ULPT: how do I get diagnosed with moderate severe sleep apnea?
Posted by sunkissedgoth@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 108 comments
Basically I was on a glp1 and it changed my life but now insurance won’t cover it for weight loss only for sleep apnea. I do have some symptoms of osa like waking up suddenly, gasping for air, brain fog etc. I have a sleep study coming up next month and I am worried my results won’t be strong enough to require a prescription! So, how can I do this??
LamveeLC@reddit
I’m a sleep tech. You can’t fake it. We can see your brain waves of when you’re awake or asleep. You can’t fake being asleep or a breathing issue. We see legit everything.
Future-Excuse6167@reddit
What is the likelihook someone has conscious effects of sleep apnea and won't be eligible? Seems pretty slim, I think. I'd guess apnea is wildly underdiagnosed.
girlinthegoldenboots@reddit
I have a sleep test coming up for possible apnea/narcolepsy and I’m really worried I won’t be able to fall asleep in the hospital. Also, ironically I have insomnia too. Any tips for making sure I fall asleep? I think the wires will be uncomfy. Is it completely dark in the room? Is it cool? I can’t sleep if I’m hot.
bzzybot@reddit
I have the same issue. Wake up early for a few days before. This will almost guarantee you will fall asleep. Basic bed setup with sheets and pillows. if you have a specific pillow/comforter take it with you. Sound machine etc. if you need a nightcap, do it before you get there. You will get hooked up and asked to sleep without a machine, you will be woken up after a certain time. You will the be hooked up with a CPAP and monitored with machine. You will get a report in the morning and your results will be sent to your Dr.
MangaMaven@reddit
You just described a split night sleep study. If they're only going in for a diagnostic PSG they won't be set up with a CPAP.
girlinthegoldenboots@reddit
Thank you! I will do that!
1000_Lemmings@reddit
Insomniac with apnea , here. Talk to your Dr. about getting a sleep aid. For my first test my Dr. gave Ambien but I couldn’t sleep and they sent me home. For my second test he doubled the dose of Ambien and I slept just over 4 hrs.
Definitely bring your own pillow.
girlinthegoldenboots@reddit
Thanks for this info! I will definitely talk to my dr
LittleDogTurpie@reddit
I’ve done two sleep studies and they allowed me to take ambien for both.
girlinthegoldenboots@reddit
I take trazadone. I get night terrors on ambient and lunesta. But that is good to know!
FundamentalAttribute@reddit
I took a home test. I faked the first hour just to see if i could. It was with just the chin thing test. The doctor ran me through the test and she mentioned my apnea starting at the point i started faking it, she pointed out my peaks through the night and all the other good stuff proving i do have severe sleep apnea.
She mentioned pre test that I should put it on right before sleeping but to not worry about me reading or staying up a little before actually falling asleep, that they could tell and it shouldn't affect the test. Guess that particular test isn't as fool proof as they think.
drezdogge@reddit
Will you know if I'm shit faced?
Zmchastain@reddit
So you’re saying you know when we’re sleeping, and you know when we’re awake? You know if our sleep apnea’s bad or good, so be good for goodness sake?
Berninz@reddit
yes santa clause
Efferdent_FTW@reddit
Is it a take home test or in person?
squidgemobile@reddit
Sleep apnea is almost never bad enough to qualify for the glp-1s. You can't fake out the test either. Your best ULPT is to sell drugs or something to be able to afford the $350/month for wegovy cash.
TapFaster@reddit
No faking the test that's for sure. Got hooked up to way more electrodes than any time I've been in the hospital. By far. Unfortunately, I've been fighting with insurance to get authorized for the inspire implant for months even though I've had multiple sleep studies showing my spo2 drops to around 80% even on nights I wear my cpap because I apparently sleep like an idiot and rip it off or nudge it off every night. I have met every criteria they have to get approved, but they won't do it because fuck me that's why. I'm in relatively good shape, not overweight, and have failed cpap therapy for over 5 years now. Maybe when I finally have a stroke because my 4 hours of interrupted sleep every night finally pushes my blood pressure over the edge they'll realize they miscalculated. Until then, I'll just live life with terrible brain fog wondering if I'll ever get back to near normal. Sorry for the rant, I'm tired, boss.
ShiroineProtagonist@reddit
Dear God, that's so dangerous! Forgive me if you know this already, but you might be able to find out the qualifications of the panel of doctors who allegedly oversee what are probably AI decisions. Like, if a proctologist is getting extra cash by rejecting people's claims, you may be able to challenge that. Do you sleep with your head elevated? For some reason I was adamant the last time I moved that I was never buying another bed frame so I got one where the head goes up and down. My 24 events an hour stopped when my bed was elevated at about 20°. Just thought I'd mention it in case it helps!
DMmeDuckPics@reddit
I grew up with a stack of bricks under the top half of my bedframe.
ShiroineProtagonist@reddit
Scarred by the Big, Bad Wolf?
DMmeDuckPics@reddit
No, depression era grandparents being creative and cheap by elevating the entire top of the bedframe because I snored loud enough to wake up deaf old people.
ShiroineProtagonist@reddit
Do you still do it?
charliekelly76@reddit
I was dxed with sleep apnea and still could not get Aetna to pay for a GLP-1
theplantita@reddit
Same with Kaiser
sweetawakening@reddit
I got it at Kaiser
bzzybot@reddit
Can you specify if you were overweight and had or diagnosed with diabetes/pre diabetes? It’s almost like they want you to get diabetes before they will prescribe it.
sweetawakening@reddit
Just overweight. I had it until Jan 2026 with the weight diagnosis. Then in Jan we had to add the sleep apnea diagnosis. I do not have diabetes or heart problems.
nuclearmonte@reddit
Same with me and BCBS
NartFocker9Million@reddit
Not true. Much more likely to cover GLPs for ICD-10 code G33.47 than E66.x.
scienceislice@reddit
You can't fake sleep apnea. Do the sleep study and see what the results are, then decide what to do next. Insurance may cover it, they may not.
flamingspew@reddit
Going to sleep drunk af is a guarantee.
scienceislice@reddit
If you show up drunk to your sleep study they will send you home
Sheepherdernerder@reddit
I currently have a take home, they'd have no idea
flamingspew@reddit
Take home. They just give you a device
No-Town5321@reddit
It honestly sounds like you may have sleep apnea. Its waaaay more common than people think
Griffinej5@reddit
Get a home sleep study, and get a person with apnea to do it for you.
DZbornak630@reddit
Go with research peptides. On the highest dose it was $100 a month for me.
Shmoneyy_Dance@reddit
Fuck getting a prescription and just order Research chemicals for the GLP1 you were taking. Hundreds of thousands of us are and have been for years without issue. Go to the GLP1 forum and look for sources.
gausterm@reddit
I found "ABC" (Allen) there and couldn't be happier. Amazing prices with a US warehouse
pburydoughgirl@reddit
What’s ABC (Allen)
flamingspew@reddit
Gray market chinese importer of questionable integrity
gausterm@reddit
In his defense, he does have labs for each batch and I've seen great results from his products.
pburydoughgirl@reddit
Thanks!
Berninz@reddit
Ditto
Conscious-Rabbit-829@reddit
Can you expand on how we can read up more about this? Also, what is ABC Allen?
gausterm@reddit
Check out the glp1 forum the original comment mentioned, it's a lot of learning and reading, but it will answer all your questions. I'm getting my Tirz, 6 month supply for about 150 with shipping, and the vendor has labs for his products. Yes it feels shady, and you have to be comfortable paying with Bitcoin (pretty darn easy through something like Cashapp though). It's the real deal, I've lost 100+ pounds since I started and I've only ever used "grey" market sources.
amazonchic2@reddit
Thank you for this!
StarfishandSnowballs@reddit
Ty
ReturnEconomy@reddit
Stairway to grey I pay about $30/month for my reta.
Sunflower42220@reddit
Did you go straight to Reta or were you on any GLP1s first?
ReturnEconomy@reddit
Straight to Reta. I actually stopped recently because I dont have any more weight to lose lol.
But I was lean to begin with, just wanted to lose about 10 pounds.
amazonchic2@reddit
This is crazy. Are you happy with it? Did it take quite a few months before you noticed changes?
ReturnEconomy@reddit
Yes Im happy with it. Noticed appetite suppression after the first month (but I started with a low dose).
MangaMaven@reddit
Home sleep studies are more likely to give false negatives and lower AHI's. Considering you wake up gasping for air, you probably legitimately have OSA, but EVERYONE is more likely to get a higher (and more accurate) AHI if you ask for a in-lab sleep study. But if you do have OSA both your doctor and the insurance company will want to get you on a CPAP machine. If you make your sleep study results inaccurate, your CPAP's pressure setting will also off which will be a mess of its own. Not only will the unnecessary pressure to your respatory system make it harder to exhale, but the disruption to your sleep will have its own host of consequences. (Including weight gain.)
You might just play this one straight.
Source: I work for a CPAP supplier.
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
You go to Fifty410 or Refills or another provider of compounded GLP-1s, fill out the forms, put your credit card down and get it delivered for less than $200/month. You're not going to be able to fake sleep apnea.
hysys_whisperer@reddit
Still do that sleep study though. If you believe you have apnea, you need the CPAP.
flamingspew@reddit
Drunk as fuck during a sleep study is a gaurantee.
Ol_stinkler@reddit
Facts, moderate OSA is anything greater than an AHI of 20. If you're doing an at home sleep test, get hammered and force yourself to sleep on your back.
usernameJ79@reddit
Weight loss is helpful for many people.
PM_ME_SAD_STUFF_PLZ@reddit
Helpful and often should be done but will rarely negate the need for a cpap.
peacefinder@reddit
Dealing with the apnea will make weight loss easier. The poor sleep quality and poor blood oxygenation caused by apnea have multiple adverse effects including on metabolism. No point leaving an effective tool unused.
Dejasade@reddit
This. Get your GLP online. I pay about 200 a month. No its not cheap but its worth it.
Lauren_H_@reddit
Go for the sleep study in person instead of doing it at home.
According to my orthodontist, the at-home tests are more likely to show a false negative than the in-office sleep study. If you do have sleep apnea, they’ll catch it.
Also, if you do have it, getting a CPAP will change your life! I love mine!
maxdeerfield2@reddit
Your BmI has to be above 33 to qualify, my sleep doctor said, I have apnea
harbourhunter@reddit
It’s very easy
Get a cold, don’t blow your nose, take an Ativan and sleep on your back
Eastern-Extension125@reddit
They drug tested me before my sleep study
harbourhunter@reddit
Take it after the drug test lol
VitaLp@reddit
They often obtain a urine sample on the night of your sleep study
NartFocker9Million@reddit
Or just a bunch of alcohol. Alcohol causes upper airway edema in a way benzos don't.
ScaredOfTrolls32@reddit
What’s your insurance, you’re lucky. Mine won’t even cover it for apnea which I do have and have the rx
duebxiweowpfbi@reddit
Just get it online. You’re not going to be able to fake that.
Sunflower42220@reddit
Did two home sleep tests (if your doctor or insurance allows it, this is the way). Took a few benzos, slept on my back, and made things pretty uncomfortable. Was diagnosed with OSA two days after the test, then started Zepbound the next week. This was all through state insurance, and I’ve been taking it for a year now. Personally, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I’ll switch to Reta when that becomes available.
elizajaneredux@reddit
Don’t bother. You can’t fake it and you don’t want that diagnosis in your medical chart if it’s not real.
LeFreeke@reddit
If you’ve lost the weight why do you need more GLP1?
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
GLP-1s are lifetime drugs. Even at goal weight you likely need to stay on them.
GSDragoon@reddit
Allergies and a deviated septum will make the apnea worse.
Read_it_all-7735@reddit
Just take the sleep test. If your sleeping is rough, you will probably be diagnosed with apnea.
I hated the idea of being on a CPAP, I was getting 107 apnea events an HOUR. I was getting no sleep. I was pulling over in parking lots to take a nap, driving across town. If I had 10 minutes between meetings, I would miss the second meeting falling asleep at the computer.
Im on GLP-1 now and the CPAP, both for a month. Totally different.
Do the sleep study. Get a smart watch that you can use to monitor your sleep, get some sleep monitoring apps. I suggest "Sleep Cycle" if its available. I was charting BEFORE the CPAP and after. I can literally see the difference even wearing the mask for an hour or so. (some nights I half wake up and tear it off.) There is a learning curve. I initially woke with my esophagus sore from the pushed air, even with the vaporizer.
Aggravating_Act0417@reddit
It's super cheap gray market.
sunkissedgoth@reddit (OP)
Can you tell me more info about it?
NukedDuke@reddit
Is this is CA, Partnership won't pay for it for sleep apnea either even though it's one of the carve-outs that was made in the thing that deauthorized prescribing them for weight loss.
tarac73@reddit
Most insurances aren't gonna pay for that glp1... take it from me. I do the prior auths for my office (pcp office) and probably 90% who aren't diabetic get denied, the other 10% have SEVERE apnea (I'm talking like 15-20 stop breathing episodes /hr) IDK how you fake that?
trixbler@reddit
Just fyi the definition for SEVERE sleep apnea is an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 30 or more breathing events per hour. I only know this because mine was 57…. :-/
unepiqueassiette@reddit
This is not a competition of course, and certainly not one I would like to win, but about 2 decades ago when I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea, after getting tunnel vision walking up a hill, my AHI was 147 an hour. I had two sleep studies done several weeks apart in a hospital setting. During the first one, before they tried CPAP on me, my lowest oxygen level was 51% briefly, and I had two sinus pauses. When I went to pick up my first CPAP I had to drive about 20 miles each way, and the employee there who was to show me how to use it, first said "are you sure you're okay to drive here?" And I said yeah and he said "are you sure?" And then when I got there he said "I'm sorry but I've never seen a number like that", meaning 147 events an hour. He was somewhat friendly, but pretty unprofessional and he said "wow how is it that you're alive?"
I'm currently on a BiPAP machine and doing fairly well although I have insomnia and still fall asleep a bit during the day. Trying to get approved for Zepbound and have been waiting over a week. Good luck to all of you.
ShiroineProtagonist@reddit
Holy Frick! I'm assuming you've also tried sleeping with your head and shoulders at an angle? That's a crazy amount of events!
trixbler@reddit
If it was a competition I think you’re the clear winner! I’ve had my CPAP 5 years now and it’s been very effective, luckily.
fesnying@reddit
I did such a double take as well -- mine was an even 60. Once a minute (on average) my body is like "how do I breathe again?" What a mess.
trixbler@reddit
Yeah I used to tell people “hey, I’m getting three minutes of quality sleep per hour, it could be worse!”.
tarac73@reddit
I was using severe as a word not clinical severe lol... 57 times an hour you'll stop breathing????? That's insane I am so sorry!!! You must be EXHAUSTED!!
trixbler@reddit
Yeah as I told people when I got the diagnosis “hey, at least I’m getting three minutes of quality sleep per hour!”. I’ve had a CPAP now for 5 years and it has been very effective. I no longer feel like I’m walking around in a fog all day.
rawdatarams@reddit
Not the person you replied to, but I was diagnosed with severe central sleep apnea with >40 episodes per hour. I kept waking up every 15-45 minutes and could not fall asleep again no matter how I tried. When I finally did fall asleep of pure exhaustion early morning, I'd wake up again 15 minutes later. This went on for 5 years.
I was not functioning, at all. I had nothing in life. Just dozing of in a hot bath, water running and eventually flooding the house. Every day. No need to mention that I certainly put my affairs in order and was about to sort things out in my own.
It's pure hell.
TapFaster@reddit
I feel this so hard. I've been using a cpap for over 5 years now, and I'm just non-compliant. Takes me a long time to fall asleep, and when I'm asleep I remove it or it comes off. Multiple sleep studies, sleeping aids etc. I've been running on about 4 hours of interrupted sleep per night for several years now, and the loss of brain function is so noticeable. I've been fighting with insurance for months to get the inspire implant at the recommendation of 3 doctors I see. Cardiologist, somnologist, and ENT. All 3 of which think I wouldn't need to see them anymore if I could get the implant and fix my sleep. I'm not overweight, I just sleep like a moron apparently. I swear insurance companies would rather lose money than approve treatments you need. The math isn't even hard on this. Keep paying for me to see multiple doctors, prescriptions, cpap supplies, etc or pay for a one time procedure that potentially fixes it all?
As I finished typing the above I suddenly got paranoid that the insurance company's algo is telling them I'm likely to die soon so it makes more sense to deny the procedure. Uh oh.
The--Marf@reddit
Not the person you replied to but yeah that's about where mine was too. The first night of sleep I got with a CPAP at age ~25 I woke up and was like "huh, this is why people like sleep so much...."
The--Marf@reddit
Damn man that's one of the first times I've seen anyone with an AHI close to what mine used to be. I've had it since childhood. I gained a bunch of weight and it got worse. I've lost a lot of weight and it got better. In the best shape of my life and it's still not entirely gone.
mysteriouscattravel@reddit
15-20 apneas per hour is fucking amateur hour over here
bitchohmygod@reddit
You don't.
zimmer199@reddit
Have a few drinks before the test. The alcohol will relax your upper airways a bit and worsen your OSA.
PageNotFoubd404@reddit
Maybe you have moderate to severe apnea. It sounds like you have some symptoms.
StarfishandSnowballs@reddit
Tell the sleep Dr your sleep apnea used to be much worse and that you are looking to continue to lose weight, want to get back on a glp to help as it did before
Boom. Sleep Dr on your side will help push it thru. Their staff knows what works on a dx
Illustrious-Bag-2141@reddit
If it’s an at-home study, have someone else take the test for you.
Kafkabest@reddit
Get your CDL, CDL doctors love putting drivers on sleep apnea machines. Its why one of the primary things they check.
bitchohmygod@reddit
It's way easier to get a prescription for a CPAP than it is to get one for GLP-1s.
Tonkatte@reddit
As someone who struggled with sleep apnea for years, I know how to make it better, so maybe the inverse would help you.
Being unable to breathe through your nose definitely makes it worse. Sleeping on your back also makes it worse (tongue falls back blocking your throat).
Just being unable to sleep (insomnia) is a symptom. So if your nostrils were plugged, and you were unable to sleep on your side, plus you took a NoDoz before arriving, it would probably worsen your symptoms.
I’ve heard people tape marbles to their chest to keep them from sleeping face down, maybe put them on your side?
Practice at home first. Good luck.
sofaking_scientific@reddit
Lofta.com
That's how I did it. Cost like $200 for the sleep test and then like $1000 for the machine. No insurance bullshit
trixbler@reddit
They want their insurance to pay for the glp-1 though, not for the CPAP.
hotheadnchickn@reddit
Just get in grey market
2mad2die@reddit
Sleep on your back with a thick pillow so that it pushes your head down and closes your throat more
ndurtschi@reddit
Don’t cause you’ll never be able to hey life insurance
MrSwidgen@reddit
Outside of having someone you know, that has sleep apnea take the test for you, you can't. You're going to have a test that measures your breathing when you're asleep. If you don't have apnea, you won't register as having apnea. Just go to one of the many sites that sell GLP-1's online and buy it.