CPAP BUFFS! Please help me shop

[rydog]

I'm shopping for my first machine, having happily demoed a Resmed S9 with a nasal pillow mask and no inline humidification.

I've greatly benefited from browsing this forum, but I found it difficult to answer the following questions. My apologies if this generates a lot of duplicated information. Thanks in advance for your advice.

1. Why not just humidify the room air? Does CPAP require very high humidification for good results?

2. It's hard to comparison shop by anything by price. Are there comparable units to the S9 but that run quieter?

3. What manufacturers make it easiest for the patient to view their own data?

4. I got to keep my mask, so that's one less thing to buy! But can I use it with other CPAP machines (will the hose connect properly; is it a standard diameter)?

[SleepDisturbed]

The following are just my opinions -- don't bet the house!

1. Yes you could up room moisture to 80% relative humidity and get the same results but it might be difficult, expensive, and uncomfortable.

2. The Philips respironics units are more or less comparable to Resmed in sound, but I have no knowledge of a master list of test results / pricing guide such as you seek.

3. Manufactures see doctors and DME as their primary customers, not us, so make very little effort to serve the user in data. However, we happily have Sleepyhead, a public domain program that gives us the data we need to manage our own treatment. It is also possible to get software from manufactures. However, if you stick to Resmed or PR, you should not have a problem.

4. Fittings are standard.

[Julie]

Cpap.com - tons of machines + masks, all priced up front, go take a look at the variety and info on all of them, pix, reviews, etc. etc.

You don't need humidity as part of 'therapy' - it's a comfort feature that you choose to use, or not, at the level you tell the machine you want, and I agree that a room humidifier is more trouble, but also consider this - in winter it may be cold in the bedroom (by choice), or hot and dry (by choice of central air), but under the covers you can have heated humidity, or none, at whatever levels you want, but don't have to e.g. rot furniture, etc. in an otherwise cold room with a large humidifier, or dry everything out.

[palerider]

I'm shopping for my first machine, having happily demoed a Resmed S9 with a nasal pillow mask and no inline humidification.

I've greatly benefited from browsing this forum, but I found it difficult to answer the following questions. My apologies if this generates a lot of duplicated information. Thanks in advance for your advice.

1. Why not just humidify the room air? Does CPAP require very high humidification for good results?

2. It's hard to comparison shop by anything by price. Are there comparable units to the S9 but that run quieter?

3. What manufacturers make it easiest for the patient to view their own data?

4. I got to keep my mask, so that's one less thing to buy! But can I use it with other CPAP machines (will the hose connect properly; is it a standard diameter)?

1. some people want more humidity, some don't, it's an individual thing. nobody in this household uses humidificaiton, except when sick. others would breath swamp air if they could.
2. no, though the new resmed as10 series *might* be a tiny bit quieter.
3. resmed and respironics have the most
4. as mentioned, they're standard, everything fits everything, amazingly enough.

[robysue]

1. Why not just humidify the room air? Does CPAP require very high humidification for good results?

The ambient air we breath in is normally warmed and humidified by the nasal passages and the sinuses so that by the time it reaches the lungs, the air is (a)near body temperature and (b)very humid---as in close to 90% relative humidity as I recall.

How much humidity one needs to be comfortable using a CPAP really depends on the person. Some people like no added humidity. Some people need a lot---as in they want and need the relative humidity to be 80-90% in the air coming down their airways. It really depends on how well your nasal passages can handle the job of warming and humidifying all that relatively cold, relatively dry air that a PAP without a humidifier pumps into the upper airway.

In a theoretical sense you could just (drastically) increase the humidity in the room if you happen to be someone who needs a lot of extra humidity to make the PAP comfortable. But if you live in a cold climate, increasing the relative humidity in the room to even 50 or 60% is going to lead to some serious condensation problems on the windows, which is not good the them.

2. It's hard to comparison shop by anything by price. Are there comparable units to the S9 but that run quieter?

The S9 is one of the quietest machines on the market. But its noise is at a pitch that bothers some people. The Resmed Airsense 10 machines might be a bit quieter. The PR System One Series 60 machines are technically a tiny bit noisier, but their noise is at a different pitch. For some people the PRs noise seem louder than the S9s and for other people the PRs seem quieter. It all depends on which pitches are more noticeable to you.

3. What manufacturers make it easiest for the patient to view their own data?

Data on the Resmeds and PRs is equally easy to view using SleepyHead, a free piece of software written by our own JediMark. The official software for both machines can be found if you know where to look. (Forum members can help with that task.) The Resmed machine provide more data on the machine's LCD than the PR machines do.

4. I got to keep my mask, so that's one less thing to buy! But can I use it with other CPAP machines (will the hose connect properly; is it a standard diameter)?

Hoses come in two standard diameters, but all CPAP hoses have the same size couplers at the end of the hose. Any CPAP mask should fit any CPAP hose.

[hyperlexis]

I'll save you the trouble. Get the AirSense 10 Autoset with the heated tube option. If you need a basic CPAP (not a bipap or vent or something) then absolutely get this one. If insurance is covering it (insurance pays one amount regardless of brand or model within a class of machines) then I would definitely request this one. It's their newest auto-cpap machine, is very small, quiet, has full data and the display is big and clear, and angled so you can read it on a nightstand. Plus, the wireless data system that allows your MD to view your therapy data remotely is a lot easier than having to mail in SIM chips to the DME/MD with days of delay.

The PR560 is also a very good machine, but the display is small and faces straight upwards, which I don't like as much. The PR has some, slightly more advanced therapy features than does the ResMed (Optistart, and Aflex) which may be more important to you than the other aspects of a machine.

If you have to pay cash for your machine, then yes, things get more complicated because you will need to consider the price vs. features. That's a whole other discussion. If you have to pay cash, then the S9 should be cheaper than the 10. But otherwise, I'd go with the 10.

Good luck!

[rydog]

Thanks everyone. You've completely resolved my questions.

[GeoffD]

If you have to pay cash for your machine, then yes, things get more complicated because you will need to consider the price vs. features. That's a whole other discussion. If you have to pay cash, then the S9 should be cheaper than the 10. But otherwise, I'd go with the 10.

I have an S9 AutoSet as a spare and an AirSense 10 AutoSet as my 100% insurance-paid rent-to-own. Other than the integral cellular modem and ResMed web interface to see some limited data, the machines are functionally identical. The A10 occupies a bit less space in my roll-aboard so it's what I prefer for a business trip.

If you're paying cash for the machine, Second Wind CPAP has "open box" S9 AutoSet machines with humidifier and a non-heated hose at a good price. Pay a bit more for the heated ClimateLine hose. They also sell used ones with a 1 year warranty. Call them up and see if they have one with very low hours. You'll pay $400-something. Half the price of a new A10 AutoSet at the cheapest internet price.

[mralaska]

I am new to this but I did a lot of research before I started my craigslist search for an acceptable machine.

I agree with the votes for Airsense 10 autoset even though I have never tried one. Your only real choices to fully take charge of your therapy (except for advanced models) are the s9 autoset, Airsense 10 autoset, and PR System One Autos. If I had only one machine to pick it would be the one I have (except 60 series) because Respironics is easier and cheaper to accommodate some traveling or many camping needs, but if I could score an Airsense 10 it would be the one next to my bed every night where I could see the data without sitting up while the Philips waits in the duffel bag, or an S9 would be the one on my nightstand if I happen to stumble into another bargain (I missed some hot deals, or they are too far away). I am dying for them to come out with the next model so some Airsenses start coming out on craigslist at bargain prices!

[palerider]

S10 s10 S10 S11 s10s

point of order, there's no such thing as a 's10' unless you're talking a small chevy pickup.

there are airsense 10 and aircurve 10 machines, as10 ac10...

and, there are as10, and even ac10 machines that can be had at a bargain

[mralaska]

S10 s10 S10 S11 s10s

point of order, there's no such thing as a 's10' unless you're talking a small chevy pickup.

there are airsense 10 and aircurve 10 machines, as10 ac10...

and, there are as10, and even ac10 machines that can be had at a bargain

I stand corrected. If you google S10 Resmed you will see there are some vendors and articles that refer to it as s10 and I saw it so much I thought it was part of the name, but it looks like not according to Resmed and not in the forum so I will change my erroneous ways starting with correcting the post.

I have seen some of bargains but they are not within my grasp yet. I was surprised at how close some are, though.

Thanks,
Paul

[Krelvin]

Resource section will be updated to pull from a DB soon, but below is a manual list that was created before then.

Note not showing is something called the Airstart series which is in the DB but not on the list.

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment/cpapmachines/resmed

[palerider]

S10 s10 S10 S11 s10s

point of order, there's no such thing as a 's10' unless you're talking a small chevy pickup.

there are airsense 10 and aircurve 10 machines, as10 ac10...

and, there are as10, and even ac10 machines that can be had at a bargain

I stand corrected. If you google S10 Resmed you will see there are some vendors and articles that refer to it as s10 and I saw it so much I thought it was part of the name, but it looks like not according to Resmed and not in the forum so I will change my erroneous ways starting with correcting the post.

I have seen some of bargains but they are not within my grasp yet. I was surprised at how close some are, though

I only nitpick about things like that because I've seen more than a few people end up with the wrong thing because they were calling something by the wrong name, and someone guessed what they meant, and confusion and disappointment resulted... see people wanting a 'resmed auto' and ending up with the near useless s9 escape auto, instead of an s9 autoset. etc.

[CapnLoki]

Most of the advice given is pretty good, but I have my own take on a few things.

I'm shopping for my first machine, having happily demoed a Resmed S9 with a nasal pillow mask and no inline humidification.

I've greatly benefited from browsing this forum, but I found it difficult to answer the following questions. My apologies if this generates a lot of duplicated information. Thanks in advance for your advice.

1. Why not just humidify the room air? Does CPAP require very high humidification for good results?

I use a "console" humidifier to keep several bedrooms up at 35-40% through the winter, but I still use the cpap humidifer at home. I don't use it camping or on my boat, or on trips to humid climates.

2. It's hard to comparison shop by anything by price. Are there comparable units to the S9 but that run quieter?

I can't hear my Respironics 560 pump, but without the humidifier there is some "hose noise." I use a small inline filter to cut down that noise when I travel without the humidifier.

3. What manufacturers make it easiest for the patient to view their own data?

There's very little useful data on the screen. Sleepyhead tell you everything! The screen data only gives you "aggregate" data, such as the number of events during the entire night. You really want to see how the events are distributed through the night - that's where Sleepyhead comes in. But after a few months it gets boring and I only check it once a week or so. Whatever you do, make sure the pump saves all efficacy data, not just compliance data. Both Resmed and Respironics sell low end units that only save compliance data. If you have a problem, or just like to fully understand how the pump works, you'll want to use Sleepyhead to check out your data.

4. I got to keep my mask, so that's one less thing to buy! But can I use it with other CPAP machines (will the hose connect properly; is it a standard diameter)?

Yes, mix and match masks and machines. There are a few issues with the small "travel" machines, but not with the full size cpaps and masks.

There is an issue you don't mention - if you want to use your cpap while camping, the Respironics take a basic 12V supply (Resmed needs a special 24V converter), and also are more efficient than the Resmed. And if you're paying out of pocket, or buying a spare machine, Respironics tends to be cheaper than Resmed.

[grayghost4]

I have a resmed aircurve 10 vauto NEW .. $650 plus shipping

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/hab/4973057996.html

PM me if intrested