Holiday/Vacation Usage Importance & Cleaning......

[beetee]

Hello,

I'm going on holiday/vacation for 3 weeks next month, I recently started my CPAP therapy (Resmed Autosense 10) and having been adjusting to it for the last 4 weeks since i started therapy.

I have two questions

1. Intially (for the hassle of dragging it around) I was considering (since i'm so new to the therapy) to just leaving the machine at home and have a holiday/vacation without it. My rationale was that, being so new to the therapy it would not be such a big issue to skip it during this time, and i don't have any further travel planned for at least 10 months after this trip, if at all.

Additionally I don't know where the plug outlet/sockets will be located in the rooms of the multiple hotels i am staying in. In the past i have stayed in rooms where the plug socket/outlets are on the opposite side of the room next to the Tv, and in those cases it would be too far away to power & connect the machine, I'm also not looking to upgrade my rooms or spend any more money.
Reading more about this, what i found were people saying that it is a mistake (no matter how long you have been using the therapy) to not take the machine on holiday/vacation, and that you should always take it with you and try to use it if you can.

So after reading that, it has made me have a rethink and now I'm strongly considering taking the machine with me, Do you guys think its ok to skip the therapy for 3 weeks, or essential to take it and use it?


2. I will be staying in multiple large hotels, that employ lots of daily cleaning maids for cleaning the rooms, therefore it would be highly unlikley that they would not touch or move mask items which i have washed and left out to dry, and i'm not keen on people touching or moving my mask equipment.
Additionally if i have a few beers or late nights, or am rushed out of the hotel in the morning (as travelling with friends) It may be the case that i don't wash my face mask anymore than once in a week

Is this another reason not to travel with the device?, how much of a germ and/or bacteria issue is it if the face mask is not cleaned more than 2-3 times during 3 weeks of a holiday/vacation? and what about if the hose pipe is not washed during the 3 weeks, would that present any respiratory or health risks?

Thanks

[bwexler]

I am also relatively new at this, started September 2010.
When I travel I carry an extension cord and an octopus. I will unplug lamps, clocks, radios, refrigerators etc. if they don't have a convenient outlet.
Some hotels have these cute little signs that say "Do Not Disturb". Do you wash your linens every day at home?
I have been known to notice the maids pushing their carts around and ask them to hand me some fresh towels and paper supplies I may even offer something in trade, Like a trash bag or used towels.
I may actually wash my mask someday, but that day hasn't come yet. I have never/will never wash a hose,
I remember a few years ago a Supreme Court Justice did not use his PAP machine while on vacation. They almost immediately removed his corpse from the court.

Another wise saying I have heard "Try you can not, do you must."

You obviously have many good excuses not to use your PAP equipment. We can accept all of them. Your body doesn't care about excuses, it only understands results. I am not aware of your sleep study results, but if they were anything like mine, 84 AHI, you will want to be as compliant as possible.
Even my wife who finally tested last Thanksgiving Just to prove to ME that she did not have sleep apnea has been compliant since she saw her O2 desats on her test results. She only had 16 AHI on her test.

[robysue1]

Hello,

I'm going on holiday/vacation for 3 weeks next month, I recently started my CPAP therapy (Resmed Autosense 10) and having been adjusting to it for the last 4 weeks since i started therapy.

I would take the machine with me if I were you.

There are several reasons:

1) You will be starting over from scratch in terms of adjusting to sleeping with the machine if you skip it for three whole weeks.

2) If the machine is being paid for by insurance, skipping using it for 3 weeks straight may just cause you to run into problems with establishing compliance. In the best case scenario you may have additional paperwork to fill out promising the insurance company that you will do better in the future. In the worst case scenario the insurance may inform the DME they will no longer pay for the machine and the DME may then either demand that you return the machine or pay the entire balance in your rent-to-own contract immediately.

3) Your apnea will come back when you are not sleeping with the machine. And whatever OSA related symptoms you were experiencing that led you to get the sleep test done will also come back.

4) You will likely snore every night on the trip. If you have a significant other that may be a problem since they may be enjoying snorefree sleeping from you while you are using the machine. If your pre-treatment snoring was exceptionally loud, then you may wind up disturbing people in the adjacent room on your trip.

5) Carrying the CPAP is not really that much trouble and you might as well learn how to do it.

Additionally I don't know where the plug outlet/sockets will be located in the rooms of the multiple hotels i am staying in. In the past i have stayed in rooms where the plug socket/outlets are on the opposite side of the room next to the Tv, and in those cases it would be too far away to power & connect the machine, I'm also not looking to upgrade my rooms or spend any more money.

Many of us carry an extension cord when we travel for this very reason. You could also contact the hotels and tell them that you are traveling with medically necessary equipment and that you need to know where the plugs are relative to the bed.

Reading more about this, what i found were people saying that it is a mistake (no matter how long you have been using the therapy) to not take the machine on holiday/vacation, and that you should always take it with you and try to use it if you can.

Yep. My CPAP has been all over the country and has even done a tour of Europe in AirBnBs. I also take it camping and use it with CPAP batteries. I have no real desire to run the risk of waking up with my old pre-CPAP headache pain as well as the pain in my. hands and feet from clenching them every time I have an apnea. And I don't want to subject my husband (and occasionally my adult kids) to the sound of my snoring.

2. I will be staying in multiple large hotels, that employ lots of daily cleaning maids for cleaning the rooms, therefore it would be highly unlikley that they would not touch or move mask items which i have washed and left out to dry, and i'm not keen on people touching or moving my mask equipment.

That's what a "Do Not Disturb" sign is for. Of course if you want the hotel maids to make up the room, then leaving the Do Not Disturb sign up all day long won't work. But in that case you could leave a note by the equipment asking that it not be disturbed. If you run into the maid(s) who will be taking care of your room, you could politely ask them not to touch your CPAP equipment.

Additionally if i have a few beers or late nights, or am rushed out of the hotel in the morning (as travelling with friends) It may be the case that i don't wash my face mask anymore than once in a week

This really shouldn't be a problem unless you've got particularly oily skin. Fact is. my skin is so dry that I never wash my face if I'm not taking a shower, and I don't take showers more than 2 or 3 times a week.

Is this another reason not to travel with the device?,

There is no reason that justifies traveling without the device in my opinion.

how much of a germ and/or bacteria issue is it if the face mask is not cleaned more than 2-3 times during 3 weeks of a holiday/vacation?

Personally I no longer do a thorough cleaning of my mask more than once a week, and sometimes I go more a lot longer between thorough cleanings. And when I'm traveling I don't really worry about cleaning the mask all that much. As for germs: They're my germs and I'm not that worried about reinfecting myself with the germs that are already on my body and in my mouth and nose.

and what about if the hose pipe is not washed during the 3 weeks,

Many of us never clean our hoses. Certainly a hose can go 3 weeks without being washed.

would that present any respiratory or health risks?

In my opinion there's a much more significant health risk to not bringing the machine on a three week trip. Distilled water is available almost everywhere, although quite frankly, many of us will use any potable water in a pinch for the heated humidifier.

Keep in mind that CPAP equipment is never sterile. It's always going to be covered with your own germs---germs that come from your skin and your mouth and your nose. Just like your bed sheets and blankets are not sterile.

[MyIdaho]

Hello,

Bring it, without a second thought, bring it! Your machine and its replacements will be your reliable nighttime companion for the rest of your life! In my case, my AHI without my S-10 is 68/hr and is less than 2/hr with the machine. No brainer, sleep so much better with it. Your response may not be as dramatic as mine but at least bring it along in case you need/want to use it.

Outlets are usually very abundant in newer hotels. Older facilities likely have two or more in the sleeping area, may have to unplug a lamp or pull out the bed out to access.

I clean my mask cushion once a week and the mask once every ummm..., let's just say less frequently (no set schedule). Leaking may become an issue if you have an oily face and don't clean the mask frequently. Takes very little time to clean the mask. Couple seconds to rinse with warm water, wipe thoroughly with soap, and follow with a final rinse.

In the mornings, I wrap the hose around the machine and set the mask on top. Maid service has never moved my s-10 on the night stand or my clean mask cushion on a towel in the bathroom.

Go for it! Have a great time on your vacation followed by blissful nights of rest with your cpap!

[Pugsy]

First of all I agree with everything everyone has said above so I won't bother repeating it.

I just wanted to share a little story with you. Some time back (few years since I have been on cpap 15 years now) I went to Las Vegas to spend the week with my daughter. Got there on a Friday afternoon before a Monday July 4.
At 11 PM I realized that my heated long hose didn't make the trip. Some dumb ass (who will remain nameless) forgot she had removed the hose from the travel bag she kept packed for travel.
Way too late to do anything except kick myself in the butt.

So I slept without cpap. Horrible night's sleep....fragmented all to hell from the apnea events and woke up with massive headache from oxygen desats and felt like total shit all day.
Just try to find an equipment supplier open on a holiday weekend.....not going to happen.
Finally found a medical supply house that stocked cpap supplies and they had a non heated hose that they would sell me.
Cheap generic hose....I paid $30 for a cheap hose I can get any day of the week for $5 off Amazon or EBay (and that price includes shipping)...but they were open on Sat and I was happy to pay it.

I had ONE night without cpap.....I won't ever do that again.

And don't go telling me that pharmacies or even truck stops carry cpap stuff....this was several years ago and long before cpap stuff was available at places that now have cpap stuff.

[Cecioboe]

Absolutely take it. Always. Do you want to feel crappy for the three weeks you are gone? Plus if you are new and still in your compliance period, three weeks will mess up your numbers.

We went on vacation one week into my therapy and taking it was no big deal. Wipe your mask off with a wet washcloth in the morning - it takes 30 seconds. If you're in one location for a while and worried about housekeeping, put your hose and mask in the drawer with your clean clothes. Don't worry about cleaning your hose until you get home. Take an extension cord but many hotels these days have outlets in the bedside lamps.

Have a great trip!

[beetee]

Robysue

would that present any respiratory or health risks?

In my opinion there's a much more significant health risk to not bringing the machine on a three week trip. Distilled water is available almost everywhere, although quite frankly, many of us will use any potable water in a pinch for the heated humidifier.

Does the Humidifer (which i am yet to use, but considering trying) have to use distilled water?, I seem to remember my healthcare provider telling me that any bottled drinking water from the shop is fine to use, just not tap water due to limescale is that correct ?

[robysue1]

would that present any respiratory or health risks?

In my opinion there's a much more significant health risk to not bringing the machine on a three week trip. Distilled water is available almost everywhere, although quite frankly, many of us will use any potable water in a pinch for the heated humidifier.

Does the Humidifer (which i am yet to use, but considering trying) have to use distilled water?, I seem to remember my healthcare provider telling me that any bottled drinking water from the shop is fine to use, just not tap water due to limescale is that correct ?

While most people do use distilled water in the humidifier, any potable water can be used. Bottled water is what I often use when traveling while I use distilled water at home. (A gallon of distilled water is cheaper, but far, far too heavy for traveling.) I've used tap water occasionally when I've run out of distilled water at home or when I've forgotten to buy a bottle of filtered water while on the road.

Yes, tap water can cause some limescale to develop. If it does, a soak in a diluted mix of vinegar and water (even tap water) will take care of it the next time you clean the tank.

I'll also add: If you are doing fine without the humidifier, you can opt to just not use the humidifier on the road. If you do decide to use the humidifier, keep this in mind: While some noses like a lot of humidification, other noses will get more stuffy if the humidifier is set too high. In other words, if you wind up with a nose that is stuffier once you try the humidifier, you should not just assume that more humidification must be needed. Finding the optimal humidification level is a matter of trial and error---some noses (like mine) like the humidifier set to its max setting; other noses do best at a middle level setting; and some noses do best with very little or no humidification.

[ChicagoGranny]

Do you guys think its ok to skip the therapy for 3 weeks,

Try skipping it for three weeks at home. If you feel great, don't take it.

[Dog Slobber]

...for the hassle of dragging it around...
...it would not be such a big issue to skip it during this time...
...i don't have any further travel planned for at least 10 months after this trip...
...I don't know where the plug outlet/sockets will be located in the rooms of the multiple hotels...
...the plug socket/outlets are on the opposite side of the room
...employ lots of daily cleaning maids for cleaning the rooms, therefore it would be highly unlikley that they would not touch or move mask items ...
...if i have a few beers or late nights, or am rushed out of the hotel in the morning
...i don't wash my face mask anymore than once in a week...
...how much of a germ and/or bacteria issue is it if the face mask is not cleaned more than 2-3 times during 3 weeks of a holiday/vacation?...
...what about if the hose pipe is not washed during the 3 weeks, would that present any respiratory or health risks?...

Looks like you don't want to take it, and creating justifications.

Take and use it.

[TropicalDiver]

Robysue

Does the Humidifer (which i am yet to use, but considering trying) have to use distilled water?, I seem to remember my healthcare provider telling me that any bottled drinking water from the shop is fine to use, just not tap water due to limescale is that correct ?

Potable water is fine. Please see the sticky.

[TropicalDiver]

My advice: Bring it and use it. Bring an extension cord. Use tap or bottled water. Get some disposable mask wipes to clean the mask every few days. Packing the unit is way less than five minutes.

[beetee]

I've been told by my sleep technicans that i should not be using any kind of wet or dry wipes/ cloths etc as these could leave tiny fibres (invisible to the eye) on the mask cushion which you could end up breathing in.
I asked about wet mask wipes for cleaning convinence and they told me no, just water with a little soap and rinse and leave to dry, nothing else.

[Pugsy]

I've been told by my sleep technicans that i should not be using any kind of wet or dry wipes/ cloths etc as these could leave tiny fibres (invisible to the eye) on the mask cushion which you could end up breathing in.
I asked about wet mask wipes for cleaning convinence and they told me no, just water with a little soap and rinse and leave to dry, nothing else.

And I suppose you believed that garbage.

If it was so "dangerous" wonder why everyone in the world is selling cpap wipes.
Take a look at just what Amazon carries...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cpap+wipes&c ... _sb_noss_2

[zonker]

Bring an extension cord.

quoting this to highlight it. there are never enough outlets and they are sometimes placed so far from the bed that you almost have to have an extension cord. or at least, that's been my experience.