Swift Question

Blimpy · Post by **Blimpy** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:42 pm

Is it normal for a Swift to need extra humidity? After switching from a Breeze to a Swift I find that I have to increase the setting of my H2 from 2 to 4 lights or even run wide open. It uses almost the whole tank each night. So far, there has been no rainout even running wide open. The breeze would rainout on anything over 2. Pressure is 12. I don't think I have mouth leaks but am more dry with the Swift. Otherwise I love the Swift.

Thanks for any info.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:28 am

I still use a setting of 2 on the FP Humidifier with Ambient Tracking with my Swift. Seems to be enough. Maybe if you lowered the room temperature at night it would help. I sleep with the thermostat set at 63 (yep, I like it cool and I've heard that it actually helps you to sleep better, but I still sleep with the covers off most of the night.

sleep_less · Post by **sleep_less** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:05 pm

Please tell me how you like your Swift Nasal Pillows. I just ordered one after failing with several face masks. I really hope it works--I need a good night of sleep.

sleep_less

Dave Hargett · Post by **Dave Hargett** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:42 pm

Generally, the cooler the room, the lower the heat setting should be. Trying to heat up the water and put too much moisture into cool air will make it rainout. I'm actually surprised that you get any heated humidity with a 63 degree room temp. I'd almost guess that the Ambient tracking is making your machine more like a cold water humidifier than a heated one. Purely a guess, but most rainout reports I hear about are at temps of 65 and lower.

Do you feel more exhausted air from the swift tubing? Maybe your extra humidiity is being exhausted before it gets to your nose.

I switched from the old ResMed Mirage (the original, not the Ultra) to the Activa mask. Same machine, same pressure, same room, same temp, I now use about 20% less water and actually get more rainout on occasion than I did with the original Mirage. Either I had more mask leak than I realized OR its the amount of the exhausted air. I lean toward the exhaust.

I find the Activa to be quieter and water-saving - a pretty good combo for me!

Dave

gailzee · Post by **gailzee** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:51 pm

I use them. I use the medium. They take some getting used to, but for me the issue is my mouth dropping open. I use the idiotic universal chin strap which is about as comfortable as woolly underwear. I have a new chin strap enroute from cpap.com, which I might add is a great co. to do bus w/fast, less expensive, spend time explaining, etc. Anyway, I am extremely claustrophobic, and a mask for me, would be NO COMPLIANCE. So I use the nasal pillows. If I could get my mouth sealed off I'd be happier. And turning on my side, causes the np's to move, and leak air, so I'm sort of a stuck on my back Not comfy either). But I am happy to have NOTHING touching the bridge of my nose, or forehead. I do use the htd. humidification on a low setting (like 1-2) and it seems sufficient to keep my sinuses from rebelling too much. I think bottom line, is what ever is the least objectionable to keep you comfortable and bottom line, COMPLIANT. For me, it means an ambien to go to sleep.
My husband watches the autopap and reports my numbers. Good thing for the ambien, if he woke me up with his number checks I'd not be happy.

It's whatever works. If the manufacturers REALLY REALLY want ot know what they should be looking at is, A BETTER MORE COMFORTABLE< LESS PAINFUL nasal interface. If we can send billions of $$ overseas, let's get our mfrts. to develop and market a better nasal appliance. For me it's the pillows, till something NEW comes along.
Nothing suffocating of course!

I think we deserve to be treated like educated consumers instead of the silent sleepless majority we are right now. Thank heaven fo CPAP.com, where we can share ideas.

Hang in there.

sleep_less wrote:Please tell me how you like your Swift Nasal Pillows. I just ordered one after failing with several face masks. I really hope it works--I need a good night of sleep.

sleep_less

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:25 am

Dave, no I am pretty sure I'm getting the humidity, since if the tank runs out during the night I am very aware of it. Also, I live in Central Texas where the humidity is already about 50% or so. I know the heat part is working because the plate is warm if not hot when I take the tank off in the morning and the hose doesn't feel cold.

The vent doesn't seem to put out any more air than normal unless the pressure gets higher. So I say that is all normal operating too. I really don't know how high I could turn the humidity setting without rainout which I've never gotten except with the breeze. My RT says she usually suggests a level of 2 on the FP humidifier and that's what I usually have it set at, at home, turning up or down according to the relative humidity when I travel, and what kind of heat/air unit the room has.