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Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

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Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#211

Post by jparishy »

While this thread is on the front page, I wanted to chime and say I had a good experience with the folks at https://www.rpmhst.com

They do home sleep testing and will write a prescription for a PAP machine. The discount of buying one through them is also pretty good. I got a ResMed AirSense 10 and it's been very helpful and I'm grateful that I didn't have to go through an in-clinic sleep test and could just pay for this out of pocket with a fixed price. Not associated with them, just a fan. I found them through the r/SleepApnea subreddit which is a good place to discuss this sort of thing.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#212

Post by axaxs »

mullingitover wrote: post #101
njarboe wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost nothing about the American healthcare system has anything to do with a free markets. From medical schools, to opening a new hospital, to pricing, to forced insurance, healthcare tied to employment, companies or government pay for almost all of it, FDA drug approval process, etc. Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all.

> Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all. The free market is simply incompatible with health care. Imagine a world where, any time you have a life-threatening health problem, you can expect to transfer everything you own to the hospital, since they have perfect leverage over you.

Not true. Healthcare is pretty much the opposite of a free market. In a true free market, healthcare costs would tank.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#213

Post by BurningFrog »

bhc wrote: post #193
goshx wrote: post #141

I was using a CPAP machine that I couldn't see the data nor extract it to use with SleppyHead. It was awful because the appointments with the doctor were 6 months apart and they were basically about a lot of leak detected by the machine and let's try to adjust it and see in 6 months if it was fixed. Awful. Almost 3 years later I requested another sleep study because I was done with no progress. The study found out th…

How do people obtain regulated medical devices like CPAP without a prescription? I assume a sleep study is required to get a prescription from a doctor.

You can buy used ones from someone who has bought it with a prescription.

It can be preferable to going through the "proper channels", since it can take many months to get the machine through the US medical system, and you need to get some goddamn SLEEP.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#214

Post by danielparks »

auntienomen wrote: post #203
tptacek wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I probably will sometime in 2019 (for totally unrelated reasons having to do with insomniaphobia, I have a pretty odd sleeping arrangement that involves me sleeping mostly upright these days which I'm told has mitigated this problem). I'm just saying: if I could just buy the damned APAP and try it out, I would do that first. Friends who've gotten sleep studies have uniformly described it as simply a hurdle to getting…

You can just buy the damned APAP. The gear I use can be had off Amazon for about $700. A Respironics Dreamstation, and a Resmed Swift FX nasal pillow with headgear and quick connect hose. Probably cheaper if insurance covers it, but you don't actually need it. If you think you can breathe through your nose with your mouth closed, the nasal pillows are nicer. If not, get a mask. They're nice to have anyways, if colds…

Weirdly, the nasal pillows don't work for me — my AHI is higher when I use them instead of my nose mask.

Fortunately, the masks/pillows aren't super expensive, so folks can experiment.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#215

Post by BurningFrog »

ridgeguy wrote: post #164
nulagrithom wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counter-anecdote: My particular doctor shoots for an AHI around 10, which is still mild sleep apnea (5 is the threshold) and is still high enough to get you diagnosed and provided a CPAP in the first place. So for 6 months my AHI hovered around 8 or 9, occasionally spiking to 12 (which made me really feel like crap). My technician won't adjust without doctor's orders (and incidentally also told me I'd fry the entire…

CPAP with humidifier user here. About nondistilled water: My humidifier has a heated metal plate in the bottom of the tank. Its temperature is set on a humidifier scale of 1-8, plate temperature increases from 1-8. Evaporation of nondistilled water will leave mineral deposits behind. Deposits decrease thermal conductance between heated plate and water. This will reduce evaporation rate, reducing effective humidity fo…

> Evaporation of nondistilled water will leave mineral deposits behind

This is true, but it will take weeks or months, depending on your water quality, and is easily cleaned if you know how.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#216

Post by BurningFrog »

tptacek wrote: post #167
tomcam wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> my wife tells me I snore and randomly stop breathing This is bad for her and worse for you. You have an apnea for sure. You’re losing brain cells unnecessarily. Luckily I know your posting history and you can obviously afford them. I can’t! But for your wife’s sake get a home sleep study.

I probably will sometime in 2019 (for totally unrelated reasons having to do with insomniaphobia, I have a pretty odd sleeping arrangement that involves me sleeping mostly upright these days which I'm told has mitigated this problem). I'm just saying: if I could just buy the damned APAP and try it out, I would do that first. Friends who've gotten sleep studies have uniformly described it as simply a hurdle to getting…

You can buy used CPAP/APAP machines from Craigslist or wherever used things are sold. Or so I'm told.

You should do it so your wife can sleep at night instead of hearing your snoring, even if you don't care about being healthy yourself. Sheesh...

There are many, many stubborn guys who refuse to try CPAP machines for years and years, and regret their lost years enormously afterwords. When you get to your sleep doctor, he can tell you what an archetype you are.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#217

Post by FPGAhacker »

BurningFrog wrote: post #215
ridgeguy wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

CPAP with humidifier user here. About nondistilled water: My humidifier has a heated metal plate in the bottom of the tank. Its temperature is set on a humidifier scale of 1-8, plate temperature increases from 1-8. Evaporation of nondistilled water will leave mineral deposits behind. Deposits decrease thermal conductance between heated plate and water. This will reduce evaporation rate, reducing effective humidity fo…

> Evaporation of nondistilled water will leave mineral deposits behind This is true, but it will take weeks or months, depending on your water quality, and is easily cleaned if you know how.

Days in seattle

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#218

Post by russdpale »

the_clarence wrote: post #195
all_blue_chucks wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The primary symptoms are snoring and fatigue.

How much fatigue though? I'm often tired but I've gotten used to it and can go through my day.

Ever fallen asleep on the shitter? Or just suddenly out of nowhere an extremely strong urge to sleep?

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#219

Post by paulie_a »

bhc wrote: post #193
goshx wrote: post #141

I was using a CPAP machine that I couldn't see the data nor extract it to use with SleppyHead. It was awful because the appointments with the doctor were 6 months apart and they were basically about a lot of leak detected by the machine and let's try to adjust it and see in 6 months if it was fixed. Awful. Almost 3 years later I requested another sleep study because I was done with no progress. The study found out th…

How do people obtain regulated medical devices like CPAP without a prescription? I assume a sleep study is required to get a prescription from a doctor.

You literally can buy them on eBay.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#220

Post by synaesthesisx »

surds wrote: post #68

I did read an article early this year where an individual died on a camping trip as he was not carrying his CPAP. So, yes, it does vary for each individual but sleep apnea can be deadly. Also, I cannot recommend enough anyone showing any symptoms of sleep apnea to get it checked out. I started using CPAP just over 2 years ago now and it has been a life changing experience, even though the study suggested only a 'Mild…

I wasn't aware it was possible to die from apnea - does the body not wake itself up when oxygen drops?
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