Help..I'm New..and I don't know what they're talking about!!

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
smelville
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:01 pm
Location: Saugerties, NY

Help..I'm New..and I don't know what they're talking about!!

Post by smelville » Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:49 pm



Hi Everyone,

Hope you can help me figure all this out. It's a new foreign language to me. I just received my second report back from the sleep lab. These are their recommendations:

It is recommended that the patient be set up with a home CPAP unit (with ramping) for nightly use. Nasal interface type and size: Respironics Profile Lite Mask/Medium. For best patient compliance monitoring, we recommend Respironics CPAP machine with Encore Smart Card. A passive humidifier is also recommended to prevent nasal dryness and improve compliancy with the CPAP unit.

What is ramping?
Is this machine good?
What is an Encore Smart Card?
What do they mean by "passive" humidifier?

I believe the mask that I wore at the test and was given after the test is the mask they are talking about. I did find the mask comfortable but don't know anything about this machine.

Thanks for any help you can give me!
KEEP ON SLEEPINzzzzzzz

sansoucie28
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:05 pm
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

your new equipment

Post by sansoucie28 » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:21 pm

Hi smelville,


welcome to CPAP talk. I am fairlly new to wearing CPAP myself but can answer a couple of your questions. Ramping means that you are going to get a machine that starts you off at a low air pressure and over the course of 20 minutes or so it builds up to the pressure that you need to be at. The humidifier allows some moisture in the air going to your mask to prevent you nasal passages from drying out. As far as the machine goes from what I hear it is a good one but i dont know anything about the smart card.

This forum is filled with people on CPAP that know alot more than I do and can help answer your questions. So welcome again to the forum and the world of hoseheads.

You might wabt to search out some one named Titrator in here hes helped me alot. good luck with your new CPAP

Paul

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wading thru the muck!
Posts: 2799
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:42 am

Post by wading thru the muck! » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:30 pm

Hi smelville,

A machine with ramping will start at a lower pressure and increase to your prescribed pressure over a short time to "ease" you into it.

This describes one of two machines the remstar auto or the remstar pro.They are both good machines

Then encore smart card is a memory card that records data regarding apneas etc.. during your sleep for use by you or your Doc to see how your treatment is going.

A passive hunidifier is basically a chamber of water that the air passes through, they don't work nearly as well. as a heated humidifier.The Remstar units have a great integrated "Heated" humidifier to go with their machines. That's what I would insist on.

If the mask worked fine during your sleep study it may be OK for everyday use but if you had any problems such as leakage or comfort issues there are others that get better recommendations on this forum. The Resmed Mirage Activa for example.

If the mask you choose doesn't seem to suit you be prepared to try another before you get discouraged by CPAP all together.

Check out https://www.cpap.com they have great info and FAQs regarding all aspects of CPAP. They also have a toll free support line with very helpful and knowledgable staff.

Any more questions - please feel free to ask some more.
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!

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rested gal
Posts: 12883
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
Location: Tennessee

ramp

Post by rested gal » Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:26 pm

I agree with "wading thru the muck" that you should insist on a heated humidifier instead of a passover type of humidifier. Some people do fine with passover humidification and even no humidification at all. But if your nasal passages dry out, you'll be very glad to have a heated humidifier to turn on. For many people, having heated humidification makes a big difference in comfort with this kind of "air blowing in your nose all night" therapy.

The ramp feature....many users keep that turned off. All it does is make your machine start at a lower pressure than has been prescribed for you. Supposedly it makes it "easier" to breathe at first. I never use it. Some new users (and some old hands, too) like to use the ramp. If you have no problem breathing at your prescribed pressure with the mask on, I would suggest that you tell them you want the ramp feature turned off. If they insist, then tell them you want the bottom of your ramp pressure set at at least 6, or certainly no lower than 5. (That's presuming the main pressure your machine is going to be set at is higher, and it probably is, than 6.) Most DME's (durable medical equipment providers) set the ramp to start down at its lowest setting - "4". I guess they think they are doing you a favor, but they aren't. Many, many people feel suffocated trying to breathe at a pressure of only 4, especially if their noses get even the tiniest bit stuffy. But most DME's blithely set the ramp at 4. Some of them should try to breathe through a mask for a few minutes, with no more air coming at them than that.

smelville
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2004 7:01 pm
Location: Saugerties, NY

Thanks Everyone for all your help!

Post by smelville » Sat Nov 06, 2004 10:34 pm




Thank you all so much for answering my questions. I think I may have a handle on all this thanks to you guys. They called today to verify my insurance and then they were suppose to call MVP and set everything up as to what the insurance pays and what I will pay. I think it will be 80/20. They will rent the machine for three months. If I comply they will rent for another 3 months and if I still comply they will then purchase the unit minus the payments already made by myself and MVP.

I will ask about the heated humidifier. I have a wood stove running and that always makes my nose dry.

Thanks Again,
KEEP ON SLEEPINzzzzzzzz!