Quote:
Originally Posted by GpaVader
I have been a CPAP user for almost 10 years. I did follow up with my pulmonologist about 6 months after I got on my machine, but after that it was an every other year appointment so I could get my prescription refills for supplies. I got my primary to take things over.
Use is pretty much as described above but two things to keep in mind:
1) surpirised no one said to keep the gear clean, I clean mine weekly but also use a So Clean to clean the mask and hose nightly. I don't run it through my machine because it is not rated for that. But I clean the resivour hose and mask weekly in mild detergent as was recommended by physician and the durable medical device provider.
2) you do have a few settings you may want/need to tinker with depending on the time of year and your sleeping habits. The main one I watch is the humidity levels. This is important, especially during the summer, so you don't end up with a bunch of water in your hose. Ask me how I know... the settings are usually something you work with your doctor if you are not sleeping well with it.
If you are struggling with the device sometimes its not the device but the type of mask you are using. This relates back to how you sleep. I sometimes sleep with my mouth open so I opted for a full face mask as opposed to just over the nose. I've tried both and find I get better results with the full face. I do have times where I wake up closterphobic and I have to take it off but that only happens on rare occasions. Good luck with the CPAP, it's made a world of difference for me but it does take some getting used to.
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Do you know what the Medicare charges for the machine and supplies would be? My current ResMed was obtained while I was on private health insurance. I found that out of pocket replacement parts from Amazon were more convenient and less expensive than from the original provider. I notice that I can buy a new CPAP machine online (including a "prescription") for less than I paid originally in insurance deductibles. I would also not need to prove that I met the reimbursement usage levels.