New here and new to CPAP

[Guest]

Good afternoon everyone

I am new to this site, as well as new to having to use CPAP. In fact, I just got my machine yesterday. Someone here please tell me I will get used this thing! I don't know if I am being overly emotional or even dramatic, but this "thing" that now stares at me from my bedside table seems like a life sentence now and not "treatment" as the nurse explained yesterday.

Will I ever be able to come off of this thing? I'm only 39 and I feel like I am way too young to have to have a machine to ensure I keep breathing at night.....has anyone else felt like this?

Thanks for any assistance you all can give me.

Kat

BTW - I was put on the Fisher & Paykel NOVO machine with the Swift XF mask

[Sheriff Buford]

Please post your equipment in your profile... under the control panel tab... You may feel too young to have cpap therapy, but you're really not... I don't know how bad your apnea is, but I'll bet you'll start feeling better soon and you will soon come to the point where you will fear sleeping without your machine at night. You'll know that without the machine, you'll feel really bad during the day and you will fear not using the machine. I have been in your shoes. But I feel sooo gooood now, the machine has become my "friend".

Make sure you get a comfortable mask that doesn't leak. I went thru 6 masks until I found "mine". The mask search is also normal.

Best Wishes, Sheriff

[LSAT]

First things first...Go back to the DME that sold you the Novo and ask them to exchange it for the F & P Icon auto, the Resmed S9 Autoset or the PR System One Auto. The unit you have now will not report any data to determine if your therapy is working. If they refuse, go back to your doctor and have him/her re write your prescription to include the word AUTO when referring to the CPAP machine.

[Guest]

But my machine has a chip that I can download from into the website to check treatment. She pulled it out and showed me out to download the info. Or is that really what the chip is for?

First things first...Go back to the DME that sold you the Novo and ask them to exchange it for the F & P Icon, the Resmed S9 Autoset or the PR System One Auto. The unit you have now will not report any data to determine if your therapy is working. If they refuse, go back to your doctor and have him/her re write your prescription to include the word AUTO when referring to the CPAP machine.

[Madalot]

But my machine has a chip that I can download from into the website to check treatment. She pulled it out and showed me out to download the info. Or is that really what the chip is for?

First things first...Go back to the DME that sold you the Novo and ask them to exchange it for the F & P Icon, the Resmed S9 Autoset or the PR System One Auto. The unit you have now will not report any data to determine if your therapy is working. If they refuse, go back to your doctor and have him/her re write your prescription to include the word AUTO when referring to the CPAP machine.

There are two kinds of data. One is compliance data that basically just shows that you use the machine.

Efficacy data (I call it therapy-related data) tells how you are doing on the machine, not just the hours you use it.

All of us here STRONGLY recommend a machine that provides therapy-related data so YOU can see for yourself how well the treatment is going.

Many DME's will try to tell you that you ARE getting the full data when you're only getting compliance data. People here can tell you, for sure, whether the machine you have (or get) will give you the therapy-related data.

[Pugsy]

The F & P Icon Novo only collects hours of use on that little SD card or chip or whatever they call it.
Compliance reporting is how many hours you use it each night. Won't tell you a thing about how you are doing other than how many hours you are using it. If they tell you different...tell them to prove it. They can't.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... chine.html

It's the basic entry model.

Product Features
All ICON machines come with a built-in heated humidifier and ThermoSmart Technology. The Novo model establishes the ICON CPAP platform and includes standard features like:

Manual Altitude Adjustment
Ramp
Compliance Reporting

[LSAT]

F & P Machines
Novo - usage hours only, strsight Cpap
Premo - data capable, straight Cpap
Auto - top of the line full data, adjusting pressure

[OKCSleepDoc]

I am only 32 but I use my CPAP every night. A lot of people feel the way you do. Its not hard to point out the negative aspects of using a CPAP machine. All I have to do is show you one. HOWEVER, there are so many positive effects of using your CPAP Every night. You lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, improve blood sugar control, it helps to ensure you get better sleep quality and hopefully more energy/alert during the day. You have to find motivation to help you use your machine. Sometimes that motivation is feeling more energized during the day which is very satisfying. For others, there may not be as much of an impact on daytime alertness, but I use mine to keep my risk of heart attack and stroke low. I always think of my daughter every night before I put on my CPAP and think about how this will hopefully help me to be around to see her graduate, get married, etc. Focus on the positive and not on the negative!

[all_4_my_son]

Thank you all for the information. I am calling the DME nurse today and asking for one of the automatic models. Hopefully United Healthcare will allow it since they already bought the NOVO machine.

I have attempted to use my machine the last 2 nights, but didn't make it the whole night, only a couple of hours in fact. I feel like I am "drowning" on the air, if that is even possible and my ears feel really full during the day. I hope this passes.


(I am the original poster BTW - I didn't know where to log in at!)

[btesterman]

I won't go into the machine, although I also think you need to be able to check your AHI easily. Some DMEs will keep how to get into the clinical menu a secret (control freaks) but you can get the info here or elsewhere online.

I've used my CPAP for almost 4 years. Went from being too tried to even cook a meal for my family to loving to entertain etc Big difference even though my Apnea number wasn't really high before. At any rate, my first week on the machine was hell. I'd throw the mask off at about 2 a.m. Second week was semi-hell but I hung out through the night. The mask can make a huge difference. I hope you got to try several. I've just changed to a Wisp and like it soooooo much better than the pillows I had. (Yes, I need to change my profile) Please hang in. Yes, I still wish I didn't have to wear it. I just picture brain cells dying off without it and at 67 I have none to spare!!!! Best wishes. This group is a fabulous support. Write back whenever. They got me through the tough weeks and I still go to them when I don't understand something.