Please Share Misc Helpful Hints

[Lysol]

I have learned a lot of good stuff from this thread - a few things I already do at least similar to what is offered here - but I do one thing in cleaning my mask/tubing/etc that I have not seen mentioned here.

I keep a large container of Lysol Sanitizing Wipes (80count - Citrus Scent) in with my CPAP stuff (always on the road so it's usually always in a large plastic bin) and use them to clean my stuff with. I take one and run it all inside and outside my mask, into each layer of the two seals (Mirage FFM), you name it. I then secure the wipe into the sliding lasso end of a 7-foot length of 30lb-test fishing line with about a 2oz weight on the other end and hold it up (6'2" here) to let the weight drop the line through. I can then hold the hose around my shoulders with an end in each hand (like when you're about to dry your back with a towel) and pull the Lysol Wipe through (slowly for better cleaning if I have not done it in a few days / quicker for touchup cleaning). There was a post by someone earlier in this thread about a nylon cord method of doing this and, while it will work, the fishing line is most easy to clean/keep clean as it is smaller and not porous like cord. I have been using this method for the last two years and am still on my original mask and tubing with no visible growth of anything in/on them ever. The Lysol Wipes are the perfect size for this as they are large enough to sufficiently contact the whole inside of the tubing, yet small enough to not have to fight hard to pull them through. I am a Fireman/Paramedic and, as a Haz-Mat Technician, have participated in several mold remediations of buildings/rooms that have had mold infestations - and the cleaning agent that we almost-exclusively use is Lysol solution - it's the very best thing for the job without the damaging effects of bleach - and we don't worry about going back and drying a surface free of it since it will not foster growth of anything harmful (so a residue of it on your stuff is fine - even fresher/cleaner smelling when you run it). I also use the afore-mentioned method of drying the tubing (and humidifier water chamber since I travel a lot) by running it 10 minutes or so each morning.

And yes, once in a while (maybe every 2-3 months) I take everything apart that can be placed in water and wash it with hot soapy water - using my carrying bin as a guaranteed-clean sink as someone else mentioned earlier too. Thanks for all the outstanding information you are all willing to share here.

Merry Christmas! (not worried about political correctness)

[THE HARD TRUTH]

I think that a lot of the pro CPAP ,surgery and dental apnea appliance providers have tried to post on this blog because,lets face some facts here.We all know that we are dying of slow motion suicide with out treatment. And the bottom line from the heath care providers is MONEY ! They make the process for treatment to long ,to expensive and you have to jump through hoops to resove the problem.The doctors are in bed with the companies that make the equipment. What was the first thing that your doctor did after you first polysomnigraph.They signed you up for that worth less air compressor that fails 60% of the time and are making thousands of $ from the insurance companies. That is if you are fortunate to have insurance. The CPAP providers try to make you think that you are the problem. You must adapt to the CPAP, not the other way around.Lets look at the reasons that CPAP fails. The setting on the machine should be set to a standard that every patient can under stand, Like PSI not liters of H2O. My setting was 11 but I had to put 50 LBS of force on my straps just to keep tha mask on. Then there is the the breathing against the incomming pressure problem. It's like breating into a baloon all night long.You have to force the air out of your longs and it screws up your natural rythem. I am a jet aircraft mechanic in the air force and I know alot about the oxygen delivery sytem for the pilots.His oxygen regulator regulates how he breaths in and how he breaths out, It's perfictly natural. So why even try CPAP in the first place so you have to waiste 3 months proving that it dosn't work. They ought to quit making that damn thing and if they want to use positive pressure use a bipap.Then they have you again,the bipap costs twice as much as the CPAP.Then if that dosn't work then they want you to have surgery or a dental applience. I had a humidifed Fisher and Paykel and I have rhinitus. I cranked the setting on the CPAP to the max and with a room humidifier and my nose blocked completly off in 4 minutes.Then I went surching for a dentist to make me the device. The first dentist wanted $3,400 up front and the second one wanted $1,900 up front.So what did I do then. I made my own from 2 football mouth guards.It did work but you could not adjust the forward position of the jaw. Our problem is as simple as it is deadly.It's mechanical. And it's not rocket science. I have been working on solutions for 6 month's and now I have found one AND IT CALLED PURE SLEEP.iT WORKS AS GOOD AS A $3,400 DENTIST RIP OFF. Since the doctors know that we are dying to sleep why are they putting profits ahead of our health.enough is enough

[SleepyontheEastCoast]

I just found this support forum tonight as I was searching for online shopping for CPAP supplies. I have been struggling with my sleep apnea for many years now and have been using CPAP for about a year. And it has always felt like no one understands why "my little buddy" as I call my machine is so importat. I wish I would have found this site earlier. I do want to share a story, about being creative when in need. On a business trip this fall, I found that I had accidently forgot to pack the strap to my mask because I had cleaned everything right before I left. Of course I realized this at about midnight when all stores were closed that I might have found something useful to substitute. I was rooming with a co-worker, and let's just say my snoring can be heard through many layers of walls, , so I was looking for something to strap my mask on while my friend was saying don't worry about your snoring, it won't bother me. I finally found something, it was creative, and yes I probably looked very silly, but ladies, in a pinch, I can tell you that a belt (soft material) from a shirt works rather well as a head strap. I just hope there was no pictures of me like that. Thanks for the awesome site, I will definetly be reading more on here.

[rested gal]

Smart fix, SleepyontheEastCoast.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

"Soft material" for a homemade strap... yep, that's the ticket!

[JohnBFisher]

Welcome to the board. Register. There are NO email messages that will be sent to you from this forum (unless you want it). You can include your equipment in your profile. That way if you ask questions, folks here can provide an answer tailored to your setup.

I hear you about the snoring. My company once wanted us to "share rooms" at a training event. After the first night they decided I was NOT kidding about snoring badly. I was banished to my own room after torturing someone else for a night.

Creative solution you provided. And remember, if there are pictures, you can just say you were trying to make the latest fashion statement!

[JoyD.]

.
One thing that has simplified things for me is to keep distilled water in a large water bottle with "pull-top" (made for easy drinking). I have it on my bedroom night stand so each night I can top off my CPAP humidifier to the right level. Takes a couple seconds.

Then I open my bedside table drawer that holds my mask, clean mask pillows, lansinoh, Flonase, and tights tie . . . put on my mask and turn out the lights.

Everything is convenient and "ready to go". (My heated hose permanently hangs from the ceiling "plant hanger" ready for "hookup") (I never wash it; if there's any moisture it just drains back into the xpap/humidifier which sits on a stool by my bed; the Aussie heated hose prevents moisture accumulation in the hose).

Joy

PS - My first several months I was paranoid about cleaning everything according to the book (I used to be a microbiologist ). Now, all I wash is my nasal pillow each morning in my hand with a squirt of Ivory liquid and warm water - when I go to the kitchen to eat breakfast. That's it! . . . Okay . . . I probably wash the integrated humidifier & air dry it maybe every 3 months or so, and I wash my cpap's foam filter & put in a new paper filter on the "1st of each month" so I remember. But that's all the cleaning I find that is necessary.

[Allenhiq]

I am a newbie, but I already have a couple of tips.


My first suggestion is a very effective/fast way of drying out the air tubes after a wash. If you have a 2nd/older CPAP machine, set it to high and use it to dry the tubes/mask/water chamber. I used my Dad's old/retired machine.
(Yup, it runs in the family )

My second suggestion is for facial irritations. First thing to do is trying a different mask (maybe of similar type, maybe different), rather than trying to force fit or modify a mask that does not have a very good fit using extra pillows, tape, elastics, padding, etc...


From the first day, I had major irritation on the bridge of my nose every morning.

The "Professional" who fitted my mask gave me assurance many times that "it is normal" and "most everybody has this type of facial irritation".

He also assured me that I "have the best mask" and that " it is a perfect fit". Total Salesman Bull Crap!

After asking many times nicely, I finally demanded and forced him to give me a different nasal mask. The comfort Gel mask solved the facial irritation problem for good. and it gives me a better fit/less leakage.

Later on I found another guy in the same office who uses a CPAP machine himself. He is much more understanding and easier to work with, and he gave me tips that are actually helpful.

I guess I have another/more important point to make here:

Don't expect your Medical Equipment Provider or even your Dr. to really understand how hard and important these "little problems" are, and certainly don't settle for their "professional opinion" if you KNOW they are wrong. They don't have these issues in their lives and they don't care for the details that to them sounds very trivial.

But this game is all about the details. YOU MUST TAKE CHARGE AND EDUCATE YOURSELF AND KEEP LEARNING AND TRYING NEW THINGS UNTIL YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, HAPPY, AND RESTED.

That is where this Forum comes in handy!

[rested gal]

I guess I have another/more important point to make here:

Don't expect your Medical Equipment Provider or even your Dr. to really understand how hard and important these "little problems" are, and certainly don't settle for their "professional opinion" if you KNOW they are wrong. They don't have these issues in their lives and they don't care for the details that to them sounds very trivial.

But this game is all about the details. YOU MUST TAKE CHARGE AND EDUCATE YOURSELF AND KEEP LEARNING AND TRYING NEW THINGS UNTIL YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, HAPPY, AND RESTED.

Amen, amen, AMEN, Allen!
Well said -- you make a very important point, indeed!!

That is where this Forum comes in handy!

Yup.

[sleepydawn]

To eliminate squeaks in mask elbows, apply shine serum for hair with a fine makeup brush. Citre Shine and Organix smell good (orange and coconut respectively) and take care of any noise.

[Emmy1]

I never keep any of my xPAP in the bathroom......Yech!!! Gross!!!!
From my perspective it's not a very sanitary thing to do with items you're going to push into your lungs.....just me......
Most everything is kept with the xPAP machine.... goose

Newbie here, but you've got that right! Studies have shown that there are e.coli bacteria on every surface in the bathroom. Every time you flush the toilet, it sends a very fine mist of everything that's in the toilet. Totally GROSS!

I don't even store my toothbrush and water glass out in the open. I won't even put my mask down on the countertop in there.

[KATSURA92]

My husband and I both are CPAP users. I found that a small step stool (1step folding) works perfectly to hold our CPAP machines.(Each of us have our own)
It keeps our CPAP machine below the bed; is small but stable.
! Our headboard actually allows us to loop our tubing around
a spiral post in the morning so it drains any moisture back out of the tubing; the little CPAP mask bag also hangs on the post-so clean the mask; pop it
back in its cloth bag until night time.

[knightslady]

I am having real trouble getting my mask to seal properly. I have tried out many masks. However I had a thought, it doesn't happen often hahahah, I have ordered a roll of boob tape/wig tape/body tape to see if this will help seal. I'll let you know.

[Guest]

A rolling stone is worth two in the bush, thanks to this atcrile.

[Ireland]

Knwoeldge wants to be free, just like these articles!

[Navid]

Wow! Great tnhiikng! JK