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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

#241

Post by phaedrus »

HillaryBriss wrote: post #111
diob wrote: post #23

I have to adjust my own pressure as well, since I can't afford to do another sleep study (American Healthcare rocks!). The biggest difference in my sleep came from when I purchased a machine that auto adjusts based on what you need, so no one could lock me out from getting the best healthcare possible.

> I can't afford to do another sleep study (American Healthcare rocks!) I met a sleep study technician who, though convinced he actually has sleep apnea himself, said he could not afford a CPAP. Because he scrapes a living together by working as a temporary contractor for two different local sleep clinics, he does not have health insurance.

I'll do you one better - when my first wife was in nursing school, part of her education involved many hours of unpaid internship. So she was working 2 years for free giving care at a hospital she could not afford to be treated at herself and which did not have to provide her insurance.

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

#242

Post by chrisdhoover »

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…

Buy a machine from ebay

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

#243

Post by abjorn »

db48x wrote: post #177
abjorn wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to shop around when you're having a heart attack.

You're supposed to do that _before_ you have a heart attack.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 911 operator doesn't ask your preferred doctor before sending an ambulance.

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

#244

Post by patja »

paulie_a wrote: post #219
bhc wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Have you tried? I had a tough time buying a used CPAP on eBay. I had a saved search on file for over a year before I was successful. Every listing that came up, eBay would quash because of the prescription requirement. I finally got one that was a buy-it-now where the seller and I managed to consummate the deal within a few minutes of the listing going online, before the eBay secret police could remove it.

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

#245

Post by Karunamon »

colomon wrote: post #234
Karunamon wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did this - after finding out what a sleep study and a new machine would cost, I just picked up a set from Craigslist, and the difference is like night and day. Described the symptoms to a psychologist and was basically told that yeah, it’s sleep apnea, but they can’t write the prescription until the study is done. The only annoying bit is replacing the masks and headgear - they’re considered prescription medical de…

Huh? I went several years where my insurance didn't properly cover masks / headgear / tubes etc, and I just purchased them off Amazon without any difficulty.

You also had a prescription for those right? That's what I was referring to. If you get ahold of a machine without a doctor's permission slip, buying supplies is a bit more challenging.

Amazon won't sell you full mask sets, you have to buy the frame/cushion/headgear/tubing separately and put it together yourself. Usully at a very inflated markup.. recently had to pay $100 for a replacement frame after one of the headgear hooks snapped off of my F10.

Other CPAP companies online won't even talk to you without a prescription on file.

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

#246

Post by shakestheclown »

tptacek wrote: post #151
tomcam wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have gone through 3 sleep studies. No drugs were offered and I never got to sleep. You would be fully within your rights to decline any such offer and they wouldn’t give a shit anyway. Given your sleep routine I promise the study would be pure hell. They are for me. But I need that APAP.

See! You get it! If I felt I had an urgent problem I'd just deal with the study, but "feeling tired during the day" is very, very low on my list of complaints. I sort of feel like I get away with murder, biologically; I go to sleep at 1AM and get up at 7AM and do just fine. On the other hand, my wife tells me I snore and randomly stop breathing, so I have reason to believe there's something going on.

My insurance requires 3 at-home failures (as in bad data, etc) before they will even approve an in-lab. I'm sure you can request one if they don't; it's cheaper for them.

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

#247

Post by HillaryBriss »

phaedrus wrote: post #241
HillaryBriss wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can't afford to do another sleep study (American Healthcare rocks!) I met a sleep study technician who, though convinced he actually has sleep apnea himself, said he could not afford a CPAP. Because he scrapes a living together by working as a temporary contractor for two different local sleep clinics, he does not have health insurance.

I'll do you one better - when my first wife was in nursing school, part of her education involved many hours of unpaid internship. So she was working 2 years for free giving care at a hospital she could not afford to be treated at herself and which did not have to provide her insurance.

I must admit that is one better. What a system we have...

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

#248

Post by outworlder »

tptacek wrote: post #190
outworlder wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but there is just no way I'm doing a sleep study Dude. If you even have the suspicion of having sleep apnea, please get yourself tested. I do not care what your reasons are. There is no way your reasons are more important than the increased risk of stroke and heart attack, among other chronic conditions. If you do have sleep apnea, your brain (and in fact, the whole body) is getting chronically deprived of oxygen,…

When you start using a PAP machine, only then you figure out, as the brain fog is suddenly lifted and you realize how much you have been handicapped.* See, again, I am sold on the "you will be an atomic superman" argument! Give me the damn machine! :)

On the cpap subreddit, they frequently mention the 'superman phase'. As with most things, you'll adapt and that will become your new 'normal'. But for a time the contrast is striking.

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

#249

Post by njarboe »

anticensor wrote: post #231
db48x wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're supposed to do that _before_ you have a heart attack.

Congrats. You managed make it like telco market, in that everyone will subcsribe to a group of doctor for a long-term contract.

This is how a HMO works in the US and they are very popular due to lower costs than health insurance plans that allows you to go to any doctor/hospital of your choice. My experience with Kaiser in California is that they also provide better service in general, but sometimes don't have the specialty services you might need in their system.

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

#250

Post by Chris_Chambers »

colomon wrote: post #234
Karunamon wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did this - after finding out what a sleep study and a new machine would cost, I just picked up a set from Craigslist, and the difference is like night and day. Described the symptoms to a psychologist and was basically told that yeah, it’s sleep apnea, but they can’t write the prescription until the study is done. The only annoying bit is replacing the masks and headgear - they’re considered prescription medical de…

Huh? I went several years where my insurance didn't properly cover masks / headgear / tubes etc, and I just purchased them off Amazon without any difficulty.

Enjoy your counterfeit CPAP supplies.
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