Taberge, It is apparently not very common to receive immediate benefits from CPAP from what I've seen on this site. It does happen though. I noticed an incredible difference the morning after my sleep study. I made arrangements to take the day off work after the study since I knew I would be exhaust...

I don't have experience with the bad CPAP related gas problem but may have some helpful suggestions for your other comments Noise: I turn on a fan at night in the summer and a white noise machine in the winter to cover any CPAP related noise. It is very effective for my spouse and I. I point the fan...

The magic for me is the lack of minerals. If I consistently use the hard water from my tap I will end up with mineral deposits in the humidifier. If there has to be a plus side to mineral buildup, it would have to be that it will seal any humidifier gasket leaks. One will get interesting things grow...

Welcome Becky! Getting use to the equipment will take time with many adjustments and fine tuning to find out what works for you. Jere is right about eventually needing to have CPAP to sleep. I've been at it for nearly 2 years and look forward to going to bed because I know I will sleep well and wake...

I agree to turn down your humidifier to what is comfortable for you. If you are using a heated hose put it away for the summer (or unplug it) and use the standard hose. Open a window in the evening and turn on a room fan. Sounds like you don't have the luxury of AC, I don't either, so the above shou...

Perhaps one should put an algae eater in their tank to keep it clean. Appears that this topic has taken on a life of its own, like the primordial ooze in our tanks of distilled water. In my post I was using sterile bandages as an analogy to the purity of distilled water nothing else. Sterile water, ...

Distilled water begins to lose its purity once you open the bottle. The dust, bacteria and fungi in the air will contaminate it. Kinda like a sterile dressings. They are sterile until you expose it to the air. Just because it says it is distilled on the container doesn't mean it will remain pure wat...

Leave the smart card in the machine. I don't know why they would be concerned with the card. I have an ID card I use to get through airport security and it is similar to the smart card with the goldlike data collecting chip on it and they never question it. Besides, I imagine the wipe test will tell...

Glad to hear that the Neti Pot is working for you Claire. Nasal irrigation has been posted here many times. I've been using it because of this upper respiratory illness I currently have. It does make a big difference after using it. I also use it for allergy relief just prior to masking up. I'm a wi...

Welcome to the two of you! Stanley and yorkie, sounds like your attitude towards this will help you a lot towards being a successful user of this treatment. One's attitude towards this is a major hurtle. So study, study, study and ask questions. If you know someone that is currently on CPAP, as york...

Did you get a prescription from your Dr. for your own use? If so, what does it say? My Dr. didn't know enough to be so specific to select a brand and model for me. The DME may be brushing you off. I suspect your prescription only says CPAP. If it does the Pro is also a CPAP as the Plus but has the a...

Welcome to the forum gdoc89, Looks like you are off to a good start with the desire to research what you are embarking upon. If you are interested in monitoring yourself then by all means upgrade your CPAP to at least the Pro model and get the software and card reader. You show that you have the Plu...

Yes, exercising earlier may help. I do wake briefly when I turn in bed or if I spring an air leak, but I go right back to sleep. I take a couple Benedryl when I suspect I will be awake most of the night with minor allergies. Do you drink coffee in the evening? Have you started any new medication? I ...

Reservations to doing the sleep study? You bet. Hey, I was going to the ENT to see what they could do to help my wife deal with my snoring. I needed my sleep but she kept waking me up. I didn't like the direction the ENT was going because he was heading toward the "sleep study" words. I felt trapped...

I recommend a full face mask. I have a couple such masks and like the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask.