a roll of the dice

[whatrdreamsmadeof]

Hello from a newbie,
is this always such a crapshoot? after 4 months i don't mind trying new machines, masks etc. but why is this such a mystery. when going for a sleep study they use a machine that is never offered to us, then we get issued a machine, and if it doesn't work oops we're stuck. if we complain long enough we get a new mask new machine and oh well too bad its ours. i really think a return to the sleep lab with issued equipment would work great, but to no avail that won't happen in my case..........
i would appreciate any input, on the auto machines, i did read some great info. on that strand by as of monday i must make a decision that will be final (good, bad or indifferent) between the resmed s8 vantage and the remstar auto with c-flex... the breeze mask i have is o.k. but not great with auto i hear ....thanks for any info. you can give me
you guys are the bomb

[kingshootr]

I was lucky, as the sleep lab I went to had several machines and masks to choose from. They looked over the survey, fitted a mask they thought would work, and recommended the C-flex remstar. Halfway thru the study they hooked me up and all was well.

I was able to purchase the type of equipment they tested on me, and do recommend the remstar. Masks are a different story, as some makes just plain wouldn't fit, others were shaped differently and did. An Ultra-Mirage II fit my schnoz well, and is comfortable.

[GoofyUT]

Never forget the words of the pioneering Austrian polysomnographer Dr. Shuthe Pukup who said (reportedly in his sleep):

"That which is worth having is, therefore, worth worrying about."

I STILL say, INSIST that they rent you a REMstar Auto for a month and a ResMed S8 Vantage for the follwoing month (and a P-B if you can wangle it too), and THEN decide. Having tried both ResMed and Respironics autos, I have come to clearly understand that the auto-titration algorithms are quite different and have a VERY different effect on the way a person sleeps, and you ought to get to choose the one that works best FOR YOU.

Otherwise, YES it IS a crap-shoot. No one here can tell you which will work better for you. Lots of folks here LOVE the REMstar, but that doesn't mean that the ResMed S8 Vantage won't suit YOU better. Or the PB420E.

Its time that WE, the user community started recognizing the difference between the machines, and began curtailing our own passivity and docile natures. We have EVERY right to demand the opportunity to try out the different machines until you find the one that suits you best. You (and we) ought to start doing that.

After all, would you buy a dress just because its designer was Donna Karan without trying it on? How about if the store told you that you could only have a Liz Claiborne? Period. You wouldn't accept that. Why then, should we accept the same types of decisions from our DMEs or sleep docs in matters that are MUCH more critical for our ability to live our lives?

Chuck

[chdurie2]

chuck--

didn't realize you knew so much about women's clothes.

caroline

[GoofyUT]

I don't. I was afraid that the designers that I mentioned DATED me. But, I know whatrdreamsmadeof is a woman, so i wanted to be "culturally sensitive."

C

[DreamStalker]

I think Chuck is absolutely right. My insurance actually requires at minimum a one month rental of the xPAP equipment before they will pay their share on buying a new one. OSA treatment definitely requires some feed back in order to treat properly and this includes trying different xPAP systems.

Who is Donna Karan?

- roberto

[birdshell]

Chuck, as usual you have made a great point. It is just too reasonable to expect the companies to make a little less profit in order to increase great patient results. Does it seem that compliance might be a GOOD thing for our country and it's productivity?

(Just want to let you know that I WOULD take those designer brands in my size. I know they would already fit 95% of the time, because they are sized pretty consistently. That comes from experience, though--which one does NOT have in the beginning.)

Another aspect:

When I first was introduced to the wonderful world of CPAP, it was amazing to me that the whole business seemed so disorganized. Unless one already knows the pathway through the maze, it is easy to be diverted or directed in the wrong way.

At times it seems that the best interest of the patient is paramount; at others, the best profit motive. The lack of education about the various masks and interfaces is an example.

I had come online to check out available equipment shortly after diagnosis; at the time, the ComfortCurve was pretty popular. It wasn't until about 4 months later that I finally found a site that told me the ComfortCurve was designed for slimmer-faced, non-fleshy cheeked users. I had only been to about 25 sites checking out the ComfortCurve by then.

So why can there not be an informative and cohesive source of information? This forum is a godsend in that respect. But, wouldn't it be great to have a place with specific and necessary information, without having to search? (Maybe that reflects upon my inability to find effective search terms. )

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

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

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

[DreamStalker]

(Maybe that reflects upon my inability to find effective search terms. )

Is there a trick to the forum search engine? I usually get tons of hits ... many of which are unrelated to the topic I'm searching for. I generally end up doing much better using Google and then looking for the links back to the forum.

- roberto

[birdshell]

So it is not just me? Thanks.

Thanks also for the Google tip. I didn't realize that would work.

The Forum Folk here are awesome.

[kteague]

Maybe this is old news to everyone but me, but just last week I scrolled down far enough on the search screen to see that I could choose either TOPIC or POSTS. I had always let it default to TOPIC, hence a lot of posts in a thread not specific to my search. By choosing POSTS it went directly to those messages that included my search terms - no more hunting thru the maze. Just maybe I'm not the only one...
Kathy

[NightHawkeye]

Just maybe I'm not the only one...

Nope, you're not the only one, Kathy. I had that problem, too, until I complained on-line once and was directed to your solution.

Regards,
Bill

[rested gal]

Renting several different autopaps is fine, if the local DME will go along with that. There was an internet site that used to rent machines, including some autopaps, but I don't think it does that anymore. Might be a good thing for cpap.com to consider doing.

Unfortunately, for many who don't have insurance, picking what machine we're gonna get is a one-time thing. If you have to go with just one crack at it, I personally think the Respironics REMstar Auto with C-flex would suit most people just fine.