Updated: 4 Simple Questions and Six Discoveries

azaloune · Post by **azaloune** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:31 pm

#1. I have been a hosehead since Jan 16, 2007. I have an older brother and sister in law that have both been hosed for about 4 years. My husband joined the ranks just over 3 weeks ago.

#2. I have used 3 different machines, I am in a rent-to-own on the last one. The first machine was Respironics M series bare bones system. Then I spent 5 weeks on a loaner ResMed Vantage S8 for Auto-Titrating to make sure sleep study was correct.

#3. My favorite machine is the one I have now. A ResMed Elite S8 w/EPR. I love it! My fabulous DME will allow me to ‘borrow’ an Auto any time my Dr wants to do an Auto-Titration. Since the DME is so helpful to him and his patients, he believes, (and I agree) it is a waste of money for his patients to purchase an Auto. I know I can get the software, but, I’m not having issues at this time and I can monitor my numbers in the screen on the machine. I check them every morning. (Husband is on a ResMed VPAP III.)

#4. I actually have 2 pieces of advice.
A) Accept that the only way you will feel better is to learn to adjust to this treatment. It’s not as final as dying.
B) You can ask all the opinions you want about masks, the ultimate decision and fit is yours. What works for me, or others, may not work for you. Try as many as you can, and do your own research online for any you want to try until you find the perfect one for you. Don’t let anyone else push you into one you don’t want unless they are giving it to you. It is you that has to live with it and you that has to pay for it.

Remember: The more you know, the more you can participate in the treatment that will save your life.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:45 pm

[quote="j.a.taylor"]I though it might be nice for those of us who are relatively new to the CPAP experience to know a little bit more about some of you "Old-Timers." So, if you could, answer these 4 simple questions for us newbies:

1) How many years have you been xPAPing?
2) How many machines have you owned?
3) What has been your favorite machine and why?
4) What is the one piece of advice you give to every newbie?

Feel free to move beyond these questions and tell us more about yourself .

j.a.taylor · Post by **j.a.taylor** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:11 am

Though I'd add a new question:

How has your life improved since you've been xPAPing?

Nev · Post by **Nev** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:27 am

I just came across where Kajun said in answer to 4 easy questions:

"2) How many machines have you owned? 2, my original PB 420E and a replacement generously provided through our hosts here when my original broke (the hook-up nipple for my sensor tube snapped)."

I had my original 420E from April 2004 until the sensor nipple on it too broke off in June this year. I'm glad it wasn't just me beimg clumsy: must be a potential weakness in the machine. I sent it away for repairs and it came back sounding like a vacuum cleaner, so it had to go back again and after a few weeks they eventually decided to give me a new 420E. They reckon the nipple is part of the whole frame into which the blower etc is sealed and they can't just replace one part - they have to replace the whole frame which they say would cost $800AUD.

Anyway, while it was away, I rented a Respironics M-Series APAP with C-Flex for 54 days. I set the M-Series and the new 420E the same as my old machine - minimum pressure 6cm, maximum 12, ramp starting at 4 over 20 minutes. I set the C-Flex on the M-Series to 2cm. I used the integrated humidifier in the M-Series, and had to set it to the maximum setting to get comparable comfort and water use (about 140ml per night) as with the DeVilbiss humidifier (set at level 5 out of 10) that I use with the 420E. I used my heated hose all through.

For the last 54 days with my old 420E my 90% pressure was 8.0, average pressure was 6.8, overall AHI was 0.3 and average acoustic vibrations was 4.5 per hour.

With the M-Series over the next 54 days, my 90% pressure was 8.6, average pressure was 7.0, overall AHI was 1.5 and average acoustic vibrations was 6.9 per hour.

With my new 420E, over the first 19 days (after which I got a cold), my 90% pressure was 7.0, average pressure was 6.2, overall AHI was 0.2 and average acoustic vibrations was 2.1 per hour.

The other interesting statistic I could get from the Encore software was time in apnea per day which averaged out at 25.6 seconds. I thought the general idea was to prevent apneas occurring or to knock them off pretty quick, so I was surprised to find that I was apparently spending an average of 25.6 seconds (up to an average of 42.7 seconds one week) not breathing. I can't get any comparable figure for the 420Es, but my impression would be that they head off apneas by putting the pressure up promptly, so I wouldn't be spending any time in apnea...? I reckon if I wasn't breathing for one second it would blow my head off. Which you can just about prove by deliberately closing off your throat and not breathing - it starts building up pressure fast and furious!

Comparing the printouts, with the 420Es the Silverlining graph showed that every time there was an acoustic vibration, hypopnea or apnea on the chart, there was a corresponding increase in pressure in the graph below. With the Respironics, there were events that occurred where there was no increase in pressure and increases in pressure with no apparent corresponding event. I also wondered whether the C-Flex messed up the graph becaus there were continuous unexplained peaks and troughs all the time at low pressure whereas with the 420Es, when there were no events they flatlined at 6.0.

I felt the Respironics was noisier than the 420Es, althoughg I think most of the noise was from the humidifier or the connection between the machine and the humidifer where it looks as if the air has to do a couple of 90 degree turns in quick succession to get from the outlet of the machine to the inlet of the humidifier. While the C-Flex was interesting and comfortable enough, I didn't feel it was significantly netter than the 420Es without C-Flex. In fact I reckon the 420E responds so quickly to the change in pressure when you breathe in and out that it just about does the same thing as C-Flex. As several people have pointed out, you can hear the blower going up and down with your breathing in a 420E in much the same way as you hear the blower changing speed in the M-Series with C-Flex.

Overall I'd say the 420Es won hands down over the M-Series for me anyway, and my new one is going better than the old one so far.

Nev

Nev · Post by **Nev** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:07 pm

Yesterday I gave figures for my new PB 420E for comparison with my old one and with a rented Respironics M-Series with C-Flex. I sad:

"With my new 420E, over the first 19 days (after which I got a cold), my 90% pressure was 7.0, average pressure was 6.2, overall AHI was 0.2 and average acoustic vibrations was 2.1 per hour."

I now have figures for the first 42 days with the new 420E and they are as follows (even including time with a cold): 90% pressure was 7.0, average pressure was 6.2, overall AHI was 0.2 and average acoustic vibrations was 1.9 per hour. Even better!

Nev

RosemaryB · Post by **RosemaryB** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:14 am

Nev, that's a really helpful comparison of the two machines.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:59 pm

have you tried using your CPAP on a treadmill?

j.a.taylor · Post by **j.a.taylor** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:37 pm

Snoredog,

Great pic.

When you look at my avatar, this is what I must look like sans the suit and sunglasses.

BTW--How'd you get that pic of me? Were you spying?

Updated: 4 Simple Questions and Six Discoveries

Re: 4 Simple Questions for All You "Old-Timers"

PB 420E v Respironics M-Series

PB 420E v Respironics M-Series

Mask	Humidifier

Mask	Humidifier