What equipment do I need to get started?

I have known for quite a few years that I had episodes of sleep apnea. I finally had a full sleep study over a year ago and the doctor said I had moderate sleep apnea and offered to prescribe CPAP. I just needed to select a DME to send the prescription to.

To make a long story short, a combination of not wanting to deal with the DMEs after researching them, and mainly just not prioritizing my own health, and perhaps not thinking clearly enough because of the sleep apnea, has led me to still not having started with CPAP.

But just in the last few days I have made some progress by getting a copy of my prescription and identifying a machine that I am just going to buy and set up on my own without going through insurance or a DME.

So my question is: Besides the machine (probably Airsense 10), what is on the list of other things I will need in order to get started ASAP? I know I need a mask and have learned some things about the types of masks. I know I need a tube and some cleaning supplies. Is there anything else that should be on the list?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Unless you purchase your equipment from Amazon or another online company, you have to deal with a DME. Anyway, our host: cpap.com is an excellent place to purchase equipment. Plus, they are nice. I have bought a lot of stuff from them. They won't file your purchases with a insurance company, but they will give you the proper receipts so you can file with the insurance. If you can scan your prescription(s), you can download them on their Websight. If you can't, then call them to make arrangements for them to get your prescriptions. This stuff can cost a lot. This is only my personal list. You can YouTube on how to set up the equipment. Others may add to it. That said, you need:

- a machine (I would suggest a ResMed). They may have a S10 available. If not, get the newest, an S11, which is their latest and greatest. Both come with a humidifier.
- Get a regular hose. The standard size is 6 foot (I think). I personally use a 10 foot (just my personal preference). If you want to use the humidifier, you may want the Resmed heated hose.
- A mask of your choice
Cleanliness is personal thang and everyone is different. I wipe my mask daily with pampers baby wipes for sensitive skin. I bought a big plastic salad bowl from Walmart to soak your mask/cushions in soapy water... weekly or every other week.
- make sure you rinse the mask or mask cushions real good or the left-over soap will upset your tummy. Most folks start out washing their mask/cushions every day, but that gets old and you'll settle on a routine that fits your schedule and cleanliness.
- No need to clean your hose.... just my opinion.
- place your machine on an end table or chair next to your bed. If you use a humidifier, make sure the machine and hose coming out the back of the machine is lower than your head (on your bed) or you may get water or condensation in your mask.

There are a lot of comfort items and extra stuff to make your life easier, but this will get you started.

Other folks may want to add to this.

Sheriff
-

USB SD card reader if your laptop/notebook/PC doesn't already have a reader built in. And make sure your CPAP has an SD card in the card slot from day 1.

In a recent post, forum member Dogslobber summarizes some reasons to choose a ResMed 10 Airsense Autoset over the 11:

Since releasing the Air 11, in the few years of the 11, it has received more complaints than the 10's 10 year history.

louder
lack of accessories
leaky hose attachment flaw
heating system errors
smaller tank, that goes through water faster
no swivel on the hose
SD card seating issues

Also, it's very important to get the Autoset of whichever machine you go for.

Just to sum up everybody's excellent advice in one place: Here's what you need to get started as someone who is essentially self-treating:

1) The machine: Aim for a Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. If you can't find of of them, get the Resmed AirSense 11 AutoSet. Both come with a built-in heated humidifier. If you plan on using the heated humidifier, it's recommended that you use distilled water here in US. But in other areas of the world, the recommendation is often just for "tap water" or "potable water". The main advantage of using distilled water is that you won't have mineral deposits accumulate in the bottom of the tank. If you're very sensitive to smells, the distilled water also won't have any trace odors of the chemicals used to treat it to make it potable.

2) A hose. The machine may come bundled with a hose. But it might not. Whether to get the heated hose or not is a personal choice. But I'll add this: The heated hoses for the AirSense 10 and AirSense 11 click onto the machine so that you can't pull them off. If you opt for an unheated, cheaper hose combined with the AirSense 10, it helps to add a hose elbow because of the way the hose hooks onto the back of the machine.

3) A mask of your choice. You should expect to try more than one mask before you find the one you really like. If you are wondering how to choose a mask, start with these questions: Do you breathe through your mouth during the daytime? Are you claustrophobic? Do you read or watch tv in bed with glasses on your nose?

4) An SD card for the machine. (Even a cheap one will work.) And an SD card reader for your computer if it doesn't have an SD slot built in.

5) Download the OSCAR program (see the sticky at the top of the topics list) or create a free account at SleepHQ.com. Note: There are "upgraded" accounts at SleepHQ.com, but quite frankly you don't need the bells and whistles they are selling with the upgraded accounts.

6) Cleaning supplies: We all vary in our cleaning routines. Some, including me, are a whole lot lazier than others are. But regardless of how often you choose to clean your supplies, you will need some or all of the following:

• mild dishwashing soap or some other kind of mild liquid soap for cleaning the mask cushion as needed. Some folks use baby wipes on a daily basis to wipe down the mask and that may increase the length of time between mask washings.
• white vinegar for cleaning the humidifier tub. How often you need to clean the tub is a bit of a personal choice and it may depend on how what kind of water you use and often you dump the excess water out of the tank. It's also possible to just use diluted vinegar to do all the cleaning of the mask cushion and the hose (if you choose to clean it) and the humidifier tank.
• a place to let stuff dry that is outside of the bathroom. If you choose to wash the hose, you will need to hang it so it can (sort of) dry out before you use it.

Optional supplies that you may want to buy after you start using the AutoSet machine include:

A) Additional masks and/or mask cushions. It's nice to have more than one mask so you can just swap them out if you need to.

B) An additional hose or two. Again, it's nice to swap them out. It's also useful to have a back up hose in case your primary hose develops a small hole or tear.

C) A hose hanging system so you can hang the hose overhead instead of running it under the covers. Some people strongly prefer having the hose hang overhead. There are ways to jerry-rig hose hanging systems or to build them out of things lying around your house.

D) A hose cozy for wrapping the hose. Not only does it make the hose feel fuzzy instead of plasticky, it can also help (at least a bit) with the problem of rainout.

E) Mask liners or pillows cozies. These are devices that can make wearing the mask more comfortable. Sometimes mask liners can also help with certain leak problems. A reliable source for high quality mask liners and pillow cozies is padacheek.com, which is run by a long time member even though Padacheek doesn't post very often.