Things NOT to do when traveling with PAP!

[Komodo]

I just got back from my very first trip since I started therapy. I want to share with group a few of the things I learned (the hard way!) NOT to do.

I flew from NY to FL for a weeks stay. Afraid of damaging my VPAP Auto...I brought my old "backup" CPAP instead. That was my first mistake!
On VPAP, my AHI is 4-5. The first few nights on CPAP my AHI was 20-27!!!!! Many, many, arousals and trips to the bathroom, and very little sleep.

My second mistake, (I actually thought it was a good idea at the time) was to bring brand new masks with me. I brought two, a nasal, and a nasal pillow, both still sealed in their original package. The nasal mask was defective! The silicone flap wouldn't seal no matter how tight/loose I had the mask. The mask "farted" all night long, only it was a high pitch sound like I was playing the trumpet! My wife didn't get any sleep that night either!
The next night I switched over to the pillow mask and all was fine.......until the next day when my nose got extremely sunburnt, and I HAD to go back to the nasal, and trumpeting all night long!

My next mistake, was not taking a hose management system with me.
At home, I hang my hose over the headboard. I assumed I'd be able to do the same at the hotel. I was WRONG! I move around a lot in my sleep, and the hose kept getting tangled around me, which woke me as many times as the arousals did!

For all of you traveling for the first time, learn from MY mistakes. Bring your "everyday" PAP, and masks, and don't forget about some type of hose management!

BTW, I had ZERO problems with the TSA bringing my PAP on board the planes. At both JFK (NY) and at TPA (Tampa) it went through the x-ray and they never blinked an eye, or opened my bag.

[sleeptimeinNY]

Good advice Komodo! You're a fellow Long Islander!! did you read the post a while back called "hotel" and what users do with their machines in a hotel? I, also, traveled from Long Island to Tampa a few weeks ago and had no trouble with TSA and bringing it onboard. But next time will be more careful with leaving the machine out in a hotel room.
I bet you're ready for another vacation!!

[smurfyabs]

Yikes! Hope you enjoy your rest now that you're home!

[Sheriff Buford]

I like your advise as well. I am going into the hospital in a couple weeks, and I decided to break in a new mask a week before to prevent issues (or deal with them) similar to yours. What I didn't consider was hose management. I thought I would not use my Hose Buddy at the hospital, but maybe I should. Not using it may cause unwanted issues with the hose laying across my body.

Thanks for the tip!!

Sheriff

[fredboy]

Not that long ago TSA was cluelass about cpap.
On more than 1 time I was pulled out for questioning and secondary !

Now they know about it!

[nanwilson]

In our camping group there are two of us with cpap machines. Last summer we were at a no power camp...I had all my gear including my battery while my friend forgot and came thinking we had power...........he had to go home after the first night without his cpap...headache big time . From then on he would call me before we went out and made sure he had backup