CPAP vs. APAP (Again)

I know you've gotten a lot of information but I need to weigh in here because I just changed to an Auto last week.

My sleep doc was board certified in 1984 and is the head of the sleep clinic he founded (also in 1984, I think). One of the C-Flex studies was done at his clinic. So, I consider him to be more knowledgable than the average bear.

With that being said, here's what happened when he wrote out my prescription:

SleepySandy wrote:"Since you'll be losing weight, you'll want an Auto-set machine."

That's what my sleep doc said to me this morning.

He's my second sleep doc and it was my second appointment with him. At my first appointment he said he wants me to lose weight. My weight gain is clearly tied to one of my medications. I'll be going off that medication and also starting a weight loss program he recommended.

My CPAP is being rented from the DME at my old sleep clinic. My sleep doc doesn't like that DME because they don't have the full range of machines. He wants me to go to a DME that has a better selection. While he was writing out the prescription for a new machine, he said I would want an Auto. I hadn't even brought it up.

My sleep doc is not tied in with a DME. In fact, he was shocked when I told him my first sleep clinic had a DME within the practice. There's a DME in the hospital his clinic is in but he's indifferent as to whether I use that DME or another one - he offered me a list of DMEs with the full range of machines.

The prescription he wrote specified a Resmed S8 Auto Vantage. I hadn't noticed that in the office. My original CPAP was a Respironics REMStar M-Series Pro and I already owned the humidifier and use C-Flex. So, I called to find out if he chose the Resmed for a particular reason - did he think the Resmed would provide better treatment for me? I was willing to get whatever machine he thought would be the best for me. His answer was I didn't have to have the Resmed - any auto would do.

I now have the REMStar M-Series Auto. I'm very happy with it and couldn't be happier with my sleep doc.

Sure is nice to read a PAP story with a happy ending.

Thanks for sharing

Erik67,
I'm also much more in favor of an APAP vs CPAP. I started with a M Series Pro and quickly saw I could collect a bit more data and do more assessment based on the excellent input of many of the very able-minded folks on this forum.

I went back and swapped the Pro for an Auto and spent the next few weeks collecting data daily and have built a very useful historical view that is coupled with my daily notes about which mask I was using and how well things were or were not working.

Based on the machine you purchase you will need a way to get the data to your PC on a regular basis and there are both vendor and expert shareware available for analysis that make assessment fairly easy imho.

I tried CPAP 5 years ago, then BiPAP, and failed at both. In large part I think this was because I had absolutely no data that allowed me to understand what was happening while I was asleep. (or trying to get to sleep) Just being able to see simple things like correlation of high leaks with obstructive apneas tells you a lot about the most basic things like your mask may really not be working for you all that well.

I strongly agree with others remarks about going for an APAP and if you so choose, running it in CPAP mode. That is simple, takes 5 seconds to program and you are off and running in whatever mode you want. If you don't buy it initially---you can't add it on, it is a whole machine replacement.

Tally ho!