1. Get your prescription for CPAP. If using a doctor, have him send it to the local DME.
2. Next, while waiting for a CPAP, everyone has a friend that has a cpap they are not using. Barrow it, especially if it’s an Auto or Variable pressure unit. Even a BiPAP will work.
Have the pressure changed to match your prescription.
While this is not optimal, it may be necessary depending on where you live and if cpaps are readily available.
Get a Prescription for CPAP
You have to start here. If you had a Home Sleep Test (HST), they would not have titrated a pressure. The prescription would say something like “auto CPAP at 4-20 cmH20”. No matter how you decide to buy your unit, you will need that.
At this point, you have two ways to go.
A. If you are going to use insurance to pay the whole or part of it, ask your doctor to send it to a DME for you. And eventually, you will get a call from the DME telling if they have a pap device or not. And what brand are they currently offering?
B. You can also take the prescription, start shopping around, and pay cash when you find one. Sometimes this is faster, and you may find a Resmed unit this way.
Use a friend’s PAP
Once you have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. You’ll suddenly notice lots of your friends have some form of sleep apnea. Unless you live under a rock. I can guarantee if you have ten friends, at least two will have CPAP, and as you move into the 50s and 60s, it just increases. And one of these folks will not be using it anymore.
My daughter-in-law is pregnant and developed severe sleep apnea. She is unable to get one fast enough at their local DME. I had her take my son’s while she was pregnant. She has to have oxygen flowing to the baby. Thankfully it’s an auto unit.
If you find an auto cpap likely, that will be fine until you get your own. A little more work is involved if you get a fixed pressure unit s CPAP or BiPAP. If your doctor will not change to pressure for you you can try this website. https://www.apneaboard.com. As a rule, I don’t tell people how to change settings because most folks will go for comfort over treatment.
Buy a used CPAP on the internet?
I would not. I have seen enough units come to me with spiders and cockroaches inside them. You don’t know until one day they come walking out. The warmth of the pap invites them. Stick with someone you trust. You can buy a used one from a local DME; at least you know they have been cleaned.
What is going on now to cause this shortage?
There were two significant pap manufacturers units. Resmed and Respironics.
First, Respironics has recalled millions of cpaps globally and is unable to supply paps at this time. Everyone that had a Respironics unit has tried to acquire a Resmed unit—causing regular demand to increase.
Second, Resmed cannot keep up with global demand.
Third, at the same time, Covid is circling the globe, and work slows down, and everyone is getting sick.
Forth, the computerized parts of the paps become challenging to get.
And last but not least, the supply chain breaks down.
Just one of these can be a big issue, but when you throw them all together, you have a significant global mess.
So what now?
This shortage has allowed cheaper versions to move up in the industry and thrive. The preferred CPAP is a Resmed model of some sort. Usually, I’d say yay for the little guy, but not now. The units tend to be cheaper knock-offs. If all you care about is getting pressure and you do not need or want to know how you are doing. They can be acceptable. If your Sleep Apnea is severe or moderately severe, bite the bullet and get something going. You can always upgrade at a later point.
A last thought. While not preferred and not a good fit for moderate or severe sleep apnea, there are pap alternatives such as Bongo’s. We will explore other options in a different blog during the shortage.
Update:
The global shortage has eased off. Resmed and other companies have been able to increase their manufacturing. All that being said there are still plenty of people that have CPAP’s and don’t use them. When possible grab one of those and get the pressure changed to your requirements.
