Has anyone used their cpap WITH HUMIDIFIER onboard a flight?

[Jason7]

Hi,
I am going on a 16 hour flight and have permission from the airline to use my PRS1.
I know the humidifier uses alot of power. Has anyone succesfully used the humidifier onboard?
Should I try to check some specs, e.g. ?amps ?volts ?watts to figure this out?
Thanks for any help.
Jason

[VikingGnome]

Humidifier NOT allowed on flights. Sorry.

[Jason7]

I asked the airline and they had no problem with it...however they couldn't tell me if the power was sufficient.
Where is your information from Viking?

[billbolton]

Should I try to check some specs, e.g. ?amps ?volts ?watts to figure this out?

Most at seat power on commercial aircraft provides between about 70W to 130W of energy, at variety of voltages.... depending on the type of power system and age of the aircraft etc. Most at-seat power is towards the lower end of that available energy range rather than the upper end, with only the newest aircaft( for example an Airbus A380) having a supply towards the higher end.

A thing to watch out for is that most xPAP kit has a fairly significant "in-rush" energy drain when it is first turned on, so while the standing energy drain may be within the nominal capability of the at-seat power, the act of plugging the device into the power outlet may be enough to trip the overload detection, which shuts the outlet down (British Airway at-seat outlets are notorious for this, but it happens on many airlines).

Keep in mind that contemporary xPAP kit will auto adjust for altitude and that "cabin pressure" in an aircraft is at the top of the auto adjust range. This means that the xPAP kit is effectively running at an energy consumption level that reflects the additional power to provide your titation prssure from a rarified atmospheric pressure (basically equivalent to the energy that you would use by running yiur xPAP several cms H20 higher that you would normally be using at sea level).

So, the general experience of frequent flyers here is that if you want to use your xPAP in flight, and also want to use at seat power, you really need to make sure that you are consuming the least possible amount of power. Given the intrinisc nature of xPAP kit, the only effective way to minimise power consumption for most users is to NOT use a humidifier.

I don't know which airline you are flying with, but I'd guess that whowever you contacted there doesn't really understand any of this and has simply given you poor advice. If it was QANTAS, they do have a few power outlets in their long haul aircraft which are not "at-seat" power, but connect elsewhere into the aircraft power system and can supply additional current.... these are available for use by prior application but QANTAS is the only airline I have come across that does that.

BTW, the last thing regarding at-seat power is that it is never guaranteed to be available, so no matter how much you plan ahead, it may simply not be there when you fly. At-seat power is not an air-safety issue, so lack of it wont stop an airline flying the aircraft... and nowadays the FAA says you have to provide your own battery power if you must use xPAP in flight, so arguing medical necessity about lack of at-seat power wont help you out either.

Cheers,

Bill

[RandyJ]

I think that wattage depends on the airline, but I have been told that the power that is available at your seat is not sufficient (in watts or amps) to run both cpap and humidifier... I can't say for sure that this is true as I have never tried to use either on a flight...

For me space would be the issue. If I were flying in economy class, I would not even attempt to use a cpap as you would have to have it in your lap. I usually fly business class where there is a bit more room, and I still wouldn't want a cpap on the floor in front of my seat. I'd probably end up forgetting it's there and stepping on it.

I find that if I sleep a bit during the flight without putting the seat back too much so I'm not completely horizontal, I find that I can sleep without snoring or (I think) having lots of apneas. So I usually opt to do that.

[MaxDarkside]

On my sleep study (ie., untreated) I was up to AHI 20's on my side (40's on back). Moderate to severe. I travel to Malaysia (the north shore of Borneo or Kuala Lumpur), Santiago, Sydney, Amsterdam, etc. I have not traveled long hauls since diagnosis / APAP treatment, but in my case (not necessarily yours, I'm not on bipap) I would do my best to side sleep en route and catch up on arrival to avoid possible concern of other passengers. In an airline seat, unless fully reclined in Biz class, I would not need a lot of treatment (sitting sort of up) and if in Biz class, I would give a good go at side sleep. I typically book a minimum of an extra day for every 10 hrs travel time to "de-lag" (10 hrs = 1 day, 15 hrs = 1.5 days and if over 20 hrs then 2 days) regardless of time zones / Int'l date line crossings.

Your (frequent flier) mileage may vary

[VikingGnome]

From ResMed site:

Some airlines allow passengers to use their CPAP in-flight; some do not. Make sure you check with the airline before you book your flight. Some airlines, such as Qantas & Air New Zealand, actively assist patients who wish to use a flow generator in-flight.
Please note: do not use humidifiers while on an aircraft.
http://www.resmed.com/au/service_and_su ... c=patients

[Julie]

And if you were to use the humidifier, and there was just a very little turbulence, you could ruin your machine altogether.

[MaxDarkside]

And if you were to use the humidifier, and there was just a very little turbulence, you could ruin your machine altogether.

I was in a 737 landing in Medford, Oregon from SFO one time, coming down over the Siskiyou Mountains and the turbulence was so bad people were screaming, puking, drinks, bags and flight attendants were hitting the ceiling and everything was flying about the cabin (including the puke, unfortunately). It stunk pretty bad in there afterwards. I would say that would not be good for a xPAP with a humidifier.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Wow Max! That was a really a well told story... Kind of graphic. I'm feeling a little, a little funny in my... (John now searchs for a little barfing face in the smiles area, only to realize that there isn't one...

John

[MaxDarkside]

Wow Max! That was a really a well told story...

Thank you much. I have 2.5 million miles on Northwest / Delta, not counting the other airlines. Don't get me started on travel stories ! Best told over a few pitchers of beer. I've been detained as a currency smuggler in Moscow, Russia, I quarantined a 747 full of people in Hawaii briefly while CDC-connected paramedics checked me out, had an emergency landing in a DC-10 in a Eskimo (Inuit) fishing village, had my hotel catch fire, just to mention a few... OMG.

Oh, and I have used the Oxygen masks... yup, while the plane was diving towards the ground.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

Well, I am in Southern California, so we are not exactly close, but someday I would like to take you up on hearing all of your travel stories. I will buy the first pitcher my friend

John

[-tim]

If you need a humidifier, get a passive one because if you use too much power, your seat row may not have any more power for the rest of the flight. Get a back flow valve that will keep the water out of your pump.

Thanks to the partial pressure laws of physics, you may not need the heater since the humidifier will work much better than at ground level.

[SleepySydney]

I travel with an o2 concentrator that runs off seat power and is self sufficient with batteries. I have tried the inset power and it about killed the concentrator.
Now I travel with 12 hours worth of batteries which is sufficient between Houston and Amsterdam or Paris. The killer is usually the second leg between said comes and my
destination in India. Those airlines are much more secure the any air line in the US. Try explaining an o2 concentrator with a AK pointed at you.

[BlackSpinner]

I was in a 737 landing in Medford, Oregon from SFO one time, coming down over the Siskiyou Mountains and the turbulence was so bad people were screaming, puking, drinks, bags and flight attendants were hitting the ceiling and everything was flying about the cabin (including the puke, unfortunately). It stunk pretty bad in there afterwards. I would say that would not be good for a xPAP with a humidifier.

Flying to Jamaica back in '78 we hit turbulence like that. I stepped out of the wash room and lifted off the floor! The flight attendant grabbed me and stuffed me into a little jump seat for the next 10 minutes. This was just after lunch ...... yes stunk pretty bad.