What I learned Take what you like leave the rest

1. Don't depend on the doctors to take care of any of your conditions. You will be "sold" things you don't need. This is imperative, if you are paying for your medical care and there's no middle man insurance company. Unfortunately, the current medical system is built on consumerism.

2. Research everything and look up the scientific reports yourself.

3. Beware of a medical system that treats you in a group and takes months to get back to you. It took us 3 months to get an appointment with Kaiser Permanente. It took two weeks for a call back. The whole thing was like an assembly line. I understand that's all some people can get. If I can get out of this situation, I would get out of it. Go to the doctor you want, not to their doctors. It's all about them and not about the patient.

If I could afford it I would get the machine with all the bells and whistles. One thing to know, if a machine has more stuff on it, there are more things to fix and break.That's the reality of the situation. I am happy with the simpler machine for the lower cost. Other people may not be happy with a simpler machine. IMO be aware that's a trade off. I have talked to indignant medical professionals that can't understand why I won't pay out for everything they want to do regardless of the efficacy. I wouldn't go to a professional that was, for example, fixing my house, without questioning everything they did. Why would I just give medical professionals a blank check? My days as a patsy are over.

It says in your profile you have an Autoset ... that is a great machine .... wish everyone would go for that one instead of taking the brick CPAP or AirStart machines... Good luck with your treatment ... you'll be quite happy with that machine... You now can be in control of your treatment, the way it should be... Best of luck!

Edit , btw that machine is about as good as one gets with aPAP treatment ... It's not a brick or simple machine so no need to sweat it...

Yeah, I noticed that too. According to your profile, you have a top of the line machine. Of course you can use it as a plain old brick if you want to.

I find no use for the ramp or exhalation relief. I also find no great need of the machine automatically going on when you put the mask on and off when you remove it. I disabled the off, but not the on (if I didn't have it, I wouldn't miss it though). However, others might really like these features. I do like the auto feature, as the pressure needs to be higher once in a while, but no all night long.

You seem to have the machine with all the bells and whistles already.

But if you are advising others to get simpler machines without efficacy data because they are "simpler" and therefore better, you are doing them a disservice. There's no empirical way to know how effective your treatment is without efficacy data. Efficacy data is not a "bell and whistle" it's a necessity.

If I recall, the retail price difference between a machine with full efficacy data and one with compliance only data was about $30. So not a huge expense. There are better ways to save a buck.

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Fri May 25, 2018 7:29 pm

You seem to have the machine with all the bells and whistles already.

But if you are advising others to get simpler machines without efficacy data because they are "simpler" and therefore better, you are doing them a disservice. There's no empirical way to know how effective your treatment is without efficacy data. Efficacy data is not a "bell and whistle" it's a necessity.

If I recall, the retail price difference between a machine with full efficacy data and one with compliance only data was about $30. So not a huge expense. There are better ways to save a buck.

+1 .... very well said...

stardust123 wrote: ↑

Fri May 25, 2018 4:35 pm

If I could afford it I would get the machine with all the bells and whistles. One thing to know, if a machine has more stuff on it, there are more things to fix and break.That's the reality of the situation.

Fun Fact... "the machine with all the bells and whistles" (the one you have has almost all the bells and whistles for normal people), is the *exact same* machine as the one that costs 5x as much and is for people with severe lung and other problems.

The only difference in them is the *programming*... nothing more to break. (source, I've taken apart the bottom of the line, and the 5000+$ machines, and they're identical).

Post deleted by me.

stardust123 wrote: ↑

Fri May 25, 2018 4:35 pm

1. Don't depend on the doctors to take care of any of your conditions. You will be "sold" things you don't need. This is imperative, if you are paying for your medical care and there's no middle man insurance company. Unfortunately, the current medical system is built on consumerism.

2. Research everything and look up the scientific reports yourself.

3. Beware of a medical system that treats you in a group and takes months to get back to you. It took us 3 months to get an appointment with Kaiser Permanente. It took two weeks for a call back. The whole thing was like an assembly line. I understand that's all some people can get. If I can get out of this situation, I would get out of it. Go to the doctor you want, not to their doctors. It's all about them and not about the patient.

If I could afford it I would get the machine with all the bells and whistles. One thing to know, if a machine has more stuff on it, there are more things to fix and break.That's the reality of the situation. I am happy with the simpler machine for the lower cost. Other people may not be happy with a simpler machine. IMO be aware that's a trade off. I have talked to indignant medical professionals that can't understand why I won't pay out for everything they want to do regardless of the efficacy. I wouldn't go to a professional that was, for example, fixing my house, without questioning everything they did. Why would I just give medical professionals a blank check? My days as a patsy are over.

Hey Patsy....You already have the machine with "all the bells and whistles". Airsense 10 is ResMed's top of the line. I guess you didn't research very well.

Like the others, I am baffled by the rant . . .

I guess you missed the first line. If what I say does you no good, ignore it.

I got on here to find out why I couldn't get the AHI off the machine even though I could read it. Someone did explain that to me for which I am grateful.

Then I got insulted for getting a cheap "brick" and not paying out a ton more money for the expensive machine. 600 dollars is not "cheap" BTW. I got the machine the doctor told me to when I could not afford the 1,000 dollar machine, and yes I did look into it myself. Last time I was on here I got attacked for simply stating that sleep apnea causes sexual problems. Now I am getting attacked for not "researching" the way you would. I have no insurance.

I am doing fine with the "brick." I am out of here. I will find help elsewhere. I don't need people being nasty and rude to me.

stardust123 wrote: ↑

Sat May 26, 2018 10:04 am

I guess you missed the first line. If it does you no good, ignore it.

Confused a little ... care to explain?

Post deleted by me.

Stardust I think the confusion is in the picture of the machine you have in your profile. It is the Airsense 10 Autoset and in your other post you stated you have the AirStart 10.
If you would change that in your profile it might help.

stardust123 wrote: ↑

Sat May 26, 2018 10:04 am

I am doing fine with the "brick." I am out of here. I will find help elsewhere. I don't need people being nasty and rude to me.

I sincerely apologize if my post was rude. I didn't mean it to be. I wanted to correct the thought that some machines are more likely to break down. I do not believe that to be true. I will delete my posts.

Generally the point of posting statements (as opposed to questions) in a forum is to have them critiqued by others posting reactions. So that's what people did. React. Partially based on a misunderstanding about your machine.

There is anger here against DMEs who claim that no patient should have a data machine. That anger and frustration is not meant to be directed at those who use no-data machines. It is at DMEs who make inaccurate claims about the machines.

The trick to getting the best sleep without efficacy data is to focus on how you feel. If you feel sleep deteriorating over time, your doc may not mind a bit if you test raising your pressure by a cm to see if that makes you feel better or worse. It can be done that way, and many old-timers on this forum have done so. CPAP is a great tool, even without efficacy data. It makes it slower to find optimum pressure, but it can be done and done well.

Again, I sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and any part I may have played in it.

You may want to stick around to let others know your experience with your machine. My preference would be that it not be a way to put down full efficacy-data machines but a way to point out that benefits can be had with no-data machines.

I wish you the best with your therapy.

Folks...the other post where OP was talking about the AirStart was mentioning that model for her spouse. Husband was mentioned.

by stardust123 » Thu May 24, 2018 3:59 pm
Hi,

my husband got a new machine called AirStart 10.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=171582&p=1250601#p1250601

Post by stardust123 » Thu May 24, 2018 8:42 pm
Thank you. Yes the machine is that machine with black and grey. Yes I do not see heated hose. So I guess it does not have that. My husband had clogged nose with other machine, this one does not do that. He says this one does not cause plugged nose. It has a humidifier.

From what I understood....originally may have been given the AirSense 10 Auto which is showing in the profile and then got the AirStart...all this is assuming that only hubby is using the cpap machine.

I got the impression that wife was the poster but posting with the equipment for her husband and she wasn't the cpap user.
Similar to what Dori used to do here.

We no nothing about the clogged nose with the other machine.

OP has me so confused with the comments that I have stayed out of this thread because there is a lot of information missing.
I viewed this thread as a venting rant for whatever reason and felt it should just be left to die a natural death that venting threads die.
There's a lot of anger here directed at multiple places apparently with some toward forum members most likely overflowing to us from the excess of anger directed at her own situation with her lack of coverage from her insurance.