Howdy from Europe: a new victim :-(

[hton]

Hi Guys and Gals,

Howdy from Western-Europe

I've been diagnosed with 'severe' apnea (AHI 40), yet I get a machine that makes more noise than a Boeing (I have a Remstar 101M), and 'I have to get used to it' or 'build something to get rid of the noise'...

After having had my sleep study and having had this fake-plane been set to 10 H2O, I am now expected to sleep with it for 1 year, and then come back to the doctor for a 'check up'. The philosophy over here seems to be 'if after a year you still don't complain it was the right setting in the machine, if it wasn't, well, you'd complain, wouldn't you?' Well, at least that explains why this machine doesn't register any data except for the number of hours it has been run for the insurance company (in the garage, muhahahaha ), and why they seem to think that this is normal doctor-practice anno 2012.

...

Yes, it may sound cynical to you, but as you may understand, by now I am cynical about this

Seriously, which machine would you recommend to me that isn't pre-WW1?

Bye,

[xenablue]

I don't know anything about your machine. Perhaps you'd care to go to your account and preferences and post your machine, mask etc., that that it posts in your signature each time you log in. It's better to choose the TEXT and not the pics as many machines appear the same.

As far as the noise goes, others who use Remstar may have advice for you.

Hang in there - it gets easier.

Cheers,
xena

[Pugsy]

Remstar 101M doesn't tell us much at all but if the 100 part of the number means what it does here in the US it is the most basic of machines and may not even offer any exhale relief.
Can you look through here and see if you spot your machine.
They have used the term Remstar on pretty much everyone of their machines since the dawn of cpap days.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machines/phil ... ronics.php

The newer machines (even the most basic machines) are very quiet. Are you using a humidifier with it?
That helps muffle the noise a bit.

Are you prepared to just buy what you want out of pocket?
Wanting data? Member Janknitz has some information about full data machines (not just hours of use) here
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

[hton]

Thanks for the reply to the both of you

The machine looks like this one, but then without the 'remstar plus' on it:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/Remst ... chine.html

And, on the back, all it says is 'Remstar model 101M'.

With you, I believe that this a very old version of the most basic machine pre-WW1. As somebody wrote on this forum 'be prepared that insurers will give you the cheapest piece of crap possible', and I recognize that

I am considering dropping the doctors and the hospital, since all they seem to be interested in is making money, and buying a machine myself. I read good things about the Resmed S9, so I might consider buying that one?

But of course, the mask is the real trouble. I've tried about 5 of them in the past three months, and since I am an 'active sleeper' (due to damage in my neck I turn around frequently in my bed because of the pain) all of them leak as soon as I turn around. What might be a decent mask for me being such an 'active sleeper'?

Thanks again for the replies

Bye,

[msradar65]

I would recommend the Swift FX or Swift LT by resmed in that order. Those are my two favorites. I started with the LT and went to the FX about two weeks ago and I love the mask..far less leaks with the FX than with the LT.

[hton]

I would recommend the Swift FX or Swift LT by resmed in that order. Those are my two favorites. I started with the LT and went to the FX about two weeks ago and I love the mask..far less leaks with the FX than with the LT.

Thanks for your reply

The LT I tried but it doesn't fit on my (ugly) face. The FX I am struggling with currently but this has 2 problems:
1. It starts leaking as soon as I turn around;
2. the pressure of 10H2O appears to blow the mask of my face. If I tighten the straps I can't sleep because they are too tight and hindering my blood flow.

[Pugsy]

Yep...you got an old discontinued model of a very basic cpap machine. The M Series machines were release sometime in 2007 and the next model was the PR System One machines and they are just starting to be released at the beginning of 2010.

What masks have you tried? It would help us to help you if we knew which mask you tried and why they failed.

I have a bad neck (as well as bad lower back) with a metal plate in my cervical spine. I do a lot of tossing and turning due to pain from lower back and I use a small flat buckwheat hull pillow as my bed pillow.
I find it helps with the neck issues and lets me make a little "nest" for my mask when I sleep on my side or my stomach.

I started out using the Swift LT Nasal pillow mask and switched over to the Swift FX nasal pillow mask when it was released. Have you tried either on of those?
Also...frequent tossing and turning...have you thought about a hose management device to get the hose up and away from the body so that the tossing and turning doesn't mean you have to drag the hose with you and have the dragging pull the mask away from your face?
There are many such devices available and it is even simple to make your own.
This one is popular and simple and gives you an idea what I am talking about.
http://www.pur-sleep.com/products/prodD ... rch=&page=
That website is also where I got my buckwheat pillow....it is called Regenesis.

If you can swing the money for the S9....consider the Elite (straight CPAP) or the Autoset (APAP so 2 machines in one since it can be used in straight cpap mode)....avoid any S9 product with Escape in the name.
There is one online provider that could send you a S9 machine and they have some gently used machines and/or new open box specials.
Secondwindcpap.com http://www.secondwindcpap.com/Open_Box.html
I see a S9 Elite with humidifier for $545..new open box....and a S9 Autoset with humidifier for $799 new open box. I also have a contact that has new S9 machines and will ship overseas...send me a private message if you want information about that contact. $785 for the AutoSet new and includes a mask and includes US shipping....so of course a little bit more to ship overseas but she will do it. Reliable source..I have used her and so have a few others that I have referred to her.

You would like the S9....sweet machine. Not that the M series is a bad machine....my first machine was a M Series APAP. Great machine but the newer models are sweeter...more data and a more quiet.
I have also used the newer model Respironics machine...PR System One model...very nice also.
So I have used both brands....and both are quiet and offer more data and really nice to use.

I see you are now trying the Swift FX....It will and can be stable at the higher pressures. I used to see 18 cm pressure when I was using APAP and minimal leaks. And I wear it very loose.

[hton]

Thank you very much for your reply, Pugsy, much appreciated

I might take you up on your offer to connect me to the person who can ship me a new S9 to Europe, but there might be a small problem: warranty matters in case anything goes wrong. It is conceivable that products that are sold for the USA (serial numbers) don't qualify for warranty if a problem arises. Mind you, I *don't know this*, it just popped up into my mind. For that matter, I'd try to get an 'official one' here first. They are expensive, 'though.

I just got of the phone with a sales rep that distributes these machines over here. She was very collaborative, and basically told me:
- We do business with some hospitals over here that could prescribe the S9; you'd have to switch hospitals 'though (it would be my third one, as I feel the previous 2 don't really help out).
- The S9 comes in three flavors: 'basic', 'intermediate' and 'advanced'. The 'advanced' would be the S9 Auto, but it poses problems with the insurance companies due to the costs. In addition, she said, most people don't need it; a constant pressure suits them fine. But, and here is where I got warm feelings, she said: we can install the S9 auto at your home free of charge for 2 weeks. We can then review the data it collected and decide whether you need a variable pressure or a constant one. In either case, that would work, because if you don't need it you don't need it and the insurance company won't whine. If you do need it we have some more convincing evidence towards the insurance company that you do need an S9 auto than that 1 night sleeping in the hospital which isn't quite as representative for the real situation.

Come to think of it: that all these professors in the hospital can't think about this (or care about it...) and give you a cheap piece of junk, whereas the commercial provider is willing to go this extra mile in order to actually help a patient...

So I will see what comes from this. In the end, if this experiment turns out I do need the S9 auto and the insurance company isn't willing to pay for it, I will say 'shove it' and buy it from my own savings. At which time I will also cancel my contract with that insurance company, of course

Once again thank you very much Pugsy for your kind reply, I appreciate it very much. I will keep you updated on what happens next in the days to come.

Bye,

[Pugsy]

Warranty issues are of course a concern. While failure rates are low they do happen. Normally the warranty is for 2 years on a new machine. Secondwindcpap.com does have a short warranty period on their used machines (6 months I think) and their new open box machines have the regular 2 year warranty.
You might contact them to see what would be involved should there be an issue with one of their machines.
I have no idea how they would handle it.

Here for me....all I have to do is take it to any DME and they will take care of sending it back to the company.
I would pay costs to send it back and its return. DME is only a go between agent.
I realize things are handled differently where you live.

[hton]

I realize things are handled differently where you live.

Thanks again Pugsy, for your reply

I was actually discussing the quoted matter with my wife, this afternoon. I get seriously pissed off by how they happen to handle it over here in 'plain old Europe'. I get diagnosed with 'severe apnea', they give you a machine that was antique 5 years ago, and you can choose from an assortment of 3 (3...) masks. Of course they leak. So you move on, to the next hospital, a university hospital (you know how all these 'Prof.dr.' types in Europe take themselves far too seriously? You don't? Well, they do. I am starting to think you get a free 'Prof.dr.'-title with every three packs of washing machine soda, these days, over here...). So in this university hospital you have more 'Prof.dr.' - types than you actually have nurses. To your big surprise, you get the same shitty hardware you got in the previous hospital. You complain about the noise the machine makes, and the leaks the mask makes, and you get, as a reply, from these 'academical' people: 'we think xPAP-therapy doesn't work for you, we'd recommend you get surgery - in our hospital, of course'. You train to explain to these severely brain dead people hwo the problem is NOISE, not CPAP, but you think they actually understand it?

I complain about the NOISE, and these 'academic' people (muhahahahaha) conclude xPAP doesn't work for me.

Its pure frustration, guys and girls, pure frustration. Especially since I've had some sort of ( ) scientific education 'though not in the medical field, and therefor am extremely upset with wat this 'academic' people are wasting others people life with - while getting paid for it very well of course, in socialistic Europe ( ).

My wife and I explored how to go and live in the USA as to escape the horrors of (Western-)Europe, the homeland that has been raped grossly ever since we were born there, but it seems the USA doesn't want people with money, no debts, no criminal records, and university degrees in economics to migrate into their country. Other people seem to be preferred these days ( ).

[NightMonkey]

My wife and I explored how to go and live in the USA as to escape the horrors of (Western-)Europe, the homeland that has been raped grossly ever since we were born there, but it seems the USA doesn't want people with money, no debts, no criminal records, and university degrees in economics to migrate into their country. Other people seem to be preferred these days ( ).

Yes, we only take people who are broke, uneducated, willing to live 8 to a cabin or slum apartment, don't know anything about the great system of capitalism, don't understand that humans have God-given personal freedom and government exists to protect them, and are eager to sign up for welfare, disability, food stamps, free lunches, SSI, and Medicaid and will vote straight-ticket Democrat party the rest of their lives.

We have foreigners graduating from MIT with engineering degrees, eager to contribute to society and enjoy pusuring their individual dreams while enjoying capitalism who have to go with their caps and gowns still on to the nearest international airport because we will not let them work and live here.

I would buy two ResMed S9 Autosets from the U.S. at lowest price available plus a selection of masks. This might be cheaper than getting one machine with warranty in Europe. They don't often break anyway if you don't knock them off the nightstand.

You can download the very good efficacy software for this machine from the ResMed site and check all your own data and if necessary adjust machine pressure settings to achieve an optimal therapy.

I have three machines, software, titrated my own settings, and have no plans to see a doctor again.

[chunkyfrog]

Cheaper than insurance--instantly available.
What else can you ask for?

[greatunclebill]

Yep...you got an old discontinued model of a very basic cpap machine. The M Series machines were release sometime in 2007 and the next model was the PR System One machines and they are just starting to be released at the beginning of 2010.

here goes another fly in the ointment so to speak. while it is true that the m series was discontinued in jan 2010, in their discontinue letter they stated that they were discontinuing every m series except the model 100. by now that too has probably been discontinued, maybe not.

but, there's always a but, i believe they are still manufacturing the model 101M for export. someone in the other forum from spain has a new m-series model 101M basic cpap with a manufacture date code on the bottom of 20120216. that's feb 2, 2012. that's definitely a brand new machine manufactured this year. the part we don't know is if they've updated the technology or if it is the same 2010 model.

here is the url for the respironics 2010 discontinuation letter where they mention the part about except models REMstar DS100 and DS100H.
http://mseries.respironics.com/pdf/MSer ... n_2010.pdf

[Tino2You]

Cheaper than insurance--instantly available.
What else can you ask for?

I wonder how he would get the power plug? Make it himself?

[squid13]

I wonder how he would get the power plug? Make it himself?

Use an adapter, like we would use when you go to Europe.