Anyone here start CPAP without a sleep study first?

[Maly]

So my snoring & sleep issues has gotten completely out of hand. My GF recorded me and showed me the recording and I couldn't believe what I heard and now I've basically been kicked out of the bedroom
She also says I stop breathing and then gasp for air, which sounds a lot like sleep apnea. Would explain why I've been feeling like absolute trash for the past couple of years, no energy and never feeling rested no matter how long I sleep.

I did go to my doctor and she suggested a sleep study, but the earliest appointment is in like 8 months… which honestly feels insane.

So now I'm thinking of just buying a CPAP/APAP myself. From what I've seen, the Philips DreamStation and ResMed AirSense 10 / ResMed AirSense 11 seem to be the main options available here in the EU without a prescription. I'm leaning toward something auto adjusting so I don't have to mess around too much with settings or calibration.

Does this sound like a dumb idea, or would you just wait the 8 months?
Also any tips on machines or masks? Kinda overwhelmed by all the options (and the price tbh), but at this point I feel like garbage every day.

 

[MasMaus]

Dr's are going to request a sleep study because that's the default. Do they not offer an at home test? It's not as accurate but it's a device you can use in your own bed and if your case is as severe as you say then it should be good enough.

I don't have full blown sleep apnea but I don't breath well in my sleep so the things I've done are tennis ball sewn to a shirt (on the back) and sleeping on my side with a pillow between my legs and a pillow behind me. On your side you'll breath more freely. I would at least try these methods while you wait for your study or your machine should you order one.

 

[chingaling]

I went the doctor route and insurance route.
If I had to do it again, I would just grab a used machine off of craigslist or buy one new outright. You can adjust the pressure yourself. It’s not rocket science. As far the machine goes. I just got the an Airsense 11 last week. It’s the machine that most docs are issuing out now.

 

[specter]

I went straight on no sleep study, i have obstructive apnea no doubt, i snore so loud i would wake up myself and i woke up so fast i could hear my self snore it was a fuckin weird experience. So i watched a Australian guy on youtube who is kinda of a cpap expert, got my self a machine who has auto settings, then i learned how to adjust the machine and it works perfect for me, i still snore but at an absolute 0 low level, i can se my events etc on the machine and they are low.

 

[Kreatine66]

I bought my own CPAP and use it. No need for a sleep study. (for me)... Some may think they need it.
I know I have snoring/apnea issues and it fixed those.

 

[Maly]

I went straight on no sleep study, i have obstructive apnea no doubt, i snore so loud i would wake up myself and i woke up so fast i could hear my self snore it was a fuckin weird experience. So i watched a Australian guy on youtube who is kinda of a cpap expert, got my self a machine who has auto settings, then i learned how to adjust the machine and it works perfect for me, i still snore but at an absolute 0 low level, i can se my events etc on the machine and they are low.

I bought my own CPAP and use it. No need for a sleep study. (for me)... Some may think they need it.
I know I have snoring/apnea issues and it fixed those.

Thanks for the input. I've decided I'm just gonna go ahead and get one next week. Worst case, if it doesn't help, I'll still do the sleep study when my appointment comes up in 8 months.
Out of curiosity, which one did you end up getting? And do you happen to have a link to that Australian guy on YouTube you mentioned?


I also did one of those online questionnaires and scored super high… basically checked almost every box

 

[Son_of_Seamus]

Try Lofta for an inexpensive (< $200) basic at home sleep study. They mail the test to you and it is incredibly easy. They will give you a script and you can buy your machine from them or not. I was in a hurry, not concerned about going through insurance and frankly didn't have time for a more conventional approach. I bought my machine through them and the prescribed pressure settings were automatically uploaded into the machine via the app. I am using a Resmed Airsense 11 Autoset with Resmed P10 nose pillows. I tried a nose mask and preferred the pillows. There is an adjustment period but I already actually prefer sleeping with it on.
I offer no expertise with this post, just my recent experience. Also, request a copy of your script so you have it to use as you like.
Good luck.

 

[Powerlifter]

Where did you guys buy your cpaps without a script?

 

[Keefs]

My cpap changed my life! I didn’t realize how bad it was. I was just like you are feeling now. Like you’re not rested no matter how much you sleep. I went the sleep study route and got insurance to cover it but it only took a couple of weeks in my case. It’s definitely worth just paying for it outright if you can. From the sound of it, you definitely have obstructive sleep apnea.

 

[hawkmoon]

I was going to go that route, but would have to import the machine to Japan whch was a logistical nightmare.
At least here rental is an excellent deal overall.

 

[Haggelus]

If you are pretty much sure you have it, 8 months is very long time to wait and suffer from bad sleep. I would just go and get it yourself. That's what I did and it was a life saver. No sleep study needed. I have the Resmed Airsense 10 which is auto adjust and love it.

 

[massephase]

So my snoring & sleep issues has gotten completely out of hand. My GF recorded me and showed me the recording and I couldn't believe what I heard and now I've basically been kicked out of the bedroom
She also says I stop breathing and then gasp for air, which sounds a lot like sleep apnea. Would explain why I've been feeling like absolute trash for the past couple of years, no energy and never feeling rested no matter how long I sleep.

I did go to my doctor and she suggested a sleep study, but the earliest appointment is in like 8 months… which honestly feels insane.

So now I'm thinking of just buying a CPAP/APAP myself. From what I've seen, the Philips DreamStation and ResMed AirSense 10 / ResMed AirSense 11 seem to be the main options available here in the EU without a prescription. I'm leaning toward something auto adjusting so I don't have to mess around too much with settings or calibration.

Does this sound like a dumb idea, or would you just wait the 8 months?
Also any tips on machines or masks? Kinda overwhelmed by all the options (and the price tbh), but at this point I feel like garbage every day.

I had the same situation and bought a refurbished machine off of ebay.

The machine itself measures all the relevant metrics on an SD card and you can view it with a free software called OSCAR. There is some good information on youtube/ forums on how to interpret the data and set the machine.

So no, I don't think it's a stupid idea. I eventually got a sleep study and the settings I had the machine on were pretty close to what I actually needed so it's possible to DIY

It made a night and day difference - I wouldn't wait 8 months +

 

[ChefTren]

I went through my insurance to get one, and I paid more out of pocket than buying a used or refurbished cpap

 

[Oakley6575]

I've always snored like a freight train. Used to drive my wife nuts. I took my grandpas CPAP after he passed. Took a couple nights to understand where my level needed to be, but it's extremely easy to dial it in.

Just buy one. Zero reason to go through the medical hurdles.

 

[specter]

Thanks for the input. I've decided I'm just gonna go ahead and get one next week. Worst case, if it doesn't help, I'll still do the sleep study when my appointment comes up in 8 months.
Out of curiosity, which one did you end up getting? And do you happen to have a link to that Australian guy on YouTube you mentioned?


I also did one of those online questionnaires and scored super high… basically checked almost every box

well i was told the Resmed 10 autosense was smart without a sleep study as it can autoregulate and you can hard code the values you need, so i bought that one and im now on my second machine over like 10 years ish now. 1 one died earlier this year.

 

[specter]

Where did you guys buy your cpaps without a script?

You are on a steroid site... where we talk about illegal drugs, wich can be hard to find and your askin about where to get a cpap machine a totally legal apperatus ? im confused are you askin for like the specific site we got it or just in general where would i get one ?

 

[massephase]

You are on a steroid site... where we talk about illegal drugs, wich can be hard to find and your askin about where to get a cpap machine a totally legal apperatus ? im confused are you askin for like the specific site we got it or just in general where would i get one ?

You’re from Europe too I reckon?
I was surprised to learn this but apparently the machines are regulated in the US:

 

[Keefs]

You’re from Europe too I reckon?
I was surprised to learn this but apparently the machines are regulated in the US:

Yeah, the cpap machine itself requires a prescription in the US. I thought that was crazy too. The prescription also says what the pressure is set at. Right now my prescription is set at a range between 4-16 and the machine auto regulates within that range. It doesn’t seem like I can change that myself. I have the resmed airsense 11.

 

[massephase]

Yeah, the cpap machine itself requires a prescription in the US. I thought that was crazy. The prescription is also says what the pressure is set at. Right now my prescription is set at a range between 4-16 and the machine auto regulates within that range. It doesn’t seem like I can change that myself. I have the resmed airsense 11.

At 20 seconds it shows how to access the clinical menu where you can adjust settings.

 

[Keefs]

At 20 seconds it shows how to access the clinical menu where you can adjust settings.

Oh wow! I don’t have a touch screen though. I just looked mine up and I actually have the airsense 10. It has the knob. It’s good to know it is adjustable but I think it’s set good for me now. I actually have an appointment with my sleep doctor next week too lol.