Yet another newbie looking for support.

[JohnO]

Hi again all. Trialling my first cpap tomorrow. I think it's a phillips remstar pro 60. Anyone got experience with this machine. What are the most popular units? The other one this store seems to be pushing is the fisher and pykel icon pro.

The two "big" brands of xPAP machines are Philips Respironics and Resmed.

The current top-end auto-CPAP machines from PR is the PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... -tube.html

The current top-end auto-CPAP from Resmed is the S9 Autoset.

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/resme ... chine.html

The cost differences between the non Auto-CPAP machines and the Auto-CPAP machines is really not much. Don't let your doctor or your DME (the store your Doctor sent you to to buy a machine) push you into something less.

The PR System One REMStar 60 Series Pro is a good non Auto machine, with full data capability, but again, push for the Auto.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... chine.html

You can always use an Auto machine as a fixed pressure machine, but you can't use a fixed pressure machine as an auto. It is nice having the auto, because most of a night can be spent at a lower pressure, which is more comfortable, but if the machine decides you need an extra kick in the nose, it can increase the pressure to help keep your airway open.

The machine names are very similar to one another. Make sure they don't try to give you a non-data machine such as the PR System One REMStar 60 Series Plus. This is NOT a fully data capable machine.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... chine.html

I have the PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine. My prescription is a range from 9-15. My typical night is spent at 10 for 90% of the night, with the pressure popping up to 10.5 or 11 for a few minutes a couple of times a night. I've had a few nights in the past 6 months (usually in different beds) where the pressure has popped up to 13 for a while.

As far as masks go, the full face will deal handily with a stuffed nose, but the larger the surface area where the mask touches your face, the greater the chance for mask leaks. Mask leaks that blow air into you eyes can be annoying. This is one reason many people on this forum try to use nasal pillow masks. Nasal Pillow masks just rest up against your nostrils. They are also less claustrophobic then the larger masks because there is less "stuff" on your face and head. I started with a nasal mask, then switched (after 30 days) to a nasal pillow mask. I used to suffer from a stuffy nose (usually one nostril at a time) but find that the auto-CPAP actually helps keep my nose open through the night.

Here is an example:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

John

[Red Sunset]

Thanks John. I'll take all that advice on board. My doctor did tell me that allcI need is a basic constant pressure model and that all the rest was just marketing to get me to spend more money. But most people here seem to agree with you. Think I'll make sure I get the phillips with all the data/auto/humidifier etc.

[archangle]

Hi All,
Was diagnosed yesterday with severe obstructive SA. Apparently I wake up 38 times an hour. I'm a 32 yo male. BMI of 29. I drink a little on fri sat nights only. I don't smoke. Now looking for a PAP machine.
My sleep specialist says auto pap machines are just a money making tool with no scientific evidence to back up their usage.
I've joined a gym to hopefully significantly reduce my weight.
Mainly, I don't wanna die young leaving behind my beautiful wife and child!
I'm thinking full mask as I often have a blocked nose.
Looking for any words of wisdom from the wise users out there.
Thanks in advance for any responses.

Your doctor probably thinks that auto CPAPs can only be set to run the maximum pressure range from 4-20. This is the wrong way to do it. You want to set the minimum pressure to something that treats your apnea most of the time, and have some extra pressure available if you need it. No matter whether you have manual or auto CPAP, you need to monitor the data it records every night and see how it's working for you.

Doctors are also afraid of auto CPAP because they want to charge you for extra office visits instead of letting the machine adjust to your needs. For similar reasons, bad doctors don't want to look at the data the machine records every night that tells you how the therapy is working. They'd rather make you take another $leep $tudy.

Lose the weight, but there's a good chance it won't help your apnea.

An Auto CPAP machine is always the right choice, because it can always be set to a narrow pressure range, or to a single pressure if that's what you need.

The PRO is not an Auto CPAP, even though the DME may tell you it is. It may do auto for 30 days, then it goes back to manual pressure mode.

There are links in my signature line about what CPAP to buy, and how not to get screwed by the DME.

Do NOT get the Fisher and Paykel unit. The Philips Respironics Pro or Auto machine records much more data to help you track and adjust your therapy. The PRS1 machines will record every breath every night, and you can see problems with some software you can get for free.

[Red Sunset]

Got my trial machine today. I think it's a PR RemStar auto 50?
But I plan on buying the PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine.
Got a full face mask, Quatro I think.
Looking forward to trying it out tonight. Felt like I'd been run over by a bus yesterday, so I'm hoping to feel a bit better
now that I'm starting on the cpap.
Wish me luck!

[Starlette]

Good evening Red.

I cannot added to what has already been said. Should you have problems or issues, let us know. As you can see, we all pitch in to help one another to achieve sleep nirvana.

Also, I too welcome you to the forum. Read and ask questions.
As you sit back in front of your computer, I've prepared some freshly bakes cookies and a tall glass of milk.

Starlette

[Red Sunset]

Thankyou Starlette.

[Red Sunset]

Well, first night seemed to go pretty well. The mask didn't bother me too much andcI seemed to sleep pretty well. Only thing is that it seems like the pressure only gets to about 5.7. Is that very low? I would have thought it might need to get a bit higher? I'll download sleepyhead software to have a better look today. Feeling slightly more refreshed I think!

[Red Sunset]

Here's some data. Looks like I only woke up 5/hour instead of 38 which is a big improvement. Looks like some minor mask leakage. Can someone out there help me interpret this data from SleepyHead. did I get a good night's sleep?!


CPAP Statistics as of Friday, 28 December 2012
1 day of CPAP Data, on 28/12/2012.
Details Most Recent Last 7 Days Last 30 Days Last 6 months Last Year
AHI 5.17 5.17 5.17 5.17 5.17
RERA Index 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35 3.35
Flow Limit Index 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82
Hours per Night 11:01 11:01 11:01 11:01 11:01
Average Pressure 7.62 7.62 7.62 7.62 7.62
95% Pressure 10.50 10.50 10.50 10.50 10.50
Average Total Leaks 22.26 22.26 22.26 22.26 22.26
95% Total Leaks 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00

Changes to Prescription Settings
First Last Days AHI Machine Mode Pr. Rel. Min Pres. Max Pres.
28/12/2012 28/12/2012 1 5.17 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x3 4.00 20.00
The above has a threshold which excludes day counts less than 5 from the best/worst highlighting

Machine Information
Brand Model Serial First Use Last Use
Philips Respironics System One RemStar Auto with A-Flex (551P) P060274715ACD 28/12/2012 28/12/2012

[Denial Dave]

since the lowest level pressure that the machine will provide is 4... 5.7 does seem pretty low.

I think I'd feel like I was sufficating at that level, but then again my bipap level is 20 IPAP 14 EPAP.

LOL

[Red Sunset]

I checked the actual levels on SleepyHead and it made it up to about 11 at some stages, so that makes me feel a bit better.

[jencat824]

Hi again all. Trialling my first cpap tomorrow. I think it's a phillips remstar pro 60. Anyone got experience with this machine. What are the most popular units? The other one this store seems to be pushing is the fisher and pykel icon pro.

You have chosen a good machine. If for any reason you want another DO NOT GET AN ICON! I have the Icon & you don't get as much data as with the machine you chose. Also, to get the data you have to buy the software for $88.

I also think DME's must be getting a high profit-margin on these machines from F&P because the DME I used for my hubby's machine was pushing the Icon, I said NO so loud they probably heard in the parking lot.

Since it was the end of the year the only DME that could get my hubby a machine before 12/31/12 was A2Z, they didn't carry RedMed so I got him the same machine you chose, the PR Auto 60. He is quite happy with it so far. He pre-heats his humidifier and loves that feature.

I posted this for anyone else who may be considering the Icon, to give a comparison of you getting a great machine and some of us (me) didn't know about this forum before getting my replacement machine, so I'm stuck with the Icon.

Enjoy your great new machine,
Jen

[jencat824]

Oops, Red sunset,

I thought you got the 60, but you got the 50, which seems to be a comparable machine. I got the 60 for my hubby because it was the PR machine they had.

I wanted to ask you to post in your User Panel, your machine, humidifier & mask name. This way when we are helping one another we have that data at the end of a post (see mine below in blue). Also any extra info you want can be added in the signature line.

Jen

[Red Sunset]

Thanks Jen. Yep, I'm just trialling the 50 but will buy the 60. Is 5/hour acceptable or should I be aiming for lower than that. I'll update my equipment details when I actually buy them. Thanks again.

[BlackSpinner]

Thanks Jen. Yep, I'm just trialling the 50 but will buy the 60. Is 5/hour acceptable or should I be aiming for lower than that. I'll update my equipment details when I actually buy them. Thanks again.

5 is a barely acceptable AHI but good for starting out. Your 95% pressure is sitting around 11 so if you raise your minimum to, say, 7 it would be able to respond quicker and/or maybe prevent the events.

I don't know your machine so I can't help with the leaks.

[Red Sunset]

Thanks black. So what should I be aiming for? Appart from zero obviously.