An introduction...

[adamthekiwi]

Hi all,

I'm a relatively recent first-time visitor to these boards, and there seems to be lots of useful information - so I'd like to do an introduction and ask a quick question!

I'm 45 years old (in 12 days), living in Edinburgh and was diagnosed with OSA 16 months ago - I've used a CPAP every night (other than a couple, I think). To be frank, I've never really seen any benefit - my Epworth score was 3 before the treatment started and went up significantly as I underwent several months of what felt like no sleep at all. I finally got used to it and now mostly sleep as well as I did before starting the treatment; my ESS has returned to 3.

I use a Resmed S9 with humidifier, with an Airfit P10 (all provided by the NHS). I've just ordered myself a Transcend Auto with battery for travelling/camping - is there anything I need to know about switching to an auto? Any comments on the Transcend/battery combination?

Adam...

[herefishy]

Welcome Adam, strange that you haven't seen any benefit, but can't go by the ESS - do you feel any more alert, fewer naps, less falling asleep at the wheel?Does your Resmed s9 say "autoset" or "elite" on it? If so, you can take the SD card out of the back and load it into some software we can tell you about, and tell a bit more about how your therapy is doing. Seems like I've heard pretty good stuff about the Transcend, but you will have to find someone smarter than me to tell you how to set it up. There is a website - http://www.apneaboard.com, that has clinical manuals for most of the current machines, and you might find the instructions in there. Good luck and welcome

[Guest]

Hi herefishy,

It's an S9 Escape, so not really any meaningful data to be collected, I think?

I didn't ever have naps (except, perhaps, after a really big night!), episodes of falling asleep at the wheel or any issues with alertness; as a result, nothing to measure against. I did really struggle in the first few months as the CPAP destroyed my sleep but that, at least, has settled down.

I worked as a research assistant in the Respiratory Medicine department of the RPMS in London for 6 months after my first degree, so I'm well aware of the potential impacts of untreated OSA. My AHI in my sleep study put me firmly in the 'severe' camp, too.

Even if I haven't seen any benefit, my wife has - now that I don't snore, she sleeps much more soundly!

Thanks for the info on the Transcend. I'll post my experiences...

Adam...

[Julie]

What are your pressure settings? It's possible they were never set high enough to be of much use, but your machine can't tell you about it, so if you can get hold of a machine that gives proper data (vs just compliance) it would make a big difference - you could download free software from here and use it to see what's going on overnight... what are the chances you can do that?

[Guest]

Hi Julie,

I'm on 9.6 - that was raised after my second overnight stay (the first was my sleep study) at the sleep clinic from 9.4. The initial settings were decided upon after a week with an APAP.

The machine I've just ordered is an auto so, when it arrives, I'll get SleepyHead and start tracking.

Adam...

[Julie]

Did you (or your doctor) ever consider using auto vs straight Cpap? If you get a new machine, make sure it's an auto, because they can do plain cpap, but not vice versa.

[Guest]

Hi Julie,

I believe that the S9 Escape is the standard machine (currently) offered on the NHS (I'm in the UK). As mentioned further up the thread, I've just purchased an auto - hence the question about whether I need to know anything and what differences there'll be.

I have standard health insurance through my employers, but I've just found out that this won't cover XPAP.

Adam...

[Julie]

Can you afford to get a machine (auto) that is NOT an 'Escape', one that gives proper data and not just compliance hours? The thing is, without that, you can't really track what's going on overnight and therefore have no way to tell what to tweak or not.

[Guest]

Hi Julie,

As per the thread, I've just bought an auto (Transcend Auto) - it should arrive Tuesday or Wednesday.

Adam.

[Julie]

That's a travel machine... does it have full data capability?

[adamthekiwi]

Hi Julie,

First up, apologies for posting as a guest - I thought I'd set up to automatically login...

As far as I can tell, yes, it does store full data. From the FAQs on their website:

Does Transcend collect compliance data?

Yes. Transcend has internal memory that captures compliance data for up to 13 months. A full compliance report, including AHI, leak detection, hours of use, and other data can be viewed by using the Transcend compliance reporting software.

Compliance data is retrieved from Transcend by connecting the USB cable (provided) to a computer in which the Transcend compliance software has been installed, or to the optional Transcend LCD Programmable Base Station.

The cpap.com site description backs this up.

You asked, earlier in the thread, whether I could afford to get a full auto machine. The answer is yes - but I get the 'Escape' effectively free, along with regular consultation and the ability to request information from or meetings with either the nurses or my consultant, on the NHS. The Transcend was purchased specifically as a travel machine, but I was hoping that it would allow me to do some data tracking at home, too. The sleep department have said they can organise a significant discount on ResMed machines, so I could get *another* machine for at-home use - I'm not certain if it's worth it, though.

Adam...

[Julie]

Compliance data won't tell you zip about how well your therapy's doing... it's just really for the insurance co's to see you are using the machine (so they'll keep paying for it in the US), and the Escape is the same. You need a different, newer, better machine for that, but if you have trouble paying on your own, there are places like Secondwindcpap.com that sell refurbished ones at very good prices. And while I know they do ship overseas, hopefully someone else here can give you better advice on which machines to ask SWC for.

[adamthekiwi]

Hi Julie,

Aaaah, OK - I'd assumed the that "[...] including AHI, leak detection [...] and other data [...]" suggested that it stored more complete information than just compliance... I guess I'll see when it arrives.

Thanks also for the link to Secondwind - I've contacted them to ask about UK delivery. The logical choice for me would, I guess, be the ResMed S9 Autoset, since I think it will just plug in to the humidifier I already have...?

Cheers - Adam...

[Pugsy]

The Transcend Auto does have some efficacy data and has more than compliance hours but how to get it and exactly what format is different from what we normally see and do.

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To retrieve the recorded data, the Transcend Auto must be connected to a Windows based computer using the included USB cable. The data can be viewed with the included software and can even be emailed utilizing the "Email Compliance Information" in the Patient Setting screen. 

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/transc ... etics.html

If may be all you need but if you find it isn't then yes...a S9 AutoSet would work with your existing humidifier from you S9 Escape.