CPAP Machines.

[foo on patrol]

The constant flow one will have the pressure there, right from the start which I found uncomfortable. They other one is, in my opinion by far the better one, simply because of the fact that, youhave easier breathing while uou are trying to get to sleep.

Foo

[V17L]

Thanks Foo, that's exactly the type of user info that I am after.

Have you had any reliability problems with the machine you have. I am thinking there may be better brands for reliability, spare parts and functionality.
cheers
steve

[find_bruce]

G'Day,
Had a sleep test a few weeks ago, and have been advised that I will join the CPAP fighter squadron. I have a test this friday to determine the correct settings.

I was wondering what the difference between the constant flow and the adaptive CPAP machines is.

I am thinking in terms of general usage, I know the adaptive is more expensive, but is it worth the money or just stick with the constant flow unit.

Is it best to hire a unit for 3 months to see what unit I like?

I am really looking forward to giving this a go, as I have really had problems in the last few years with energy and go juice, or lack there of.
cheers
steve

Hi Steve,

I would strongly recommend hiring a unit for 3 months first - you will still have to buy the mask. For many people CPAP is the simple choice - based on their doctors advice, the pressure is set & away you go. Some machines have a soft start - to help you get to sleep & then ramp up to the standard pressure after 15 or so minutes.

For some lucky ones such as me, the pressure you need fluctuates through the night. When I trialled the CPAP machine, the pressure was set at 8, 10 & then 12. The higher pressure disturbed my sleep when I didn't need it & yet wasn't high enough when I did. When I switched to an adaptive machine, the pressure would fluctuate between 6 and 18 depending on what I needed at that time. Like I said before it is about striking a balance between the sleep disturbance caused by sleep aponea and the disturbance caused by the machine.

The other advantage of the adaptive machine is that I don't need to go back to the specialist to change the pressure - as I have lost weight, it has automatically reduced the pressure.

The other thing to look out for is a humidifier, which helps reduce irritation of your nasal passages. It was all a bit overwhelming at first, but over the years I have got used to it

edit: I have a resmed A8 apap machine & have been very happy with its reliability. For me the more critical aspect was getting a well fitting mask. I went through a few different ones before I found the one (a fisher & paykel as it happended) that best fitted my face - a bit like bike seats really . 6 years later I am still on the original machine, go through filters every 3 months & have had to replace bits of the mask - the foam and latex a few times, and the harness once.

[V17L]

Thanks Bruce, will follow your advice and hire for a while to get a handle on the whole thing. Good tip about the mask, will be on the watch out for a good fit.

With regards to your A8, is that a current model, or is there a newer model with similar features.
cheers
steve

[find_bruce]

Hi Steve, cpap manufacturers are just like shimano etc, always out to sell you an "upgrade" . The a8 has been replaced by the a9 which looks completely different but probably works in similar ways.

The biggest change I have noticed has been the machines becoming smaller, quieter & more portable, all of which are good things really.

[Slavo]

I've had a CPAP for about a year. I rented for the first couple of months and the company I went through let me hire different machines to see which one I preferred F&P, ResMed and Philips/Respironics). I went with the Resmed S9, but you may have a different preference.

[V17L]

Hi Bruce, Foo, Slavo and others,
Well I have had a cpap for the last 6 nights and found it not to bad. I was hoping for a instantaneous change, but it seems to have been a slow change. I don't feel sleepy during the day, and feel a bit more groggy when I wake up. Previously I was instantly awake, perhaps because I was awake so many times over night, that I just woke up.

The machine I have hired is a Philips, and unfortunately this is all they hire out. I am really interested in the Resmed S9, however, I can buy the S9 if I choose to, from the pharmacy. I have to say, I thought there would be a hurricane noise with these machines, but they are really quiet. I was also hoping to be able to see how many apnea's I had over night, but they have locked that display out, so I can't actually see if I have improved since using the machine. I will ask them to change this tomorrow when I go back to have the data downloaded.

My question is about the masks. I was given a choice of two, the first was a nostril fitting mask, which basically sealed up against the nostril opening, and when I tried it, I felt my nose expanding and did not like that feeling, especially if it was going to be over night. The second mask I was given is one that fits over the nose. Seals ok, but as I have a little bit of a runny nose at the moment, I find that if I lay on one side, I breath ok, but changing to the other I find that one nostril if blocked and I have difficulty breathing. It cracked me up the first time I tried to talk when the mask is on and working.

Do you use a nose mask, or do you have a nose and mouth mask? Which make and model do you find comfortable. I realise that faces are different, but it least gives me other opinions other than the one source I have now, the sleep shop.

cheers
steve

[foo on patrol]

Hi Steve, I have the mask type and my machine is a Fisher Paykel with humidifier.

Foo

[find_bruce]

Hi Steve, it also depends on how you sleep - I tend to sleep with my mouth wide open, which means a nose mask or nostril doesn't work effectively - the air would go in my nose & then straight back out my mouth without pressurising the soft palate. As a consequence I have to use a nose & mouth mask.

Do you have a humidifier ? One of the causes of a runny nose can be the dry air & a humidifier helps relieve that.

[Slavo]

I've been using mine for about 12 months found improvements in various aspects of life over the first 6 months
I use the resmed Mirage activa with the resmed S9 plus humidifier. When I did the sleep test at RNS in sydney, they tried a few and it was the one that fit best.
The nostril "pillow" ones are meant to be good, but as with everything it is personal preference - plus you can't (or aren't meant to) use them with pressures higher than 12, so I've been told.
You can google and find a way to get into the admin settings on the machine, I did it with mine.
I've been suffering a bit of a cold at the moment and my nose will block up during the night, causing me to wake up (at least I wake when I stop breathing, unlike before). Your options are to tough it out and not use the CPAP during a cold (which my Dr advised cause the CPAP blows the snot up where it doesn't belong and can cause an infection), or use saline irrigation to clean and open up you nose. You only need one nostril open for the CPAP to work

[V17L]

Hi Guys
Thanks for being so sharing with information.
With regards to the runny nose, I think some of this might have to do with the air conditioning we run up here, so tonight I have increased the temp to see if that helps. I had been taking sudifed to dry out my nose before going to bed, it worked until it wore off. I'll stop that tonight. I think I will also hit the oranges a bit to get some extra vitamin C. I'll get some of the saline irrigation mentioned tomorrow. Also there is a lot of burning off up here in the dry.

The Philips machine I have does have a humidifier. Looking at the data downloaded at the clinic, the nose mask seems to be working. If you had asked me, I didn't think it was working all that well. Just shows how wrong impressions can be when faced with data.

I am a nose breather, but wonder if a nose and mouth mask would be better for colds, as I notice that when I have a cold then I breath through my mouth. Doesn't stop the runny nose but, so maybe that's not such a good idea anyway.

The machine now has been programmed for me to see the "AHI" figures. Will now be able to monitor things a bit better. I did notice there was two secret touch buttons that were used for programming the machine.

The software was downloaded from the SD card at the clinic and I was really impressed about the data it showed. I only get to see this data when I go to the clinic. Has anyone used the software themselves for the Philips or the Resmed S9 APAP machines. I'm not interested in changing settings, just the history information. Put that down to being an Engineer.
cheers
steve

[foo on patrol]

I had a cold last week and while my head felt like it would explode, I didn't use it and noticed the difference in the mornings.

Foo

[Slavo]

Steve,
I think the Philips software is about $200, where as the F&P an Resmed is about $30-$40.
There is a free program, http://sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhead/ that appears to do the same job. I haven't used it as I use the Resmed program, which is interesting to look at the data.
Re the full (nose + mouth) mask, when I was doing some research on masks a year ago, I noticed on some of the CPAP/Apnea forums that some people would have a full mask in reserve for when they had a cold/blocked nose/allergies/hay-fever etc. I haven't had the need to go to the extra expense. Some places hire the masks and some don't, so if you think you might need one, or want to try a full face mask, hiring might be a good option.

[V17L]

Hi,
Its been a while since I was tested and joined the cpap mob. I ended up buying the Resmed S9 with humidifier. It took 2 to 3 weeks before I was really convinced the machine working for me, and can honestly say that it has been a godsend. In the beginning I was data driven, by that I mean I wanted to see what was happening, but over time I now just glance at my AHI figure and length of sleep time in the morning and think nothing of it. I enjoy the rest it gives me, and the data can look after itself. Having said that, occasionally I have a shocker of a night and the AHI is high for me, but then the next night it returns to normal. I can usually track it down to a restless sleep, ie over exerted myself during the day, or stayed up to late reading crazyguyonabike tales. I feel much more relaxed, and the ability to concentrate has dramatically improved. Seems like others, being a typical male, I resisted for years, and suffered as a consequence. As said in this thread by others, if you are having problems in the sleep zone, get checked out. The peaceful sleep is well worth any self thoughts on what others might say or how you would handle using a mask. Just do it.

My thoughts have turned to how to travel easily with the machine. At present I clean and dry the machine, pack it away and carry it as hand luggage when flying. I want to do some back packing and also bike touring. The back packing can be done by just packing the machine up, but I suspect an extension cord and adaptable plugs might be needed in other countries around the world. The bike touring can also be handled this way, but if there is any camping involved leads me to think about batteries for overnight usage. I did some quick calculations on current draw, and it seems possible to use a small sealed lead acid battery, charged by solar during the day. My question is "what do others do" or has a solution been thought of yet. Is there small travel machine that maybe better for holidays?

I ended up with a F&P nose mask, and it is really comfortable. Being a silicon mask, I assume there will be a reasonable life time of use, except for the straps used to hold it in place. Any thoughts on this, from people who have used their machines for a while.

One last thing as I type, I don't seem to get colds anymore, just occasional days of feeling gluggy. I notice work mates seem to have more problems, as they cough and splutter, but I don't seem to catch there offerings from all the coughs. Have other experienced this change as well?
cheers
steve

[Slavo]

Steve, good to hear things are on the up.
Look at the battery guide here http://www.resmed.com/au/service_and_support/travel-faqs.html?nc=patients for details on battery type for the CPAP. There are a few options in using a battery for the CPAP.
Prior to CPAP I used to regularly colds that would turn into severe tonsillitis, post CPAP I have only had one mild cold. Getting proper rest for the body to repair/heal itself is a major benefit.

[V17L]

Hi Slavo,
Thanks for the link, have been reading it with interest.

Yes, the rested body makes a world of difference.
cheers mate
steve