travelling solution for sleep apnea

[wellnessyoga]

Hello, I am new to this forum and hope to get some help. Both my partner and I have been using Remstar Plus C flex machines for a number of years, but don't bring them along when travelling, they are too bulky and because of the different voltage. In September we will be spending a month in Europe, and we are thinking of either getting compact machines for travel, or oral applications? I did not know about oral applications when I got my machine, or else I might have opted for it then. Doctors around here don't seem to recommend them at all. Any specific recommendations would be welcome, such as if anyone had experience with both systems? Or which travel CPAP machine to buy? It needs to be adjustable to different voltage, effective, quiet, and off course compact. Thanks in advance!
Do

[Hawthorne]

The machines you have should work fine with the appropriate adapters for each country, available at travel agents. Having an extention cord would be a help as well.

If you want to buy a different backup/travel machine go to cpap.com. They identify good travel machines. You may still need the adapters.

[Ganesha]

I have an oral appliance but have not used it yet. The prevailing wisdom is that the appliances are not always effective. I am establishing a baseline using APAP and recording on the results with software. I will then throw the oral appliance into the mix with the APAP and see if the apneas stay at an acceptable rate and the pressure stays at minimum. My thinking is if the machine needs to kick in then the oral appliance is not doing its job.

My feeling is that there is no way to really know how good an oral appliance is without a sleep study. If they worked I am sure insurance companies would rather pay a few hundred for an oral appliance than a thousand or more for a CPAP, mask, and supplies.

Is it possible to bring your mask and rent a machine in Europe? I may have to go through the same thing later this year.

Mark

[OwlCreekObserver]

Your machines should be able to handle both 220 and 110 voltage. You may need a plug adapter for the country (or countries) you're visiting, but you can get those in the travel section of most any department or discount store. I haven't traveled internationally with my Remstar Pro2, but I have traveled over much of the U.S., and haven't found it especially difficult. But of course I used to travel a lot in my work and had to lug along a laptop, so dealing with a relatively light CPAP machine doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

[Treehorn]

My wife is a dentist and she made me a oral appliance years ago that stopped my snoring but based on my energy levels and moods I don’t think it helped my OSA. That is why I finally moved to CPAP (only been on the hose for a few days).

The thing is the only real way to know if it’s working is to go do a sleep study while wearing a oral device or possibly wear a recording oximeter for a few nights while wearing the device. I never did that.

I am going with her to a seminar in August on the topic of Sleep Apnea (disguised as an employee of her office). It is going to discuss the different oral devices and CPAP and how to tell if a patient is a good candidate for a oral device and who is not. This info would be useful to a dentist because right now for her recommending the device to a patient is a roll of the dice. Who knows if it’s going to work?

Last night I wore my oral device with my CPAP and taped my mouth shut! It seemed to do what I hoped it would. It brought my lower jaw forward enough to open up the airway a bit and preventing the chipmunk/blowfish effect.

IMO The oral device MAY work for you and there is a good chance it will not. When implemented correctly CPAP is 100% effective means of treatment. The price of these oral devices is very high relative to their success rate.

If you have success with CPAP I would think you would be better off getting a adapter and dealing with the bulk of the machine or find yourself a travel machine.


PS (edit) : the boil and fit devices at walmart etc are garbage. Anything not put in by a dentist will be sure to fail and/or cause pain and problems down the road.

[Muse-Inc]

...going with her to a seminar in August on the topic of Sleep Apnea (disguised as an employee of her office). It is going to discuss the different oral devices and CPAP and how to tell if a patient is a good candidate for a oral device and who is not...

Hey Treehorn, do us all a favor and ask if there is a device that will help with lip leak (mouth stays closed but air escapes thru lips). If there's such a device (magic spell, alchemical formulae, secret chant...whatever), I'd be able to go back to my beloved OptiLife pillows

[jdm2857]

Musey --

I'm experimenting with a simple homemade lip leak seal. Detail to follow, unless it kills me.

[Muse-Inc]

I'm experimenting with a simple homemade lip leak seal. Detail to follow, unless it kills me.

Be sure to put that solution as a bequest in your will so I WON'T try that final solution!

[jdm2857]

I'll be fine as long as the paper clips don't come off of the rubber bands.

[Muse-Inc]

I'll be fine as long as the paper clips don't come off of the rubber bands.

Err, do I really wanna try this...the things we do to make CPAP therapy work are as ingenious as they are hilarious! hair scrunchies, ladies tights, nipple grease, 3M delicate release painter's tape, Poligrip strips, hair bands, now rubber bands and paper clips...next I suppose it'll be men's universal answer to everything gone wonky...duck tape At least it comes in day-glo colors...to match carbonman's hose cover!

[Treehorn]

Hey Treehorn, do us all a favor and ask if there is a device that will help with lip leak (mouth stays closed but air escapes thru lips). If there's such a device (magic spell, alchemical formulae, secret chant...whatever), I'd be able to go back to my beloved OptiLife pillows

I will look into that. I know my current device is useless for this because not only does it bring my jaw forward to open the arway but it has a pin that opens my bite by 10mm. So my mouth really wants to open.

I tried a few nights of putting this device in, taping my mouth shut, then wearing my Opus 360 and it seems to have elimitated my gas problems but my blowfish continues.