What to do, what to do..........??

[Country4ever]

I'm sort of frozen in place. I hate change. I hate going to doctors. I have a very complex body, which few docs can (or want to) understand. I guess you could say I've almost given up.
I'm 63. I have fibromyalgia and my osteoarthritis is getting so bad, I'm in alot of pain.
I have been using cpap for 6 years now. I have a Resmed S8 Autoset vantage and use the original Swift nasal pillows, and tape my mouth.
I try to only see my sleep doc once a year, and that's all that's really been necessary.
He's a nice guy........but when he tells me I shouldn't pay attention to leak rates.....how can I have trust in him??

But this past year, my AHI has crept up from 4-5 to 7-9. Things are starting to fall apart for me, physically and mentally, and I'm thinking its the sleep. But I don't know for sure.
But........here's my questions for you.

I'm on 8.0 cm of pressure and can't go higher because it hurts my sinuses too much. I have been thinking about getting a full face mask, but there's so much to choose from, and my deductible is really high.
Plus.......my machine is 6 years old. I don't want to be buying accessories, etc., if the machine is outdated. Several years ago I tried to get the software, but I could only get pirated stuff, and I didn't want to do that. So I'm going solely on the numbers on the machine every morning.

I've been thinking about getting a recording pulse oximeter which would be cheaper than all the other stuff...... just to check how my O2 is doing at night, since my AHI is high. That would tell me if the higher AHI is really a problem.

I guess I just don't know where to start.
I get a small decrease in the price of a new machine, because of my Anthem BCBS insurance.....but I'd still have to pay for most of it. Its not like we're poor at all, but I don't like wasting money.

If I got a new machine, it would probably be a Resmed S9.......but they've been out for awhile and maybe they're getting old too?
As you can see, I'm going around in circles.

If I got an S9, would it be easy to get the software (legally)? Is it stupid of me to think that a new machine might show lower AHI's? I'm just wondering if my S8 is showing inappropriately high AHIs.
I realize that I can't really know much of anything without the software.

Please excuse my seeming inability to move forward on this. It's not easy being me.

[Pugsy]

Do you have the card reader needed to use the software?
I can get you a direct download link for the software so you don't have to worry about it being a pirated copy. I will send it to you in a PM in just a little bit. That way you will have it for now with your current machine or in case you get a newer S9 machine.

[nanwilson]

Two answers... can you not use sleepyhead with your machine, it is not pirated as it was compiled by one of us for our use. Just check out Pugsys sig and you can download it along with all of her instructions.
Second answer.. have you checked around for prices on the S9, buying from mcdover or stlmark may be one heck of a lot cheaper than going through your insurance. Also... do some research on the PR system one and the S9, they are BOTH the top two machines and manufacturers... but PR is cheaper

[Pugsy]

can you not use sleepyhead with your machine, i

No, she can't use SleepyHead with her S8 machine..not compatible with the smart card. It's like your M series machine and that Infineer smart card reader...won't work with SleepyHead and must use ResScan.
Now if she gets a S9 then she can use SleepyHead.

[markrisley]

Try the FX nasal mask, not the pillows. That finally solved my problem. I also wear goggles for air leakage which have been a life saver for me.

[robysue]

Plus.......my machine is 6 years old. I don't want to be buying accessories, etc., if the machine is outdated.

Any mask or hoses you buy could be used with both the current S8 machine and any new machine you might buy in the near future.

And you need to keep buying filters for the current machine because dirty filters can cause problems, particularly since you say you have sinus problems.

Several years ago I tried to get the software, but I could only get pirated stuff, and I didn't want to do that. So I'm going solely on the numbers on the machine every morning.

Please PM pugsy; she can get you a link to an official, non-pirated version of ResScan which will work with your machine---provided you can get your hands on the specialized card reader.

If I got an S9, would it be easy to get the software (legally)? Is it stupid of me to think that a new machine might show lower AHI's? I'm just wondering if my S8 is showing inappropriately high AHIs.

The algorithm for scoring Hs seems to have changed from the S8's to the S9's and many people who have used both the S8 and S9 report that the S8 tends to overscore H's and the S9 does not. Does the LCD data on your machine break the AHI into an AI and a HI? Are most of your events H's or A's? If they are H's, then it may be that the S9's AHI would be lower simply because its algorithm for scoring H's is not as aggressive as the algorithm for the S8.

[Country4ever]

Thanks everyone! I am encouraged.

I found this card reader. Should I bid much lower? Is the company reputable?
Why does it say for S8 S811 Mask?

Thanks for the info Pugsy!
As far as my AHI, its the H that's always so high. The machine's algorithm would be its original one, right? When I take the card to the doc's office, they couldn't load anything on there that would have changed it, right?
I wish I had written down the circumstances that may have occurred around the time my AHI started going up............like a doc visit, tube, etc. change. I do know that the 6' tube they started making a smaller diameter awhile back.

Mark.....are you saying you switched from nasal pillows to a nasal mask, and could go up on your pressure because of it?

Maybe I should quit looking at my numbers (off the machine) so much. haha Maybe it determines how my day goes too much!
Even for the first couple years, my AHI couldn't get below upper 3's-5. Since I was feeling so much better, I didn't worry about it. Maybe I should have always tried to get it lower.
Do you think I'm barking up the wrong tree, if I'm thinking an AHI of 7-8 with this machine is so bad? I'd hate to use this thing, with tape over my mouth, not hearing the wonderful frogs and katydids and crickets outside my window for so many years, only to find out I wasn't getting much benefit from it.

What would the main advantages be of going with an S9 (or something very similar)?
I really appreciate all this feedback!

[Pugsy]

This is the card reader that I was talking about.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resmed-ResScan- ... 3cc953162b
I haven't seen it anywhere but on EBay from a guy in Israel for a long, long time.

If you can get Hyponea and obstructive apnea count separately on your machine then about all the software would add would be maybe seeing if there were clustering of those hyponeas.

The S8 machines did seem to have a history of aggressively scoring the hyponeas.
Though it wasn't like we never saw anyone with a nice below 1.0 AHI number because we did...so it didn't seem to sore them so aggressively with all the people who used it.

If you are looking at your numbers first thing in the AM....do change that routine to the evening. The mind is a powerful thing and sometimes it creates self fulfilling prophecies and not always good ones.

[Country4ever]

Thanks Pugsy,

I meant to include this link in my last post.

http://www.ioffer.com/search/items/resm ... d%20reader

Maybe its the same guy in Israel?

I can only read my stats up to noon, then it erases..........but I could at least have a good morning.

[Pugsy]

Yeah, it's probably the same guy in Israel.

Oops... I forgot about the noon thing with the S8 machine nightly data.

[idamtnboy]

Maybe its the same guy in Israel?

Probably. I looked at one of his ads. Shipping is standard air mail, 10 to 21 days. Reviewers are from several EU countries as well as US. He has over 13,000 reviews, buyers, or whatever that number was for.

[Country4ever]

Thanks Pugsy and Idamtnboy.