I did it! My first CPAP...

[Mtnman]

Well today I did it. After finding encouragement and good advice from many on this forum, I purchased my first CPAP. It will be here Friday. Remstar APAP with A-flex, heated humidifier and Nasalair II mask. I feel like I'm taking somewhat if a gamble doing this without a full sleep study (only had nite time pulse ox) but based on my doctors input, as well as my wife who has to sleep next to me every night, I really feel OSA is my issue and that the equipment I selected will give me a good chance at a positive result.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again to all who have helped me.

[cpapernewbie]

don't worry too much. I too have not gone to any sleep study, just 2 oxymeter nights, that's all

If it is positve, you need CPAP

[neverbetter]

Congradulations!
Your on your way to living an extra 20 years! (that's what I was told.)

[Slinky]

Congratulations on some top quality equipment. Use, sleep, enjoy, be rested! (It takes a while for many of us to reach that rested feeling so don't get discouraged if you aren't one of the "miracle babies").

[rklsk]

Mntman....thats the machine I have. I've been on it for 5 weeks and it seems to work well for me. Of course I have nothing to compare it to since I was just diagnosed 2 months ago. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.

[rested gal]

Very good, Mtnman. Excellent machine choice, imho.

[Snoredog]

You should like that machine, it is a good little machine, don't know if I just got lucky but I'd swear it is quieter than even my old Classic was, quite a bit quieter than my M series C-Flex version.

Last night I played with the 3 A-flex settings some, on #3 I had to bump the pressure up a bit but after about an hour I had to knock it back down, felt like I was starving for air to breathe, when I did I tried it at #1 and I felt some pressure coming back in the form of aerophagia. So I ended back at #2.

The machine actually got more noisy at a lower A-Flex position setting (#1) than it did at the higher relief settings. So for me, #1 was the most noisy finding, #3 the quietest. The difference or change in comfort going from #1 to #2 to #3 is subtile.

Therapy wise it is working pretty good for me, last night it showed my leak rate down to 22L/m. My AHI is lower than my C-flex version ever reported, A-Flex by far is a lot more comfortable to use than the C-flex and a quieter machine.

I find it effortless to breathe against.

[Jesal]

I dont plan to do a sleep study either but wondering how did you get the machine without going?

Seems like most online sites are asking me for a doctors approval first. I just have a high deductible insurance and rather not go through it for this.

Will most likely go with a remstar auto to be on the safe side.

[Babette]

Of course, since that's my own setup, I approve your choice.

Here's my tip sheet on the NAII:
viewtopic.php?t=21841&highlight=babette+chin+strap

You're most likely going to need a chinstrap or some form of mouth taping to keep your mouth shut. I have good results with my Tiara Topaz chin strap, but many here have to tape their mouths closed.

I found Rooster's directions on taping to be the best. I was successful using his method, but I just don't like taping.

viewtopic.php?t=9653&highlight=rooster+tape

When I bought my APAP, I was counseled to keep the range of numbers narrow initially. 4-20 cm is not a good range. 9-15 might be doable. So far, I haven't run it in APAP mode yet. Need to get to that soon.

LOL,
B.

[Mtnman]

My Doc had me do a night time pulse ox test. It is a little machine with a cord that you wrap around your finger. It reads your oxygen saturatin while you sleep. Based on my results, he wrote me a script for a sleep study or auto titrated cpap. I paid for everything out of my pocket.

Thanks!