New to this, Hello all!

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:00 am

Hi people,

I hope to learn as much as I can before I buy.

I understand the need for a machine that gives me as much info as posible.
I have been giagnosed with severe apnea, 42 per hour, 240 per night.
O2 was 82%.

how does it measure to others? I'm not sure.

I tried a GK420 at 11 cm H2O with ultra miraj II- mouth was dry, nose was blocked. then there was the swift- a litle better.
with an H/H it was better although not good.

Now I'm trying out a Devilbiss auto at a 4-12.5 setting, first with a comfort classic (?) which was no good and now I'm trying out a respironics mask, similar to the swift (I can't find it on cpap.com). nose is blocked and I'm tyred as hell and tend to remove the mask during the night.

I'm closer to surrendering than I thought I'll be. how do you get the things right?

I'll love to have some advise from people with experiance.

Thank you

P.S

I apologyse, my english is a bit rusty

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:11 am

Hi Kip, and welcome to the forum. Yep, w/240 events for the night, even at a full 8 hours of sleep time works out to 30 events per hour, and a drop in 02 saturation is NOT good, could be worse, but NOT good. Anything 88% or below along w/other factors qualifies for Medicare reimbursement for xPAP in the USA.

The Puritan Bennet GoodKnight 420E is an excellent autoPAP device and has easily available software the patient can buy to monitor their therapy but I'm not familiar w/the capability of the other 420's and their options. Most of use NEED a heated humidifier regardless which brand xPAP we use.

Try reading thru the FAQs under the Yellow Light bulb at the top of the forum page and also under the Red Ball w/the Question Mark for lots of tips and advice for adapting to sleeping w/xPAP and the various style masks and for mask fitting and leak problem solving.

Hang in there w/us. Patience, Perseverence and a good sense of humor will get you thru the adjustment period and there are plenty of members here w/the experience to help you.

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:29 pm

Hello & Welcome, Kip! Great that you found this forum before purchasing your machine. Took me over a year to find it, to learn about data, and to understand why my first year of treatment didn't help me feel any better. There's so much good info here, and everyone is VERY helpful.

Regarding a machine, I just love my M Series Auto with AFLEX. Got it last October, haven't looked back.

Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

Pineapple · Post by **Pineapple** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:52 pm

Kip,

Hang in there , the first month is terrible - all you want is sleep,

You heal while you sleep and your body probably hasn't had enough sleep to heal for a while. Once the therapy takes hold, you'll still be tired for a while because your body has some healing to catch up on. Its frustrating but don't give up.

For right now consitrate on the therapy - get a mask you can "deal" with (if not like). Do what you need to do to correct problems that sambatage your therepy. Do you know why you feel the need to take off the mask? My husband likes to remind me "if the mask is off, the therapy can work". Keep reminding yourself that.

Be patient, one day you'll wake up and find the fog clearing - and yes you'll feel better.

Pineapple

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:23 pm

Thanks you, I appreciate the attention and advice.

I don't live in the states so...

I live in Israel and the damn things are SO expensive here..

A respironics auto with an H/H and a mask goes up to about 3000$ US.

a problem, me being a student and all...

actually, and I don't know why, I feel worse since I'm sleeping with the auto devilbiss. talk about sleeping with the enemy...

I'm afraid to buy on line, too many stories about problems.
would someone care to correct me on this?

Again, thank you for the warm welcome...

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:27 pm

On line buying gets a bad rap. Depends on the supplier. Cpap.com is legit and very good deal with!!! I highly recommend them if you want to buy on line.

I hope you get your therapy going in the right direction and will visit often!!

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:28 pm

Never had a problem purchasing CPAP equipment online through cpap.com (sponsor of this forum). In fact, I've never heard of anyone complaining about their service. Don't know about shipping to Israel, though. But, if you visit their website, you'll find email addresses and phone numbers so you can call and check on that.

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:36 pm

I'll try and find some info on their site, thanks.

I'll post a new... post here, maybe some israelis here?

the problem is not at the site, it's here...

I don't mind buying on line...

Thanks...

P.S

how about that devilbiss, any comments? I feel as if it's reacting to slowly to changes, and therefor not being efective...

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:45 pm

Welcome, Kip.
I live in Israel, and replied to your other post a few minutes ago.
Are you on a trial period now? Are they prescribing an automatic machine, for keeps?

Make sure to get a fully data capable machine - you can then buy the software online - or at least see your breathing events on the screen. Puritan Bennett machines have great software, the Remeds and the M-Series Respironics machines will show you your data on the screen.

Do you get your event data on the DeVilbiss?

3 years ago, the person who set up my 420E didn't know enough about it - and he was nice and intelligent, and willing to listen, unlike the one who came after him, if you've run into who I think you have....

Try to give us specific details about all your equipment, and more about the pressure range being used now.

I was told "oh, you don't need a humidifier at that pressure" - that was nonsense. I did, and I do.

O.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): 420E, respironics, humidifier, Puritan Bennett

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:23 pm

Hi Ojiz,

Thank you for the info...

I am on a trial period and no, nobody rpescribed an auto.
the presure is 11 cm but I saw that I sleep mainly at the 6-8 cm range most of the night though I do go up to 10-11 sometimes, especially close to waking up..

I found the respironics masks comfortable but not as effective as the swift.
maybe it's the machine? the Devilbiss auto is set now to 4-12.5. maybe the 4 is too low? maybe an H/H?
I am very tired in the mornings. I actually can't think!! it's like I have been deprived of Oxigen for hours!!

After I choose the combination I need I would love to buy on line.
will cpap.com send the stuff to a US adrress (if I'll find somebody to cary this stuff over here, that is...) and will there be no problem bringing it to Israel when the receipt has my name on it?

A milion questions,

by the by, where are from, here in the holly land?

Panhandler · Post by **Panhandler** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:28 pm

Kip:

My experience with using APAP has been that getting the range as narrow as possible is better. For me, 4 was so little that I felt I was being starved for air. My titrated pressure from the sleep test was 9, so when I started experimenting with APAP I started at 7-13 or 14. After a week or two, I moved the bottom up a little, then the top down, and after a number of weeks, wound up at 8.5-13. Even though my AHI was really low, <2, I didn't feel like I was sleeping as well as I'd hoped, so went back to CPAP at 9.5.

I think the machine changing pressures was waking me. Getting that lower pressure up near where it needs to be to clear an apnea is key, because the machine adjusts slowly.

There are numerous factors that all interact in the success or failure of therapy. I'm convinced it's an art to get them all in balance, and the only person who can really do it for you is...YOU! The best the doctors and therapists can do is inform and coach, and not many of them are well enough informed or motivated to do either.

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:47 pm

Yep... I guess your right...

the machine is on trial so I can't fiddle with the thing..

I thought that the range is too wide and for is too low but she insisted..

any expiriance with the respironics mask which is similar to the swift (whats it's called...)?

cheers

LavenderMist · Post by **LavenderMist** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:47 pm

If you are spending most of your time between 6-12 then I think I'd set the auto for that. 4 is too low for a start point. If you need a pressure of 12 at any time during the night it takes the machine too long to get from 4 all the way up to 12. What sort of data do you get from the Devilbiss auto? I'm not familiar with that machine.

Mist

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:45 pm

Hey,

thanks to your advice I asked the therapist to narow it down to 6-12.5/

she wouldn't hear about setting it to 8-13...

I wanted the new pykel mask for trial but didn't get it yet...

I think I found the way to sleep with machine, I just take the mask of during the night and cary on...

maybe a cpap set to 11 would be better?
I'm not sure I trust the therapist. she tries to push me toward the auto...
she promises to deliver the new model and some time in the future to arenge the module that enables the info...
what do I do?

yorkiemum01 · Post by **yorkiemum01** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:12 pm

I also was recently diagnosed, with 47 episodes an hour and blood oyxgen level dipping into the 70's. My pressure currently is set at 11, and I'm seeing the sleep specialist next week for my 3 week follow up......and will receive my new RX for the auto machine thats soooooooo highly recommended on this site. So far, so good w/the Quattro mask.
Sounds silly, but I'm really looking forward to having an auto. Hang in there