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ZolliStar replied to ZolliStar's discussion What's the Right Machine?"This helps a lot, Terry! Thanks for letting me know.
How is your dog??
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Terry Vella replied to ZolliStar's discussion What's the Right Machine?"ZolliStar, I went straight to an auto so can't really compare but from what I have heard there are two major benefits, first, the comfort factor of not having the high pressure all night and second, it adjusts to what you require, so if you use…"
Mary Z replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"Ginny, they are probably not doing anything against the law- though it may seem like fraud to us it may be an accepted practice. I would rather change DME's. Have you talked to the manager. They don't want to lose your…"
Ginny Edmundson replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"It really burns me up that they are doing things like this. Monday I am going to lok up th eMedicare complaint number and give them an ear full.
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RockRpsgt replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"Companies like this will have to pay in the end. Medicare is taking no prisoners in their effort to reform medicare fraud."
RockRpsgt replied to Mary Z's discussion Symptoms"I had zero symptoms. I was testing equipment one night and fell asleep hooked up. When I woke up my doc said I had an AHI of 10 with 30 second events. I have been on PAP ever since."
Ginny Edmundson replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"I just use a large rubber band and safety pin to attach i tho the sheet. It doesn't exactly kink, but rather seems to have almost bends that don't quite ever go away. I have one that doesn't but all the others seem to.…"
Mary Z replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"My light weight tubing does not have a tendency to kink. It just hangs down from the stand and comes back up to the bed. I tried a hose hanger, but bought the cheaper travel model and it just wasn't up to the task."
Ginny Edmundson replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"I was really surprised when the congestion improved without the humidification. Yes, I use the lighter weight tubing too. Do you have trouble getting the bends and kinks out of them???? I have one favorite that is broken in and I hate…"
Mary Z replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"The reasoning behind changing the tubing is that it may develop small holes or tears which causing leakage. I am careful with my tubing and don't have any animals or children playing with the tubing. I don't feel like they have…"
Ginny Edmundson replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"I have ben using one of my cushions for 3 months now. I think I will just see how long I can actually use it without leaks before I replace it. I wonder if it is OK that I do not replace the tubing but about every 6 months???? I…"
Mary Z replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"I agree Ginny, it does come out of all our pockets. I too have Medicare with a Humana supplement and insurance with my partners work. This is the only year I will have anything but Medicare and supplement. My last two Medicare…"
Terry Vella replied to Mary Z's discussion Symptoms"Good post Mary, I was like you when I was younger but the the sleep deprivation really started kicking in a few years ago my symptoms change, actually didn't change but got much, much worse. I was diagnosed with depression and on meds for 2…"
Mary Z posted a discussionSymptoms
Just trying to drum up a few posts-What symptoms did you have that got you to the sleep apnea diagnosis?I was excessively tired during the day- falling asleep eating breakfast and standing on my feet. I couldn't drive or stay awake during appointments. I thought this was the beginning of my apnea. Then I remembered the mandatory 4-5 hour naps in the afternoon when I was dead to the world. That must have been the real beginning. I went to my family practice doctor hoping for a prescription…See More
Ginny Edmundson replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"My insurance is Medicare plus supplement. SO I pay nothing out of my pocket. BUT it is coming out of ALL out pockets...........My DME is a nationally known company. I am really thinking of calling the medicare hotline.
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Mary Z replied to Ginny Edmundson's discussion New "Rant" about DME/Wisp"I think this kind of behavior may be the norm with DMEs. I happen to have one of the good ones so I'm lucky. It would be great if you called your insurance company. You can steal millions if you steal $40 from a bunch of…"
Ginny Edmundson commented on Mary Z's status"I was thinking the same thing, Mary. I did make a new post today regarding the Wisp and my DME."
Ginny Edmundson posted a discussionNew "Rant" about DME/Wisp
Well, it had been three months since I received my original Wisp. And while it is still working well I wanted a "spare" on hand...just in case! So I called my DME to ask if they had the one with the fabric frame in stock. They did. The next day I drove there and picked up the new mask and one extra cushion. All to be billed to my Insurance. When I got home I realized they had the clear frame and not the fabric. I called and told them I would take it back today and exchange for the…See More
Who is compliant with their CPAP and what does that mean?
I am a newbie to this site. In the past three months I have been obessessed about sleep apnea. I am trying to make a decision with the different ways of treatment and in typical fashion am trying to immerse myself in this.
For CPAP users, I know that compliance is greater than 4 hours a night. every night. However, I feel that if I am not wearing the mask for the full eight hours it isn't good enough and will damage my health.
Does anybody know the answer if I wear it for 4 hours and then don't wear it for 4 hours as I pull it off my face, if I will get the health benefits. I do feel rested.
I am getting totally obessed with this OSA and am forgetting to live life. I scheduled an MMA surgery on February 23,2010 but am lookinn for other solutions which include a dental device.
BEst regards
JAckie
Views: 316
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on -
Jackie, my impression, and I may be off base, is that 4 hours is considered compliance from an insurance compliance point of view. I don't know what most docs call compliance. I use mine all night everynight.
Mary Z.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on -
I do believe that you should wear your CPAP 100% of the time when sleeping for full benefits. Wearing it for 4 hours is better than nothing. take baby steps. Insurance requirements and owning your machine should be your first goal. By achieving these you will become 100% compliant. Studies have shown that people in your situation our better off than you might think. If you use your unit everynight you are building muscle memory due to the residual effects of CPAP. Which means that the time after you take off your mask is not the big health risk that you might think. A person that wears their CPAP religiously and then stops for a day or 2 will have some reduction in the original severity (AHI) of their apnea. It generally takes 2-7 days for apnea to return to it's original severity after a cessation in PAP use. I hope this helps. Good luck and welcome to sleepguide.
Rock
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on -
Mary is right about compliance being measured that way for insurance purposes.
To get maximum benefit you need to try to work up to using your machine all night while you sleep. I use mine even when napping. If I lay down to rest, I put my mask and turn my machine on since there is the possiblity of falling asleep.
I don't know who is doing your surgery, but be aware that surgery isn't always successful and may even leave the patient worse off. Check the doctor's credentials carefully and see what the ratio is in his success rate.
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Permalink Reply by Mike on -
Jackie, I agree with what the others have said: 4 hours a night is a good start, but at the end of the day, it amounts to an arbitrary cut-off point for where insurance companies will reimburse your equipment supplier for the machine and mask. But have no fear: you will get better at wearing it for longer periods of time. The commitment you're showing toward your treatment will guarantee that.
I'd tread very carefully with respect to the MMA surgery. If I were you, I'd cancel it for the time being until I really gave CPAP a much better shot. MMA surgery is major, major surgery, and the way people judge it a success or not more or less boils down to the same kind of arbitrary line in the sand that is drawn for CPAP "compliance," meaning even if it doesn't reduce your symptoms to a healthy level, the surgery can still be considered a "success."
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Permalink Reply by Christine Myers on -
Thanks Rock for your comment here. I have had my CPAP Resmed for a year and have yet to have a restful sleep. I use it religiously for several weeks and then take a few days off. Nice to know that I may be getting some benefits. Right now the mask is just incredibly loud and I haven't been able to adjust it sufficiently enough but given some feedback at this site I do plan to stay with this process until I've had at least one night's good sleep.
Rock Hinkle said:I do believe that you should wear your CPAP 100% of the time when sleeping for full benefits. Wearing it for 4 hours is better than nothing. take baby steps. Insurance requirements and owning your machine should be your first goal. By achieving these you will become 100% compliant. Studies have shown that people in your situation our better off than you might think. If you use your unit everynight you are building muscle memory due to the residual effects of CPAP. Which means that the time after you take off your mask is not the big health risk that you might think. A person that wears their CPAP religiously and then stops for a day or 2 will have some reduction in the original severity (AHI) of their apnea. It generally takes 2-7 days for apnea to return to it's original severity after a cessation in PAP use. I hope this helps. Good luck and welcome to sleepguide.
Rock
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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Christine, not all masks are loud. I tried a Mojo gel mask and took it right off. The vents were placed in such a way that they made a loud noise. I use a mirage quattro FFM and am quite satisfied with the level of noise.
Good luck,
Mary Z.
Christine Myers said:Thanks . Right now the mask is just incredibly loud and I haven't been able to adjust it sufficiently enough but given some feedback at this site I do plan to stay with this process until I've had at least one night's good sleep.
Rock Hinkle said:
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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What size mask are you wearing. Sometimes a noise or leak problem can mean that you need to downsize to a smaller mask. Mask fitting is an art. I have found that you can't look at the overall size of a person for mask fitting. You have to examine the size of that persons features. ie: mouth, nose, and even the spacing of said features. I have fitted small mask on the biggest and large on the smallest of people if that is what is needed.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher Gilliard on -
Christine, I totally agree with Rock, despite having a "wide" head, I have a small size Mirage gel mask. It is remarkably quieter than the original one I had, I think the size and number of vent holes contribute to the noise, the more and smaller there are, the quieter I've found. Another aspect is the sound conduction. If the hard parts of my mask come in contact with my mattress which is very firm, it sounds like the air conditioning blowers on an aircraft in my ears %-) but other people in the room say they can barely hear anything. Obstructing the flow from the mask vents, eg: by holding a book close, makes the exhaust seem quite loud to me too. I'd be interested to know if anyone else finds these factors influence the loudness of their mask.
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Permalink Reply by Tim on -
Some masks are louder than others and the pressure also affects how loud it is.
Insurance companies have set an arbitrary four hours per night to judge compliance for their purposes
In the real world, full compliance means that you wear your mask for the entire time that you sleep; this includes naps.
I have been on CPAP going on 15 years and except for the first few weeks and a few times when I fell asleep watching TV, I have been 100% compliant the entire time.
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Permalink Reply by Christine Myers on
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Did you take you a while to acclimate to this process? I realize it was a number of years ago but I'm still working to get some relief. I figured out yesterday my mask problem too much air pressure was coming through. Thank you for your input.
Tim said:Some masks are louder than others and the pressure also affects how loud it is.
Insurance companies have set an arbitrary four hours per night to judge compliance for their purposes
In the real world, full compliance means that you wear your mask for the entire time that you sleep; this includes naps.
I have been on CPAP going on 15 years and except for the first few weeks and a few times when I fell asleep watching TV, I have been 100% compliant the entire time.
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Permalink Reply by Christine Myers on
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Rock, I am using the smallest mask gel mask. I was playing around with the mask yesterday and this is a small almost rubber like tab that was pushed up against the inside of the tubing. Once I adjusted this, the sound dropped considerably so thank you for your suggestion, I really appreciate the input.
Rock Hinkle said:What size mask are you wearing. Sometimes a noise or leak problem can mean that you need to downsize to a smaller mask. Mask fitting is an art. I have found that you can't look at the overall size of a person for mask fitting. You have to examine the size of that persons features. ie: mouth, nose, and even the spacing of said features. I have fitted small mask on the biggest and large on the smallest of people if that is what is needed.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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No problem Christine. Your post brings up a valid point. Not to long ago I had a pt that for hours had no problem with his CPAP. All of a sudden a very high leak. I adjusted and tightened several times to fix the problem. Finally I decided to rebuild the mask. Sure enough the liner had popped out just enough to make a tiny hole. Taking the mask apart and rebuilding solved the problem. Noise and leak.
Christine Myers said:Rock, I am using the smallest mask gel mask. I was playing around with the mask yesterday and this is a small almost rubber like tab that was pushed up against the inside of the tubing. Once I adjusted this, the sound dropped considerably so thank you for your suggestion, I really appreciate the input.
Rock Hinkle said:What size mask are you wearing. Sometimes a noise or leak problem can mean that you need to downsize to a smaller mask. Mask fitting is an art. I have found that you can't look at the overall size of a person for mask fitting. You have to examine the size of that persons features. ie: mouth, nose, and even the spacing of said features. I have fitted small mask on the biggest and large on the smallest of people if that is what is needed.
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