Looking for Help Choosing an Auto BiLevel Machine

[mymontreal]

Hi

Haven't been on here for quite a while, but glad to see many of the same names on board - apart from SnoreDog (RIP) - must have missed that announcement - sorry to hear of his passing - he gave me some valuable advice when I first started.

I have been on Auto CPAP for about a year & it was working pretty well until about 3 months ago - then I started developing huge gas/bloating issues which have not been resolved by decreasing the pressure... nobody seems to know why...

My Doctor has recommended that I try an Auto BiLevel machine and I finally have approval to pick one up from the DME. I don't yet know what my options will be, but according to the DME I will have the choice of either a "Respironics Auto" or a "Resmed VPAP 3" - from looking at the Respironics & Resmed websites, I am not sure exactly which machines these are or if these are even the most recent machines ?

Does anybody have any thoughts or guidance ?

I am not sure if an Auto BiLevel machine is going to solve my problems but I would like to try before looking at other options...

Thanks
Mike

[jules]

I think you need to call the DME back and ask specifically for the names of the machine and the model numbers.

The Respironics machine you want is the BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex model - DS700S, DS700HS - this is an m series - however the BiPap Auto tank would be fine too but you need to get another humidifier


The Resmed machine you want is probably the VPAP Auto or VPAP Auto 25 - I don't know these well - the machine that you were told (VPAP III) is just a bilevel machine not a bilevel auto (I think the one with "25" is a later model so might be more features)

http://www.resmed.com/us/products/vpap_ ... c=patients

http://www.resmed.com/us/products/vpap_ ... c=patients

[Patrick A]

Hi

Haven't been on here for quite a while, but glad to see many of the same names on board - apart from SnoreDog (RIP) - must have missed that announcement - sorry to hear of his passing - he gave me some valuable advice when I first started.

I have been on Auto CPAP for about a year & it was working pretty well until about 3 months ago - then I started developing huge gas/bloating issues which have not been resolved by decreasing the pressure... nobody seems to know why...

My Doctor has recommended that I try an Auto BiLevel machine and I finally have approval to pick one up from the DME. I don't yet know what my options will be, but according to the DME I will have the choice of either a "Respironics Auto" or a "Resmed VPAP 3" - from looking at the Respironics & Resmed websites, I am not sure exactly which machines these are or if these are even the most recent machines ?

Does anybody have any thoughts or guidance ?

I am not sure if an Auto BiLevel machine is going to solve my problems but I would like to try before looking at other options...

Thanks
Mike

Mike
I basically had the same problem. I have been using a Respironics M-Series Bipap Auto for a little more than 2 years now. I have had better sleep ever since i switched to that machine.
I like it because it runs on 12vdc. so I can use it in my RV. The other night my local utility company shut down the AC power from 12am to 7am, I was able to use my Bipap machine because I had my Respironics battery pack here at the house. A couple of weeks ago our power was knocked out by a scumbag in a stolen car, (what a night that was) so I went to our RV and got my battery pack.

Any way hope you find a good machine.

[jnk]

I use a ResMed autobilevel, the VPAP Auto, but the Auto 25 is the more recent machine from ResMed. I may soon have the opportunity to try out the Respironics BiPAP Auto, and I am really looking forward to that. The biggest difference that I know of is the way the two brands handle pressure support (PS), the gap between inhale pressure (IPAP) and exhale pressure (EPAP). Respironics allows that difference between the two pressures to vary as the pressures move around, whereas ResMed keeps the difference between the pressures constant as the two pressures vary but up and down together as a pair. I don't know which approach is better, or who specifically might be likely to benefit from each difference in approach, but the difference exists, so I note it. (I would assume maybe somone needing actual ventilation help might lean toward the ResMed and somone merely treating SDB might tend to lean toward the Respironics, but that is little more than a guess on my part.) Other than that, I would make my choice based on features by comparing the two machines using the compare feature at cpap.com and go from there.

[lazyace]

I too have suffered with aerophagia on my APAP machine, and was recently given a Respironics M series auto BiPAP to trial. It has only been four nights, so I can't give a very comprehensive review, but one thing I noticed IMMEDIATELY was the BiPAP unit is considerably louder. I don't have anything other than my APAP to compare it to, so I can't say whether the ResMed VPAP is as quiet as their APAP. The only other thing, which may not necessarily be a negative about the Respironics machine is that as Patrick mentioned it requires a transformer. So, unlike the ResMed APAP, which plugs directly from the unit into the receptacle, this has a transformer in between. For instances like Patrick's this may provide a benefit, but in my case it is a little inconvenient because the real estate on the nightstand is gobbled up by the many useless things my wife puts there. I suppose I could place the transformer on the floor, but I have never been crazy about putting a device that could get hot directly on the carpet.

The plus with Respironics so far, is that their technical service phone support is very good. My sleep doc is a moron, and had my settings only 2 cm apart, making the constant fluctuation between inhale and exhale a real nuisance. However, I spoke at length with a tech service guy who really educated me on the machine, and with the help of one of the forum members here getting me the providers manual, I was able to change the settings.

As far as the aerophagia goes, the swapping of the APAP to a auto BiPAP in and of itself hasn't provided as much difference as I hoped. What has helped is implementing some of the many suggestions that other forum members have used. The one in particular that has helped the most is sleeping in the falcon position. It involves starting out on all fours, rubbing your tummy...only kidding. Do a search, cuz me explanation could never do it justice.

Good luck!

[mymontreal]

Thanks for the replies.

I am still trying to get some more info from the DME, but should be able to compare both a Respironics and a Resmed on Friday.

At the moment I am leaning towards the Respironics, mainly because it looks like I would still be able to use my Respironics EncorePro software with the Auto BiLevel machine ?

Interesting to hear about the "Falcon" position - I had no idea that somebody had stolen my sleep position... This is the same sleep position that I have used for about 10 years, with the exception that I normally have a pillow under my head - I will be trying without a pillow for a few days, to see if I notice any difference.

[jules]

EP 1.6 if you don't have vista - EP 1.8 if you have vista ----

that is what is needed for the bipap auto -----

[mymontreal]

Thx Jules - My EP seems to be version 1.8.49, so hopefully I should be fine

[Maryland_Mike]

My sleep doc is a moron, and had my settings only 2 cm apart, making the constant fluctuation between inhale and exhale a real nuisance.

What's the difference between an APAP with EPR 2 and a BiPAP with the settings 2 cm apart?

[ozij]

EPR gets suspended when your breathing gets into trouble - like a series of apneas.

A BIPAP maintains its difference all the time.


mymontreal - do everything you can to try the machines before you buy them - even rent if necessary.

O.