New Cpap user questions and comments/software

[ibthebest]

I am new to this (diagnosed 07/2007) and am getting along pretty well with my Liberty mask and sleeping much longer!!!!!!!! I have developed bags under my eyes even though I am sleeping longer The machine I have is not the one I would prefer, but is the one they gave me. I think the insurance company would upgrade the machine if I can convince them why I need the automatic or at least the pro model. I could use some help from someone who has done this with their insurance company. Secondly, I can no longer get the Encore software so I can see how I am actually doing. I tried ordering from cpap.com since they still showed it as an item you could order and was sent back an email saying it was no longer availabe. I see they have taken it off the order portion of their web site now. If someone could PM me where I could get it, I would appreciate it. Also, will my current machine with the smart card, tell me all of the things I need to know like AHI, Air leaks, AI, and the number of apneas and hypopneas separately? Thanks for your help and for this forum.

Michael

[bdp522]

Your current machine will only give compliance data(hrs of use). The software is useless for this machine. If you can get an upgrade in machine you will need the 1.8 software for the 'M' series machines. Try talking to your doctor about getting an upgrade to a data capable machine. You may have to fight for it, but it's worth it.

Brenda

[ibthebest]

Brenda,

Thanks for your reply. It does have a smart card.........are you saying it ony keeps track of compliance issues? What a waste! You can get that off the screen. Also, I thought that version 1.6i would work on all the M machines except the A-Flex machines?

Michael

[Wulfman...]

You only need EP v. 1.8i if you have a machine with A-Flex or are using the MS Vista operating system (or both). For all other M Series machines (Pro & Auto w/C-Flex) and pre-M Series, the 1.6i should be fine.

Den

[6PtStar]

The Remstar "M" Plus will only give compliance data whether or not it has a smart card (most don't). You must have at least the Pro model to get any kind of data. If you can get them to upgrade before it is to late and you are stuck with it you will be way ahead.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Smart Card

[ibthebest]

Update. Just got my sleep report. First thing I notice is that although I was there all night, the total recording time was just 155.3 minutes and my total sleep time was 115. minutes. It seems to me if they have you there all night, they could at least record for more than 3 hours. Or was I awake for 5 hours? I went to bed at 10:00 and they woke me up at 12:30 to put mask on and at 5:30 to go home. My apnea index was 99.1 and my hypopnea index was 4.7. I don't know what AIII is but mine was 103.8. My mean wake O2% was 94.7% and my Minimum Sleep SpO2% was 82%. I have no idea what my numbers are now after about 4 weeks of treatment. Do sleep tests normally just record about 3 hours for an all night study?????? Also if I can't get Encore software, would I be better off to get my machine upgraded to a Puritin Bennett 420E CPAP with Heated Humidifier and Silverlining Software? Has anyone used this software or machine?

Thanks

Michael

[Goofproof]

Your cart is pulling your horse. Get the machine order the reader. (2Factors) Then get the software. The software is out there as Mulder says. Jim

[ozij]

Also if I can't get Encore software, would I be better off to get my machine upgraded to a Puritin Bennett 420E CPAP with Heated Humidifier and Silverlining Software? Has anyone used this software or machine?

The answer depends on your pressure, and on how much pressure relief you need.

I use the PB420E with Silverlining software - and have many good things to say about both.

My pressure is low, I don't need pressure relief.

If you need pressure relief you'll be better off with a Resmed or Respironics machine. Since their software is sold to doctors, you could try to convice your doctor to order the software for you -

O.

[ibthebest]

Thanks for your reply O. My pressure is 12. I don't know if that is low or not. I think it is mid-range. How do you know that you don't need pressure relief? Could you be getting by on lower pressures and still have an AHI of 5 or less? Unless you have an automatic machine, I don't know how you would tell.

Michael

[ozij]

Pressure relief is purely a comfort feature - not a medical thing. And it is not supposed to affect your results. It's a slight drop in the pressure the machine supplies when you exhale.

Resmed machines when they're not on automatic mode have and "EPR" opion, which lowers the pressurs slightly for exhaling, and Respironics machines have C-FLEX or A-FLEX, both of which can lower the pressure slightly as you exhale whether they are on APAP (auto pressure adjustment) or CPAP (constant pressure).

Do you use the CFLEX on your machine? Can you get used to sleeping without it? If you no longer use CFLEX, or can get used to sleeping without it, you don't need exhale pressure relief.

O.

[ibthebest]

O. Sorry about the confusion. I was talking auto-titrating and you were talking C-flex. Yes, I use the C-Flex at setting 3 (highest relief) and like that feature. So does that mean we are back to an issue of Encore software acqusition? Does anyone think if I got a prescription for the software from my GP that Respionics would honor it and sell me the software? I don't want to upgrade my machine and add a smart card reader and not be able to get the software to use the benefits.

Michael

[Sequoia]

I just got my Bipap machine this morning got the mask, a Mirage Quatro that looks like something out of Silence of the Lambs or Halloween. The machines set up. The question is do I just turn it on or have it ramp up?

[Slinky]

IBTheBest, NOW is the TIME to take your Respironics M Series Plus w/C-Flex back to your DME supplier. Make it clear to them that you REFUSE to accept a bare-bones, compliance data only CPAP. Insist that you be given a fully data capable CPAP w/C-Flex. (That would in all likelihood mean giving your the Respironics M Series Pro w/C-Flex so that your integrated humidifier is compatible w/it).

Meanwhile, call your insurance company and ask them what local DME suppliers they are contracted with. Hopefully, you have the choice of more than this one so you have more leverage.

At the same time, call your sleep doctor, or if you can't get thru to him the same day, FAX him a letter explaining that the DME supplier gave you a bare-bones CPAP capable of compliance data only. Tell him you have or are returning the Respironics Plus and insisting that you be given a fully data capable CPAP.

Put it to both your sleep doctor and the sleep lab however you wish to phrase it, diplomatically, a compliance data only capable machine will not allow your sleep doctor to adequately monitor your response to CPAP therapy, nor provide the data needed to make any adjustments to pressure that might be needed nor to explain any problems you may be having w/adjusting to CPAP therapy. Your sleep doctor should NOT have to monitor your therapy by guess and by gosh.

Phrased carefully it gives your doctor an out that he didn't care enough about your therapy to insist that you be given a fully data capable CPAP from the get go.

BUT you have to do this NOW. You are running out of time! DME suppliers seldom bill insurance before you've established 30 days complaince on the CPAP and usually have a regular billing date that they send all billings out on which hopefully gives you the grace days needed to effect this exchange of CPAPs.

Don't worry about the software and card reader at this point. They are available, it just takes some ingenuity and there is plenty of that in this forum. No sense sweating the software situation until you know which machine you are going to get for sure.

Your local DME suppliers can NOT sell you the software, it is HIGHLY unlikely that any sleep doctor will stick their neck out and get you a copy or help you get a copy. Plus you don't need the sleep doctor to get it anyway. So don't even bother to try to discuss the software w/DME supplier or sleep doctor. Respironics is NOT going to help you get their software. It isn't intended for patient use and it is Respironics that just put the muscle on the online DME suppliers to stop selling it to patients. Just concentrate on getting a fully data capable CPAP!!!

The software and reader are NOT going to be that difficult to get.

Sequoia, whether to use the Ramp feature on your machine or not is strictly a personal decision for you. Some of us use it, some of us don't. Some of us needed it, or thought we needed it at first, and later realized we didn't need or even want it. Others always use it. Try using the Ramp feature, you can always turn it off.

[ibthebest]

One more update. Received a call from the sleep lab who wanted to clear up a discrepency in my birthdate. I told her I was glad she called and asked if she would answer some questions about my test. She explained the results given on the table were for the events before I was placed on the cpap. I asked for the numbers after the cpap had been put in place and she said she would call them back to me. Did not know why they did not include them with the initial report. I also told her the cpap machine they gave me only recorded compliance issues and I wanted a better machine that recorded AI, mask leakage, HI and was also capable of adjusting titration pressures based on realtime, actual lifestyle circumstances rather than a single static pressure based on one particular lifestyle night event. She said I was obviously involved and maybe knew more than she, so I used the example of being diagnosed with high blood pressure, given medication and never allowed to check your blood pressure to see if it went down. I just want to know that the machine is doing it's job and not just assuming that it is because I am sleeping longer. She understood that and said what machine do you want? I gave her the exact machine and she said she would call my DME and ask him about the possibility of changing out my machine. My DME called back within the hour and said that he would send a letter to my MD explaining why I wanted a different machine and asking him for a prescription for the new machine. He said he would call me back next week and change out the machine. So...........it looks like I will have a competent machine in the near future. Yea!!!!!!!!!!!! If I am stuck to using a cpap machine the rest of my life, at least I am going to know it is alleving the situation!

Michael

[Slinky]

Whew! Sounds like maybe you have one of the RARE good DME suppliers willing to work w/you! If so, congratulations!