I have what I believe is almost certainly a case of sleep apnea.
I am absolutely known to snore, and I also sometimes wake up gasping for air.
I've been told that I would benefit greatly from using a breathing aid, and should have a sleep study.

Here's the problem though - I recently have lost my health insurance due to the inability to pay for the latest increases - I simply don't have the money to pay the 750.00 premium every 30 days and also keep a roof over my head. So I won't be getting a sleep study any time soon as a brief search has shown that they could cost between 1,000 and 5,000, which I don't have on hand at the present time.

What I'd like to do is get a CPAP machine and just start using it, but looking around on the Internet at sites that sell medical devices shows that a prescription is needed to obtain one. I assume that to get a prescription one must have a formal diagnosis from a sleep study.
What gives - can using one of these devices without a diagnosis cause one to hurt themselves?
Anyone know of a way to purchase one without having done a sleep study?

Thanks in advance for any advice or replies.

I find that sleep apnea is lessened by side sleeping. Worth a try. Also losing weight is supposed to help. You might contact a church and see if they work with a doctor who does pro bono work.

DPJACO,
Call the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, CO. They are the number one Respiratory Hospital in America (like 13 straight years).

I was sent there in 2007 for a week of testing, got home almost 6 weeks later.

I was told they have grants to help people without insurance.

Good luck with it...Dave

In answer to your question regarding if a CPAP machine can harm you if you don't have a prescription, is that there are CPAP pressures ranging from 5-20 cmH20. The correct pressure must be obtained to eliminate your events and snoring.
In a formal sleep study, a diagnostic portion of the study is done to determine if you have sleep apnea, how many times you stop breathing, what your oxygen level drops to, and if you have other sleep disorders in addition to sleep apnea. By only treating one disorder, you may be missing the other which is also causing sleep disruption. Medications can cause central apneas which are not treated in the same way as obstructive apneas. So this can cause more problems. After diagnosing the sleep disorder, and if sleep apnea is the correct diagnosis, a treatment study is done to determine what pressure is best for you as an individual. This particular study tries each pressure reaching an optimal pressure. This pressure will eliminate snoring, obstructive apneas and hypopneas and return your sleep to "normal". Another issue is finding the correct mask that will be comfortable and not leak. Some places can do a home sleep test which costs about $250.00 - $500.00. Once it is determined that you have sleep apnea, there is a chance you could go to a home care company and have them set you up on an auto CPAP. Some companies have a donor program.
I hope this is helpful and I hope you can find affordable health insurance. It is rough without it.

Thank you,
Uncertain............