New user needs advice

[gadaisy]

I am new to the world of CPAP. When I first found out I had sleep apnea (97 in 1 hour) I found out it would be more than a month before I could attend the class to receive my machine. I was scared to go to sleep. My DIL found a used machine for me on Craigslist and had it sent to me. Nice bi-pap with heated humidifier. No more snoring. Well last week I attended the class and came home with a Remstar M series. When I use it it makes a high pitch whine noise upon exhalation. It is something I simply can't ignore and I find myself hours later trying to go to sleep. Last night I hooked the old machine back up and no whine noise. Slept great. I called the sleep center and they told me to sleep with earplugs! I am to bring by the machine to have them take a look. I have no problem purchasing a bipap if that is the issue, how do I go about getting them to agree to a bipap rather than a cpap or can my machine be tweeked to stop the high pitch whine. I am clueless! Please Advise.

[jules]

what machine were you given by the sleep people?

what is your pressure setting?

was cflex enabled on the machine you got from the class?

what pressures is the bipap set to?

what machine is the bipap?

what mask are you using? is it the same mask you used for this bipap?

Write the exact names of the machines please. Include model number off the bottom of the m series.

[Georgio]

I have heard of this before and the person returned the machine to get a new one. First, check that the plastic rings on the humidifier are seated properly and on straight, because that can make it noisy. Otherwise take it back, demonstrate the whine and listen to a new one before you take it home. It is a very good machine if it is like mine. Good luck with your therapy.

You mention purchasing a machine. You should be aware that you can purchase machines at CPAP.COM online at a fraction of the cost at most local equipment providers.

Georgio

[jules]

some ppl have said cflex is a whir sound too --- need to know if that is available on her machine and if it is set

[jnk]

I am new to the world of CPAP. When I first found out I had sleep apnea (97 in 1 hour) I found out it would be more than a month before I could attend the class to receive my machine. I was scared to go to sleep. My DIL found a used machine for me on Craigslist and had it sent to me. Nice bi-pap with heated humidifier. No more snoring. Well last week I attended the class and came home with a Remstar M series. When I use it it makes a high pitch whine noise upon exhalation. It is something I simply can't ignore and I find myself hours later trying to go to sleep. Last night I hooked the old machine back up and no whine noise. Slept great. I called the sleep center and they told me to sleep with earplugs! I am to bring by the machine to have them take a look. I have no problem purchasing a bipap if that is the issue, how do I go about getting them to agree to a bipap rather than a cpap or can my machine be tweeked to stop the high pitch whine. I am clueless! Please Advise.

Get a copy of your prescription. Get a copy of all the pages of your sleep study. Most important, be sure to get a full-data machine so you will know how successful you treatment is going in the months to come.

Since it may be that the bipap from Craigslist is set at a lower pressure than the pressure you need (and would naturally, then, be quieter), I would recommend that you not mention the machine from Craigslist as the basis for complaint when you complain to the center about the new machine's whine.

In order to get a bilevel (bipap) from the center, or from a company online (like cpap.com, the hosts of this site), you would have to have a prescription for a bilevel.

ps- Answering jules' questions will get you the specific help you need here . . .

[GumbyCT]

Just a guess but most likely your machine has cflex enabled. We won't know until you answer the questions Jules has asked. Turning cflex off may eliminate the whine you hear.

Why would you need to buy a bipap if DIL sent you one already? me confused. But all that depends on your Insurance, you need to talk to them bc policies vary greatly.

And now the questions asked by Jules -
The names of the machines should be clearly written across the top of each.
The name of the mask is on a label on the rear of the headgear.

what machine were you given by the sleep people?

what is your pressure setting?

was cflex enabled on the machine you got from the class?

what pressures is the bipap set to?

what machine is the bipap?

what mask are you using? is it the same mask you used for this bipap?

Write the exact names of the machines please. Include model number off the bottom of the m series.

[Severeena]

Why do you have to go to class for your machine?
I have never heard of such a thing.
I picked mine up at the DME (Distributor of Medical Equipment) they showed me how to hook up my mask and remove and fill my water resivoir and that was it.
Having to wait a full month for a class is just plain stupid.

[DreamStalker]

I am new to the world of CPAP. When I first found out I had sleep apnea (97 in 1 hour) I found out it would be more than a month before I could attend the class to receive my machine. I was scared to go to sleep. My DIL found a used machine for me on Craigslist and had it sent to me. Nice bi-pap with heated humidifier. No more snoring. Well last week I attended the class and came home with a Remstar M series. When I use it it makes a high pitch whine noise upon exhalation. It is something I simply can't ignore and I find myself hours later trying to go to sleep. Last night I hooked the old machine back up and no whine noise. Slept great. I called the sleep center and they told me to sleep with earplugs! I am to bring by the machine to have them take a look. I have no problem purchasing a bipap if that is the issue, how do I go about getting them to agree to a bipap rather than a cpap or can my machine be tweeked to stop the high pitch whine. I am clueless! Please Advise.

Just take the CPAP back and tell them you want to keep the BI-PAP because you that one works great for you. If they give you any flack tell them you will take your business elsewhere ... that usually changes their attitude.

[GumbyCT]

Some Insurers want you to learn something about your therapy knowing there is a very steep learning curve ahead. I think it is an excellent idea and more of them should do it.

[jules]

I suspect gadaisy is dealing with an HMO.

Do I need to go off on my anti-HMO tangent?

[jnk]

I suspect gadaisy is dealing with an HMO.

Do I need to go off on my anti-HMO tangent?

In the six months I've been here, I can't recall your going off on a tangent. So I would appreciate it if you did. Either that, or post a link to your last one so I can see what one looks like.

I hope gadaisy answers your questions, though.

[OmniMarconi67]

I do wonder why you don't get to pick and choose your equipment. I can't complain, the stuff they gave me does the job, but it begs the question nonetheless. It probably has something to do with insurance and new users knowing next to nothing about quality in the CPAP world. Anyone know for sure?

[GumbyCT]

I do wonder why you don't get to pick and choose your equipment. I can't complain, the stuff they gave me does the job, but it begs the question nonetheless. It probably has something to do with insurance and new users knowing next to nothing about quality in the CPAP world. Anyone know for sure?

Ya think? Ever wonder why the doc doesn't let YOU choose which medicine you need?

[jules]

what you get is determined by the insurance contract with the DME more often than not

if you are in an HMO - that step was even bypassed and you get issued stuff they think will work (usually doesn't) and they don't give a flying leap if it doesn't - you have a lot of NO choice once you joined and your life isn't worth anything anymore (assuming of course it was once - if it never was you didn't lose anything by joining the HMO)

also, if you get issued stuff and insurance is involved in some way, it might NOT be yours - check before you get rid of it or even throw away a used filter or hose - you never know when they will want it back to give to the next sucker

[OmniMarconi67]

Ya think? Ever wonder why the doc doesn't let YOU choose which medicine you need?

Actually in a lot of cases the doctor does let the patient choose, often when the patient doesn't need it. We're one of only two countries in the world (the other being New Zealand) that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to the consumer, which makes a lot of people think they need some medicine when they don't and they bug their doctor into giving a prescription. This also happens with antibiotics, which causes infectious bacteria to get more and more resistant and thus harder to treat (and before you say this doesn't happen, trust me I know, I majored in Security and Intellegence and have had extensive study into the threat of biological agents). Furthermore, there's a lot of medicines that do more or less the same thing or have generic substitutes, and if a patient prefers one over the other the doctor isn't going to object. It seems to me that CPAP equipment could fall into this category.