Welcome to the brotherhood of hoseheads. As a long time user, feel free to ask me any questions.
And, yes, there is a bit of a shortage. One of the two major CPAP manufacturers, Philips Respironics, had to recall EVERY CPAP machine they've ever built because of bad sound absorbing foam. That, along with the global chip shortage, has put a crunch on the supply of machines.
I've been a fan (pun intended) of Respironics machines in the past. However, from what I hear, the new Dreamstation 2 machines are not up to the usual Respironics quality standards (apparently they were designed to be cheap and fast to manufacture). You probably want to get a ResMed Airsense 11 if at all possible.
Before you go any further on the hoser path, get your doctor to WRITE you a prescription for a CPAP with your min and max pressures (sleep study should have figured these out). This will put YOU in control of your therapy and future mask decisions.
Losing weight may or may not fix the problem. I managed to lose a considerable amount of weight after being diagnosed. It lessened the severity, but I still had apnea. Turns out I just have a big tongue and small throat (my ENTs technical diagnosis).
Some random things you'll want to know:
CPAP pressure is measured in cm/H2O - as in how many centimeters would that pressure lift a column of water.
Good machines have two features that you WILL want:
- Automatic pressure - min and max pressures are set and the machine adjusts the pressure between those min and max to stop your apneas (the machine can sense apneas and even snoring).
- Exhalation (or expitory) relief. This reduces the pressure when you exhale. Otherwise you feel like you are trying to breathe with a pillow over your face.
AFAIK, the pressure settings and various other bits are in hidden menus on the machine. Existing machines have ways to get to these (google is your friend). I've heard rumors that the next generation machines from Respironics and ResMed will be adjustable ONLY by cloud based communications with the doctor or DME's therapist.
Complete masks require a prescription in the US (don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise). You will see sellers pop up on ebay and Amazon selling masks, but ebay and Amazon shut them down as soon as they are discovered.
Mask parts, hoses, filters, and other accessories DO NOT require a script. You can build a mask from parts from Amazon (this is how I get mine).
There are two major type of masks: full-face and nasal. Nasal masks come in a variety of forms. In the nostril (technically your nose hole is called a "nare") canula. These give an almost prefect unbreakable seal, but are a cast-iron bitch to ever get used to. Then there are nasal "pillows" where an expandable soft rubber bit pushes up against your nose. These are comfy (relatively speaking) but are easy to break seal and render your treatment ineffective. Lastly, probably the most popular is the cup over the nose model. You only need a full face mask if you have nasal issues that prevent you from breathing through your nose, or if you can't keep you mouth closed while you sleep (but there are straps and tapes that can also deal with that).
There exists open-source software called OSCAR that will read the SDCARD from your machine (obviously, your machine has to have that feature) and give you TONS of information about your breathing during sleep. My advice is to use this and take the time to understand what the reports show you. Doctors and even respiratory therapists do not understand CPAP. They think they are experts, but they are generally clueless. Only you can get your rig tuned for maximum effectiveness.
I have used many different masks over the years, and far and away my favorite is Respironics Dreamwear (the non pillow type). I can't recommend this mask enough. Fair warning: I do have a slight financial relationship to Respironics, but I really do love this mask.
Try to keep your max pressure below 15 cm. Anything higher and typical masks will "blow" the seal to your face and render treatment ineffective. If you need pressure higher than that, you are probably looking at a nasal prong canula type mask.
Unless you have really good insurance, you will likely save money by buying your machine yourself (this is where you need that written prescription). cpap.com is where I buy my machines. Your insurance will consider this out of network, but may still pay 60%
Craigslist usually has a lot of CPAP machines. You might want to get a temp machine there waiting for your new machine which might take a couple of months. Respironics Dreamstations are pretty easy to come by because people are afraid of the foam issue. Fortunately, the foam is easy to remove. Go to Youtube and search for "drain weasel dreamstation". That same guy has a nice detailed video on how to tear down and re-assemble a dreamstation.
Wow, this turned into a book...
Again, any questions, feel free to ask.
<- The actual color of my face when I would sleep.
