In need of a travel CPAP that I can program

[mr_sparkles]

I've been a long time CPAP user. Eleven years on the same old school REMStar Plus machine. It's still going strong. I'd like to purchase two new machines, one for home and one for travel. I don't want to have to go back to do another sleep study, so I'm hoping I can just talk to or meet my physician and get a new prescription.

If that doesn't work out, I'll just obtain my machines in another way, but that will require me to be able to program the pressure to exactly what works for me. So I'd like to ask for advice on two new machines. Both of the machines I would want to be able to program, so please keep that in mind when making a recommendation.

1) I would like a new machine for home. Nothing fancy and I don't need a humidifier or anything. Just a new unit.

2) I would like a small travel machine as well. I've read a bit about the MiniCPAP and a few others.

What would some of you recommend? I'll be using my own funds for the purchase. Not insurance most likely.

Thank you all for your time. I appreciate it very much.

[D.H.]

I don't see why you can't continue to use your current home machine as your home machine. If you also have a travel machine, that can be your backup should the home machine fail!

[D.H.]

BTW, all CPAPs (even the most basic ones), can be set to any pressure between 4 and 20 in whole number increments. Many can also do half-number increments. Some very old machines can go down to 3 and/or only up to 18, but you won't be getting anything like that!

You can always get your hands on the instructions to change the pressure, even if they insist it's illegal!

[Pugsy]

Programming anything yourself is easy.
Go here and you can see all the provider manuals you can get that will explain how to set a machine.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

Can't comment on a specific travel size (I call them tiny cpaps) because I have never used or even seen one.

Since you don't need a humidifier you might look at another Respironics for home and get the tiny cpap for travel.
The new DreamStation from Respironics doesn't have much of a foot print in terms of size if there is no humidifier attached and you can buy just the blower if you wish. ResMed's new AirSense 10 line is a good option but the humidifier is built in and while it can be used without the humidifier having water in it...the size is going to be about the same since the humidifier is built into the unit and not a separate add on

The biggest complaint I have heard from the people who do get the tiny cpaps is motor noise. They tend to run louder which really isn't unexpected...they are smaller so less room for sound deadenin.g foam.
You already know about the new ResMed Mini coming out supposedly in early summer.

[Cardsfan]

The Resmed Airsense 10 does have a built in humidifier. But you can order a special Side Cover, that you can use in place of the humidifier water tank. It is Resmed part # 37303. I have this part. It costs about $15.00. When you use the side cover, instead of the humidifier water tank, it saves about an inch of space off the side of the machine, where the humidifier would stick out, the side cover fits flush against the machine.

[Guest]

I've been a long time CPAP user. Eleven years on the same old school REMStar Plus machine. It's still going strong.

fwiw - Someone using a Plus model cpap for 11 yrs prob doesn't care but for those who do track their data (and I think everyone should have a data capable cpap) I don't know of any travel sized minis that have data or that are compatible with SleepyHead or any other software.

[mr_sparkles]

Regarding Auto CPAPs:

Since it's been so long since I've been in the market for a CPAP, am I correct in saying that if I purchased an "Auto" CPAP, I don't really have to program the pressure of the unit? Will it do it on its own? Maybe the only thing I have to do is program the lower and upper end of a range I would want?

My 11-year-old model had the pressure set by the company that supplied it based on my sleep study and doctor recommendations.

Sorry if this is a pretty basic question, but I've been out of the game on these for a very long time and haven't kept up with the newer technology.

[Pugsy]

Most APAPs need a little help with pre-programing that minimum pressure. A lot is going to depend on what pressure you need.
If you only need 7 cm pressure the default minimum of 4 cm might do well for a person but if you need maybe 12 cm then it is going to take too long to go from 4 to 12 quickly enough to prevent the airway from collapsing.
The maximum pressure isn't nearly as important because the machine won't normally go to places it doesn't feel like it has a good reason to be there. If the max is 20 and the machine never goes past 12...doesn't matter what the max is set at...12, 13, 15, 18 or 20. The max becomes a moot point.

Some people do well with apaps and some don't.
For people who have times in the night where they might need much higher pressures than at other times apaps can be a huge plus. Example...my OSA is worse in REM sleep and in REM I might need as much as 18 cm pressure. Normally we only spend 20% of our night in REM. Using APAP with the minimum set to 10 allows me to spend the bulk of the night around 11 or 12 cm pressure and the machine only goes to 18 when it needs to in REM. That's much nicer than using 18 cm all night just to cover REM. I worked out that 10 cm was a better choice for me than a lower than 10 starting minimum. It took too long to get to those higher pressures when I started lower and while trying to go higher the airway would collapse. It's fairly easy to come up with a workable range. I had it done within a week once I got the software and could monitor effectiveness.

[mr_sparkles]

Most APAPs need a little help with pre-programing that minimum pressure. A lot is going to depend on what pressure you need.
If you only need 7 cm pressure the default minimum of 4 cm might do well for a person but if you need maybe 12 cm then it is going to take too long to go from 4 to 12 quickly enough to prevent the airway from collapsing.
The maximum pressure isn't nearly as important because the machine won't normally go to places it doesn't feel like it has a good reason to be there. If the max is 20 and the machine never goes past 12...doesn't matter what the max is set at...12, 13, 15, 18 or 20. The max becomes a moot point.

Some people do well with apaps and some don't.
For people who have times in the night where they might need much higher pressures than at other times apaps can be a huge plus. Example...my OSA is worse in REM sleep and in REM I might need as much as 18 cm pressure. Normally we only spend 20% of our night in REM. Using APAP with the minimum set to 10 allows me to spend the bulk of the night around 11 or 12 cm pressure and the machine only goes to 18 when it needs to in REM. That's much nicer than using 18 cm all night just to cover REM. I worked out that 10 cm was a better choice for me than a lower than 10 starting minimum. It took too long to get to those higher pressures when I started lower and while trying to go higher the airway would collapse. It's fairly easy to come up with a workable range. I had it done within a week once I got the software and could monitor effectiveness.

Thank you for the reply. My current old school CPAP is set a 8 cm. I think I'll be looking into the Z1 or the new AirMini when it comes out.

[D.H.]

Regarding Auto CPAPs:

Since it's been so long since I've been in the market for a CPAP, am I correct in saying that if I purchased an "Auto" CPAP, I don't really have to program the pressure of the unit? Will it do it on its own? Maybe the only thing I have to do is program the lower and upper end of a range I would want?

My 11-year-old model had the pressure set by the company that supplied it based on my sleep study and doctor recommendations.

Sorry if this is a pretty basic question, but I've been out of the game on these for a very long time and haven't kept up with the newer technology.

You should set a min and a max. You can start with your current setting as the min and 20 (this highest it goes) as the max. If you experience discomfort from the pressure or experience "Central" or "Clear Airway" events, then you should lower the max.

[paddington]

I have listened to the Z1 travel by HDM and the Transcend auto CPAP machines. They both specify that they are 26dB.
Both were set to pressure 5 so not the loudest they go. They were both louder than the Resmed Airsense 10 but they weren't too bad. The Z1 was a bit louder than the Transcend. The noise they make also depends on the mask. If it is not a fairly new model mask they are a bit noisier (weird by true).

The Z1 is tiny compared to the transcend but the battery adds a lot of bulk.

The new Resmed airmini is coming out in the first week of May. It would be interesting to find out the specifications for that model.