CPAP without a sleep study/prescription

[Evom1]

Hey guys, so for years I've felt like I may have sleep apnea, girlfriends have said the way I breathe when I sleep sometimes scares them. I notice I'm tired all the time even with 8-10hrs of sleep every night and a very solid diet.

I just listened to Stan Efferdings newest rant about REM sleep. He implied just going online and getting a CPAP off Craigslist and not doing the sleep study if you can't afford it.

He said something to the effect of "now for legal purposes I have to say you can go wait three months for a sleep study and pay a couple thousand dollars on a machine I bought off Craigslist for $200 and I sleep like a baby."

No health insurance, and I don't have an extra $1000-$2000 sitting around to spend on it. Are there any risks or dangers to using a CPAP without having specific instructions from a physician? Or is this something that a fairly smart individual can educate themselves on enough through researching online to safely utilize the machine?


**BONUS QUESTION!**
Do you have a CPAP? Could you recommend the mask you've found works the best for you so that others can research it? Do you have any do's and don'ts you've learned that you'd like to share with the rest of us?

 

[Dale338]

The sleep study, needing a prescription for a cpap and all the other crap yielding you spending $5000-$10000 to end up with a machine that pumps air and a mask is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on people in my humble opinion. Yes, there is a science to it, yes you should use some patience, trial and error to tweak things etc, but if you have obstructed breathing while sleeping, you general know it, or your SO will know it.

When I was a bit overweight like twenty years ago, I had it and bought my own CPAP, calibrated it, played with some masks, got used to it and cured my apnea. I lost weight, got off it in a year. I had no insurance and it would have cost me $10,000 out of pocket for all the crap they put you though. I just bought an almost new used machine and then bought a few masks until I found the right one. Problem solved.
The amazing thing, is even people who go the "legal" route end up tweaking and adjusting things on their own anyhow.

I spent less than maybe $800 total. Sold the machine for what I had into it a year later.

Most of these machines have auto adjust anyhow.

 

[janoshik]

Hey guys, so for years I've felt like I may have sleep apnea, girlfriends have said the way I breathe when I sleep sometimes scares them. I notice I'm tired all the time even with 8-10hrs of sleep every night and a very solid diet.

I just listened to Stan Efferdings newest rant about REM sleep. He implied just going online and getting a CPAP off Craigslist and not doing the sleep study if you can't afford it.

He said something to the effect of "now for legal purposes I have to say you can go wait three months for a sleep study and pay a couple thousand dollars on a machine I bought off Craigslist for $200 and I sleep like a baby."

No health insurance, and I don't have an extra $1000-$2000 sitting around to spend on it. Are there any risks or dangers to using a CPAP without having specific instructions from a physician? Or is this something that a fairly smart individual can educate themselves on enough through researching online to safely utilize the machine?


**BONUS QUESTION!**
Do you have a CPAP? Could you recommend the mask you've found works the best for you so that others can research it? Do you have any do's and don'ts you've learned that you'd like to share with the rest of us?

Have somebody stay up next to you and measure the amount and length of pauses.

There are no risks associated with using CPAP without apnea... You might get a bit dry or uncomfortable, but that can be solved with more fitting mask and the new machines have air moisturizing thing in them. You should be able to judge if it helps you soon enough.

It definitely is something that a fairly smart individual can educate themselves on enough through researching online.



I've used CPAP for a little while, but with losing BF% and sleeping on side I don't need it anymore.

 

[Evom1]

Oh I'm pretty positive I have apnea. I just meant is there a risk to using it and setting the pressure myself vs with the help of a doctor. Girlfriends for years have said I stop breathing in my sleep, or gasp for air etc.

Just quickly looking on Craigslist most state they have a heated humidifier in them

 

[janoshik]

Oh I'm pretty positive I have apnea. I just meant is there a risk to using it and setting the pressure myself vs with the help of a doctor. Girlfriends for years have said I stop breathing in my sleep, or gasp for air etc.

Just quickly looking on Craigslist most state they have a heated humidifier in them

That's the same way I had realized I might have a problem.

The pressure settings vary even in the same patient A LOT. I had autoadjusting machine and when I lost laughable 5 kg I could feel the pressure was a lot lower.

Is it possible for you to get AUTOCPAP?

 

[Wunderpus]

Interested to learn more about this... @Eman you still using that CPAP? I am supposed to get a sleep study done next month for my apnea.

 

[Evom1]

Is it possible for you to get AUTOCPAP?

I'd imagine it's just as easy to get.

Without quickly googling that, I'll assume that it's a CPAP that automatically regulates pressure which essentially eliminates the need for calibration?

 

[Eman]

Interested to learn more about this... @Eman you still using that CPAP? I am supposed to get a sleep study done next month for my apnea.

I stopped for a little while but I'm back on it. I'm going to get new mask... The one I have now is SO temperamental. Silent one night and loud the next, can't figure out why.

I would def opt for going to a doctor if possible. However, if insurance doesn't cover it I would look into alternatives because it would be ridiculously expensive to pay out of pocket.

 

[Evom1]

However, if insurance doesn't cover it I would look into alternatives because it would be ridiculously expensive to pay out of pocket.

No insurance... That's why I'm looking for an alternative route

 

[Eman]

No insurance... That's why I'm looking for an alternative route

Yeah, I saw and didn't have much advice to offer based on that. Obviously going through insurance is ideal but if you can figure out another way since you don't have it, definitely figure something out.

Sleep apnea is, imo, one of the most overlooked issues for sports that have bigger guys. Tons of football players, bodybuilders, etc have it and it WILL kill you. Combining AAS with sleep apnea is a bad combo when left untreated.

 

[janoshik]

I'd imagine it's just as easy to get.

Without quickly googling that, I'll assume that it's a CPAP that automatically regulates pressure which essentially eliminates the need for calibration?

Yes. Sounds like a good option for you.

But you seriously should assess the severity of your individual case - amount and length of apnoic pauses. Anybody with a stopwatch can do this.


Or you could look into getting a logging oximeter - it's a simple cheap machine you put on your finger and it logs the oxygen level in your blood. You should be able to rent or even buy it very cheap. ( an example - probably not ideal - but just to give you an idea - )

The data from that alone are enough to indicate using CPAP.

You should be able to find enough sources that will allow you to interpret the data from oximeter in regard to severity of apnea. If you won't hit me up.


EDIT: the amazon link doesn't work, so just put logging oximeter into google

 

[Eman]

Yes. Sounds like a good option for you.

But you seriously should assess the severity of your individual case - amount and length of apnoic pauses. Anybody with a stopwatch can do this.


Or you could look into getting a logging oximeter - it's a simple cheap machine you put on your finger and it logs the oxygen level in your blood. You should be able to rent or even buy it very cheap. ( an example - probably not ideal - but just to give you an idea - )

The data from that alone are enough to indicate using CPAP.

You should be able to find enough sources that will allow you to interpret the data from oximeter in regard to severity of apnea. If you won't hit me up.


EDIT: the amazon link doesn't work, so just put logging oximeter into google

I actually think getting an auto regulating CPAP right away is probably a better option.

An oximeter is one of the tests used during an at home sleep study, but they are notorious for being unreliable. They're just barely enough to indicate yes or no for apnea diagnosis.

Get an auto reg CPAP and it'll tell you what pressure you need through the night. If you can figure out how to get those readings...

I understand what you're suggesting though, just seems like six in one hand half a dozen in the other.

 

[janoshik]

I actually think getting an auto regulating CPAP right away is probably a better option.

An oximeter is one of the tests used during an at home sleep study, but they are notorious for being unreliable. They're just barely enough to indicate yes or no for apnea diagnosis.

Get an auto reg CPAP and it'll tell you what pressure you need through the night. If you can figure out how to get those readings...

I understand what you're suggesting though, just seems like six in one hand half a dozen in the other.

Yeah, I agree with you completely.

(Except the last sentence, I'm not 100% about some idioms - does it mean that we are saying the same thing just different way?)

 

[Eman]

Except the last sentence, I'm not 100% about some idioms - does it mean that we are saying the same thing just different way

Yes, pretty much.

 

[janoshik]

Yes, pretty much.

Thanks

 

[turcao]

www.secondwindcpap.com

Refurbished (and new) units, no script needed

 

[w1ck3d]

i use these 2, but i have insurance so it was all pre calibrated and whatnot... I think it was one of the greatest things i have ever used and now adays i can't sleep without it