I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:03 am

I went over to the DME and picked up my machine this morning. I'm excited to get started. But, I'm wondering... what else do I need to make sure I get off on the right foot? I'm ordering the Pur-Sleep System Basic Starter Pack https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Pur-Sl ... -Pack.html (just to check out that idea). The DME gave me a Gecko, for my nose https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Gecko-Nasal-Pad.html. And, I already have a memory foam pillow.

What other accessories or supplies should I go ahead and order right away?

Xney · Post by **Xney** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:16 am

Main thing in my opinion is really getting the mask right, adjusting the straps, tightness, making sure it fits well. Some mask liners can help. **

Everything else is secondary to the mask fit at first.

If the mask needs to be changed, you want to know as soon as possible - may take a few nights on it to know.

Do you know what the settings are on the machine?

** Mask fit should be tested after initial adjustment under pressure

justpam · Post by **justpam** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:17 am

Got distilled water yet? I'm following your questions/threads because I'm learning too. Hope it goes really well for you.

Pam

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 11:29 am

Patience, persistence, optimism.
I'd post a link, but I'm still looking.

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:05 pm

Xney wrote:Main thing in my opinion is really getting the mask right, adjusting the straps, tightness, making sure it fits well. Some mask liners can help. **
Everything else is secondary to the mask fit at first.
If the mask needs to be changed, you want to know as soon as possible - may take a few nights on it to know.
Do you know what the settings are on the machine?
** Mask fit should be tested after initial adjustment under pressure

Xney, thanks! The settings on my machine are 17/14. The DME set it up in BiFlex Auto mode. I tried 3 masks on. One leaked; one was kinda bulky (but I liked it); and the Mirage Quattro fit like a charm. We tested it on my machine -- not too tight, comfortable and no audible leaks. I'll focus on the mask, for certain.

justpam wrote:Got distilled water yet? I'm following your questions/threads because I'm learning too. Hope it goes really well for you.
Pam

Heading to get the distilled water, along with white vinegar, when I get off work today. THANKS Pam! I hope all goes well with you. Keep in touch!

chunkyfrog wrote:Patience, persistence, optimism.
I'd post a link, but I'm still looking.

I have one -- the Bible. I use it sometimes... but need to use it more. And I definitely get your point. This isn't gonna be an overnight fix (so to speak). It's a process. THANKS chunkyfrog!

arete123 · Post by **arete123** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:12 pm

I have had mine several weeks now. It is the Sleepstyle 200, built in humidifer with nasal pillows set @ 7CM. I quickly found that I was waking up in the morning with a very dry throat and mouth. I found out that it was because my mouth opened during the night. I fixed that by useing a cervical collar. That prevented my lower jaw from dropping and it also gave support to the throat tissue. I then tried it w/o the CPAP and found it completely stopped the apnea and reduced but not eliminated snoring. I also found that I awoke with extremely dry eyes. I called the makers of the machine and they said 7 CM was about the lowest setting, so I installed a washer in the plastic tubing intake which greatly reduced the airflow and brought the dry eyes back to my normal "slightly dry eye" status. I also put mentholatum in the water tank for the menthol effect. That always helped to keep my nasal passages open.

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:42 pm

arete123 wrote:I have had mine several weeks now. It is the Sleepstyle 200, built in humidifer with nasal pillows set @ 7CM. I quickly found that I was waking up in the morning with a very dry throat and mouth. I found out that it was because my mouth opened during the night. I fixed that by useing a cervical collar. That prevented my lower jaw from dropping and it also gave support to the throat tissue. I then tried it w/o the CPAP and found it completely stopped the apnea and reduced but not eliminated snoring. I also found that I awoke with extremely dry eyes. I called the makers of the machine and they said 7 CM was about the lowest setting, so I installed a washer in the plastic tubing intake which greatly reduced the airflow and brought the dry eyes back to my normal "slightly dry eye" status. I also put mentholatum in the water tank for the menthol effect. That always helped to keep my nasal passages open.

My 02 levels are too low to not have xPAP. So, a collar or other method won't work for me. I am getting an aromatherapy starter pack to help keep my nose/sinuses in good shape. And I plan to use the humidifier nightly. THANKS for your comments.

robysue · Post by **robysue** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:49 pm

Things I found useful either at the very beginning or shortly thereafter:

1) A hose cozy. I run the hose under the covers and the cozy makes it feel much less medicinal. Others find a hose management system is needed to prevent getting tangled up in the hose.

2) An iHome for my iPod so that I could play Gregorian chants all night to help distract me from the air being blown down my throat and let me get to sleep. Others find a white noise generator works well.

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:03 pm

robysue wrote:Things I found useful either at the very beginning or shortly thereafter:

1) A hose cozy. I run the hose under the covers and the cozy makes it feel much less medicinal. Others find a hose management system is needed to prevent getting tangled up in the hose.

2) An iHome for my iPod so that I could play Gregorian chants all night to help distract me from the air being blown down my throat and let me get to sleep. Others find a white noise generator works well.

robysue,
THANKS!
1) I'll look at the hose cozy's. I was looking at this one: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/snuggl ... cover.html My hose is 22cm diameter -- standard Respironics 6 ft. Is there a particular brand that is better, or more durable, than others?
2) We use a fan in the bedroom, 24/7 x 365, so noise shouldn't be an issue. Especially when we're exchanging my chainsaw snoring for the minor blower motor running.

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:11 pm

You've probably already got this covered, but mask wipes for daily wiping off of your mask -- cpap.com sells them for one cent (hey, there's no "cent" symbol on the keyboard anymore -- guess the penny has lost its value to the point it's not even worth having on computer keyboards!) when you buy a mask. I keep them right by my bed and I wipe my mask before I get out of bed in the a.m.

How about some lotion in case you get any skin irritation? A lot of people keep lansinoh lanolin around for any chapping that occurs on skin. Others swear by aloe 99% gel to help the mask get a good seal (there are some previous threads on using aloe and how to do it to help keep the seal). Aloe is actually a nice conditioner for your skin (and you do want to preserve your standing as a handsome guy after all, right? )

Best wishes on your maiden voyage!

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:36 pm

kaiasgram wrote:You've probably already got this covered, but mask wipes for daily wiping off of your mask -- cpap.com sells them for one cent (hey, there's no "cent" symbol on the keyboard anymore -- guess the penny has lost its value to the point it's not even worth having on computer keyboards!) when you buy a mask. I keep them right by my bed and I wipe my mask before I get out of bed in the a.m.

Can I use normal baby wipes - unscented?
Or, is it only safe to use something like this https://www.cpap.com/productpage/beaumo ... eaner.html?

kaiasgram wrote:How about some lotion in case you get any skin irritation? A lot of people keep lansinoh lanolin around for any chapping that occurs on skin. Others swear by aloe 99% gel to help the mask get a good seal (there are some previous threads on using aloe and how to do it to help keep the seal). Aloe is actually a nice conditioner for your skin (and you do want to preserve your standing as a handsome guy after all, right? )

Lotion? Um, I have some Aloe 99%. I'll search the threads for that topic, too. And yes, I do want to preserve my standing as a handsome guy -- as shaky as it is now, one more thing is sure to make that standing plummet. Haha!

kaiasgram wrote:Best wishes on your maiden voyage!

THANKS! I'm so upbeat about this, my wife is even excited.

ChrisD · Post by **ChrisD** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:41 pm

Char1ieJ,

A Tupperware tub to hold all the CPAP goodies you will be accumulating (masks, filters, hoses, cleaners, etc etc).

A three ring binder to keep all of your paperwork in one spot (sleep study results, copy of prescriptions, device info / warranty data, user/clinician manuals, replacement parts schedule, cleaning schedule, the list goes on and on)

Software to read the data off of your system so you can see how your therapy is progressing.

If you travel, do a Google search for "PAPFlask" - The container for carrying distilled water satisfies all federal DOT standards for liquids shipment via air and has all the right verbiage printed on it to satisfy the TSA.

How about something to manage your hose?
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/HoseBu ... ystem.html

or

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/flexib ... igodigital

I have both. I use the Bro-Gho HoseBuddy at home. It's heavy duty. I mean it. Solid steel! Your house will fall down before this thing breaks. I use the Arden Innovations CPAP Hose Lift System for travel. Light weight, fists in the PR System One travel bag, easy to set up and tear down. Only con is that being so light it has the tendency to "sway" from side to side.

Good Luck,
Chris

Sheriff Buford · Post by **Sheriff Buford** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:45 pm

Char1ieJ wrote:
kaiasgram wrote:You've probably already got this covered, but mask wipes for daily wiping off of your mask -- cpap.com sells them for one cent (hey, there's no "cent" symbol on the keyboard anymore -- guess the penny has lost its value to the point it's not even worth having on computer keyboards!) when you buy a mask. I keep them right by my bed and I wipe my mask before I get out of bed in the a.m.
Can I use normal baby wipes - unscented?
Or, is it only safe to use something like this https://www.cpap.com/productpage/beaumo ... eaner.html?

kaiasgram wrote:How about some lotion in case you get any skin irritation? A lot of people keep lansinoh lanolin around for any chapping that occurs on skin. Others swear by aloe 99% gel to help the mask get a good seal (there are some previous threads on using aloe and how to do it to help keep the seal). Aloe is actually a nice conditioner for your skin (and you do want to preserve your standing as a handsome guy after all, right? )
Lotion? Um, I have some Aloe 99%. I'll search the threads for that topic, too. And yes, I do want to preserve my standing as a handsome guy -- as shaky as it is now, one more thing is sure to make that standing plummet. Haha!

kaiasgram wrote:Best wishes on your maiden voyage!

THANKS! I'm so upbeat about this, my wife is even excited.

Use baby wipes for sensitive skin. Make sure it doesn't have alchohol or aloe on it. I use Pamper thick wipes for sensitive skin. Also I assume you are in it for the long haul.... so get a Hose Budddy. Best investment I ever made!
Sheriff

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:52 pm

Char1ieJ wrote:Can I use normal baby wipes - unscented?
Or, is it only safe to use something like this https://www.cpap.com/productpage/beaumo ... eaner.html?

I wouldn't use baby wipes because I don't know if what's in them could degrade the mask material -- though other people may have some good baby wipe recommendations. I've bought and returned many masks so I've got a huge supply of wipes from cpap.com. Not the citrus, the unscented. They're 100% cotton and the ingredients aren't spelled out, but it says ""Contains 100% natural cleaners derived from coconut and other plant extracts." I occasionally do a more thorough wash of my mask but these daily wipes seem to do the trick on a daily basis.

If you have the 99% aloe on hand you don't need lotion -- your handsomeness will not be compromised!

Char1ieJ · Post by **Char1ieJ** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:59 pm

ChrisD wrote:A Tupperware tub to hold all the CPAP goodies you will be accumulating (masks, filters, hoses, cleaners, etc etc).

Check - got a large one I can re-purpose for this.

ChrisD wrote:A three ring binder to keep all of your paperwork in one spot (sleep study results, copy of prescriptions, device info / warranty data, user/clinician manuals, replacement parts schedule, cleaning schedule, the list goes on and on)

Check - with 3 kids in school, I'm sure I can confiscate a binder. Excellent tip, btw. THANKS!

ChrisD wrote:Software to read the data off of your system so you can see how your therapy is progressing.

Check - I think I have something that will work for the 60 series.

ChrisD wrote:How about something to manage your hose?
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/HoseBu ... ystem.html
or
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/flexib ... igodigital
...

I think I'm going the DIY route on this one. I've been looking at the commercial systems and think I can accomplish the same task with pieces parts from Lowe's. If it works, I'll take a photo and post a parts list.

I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?

Re: I have my machine/mask, what else do I need?