Newbie Trials and Tribs comparing two machines

[beemer]

I am close to completing my third month of therapy (with three weeks off due to extensive travel). Here is my story.

Month One: My first machine was a PR System One Auto CPAP. It took me a couple of weeks to get over my anxieties--Will my deviated septum interfere with therapy? Will my Sjogren's add to my already dry eyes and mouth problem? Will I be able to adjust to this? Loaded up on all of the creams recommended here, got my ambien bottle ready, and struggled through. What really bothered me most, I discovered, was the noise of the PR System One, especially if I wore the FF mask instead of the FX nose pillows (and at that point I had not figured out which was best for me). Honestly, I felt like I was listening to my own lung ventilator it was so bad. The noise kept me awake, and I struggled. So, after two weeks, smart me decided to call up the DME and ask for a different model--the Resmed S9 in fact. After a little persuasion on my side, the DME were on their way the following week with the new machine. Only thing is that I discovered a couple of days before they arrived that I could actually make it through the entire night (finally) with the nose pillows and an slight increase in the humidifier--with no rainout, I might add.

Month Two: The DME guy came with two machines--the S9 and the S8 Autoset II. I know, you are thinking that he brought the S8 to unload it on me. And, he probably did. But, that is the model I selected because I read about humidifier problems on the S9 and, well, I don't know why I selected the S8, but I did--call me stupid? Took off on a business trip shortly after getting the S8, but I could already tell a couple of things--the machine was incredibly quieter. Now that I am back, I'm trying to adjust again to the S8 and although I am no longer kept awake by noise, I find that no matter how high I turn the humidifier up (okay, admittedly III is the highest setting I can go before rainout), after a couple of hours, my nostrils feel really funny and itchy and I wake up and have to tear the pillows off. Sometimes I add Ayr or creams to my nostrils, sometimes I just give up and go to sleep.

On average, I would say over these two months, I have probably averaged no more than 4 hours of therapy per night. I miss the ramp button on the PR System One and I miss its humidifier. I don't miss the noise.

But now I need help on figuring out how to make my nostrils stop feeling funny so I can try to sleep through the night. Should I invest in an Aussie heater hose so I can crank the humidity up further? I really hope to stay with the pillows as I find them much easier to deal with than the mask. Will I just get used to it if I keep trying? Did anyone else have this itchy odd feeling in their nostrils?

Thanks in advance! And by the way, I wouldn't have even thought of switching machines if I hadn't been reading this forum, probably would have just given up--I guess it is too bad I didn't stick with my gut and go with the S9!!

[echo]

Welcome to the forum! I will keep this short as I need to run off to bed... but wondering whether the itching isn't due to an allergy to the pillows? It's been known to happen, I just can't remember whether it was specific to one brand of pillows. I tried a quick search but there are too many posts with the words nasal pillow allergy... anyone? anyone?

[Janknitz]

I find the PR S1 machine incredibly quiet, but different masks produce "conducted sound". The FX seemed pretty loud to me at first, but is much quieter now.

Resmed claims that the S9 dampens the conducted noise as well as the machine itself being quiet. And, there seem to be more adjustments to the humidifier on the S9, though I see you are leery of the S9's humidfier's history. I don't have any expience with the Resmeds, but others seem to really like the S9 for it's quietness and humidifier settings, among other things.

You might try the S9--after all the humidifier will be under warranty, or go back to the PR S1 and use something to mask the noise like white noise. We had a warm night earlier this week and I ran the fan in the bedroom--I could not hear the conducted noise from my mask AT ALL with the fan running, even when I tried listening for it. A fan set on low needn't be directed anywhere it would bother you and might do the trick.

[sleepnationtv]

I did a video blog post comparing the PR system one, the S9, and the S8. It may be helpful to you in making up your mind.
http://www.sleepnation.tv

[brazospearl]

Welcome, beemer! I have the S8 Autoset II and love it, and while it isn't as advanced as the S9 it seems that the bugs have been worked out on it. The Aussie hose might be worth the investment, given your circumstances. I'm also wondering if there might be an allergy to the material in the nasal pillows. You might try soaking them in very hot (not boiling) water with just a drop of gentle soap in it. I have astoundingly sensitive skin and never put anything plasic-y on my face without soaking it this way first. You might also consider something like the Remzzzs, a sort of gasket to keep the plastic from contacting your skin. Good luck, and let us know how things go.

[brazospearl]

Oh, and the S8 has a ramp feature. You can set that up any time you want!

[LoQ]

Oh, and the S8 has a ramp feature. You can set that up any time you want!

beemer, this is true, but you may have to go into the clinical menu to enable the ramp, then in the patient's menu to select how long you want the ramp to last.

[davecpap]

Oh, and the S8 has a ramp feature. You can set that up any time you want!

Ramp ONLY works when the machine is in straight CPAP mode. If the A8 Autoset II is in APAP mode, you get 'settling' instead which means it'll remain at the lowest pressure of your configured pressure range for X number of minutes. After that, it'll start adjusting the pressure.

[ozij]

Oh, and the S8 has a ramp feature. You can set that up any time you want!

On a Respironic, a Puritan Bennett, and (do I remember correctly?)on a DeVilbiss, you can hit the ramp while the machine is working, and the pressure will drop. You can't do that on an S8 - unlike the other machines, the ramp on an S8 only works when you turn the machine on. You want lower pressure when you wake up at night? You have to turn the machine off, and then on.
Another problem with the S8 ramp is that in auto mode, the minimum auto pressure is your lowest ramp pressure. They fixed that on the S9.

I found the Aussie heated hose added much comfort to my therapy - I would not want to be without it. It makes the air feel much gentler.

O.

[beemer]

Lots of good responses, thank you.

Last night I loaded up my nostrils with lanolin and other creams at the onset of therapy rather than waiting til I wake up with itchy nostrils--I think it might have been better, and I lasted a little longer, and possibly slept more, than usual. Also, I'm convinced regarding the Aussie hose, so I will be purchasing one of those soon.

Guess, like many others, I'll just keep trying until I get it right.

--beemer

[ozij]

Guess, like many others, I'll just keep trying until I get it right.

That's the right attitude.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

O.