Questions about using two machines and advice

[treydawgmt]

Hello All,

I have a series of questions, and some brief searching didn't help me much. I may just not be able to search well, but I'm hoping you guys can help me out!

I have used a Respironics REMstar Auto with the System One Htd Humidifier for about 2 years. I was using the Nuance Pro I think until December, and am now using the DreamWear mask, both size mediums. Unfortunately, my firefighting Lieutenant's father passed away a few months ago. He had a ResMed S9 AutoSet with the H5i. It has about 8,000 hours so no one would take it back, so he gave it to me to use. I'd really love to have this at the fire station so I don't have to lug my machine back and forth every third day, I have done so religiously, but it gets old quickly!

My questions relate to this - he has about 8 medium sized nasal pillows for an AirFit P10. They look almost identical to the ones I used to use with the Nuance or Nuance Pro that I used to wear. I liked that mask very well, except it stretched out quickly. For a second machine, however, I would be fine wearing that again. Will those fit in the Nuance, or how does the Nuance fit compared to the AirFit P10? I'm thinking of buying all supplies for this second machine just online through likely Amazon, since they seem the cheapest. If you know anywhere else that sells cheaper though, please let me know!

Next question - it appears as though this device had a ClimateLine tubing, at least according to the manual he had (He has every manual he got I think in the carrying case). I've never used something like this. The ClimateLine tubing looks like you twist it on, but there is just a regular tube like on my machine. Which tubing do I need?

Then I got to thinking, does anyone know if I would be able to use my flex spending on a site like Amazon for these items?

My final question - insurance still pays for my main machine parts as long as I remain compliant. I usually bring just the one SD card in, the info is downloaded, and all is good. With this, can I use the same SD card, and maybe insert it into the fire station machine occasionally to capture that info? Will I need two cards? Any thoughts there?

Thanks so much for any insight you can give me!

[LSAT]

If you have been on CPAP for over 2 years, there should be no question of compliance. Do you periodically send your SD card to the insurance company?
As far as Flex Spending...I would ask your HR department or whoever manages the Flex account.

[treydawgmt]

Yeah, the first 6 months or so using it, I was down in the 60-75% range, after that no problems. I don't send my card in, but I have to meet with my doctor every 3 or 6 months, I forget, and bring my card in and she reviews it. I know she charts that, and I think she lets the insurance company know. Maybe not, I don't know.

[Pugsy]

The AirFit P10 nasal pillows will NOT fit on your Nuance gear but you can get the headgear and frame for the P10 fairly easily....or just buy the entire mask and have the spares available.
I like the P10 better than the Nuance....less headgear with the P10. YMMV and that's just something you need to check out yourself.

You have the nasal pillows...you would need the stretchy headgear along with the short hose/frame assembly to put the nasal pillows in. Ebay is a potential inexpensive source for those items.

You can use either the ClimateLine heated hose...a regular 22 mm generic non heated hose...or a 15 mm (called slimline) non heated hose.

Do you have the clinical manual for the S9?
If not, you can find it here and I think it will help clear up some questions you might have.
http://www.apneuvereniging.nl/forum/pdf ... manual.pdf

[treydawgmt]

Thanks for the info and link Pugsy. He didn't have the clinical guide. Just the welcome guide, information guide, and guides for everything else but the clinical one. I'll read that soon.

Next question - my current machine, the REMStar Auto w/System One Htd Humidifier. That doesn't have a heated tubing, and so if I did not use a heated tube, just the standard one, it would feel the same, correct? I'm not sure I need the heated tube, as long as there is humidity. I do have chronically dry nose, mouth, and eyes, likely Sjögren's Syndrome, so the humidity is the only important part I think.

I'll probably just buy the AirFit P10 mask setup then, although of course it's more expensive than the Nuance. Oh well, just $10 or $20, not a big deal.

Now, how do I setup the machine using Sleepy Head? I discovered he had never used his SD card, it's still new in box. I've used Sleepy Head to look at info, but never set it.

Thanks again!

[palerider]

the purpose of a heated hose is to reduce or eliminate rainout... condensation inside the hose. if that's not a problem for you, don't worry about the heated hose, use it or don't, your choice.

sleepyhead doesn't set anything. never has, never will... lawsuit and liability territory there that jedimark wants to stay FAR away from.

settings are easy on the machine itself.

[OkyDoky]

With a machine that has that many hours I also would want to erase the data from the other user so it doesn't mix with your data. I'm not exactly sure how but it should tell you in the clinical manual. I would do that before I put in the SD card. That way you begin with your new data.

[Pugsy]

With a machine that has that many hours I also would want to erase the data from the other user so it doesn't mix with your data. I'm not exactly sure how but it should tell you in the clinical manual. I would do that before I put in the SD card. That way you begin with your new data.

I agree.
There's an option in the clinical setup menu under "Configuration" Menu where it offers a menu choice to "Erase data" which you select and then it asks you to confirm. This erases all previous user data along with therapy hours but will not change the overall run hours for the machine.
Needs to be done before putting the SD card in the machine or else the old data will get written to the SD card.
BUT I wouldn't trust the SD card for never being in the machine and instead I would manually erase the SD card and then put it in the machine (after erasing prior user data). No need to do any special reformat of the SD card because the S9 will do it when it is first inserted anyway.

Optional method is to have the SD card in the S9 when the "erase data" choice is selected and I think it also erases the SD card...or it did when I accidentally did that erase data thing and thought it would leave the SD card alone and it didn't and I lost some data.

About the heated hose...primarily for condensation/rain out prevention but it also comes in handy if the bedroom air temp is on the cold side and someone happens to get ice cube nose syndrome...that happened to me.. Without the heated hose my nose got uncomfortably cold and woke me up often almost in pain...nose ache sort of. In the winter my bedroom ambient air temp gets in the 50s...so even without rain out the heated hose came in handy just from a nose comfort stand point.
If your sleeping quarters at the station or your bedroom isn't all that cool and you haven't had any problems with the air feeling too cold then you probably don't need the heated hose. It's a comfort thing as well as a prevent condensation thing.

I will say this...using a heated hose does allow for greater customization of the humidity and the air temp in the hose. So if you tend to get a dry nose and would like to use more moisture and avoid rain out...might be worth checking into using a heated hose. I use a heated hose year round...turn the temp up in the winter and way down in the summer and never change the humidity setting.

The AirFit P10 parts you need...going to cost more than $20....more like around $20 for each part if you are lucky.

You will need these parts
headgear...there is a pink "for her" that is 1 inch smaller
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

and this frame/hose assembly
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... y-kit.html

Check EBay...sometimes you can find the headgear and frame all in one listing.
If not last I saw the headgear was running around 22 and the frame around 29 depending on the seller.

[treydawgmt]

No, I know it's more than $20. The Nuance I've found online for as low as $57. The AirFit I've found as low as $77. So a $20 difference.

[Pugsy]

Gottcha...I misunderstood what you said.

I used to have a source for a full mask package for the P10 but I haven't seen him on EBay in a long time so I guess he isn't able to get anymore. His price was $40 for the entire package and that included shipping.
He hasn't had any thing for sale in quite some time though..not even mask parts.

Sometimes I have found the headgear for 17 and the hose for 22...but again no screaming hot deals like that lately.

[treydawgmt]

Thanks for the advice so far! I've got the machine erased. I'm going to call my doctor in the morning and see if they will just setup my card like they did for my other one (I'm betting she will), and what her thoughts are. I'm also going to try calling my DME supplier and see how low they'll go for a cash price for a mask and hose. Maybe they'll get close, although not likely, to the online prices. If not, then I'll buy online and hopefully get going by my shift on Friday!

[palerider]

Thanks for the advice so far! I've got the machine erased. I'm going to call my doctor in the morning and see if they will just setup my card like they did for my other one (I'm betting she will), and what her thoughts are. I'm also going to try calling my DME supplier and see how low they'll go for a cash price for a mask and hose. Maybe they'll get close, although not likely, to the online prices. If not, then I'll buy online and hopefully get going by my shift on Friday!

unheated hoses are like 6-10$ on amazon...

if you were able to erase the previous patient data, you should be able to easily set up the parameters for the new machine.

[SewTired]

Trey, you can use the heated hose and just turn off the heat if you don't want it. I received a heated hose when I got my machine and I use it whether the heat is on or not. Use the hose until you get cracks on the end. Then you can get any standard hose online. The nonheated hoses (pretty much any brand) will fit most machines, but certainly all the Resmed/Respironics machines. It's the HEATED hoses that are specific to a machine.

[treydawgmt]

Hello again. I've got almost everything figured out! Mask and tubing ordered online and on its way. (DME was WAY more expensive as I expected, and even with a discount for cash still more than online.)

Anyone know where I can obtain a clinical manual for my Remstar Auto? I'd like to compare one feature, if it's on there, to see what I'm currently at. Otherwise, I've got the S9 configured already. I'd also like some info on the EPR that S9 has. It almost seems as exhalation is a tiny bit more annoying than on my Remstar Auto. Something I could sleep through, but it seems louder than my Remstar on exhalation. Would EPR fix that? (I currently have the EPR set to off). And if so, should it be ramp only, or full time.

Thanks again for all the help, I'm almost giddy excited for this. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but I'm happy!

[OkyDoky]

You can get the manual here. http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual
If it is a 560 model (found on the bottom of the blower after removing water) choose Respironics PR System One 60 Series REMstar Auto with A-flex under Section three and follow Email instructions. If it is a different model just be sure and find the one you have.