no insurance
I have been raising the roof with my snoring and gasping for air for at least twenty years now. I don't have insurance, and no real income to afford a sleep study. I have been told that I go up to 15 seconds without breathing while sleeping. I cannot sleep in the same side of the house from any girlfriend who is still putting up with my snoring. I actually scare them. They think I'm going to suffocate!!! Perhaps I may find a solution or a wrong solution on Craigs list with no help from a greedy professional.
RE: no insurance
If you have sleep apnea and have remained untreated for at least twenty years, you may have some health issues that need immediate attention. Without your health, you have nothing but misery in your future. If finances or lack of insurance are problems, depending on your age, state and county, there are resources available to help you obtain needed medical help. You might want to look at this site to get assistance in your county.
http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/...tance.html.
Perhaps you can use Medicaid to help get your sleep study and a suitable machine.
Best of luck on getting the therapy you require for a restful night's sleep.
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
RE: no insurance
It's posts like this that make me so glad that I live in Australia with it's wonderful public health system. We pay a tax premium to have it but that's OK as far as I'm concerned.
Let's hope that Snoresngaspsalot can find a way to get both his sleep study and a machine.
RE: no insurance
Your safest bet is to always seek a doctor to diagnose and treat you for your problems. Unfortunately we sometimes find ourselves in positions that Drs. Etc do not fit into our available budgets. Sleep apnea is very dangerous and causes a wide range of problems and sometimes death. You may want to research in home sleep studies, think cost is $200.00 to $300.00 which is much more economical than an in lab study. In this manner with diagnosis in hand you can better choose the best type of machine to treat your particular problems, there are different machines designed for the different types of problems you may have. With the diagnosis you can post to this forum with the results gain assistance for your therapy and advice on the type machine you need. With this info. Searching for a used machine will be a better bet than just picking one and trying to make it work, lots of people learn too late they bought the wrong machine. I know that craigslist, etc. can be iffy; there are reputable second hand dealers, etc. I would suggest that you try to get an automatic machine that is able to adjust therapy to your specific needs; it will help you get the best treatment in the shortest amount of time. The key to your success is to use the knowledge of the members on this forum to guide you through every step, try not to proceed without asking questions, it will save you $$ and a lot of headaches. I realize that finances are tough, but you need to get treated.
RE: no insurance
While everyone else is going to send you to a doctor, I'll send you to Amazon for a Philips Dreamstation Auto DSX500T11. It is an auto CPAP that will provide full data. Set it on Auto, with minimum pressure of 6 and maximum pressure of 20 and collect some data, then come back here to understand it. There is a small risk the auto CPAP will not be appropriate, but you will have less than the cost of a single appointment invested to find out. Currently selling at $343. Be sure to get an appropriate mask. I like the Resmed Airfit P10 which currently sells at $49 and includes a small medium and large nasal pillow. You may find nasal therapy does not work for you, but it's a good starting place.
You could be using therapy by the end of the weekend for under $400 all-in. Good luck.
RE: no insurance
Hi snoresngaspsealot,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you with getting a machine as soon as you can so you can start treating your sleep apnea.
Keep us posted of your progress.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.
trish6hundred
RE: no insurance
I would take kwhenrykerr up on his awesome offer, that is a great thing to do for someone.
I did a craigslist search for cpap in Tampa, Fl there were lots of results. There was a Resmed S9 with a humidifier for $100, hell I buy that as a back up if I was close.
Make sure what you buy is data capable. And of course, it is craigslist be prudent. Ask here before you buy if you decide to.
Dave
RE: no insurance
Also check around locally for used machines. I can get similar or better with a 1 year warranty locally used at store.
An Airsense S10 autoset with all new mask setup 1 year warranty was 349.95 yesterday when I picked up cushions.
This could be for first run while dialing stuff in.
When you really know what you need, then you can sell that one and get a great brand new one for monthly payments on some of the vendors at no interest. You can do this if you need a bipap.
YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A general all around check is in order whatever way you can get it.
You probably have high blood pressure.
Naturally docs steer you to what they like using best rather than most affordable.
Some meds are as cheap as 4 dollars a month.
If you post here or PM me what they prescribe you I can find out what is the cheapest option available and you can ask doc to prescribe that one (not me, have friends in pharmacy biz.)
Good luck!
