My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018
I am a 30 year old male. I am 6’6 and 429 lbs. I was diagnosed with severe OSA about a year ago and I received a cpap machine. I didn’t use it enough and the insurance (medicaid) came and and repossesed it. I am desperately trying to get it back now. Sleep apnea is killing me. My blood pressure stays at stroke levels, I a me gain I gaining weight uncontrolably, 3 different bp meds and none work. My doctor says it’s all because of osa. Any advice in the mean time?
RE: My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018.
I curious, why did you not use the cpap when you originally got one?
When I got my first machine, the sleep doc told me that if I didn't use every night, one morning I'd not wake up. Since then I've never slept a night without a cpap blowing air up my nasal passages!
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.
ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.
RE: My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018.
You can probably find a used one online and buy one right now. Also you might want to talk to your Doctor about Bariatric surgery. Even though CPAP can help with high blood pressure one side effect can be weight gain. Not always but it happens.
RE: My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018.
(08-30-2018, 08:12 PM)UKwildcatfan Wrote: I am a 30 year old male. I am 6’6 and 429 lbs. I was diagnosed with severe OSA about a year ago and I received a cpap machine. I didn’t use it enough and the insurance (medicaid) came and and repossesed it. I am desperately trying to get it back now. Sleep apnea is killing me. My blood pressure stays at stroke levels, I a me gain I gaining weight uncontrolably, 3 different bp meds and none work. My doctor says it’s all because of osa. Any advice in the mean time?
You have a number of options, and I'll let you tell us why these will not work for you. To help with your case, you should request copies of any sleep study and recommendation that determined you have OSA and require CPAP. Also obtain a copy of the prescription for your original CPAP, or request that a new prescription be isssued. If nothing else, having these records will help you to obtain equipment on your own, or to appeal your case to medicaid. You may request your medical records and test results, and copies of those records must be made available to you under HIPAA (federal law).
The easiest and fastest way to be treated is to buy a CPAP on Craigslist. There are very inexpensive deals on newer machines available in most markets, mostly from people that don't want to use the machine, or think they don't need it.
Your sleep apnea has not gone anywhere, and your records can help your re-establish the need for equipment. Call your Medicaid office and ask what can be done to qualify for a new compliance trial.
If you cannot get a machine through Medicare, and cannot afford one through Craigslist, the American Sleep Apnea Association provides machines.
The ASAA’s CPAP Assistance Program (CAP) has provided over 5,000 CPAP equipment packages to patients in need over the last three years. It is our mission to help as many patients as possible get the treatment that they need. No one should go untreated due to financial hardship or other issues. This program is not totally free and I would consider it a last resort.
08-31-2018, 02:29 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-31-2018, 02:31 AM by Louis R..)
RE: My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018.
I sold an older model ResMed to a buyer found on eBay over a year ago, eBay ended up removing the listing because of doctor's prescription issues but he had made contact with me already so I sold it to him directly. He had issues with his insurance not covering one and needed a machine ASAP. He said that he could program it himself.
If you say your situation is that severe, I would get one pronto and try to program it with the settings that your other one had. Try Craig's List or even eBay... people sneak them in until the listings are removed. Try Offer-up too.
I went many years suffering from OSA but did not hook up because the original machine I got came with a full-face mask and I couldn't tolerate them. Over three years ago I had a sleep study and I was found to have an AHI of 60, but this time they hooked me up in the second part of the study to a machine using ResMed P10 nasal pillows... Bingo! I haven't been without my machine since. My AHI now stays at an average of .50. Reason why the full-face mask wasn't working was I'm not a mouth breather and I would wake up choking during the night.
RE: My sleep study isn’t until 10/18/2018
Instead of waiting for your appointment, buy a used machine on Craigslist or a new one from Amazon. Get one that downloads data from Sleepyhead. Get on board now - waiting until your sleep study with the critical problems you have now potentially could create more. I wasn't even able to drive any more - so I'm glad I got the S9 and got help here on setting it up.
