newbie questions

[hen3ry]

Folks:

I've had my cpap machine for about a month now and I definitely have seen some improvement. My short-term memory is better, and my general level of energy is improved -- but I'm clearly still making up a long-term deficit... yawn.

I have _many_ questions, but I'll start with these two:

1. Sink or swim?
-----------------
Is it common for the medics to diagnose sleep apnea and hand you a CPAP machine with essentially no training, not even written instructions on how to use it?

That's what happened in my case, with my HMO and their contract-DME vendor. Now, I've found many comments on the Web from people describing the importance of taking control of one's own treatment, and I'm happy to do that. But I sure could have used a bit of help at the start -- from the people who diagnosed me and gave me the treatment.

2. What IS this machine I have, what are its capabilities, and how do I describe it?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The label says: "Respironics REMSTAR BiPap Auto M Model 500M". It has a smartcard slot. (Is it possible for this model to NOT have a smartcard slot?) It has a button labeled "C-Flex". (Does this mean it must have the C-Flex function? Is it possible for this model to not have that function?) Is there any optional software I can purchase to access the features of this machine?

I'd like to this machine to be in my user profile, but I can't see an exact match, or am I still befuddled by lack of sleep?

Thanks,

Henry

[cflame1]

Henry,
for your point number 1... it's all too common for that to happen.

for point #2... you've got a good machine. I have the classic version of that (without the M). Yes it has a version of cflex... called biflex.
Some versions of the RemStars don't have smart cards... and some don't record very useful information on the smart cards that they have. Yours isn't like that.

[Vettecraze]

Hi, I would like to clarify that all M series do say bipap on the bottom of the machine. With that said, the part number that you listed 500M is for the REMStar Auto with C-Flex w/SmartCard ,wich is still a geat machine but it is not a bi level.

Ernesto

[wdburke]

Hi Henry,

I have the exact same CPAP and it's great. This CPAP collects a significant amount of data during the course of the night that you can review each morning. You will need a special card reader and the Encore Pro software but it's well worth getting. There are quite a few topics already about this software in the forum for you to review.

Good luck

Bill

[bdp522]

Here is where you go to get all the instructions for setup;

http://tinyurl.com/ys5sm2



Brenda

[Guest]

Folks:

Thanks for you encouraging responses. I'm glad to hear that the combination of my HMO and its contract-DME vendor, despite seemingly poor communications, nevertheless coughed up (sorry!) a highly-regarded machine.

I'm a bit puzzled by Ernesto's point. "BiLevel" and "BiPAP" mean the same thing, right? Maybe I misquoted the part number, but I know the label says, "BiPAP", and the machine does seem to operate in a biLevel mode.

I haven't paid any attention to the technical side of operation. I know there's some very limited progress data available on the little LCD readout and I expected that I'd eventually be nudged towards buying the card reader and software package.

In the meantime, though, I'd like to try to understand what's going on in practical terms a half-asleep guy can understand. What's the typical sequence of operation? When I first activate the machine, it seems to simply build up pressure --comfortably for me-- and it stays in that mode for "a while". Eventually it seems to start operating in BiLevel/BiPAP mode. (What causes it to switch over?) Sometimes the machine seems to be quite gentle, but occasionally, I'll wake up with the feeling it is breathing for me -- quite forcefully. Does that mean it has detected that my airway needs a blast of pressure to stay open, and the machine is supplying it? It would be nice to have a table of "when you feel THIS, the machine is doing THAT" simple enough for a semiconscious person to understand/

Thanks for the instructions to get to "secret" ("Provider") Mode! Now, I just need to figure out what all these screens mean and which ones are most important to me. Hmmm, if I change something, is the DME vendor going to get huffy with me?

Thanks,

Henry

[Vettecraze]

I am sorry for the confusion, bi-level, bi-pap, and v-pap are the same thing. It is basically a machine that has a pre set level for inhalation and a lower pre set pressure for exhalation, and there are also auto bipaps which adjust the pressure level to your needs/events. You are going to see that even the most basic M series CPAP machine says bipap on the bottom; I have an Auto A-flex (510M) and a basic model (100M), they both say bipap on the bottom but the are not bipap, I don't know why Respironics did this.
Also the change inpressures that you are seeing is probably the c-flex. The way that c-flex works is by lowering the pressure slightly during exhalation, but it is not a set pressure as with a bipap. With the c-flex the pressure will vary with your exhalation pressure.
One last note on bipap, to obtain a bipap machine you need to go thru a bipap titration, which is different from the cpap titration.
If you went thru the bipap titration, and you have a bipap prescription, (again, this prescription is different from your cpap prescription), then you need to go back to your DME and swap machines. I believe that the bipap machine model numbers are in the 700's. The 500 series are for auto cpap machines.

Ernesto