Hardware Delivered - Looking for advice on next steps

First, thank you for all your helpful hints about how to inform the doctor's prescription for a CPAP and mask.

Now that it's been delivered and I'm preparing to use it for the first time tonight, I have a few more questions that I hope you'll weigh in on before I use it for the first time. Just for the sake of reference, I am now the proud owner/renter of a ResMed S8 CPAP (set at a pressure of 11) with a HumidAire 3i and a Mirage Activa nasal mask.

Questions:

1) I was told to clean both the mask and the humidifier with soap that has no fragrance, no moisturizer and no anti-bacterial agents. In NYC, one of the dirtiest places on the face of the earth, that's tough to find. I did buy some ecologically sound dish soap that seems to meet the above criteria. Anything else you can recommend? Also, do the mask and humidifier really need to be cleaned, rinsed and dried every day? Sounds like a full-time job!

2) The clinician who delivered and supposedly explained the setup of the equipment suggested that, within the very near future, I ask my doctor to prescribe additional masks so that they're covered under the 3-month adjustment period (until I own the stuff) and so that I have a repetoire of masks from which to choose and possibly rotate. He suggested the ResMed Vista and also the Swift Nasal. Any other suggestions?

3) I understand the concept of "ramping" and I'm assuming that, for the first time especially, I should set the machine to increase the pressure as slowly as possible. Thoughts?

4) Because of the dirt and airborne grime in NYC, the clinician was adamant about changing the air filter every two weeks instead of every month. Although I can't see a downside to this, especially if the filters are covered by insurance, I wondered if you'd care to comment.

5) I'm thrilled with the relatively compact size of the machine because I'm going to need to travel with it regularly -- starting tomorrow. Any hints on how to pack it? Should it go on an airplane in the checked luggage or as carry-on? Would it be adviseable to have a letter from the doctor in case I'm stopped and questioned at security?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts, suggestions or helpful hints you can offer. I'm 100% resolved to make this work for me and I can use all the advice and support I can get!

Congrats on your new S8. I have one too, and I like it a lot.

To your questions:

1) I use castille soap to clean my mask and the humidifier once a week. That's what I was instructed by my DME, and it seems to work fine. Any castille soap should work well. Its very mild, very cheap, and readily available.

2) Masks are the key to the whole thing. Try as many as you can, till you find those that work for you. You should always insist on trying masks hooked up to a blower at your titrated pressure, and ideally while you are lying down in your preferred sleep position. Be insistent about this, more than anything else. Masks which are ill-fit may seem friendly enough during a brief acquaintance in the DME's showroom (or your living room), but they turn into monsters that will bite you in the night. So, take time and be insistent in searching for your ideal mask. You should consider having a full-face either as your primary mask or as a back-up in case you get a cold or the flu or some other condition that results in a complete blockage of your nose. With a full-face, your treatment can proceed even during those times. For more minor nose blockages, even chronic, you won't believe how much better you'll breathe if you try a nasal pillows system like the Swift, especially with a heated humidifier. It absolutely reversed my chronic stuffy nose.

3) Replace the filter whenever it is visually apparent to be grimy.

4) Ramp is a personal preference. I don't like it. others can't sleep without it. Are you on AutoSet or CPAP? Make sure if you do ramp, not to set the starting pressure too low, or you'll find the air to be stuffy and you'll feel slightly air-starved.

5) Don't EVER check your CPAP as checked baggage. Use the cool, blue carry bag that ResMed gives you to take the thing on-board. CPAP is becoming so common that the TSA knows about it. But, its probably a good idea to take a copy of your perscription with you. Most airlines will count the CPAP as medical equipment and will not count it against your two carry-on limit.

Hope this helps!

Chuck

I'll do my best to take a whack at some of these for you.

1) I wouldn't worry so much about cleaning them daily. I would at least rinse them and let them air dry each day. Make sure to use distilled water for the humidifier. I don't see much point in actually washing them more than once every week or two. I would stick with the soap they described. I just vinegar and water myself (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water). Let them soak for a minute or two and then rinse well.

2) It can't hurt to have some extras. I wouldn't go too hog wild with extras though. There is no need to start billing the insurance company "just because we can" if you know what I mean! Find a mask or two that work for you, and use one and have the second as an extra!

3) The ramp feature is wonderful in my opinion. Use it and forget it!

4) Keep your particle filter clean and you shouldn't need to change that air filter more than once a month. But hey, they live there and they know what's going on. The filters are pretty cheap, so as long as you can get them I wouldn't really worry too much about it. Watch it for the first month or so and make your own determination.

5) Carry on only! Use the search function here and you will find a LOT of threads about air travel with an xPAP. Carry on only, and yes when travelling with any medication or equipment, it is always a good idea to have a copy of an Rx with you.

Bingo

As a quick follow-up to Bingo's comments (all of which I agree with), the particle filter that ResMed uses is NOT user serviceable. DON'T TRY TO WASH IT or it will fall apart. When it looks dirty, get another one. They're cheap and very easy to install. Don't try to keep it clean.

Chuck