't have insurance and the financial assistance won't cover the machine. Does it make any sense to look for used equipment?

Thank you!

I applied for financial assistance, got it, and talked with a sleep doctor this morning. I'm on my way to a sleep study this evening.

That's good to hear. Best to wait until you have a diagnosis and a prescription to see what machine to recommend. Just ask at the appropriate time and you will get quick answers.

Yes, there are some ways to get good used machines and new machines from unconventional, legal sources.


ChicagoGramps

You can check your local craigslist.com for cheap used machines. Also, secondwind.com also sells used machines.

Good Luck with your sleep study!

Chiming in on this to say that my sleep study in January 2014, a split study in a large clinic complex (not the hospital), was not as expensive as I expected it to be. The clinic billed me $750; I don't yet have the final amount that I will have to pay after Medicare and my insurance pay their share.

I will add that two separate overnight oximetries, while they indicated probable apnea, did not show desats of less than 90% H2O. The sleep study also showed that my oxygen levels are not lower than 90%.

I found myself in the same situation... uninsured, unable to afford a professional sleep study, and pretty sure I had sleep apnea. I bought a used Respironics M series BiPAP Auto on craigslist with a full face mask for $100, thoroughly cleaned it, and set it to Auto with a min of 4 and a max of 8. I knew I had a problem the next day when the 95% pressure was pegged at the 8cm max setting and and my AHI for the night spent at 8cm was still 89!

I know not everyone can find an Auto PAP on craigslist for $100 like that, but since I've started telling people I have this it amazes me how many people tell me they or a family member have a machine sitting unused in a closet. You could probably borrow one from someone nearby if you asked enough people or could find someone nearby on this board.

djhall wrote:I found myself in the same situation... uninsured, unable to afford a professional sleep study, and pretty sure I had sleep apnea. I bought a used Respironics M series BiPAP Auto on craigslist with a full face mask for $100, thoroughly cleaned it, and set it to Auto with a min of 4 and a max of 8. I knew I had a problem the next day when the 95% pressure was pegged at the 8cm max setting and and my AHI for the night spent at 8cm was still 89!

I know not everyone can find an Auto PAP on craigslist for $100 like that, but since I've started telling people I have this it amazes me how many people tell me they or a family member have a machine sitting unused in a closet. You could probably borrow one from someone nearby if you asked enough people or could find someone nearby on this board.

I wanted a backup / travel machine since I travel 1-2 weekends a month, and it worries me that it could get stolen. I have an S9 autoset and wanted to get an S9 of some type, even a plain old Escape, just for travel and backup. I found an S9 autoset, with fewer run hours than my own, for $200 on craigslist. It took about 3 months of looking, with several in the $350-500 range. I saw a couple for less than $300, but too far for me to travel. So, the deals are there.