Running out of time.

Hornnumb2 wrote:Sleepyhead will work with the 960 right?

For the most part yes, it will work but I have seen it act up with some 960 reports and do fine with others all from the same person and same machine but different settings. Never could figure out why it acted up. It had something to do with the settings but we never could figure out exactly what the issue was.

If you get a 960 and it works fine that's good but if it acts up there is always Encore Basic (also free) which is fairly simply to use and will work also.
Or you can use both if you wish. Encore Basic is strictly Windows though...SleepyHead has both Mac and Windows versions available.
Should you end up wanting Encore Basic just send me a private message.

OK now what mask to start with, I am normally a mouth breather but in the sleep study they had me wear a Resmed Mirage FX small size nasal mask. Should I start with the least invasive and go from there? Is there a set of headgear that is more universal instead of buying one for each mask. I do have a beard but keep it cut very close. Thanks

If you normally mouth breathe because your nose is chronically congested and you can't keep it clear enough then you need to just start with a full face mask.

But if you mouth breathe only occasionally and it's more out of habit or sometimes minor congestion then you might do well with a nasal mask of some sort.
I thought I was a mouth breather because I woke up with dry mouth and sore throat often but during the day I breathe through my nose all the time with rare nasal congestion. Come to find out my nighttime mouth breathing was more out of habit from gasping for air because of the apnea episodes than it was from nasal issues so I eventually was able to break that habit.

The more "stuff" involved with a mask in terms of skin contact needing to seal the more potential for issues getting and keeping that seal.

So it really depends on why you mouth breathe.

Unfortunately there really isn't any sort of "universal" headgear except for a few masks that will accommodate more than one type of headgear.

If you want to try a full face mask I would suggest that you look at these and see if they look interesting.
Respironics Amara View
ResMed AirFit F10
ResMed Quattro Air

If you want to try a nasal cushion mask (covers just the nose) I would suggest looking at these
ResMed Swift FX Nano
ResMed AirFit N10
Respironics Wisp
Respironics DreamWear...while in the nasal category it doesn't use a cushion over the nose but instead uses a little cradle cushion under the nose...quite a nice little nasal mask and fairly new to the market.

If you want to try a nasal pillow type of mask which has the least amount of skin contact and probably the easiest to seal you might look at these
ResMed AirFit P10 (I use this mask)
Swift FX nasal pillow
Aloha (forget who makes it)
F & P Pilairo

all masks have pros and cons...there's no one perfect mask out there...and what one person just loves the next person might hate so what I love doesn't mean much.

If someone has facial hair...I suggest a nasal pillow mask to start with if at all possible because the hair really doesn't impact the seal all that much.

I might have a full face mask that you can just have....I have a handful that have been donated and really aren't showing much signs of use. These are usually mask experiments that have failed.
If you see a full face mask that interests you....check the sizing and get with me to see if I happen to have that model in your size. I forget exactly which ones I have at the moment.
I know I do have the Innomed/RespCare Hybrid with all sizes of cushions and pillows if that interests you.
These masks I have that are donated...these are free and I only ask people to repay my postage because the postage adds up. Check with me via private message if you want to explore what I might have.

Full face masks typically are the most expensive.
If you can get a RX from your doctor you can buy from cpap.com and utilize the return insurance available to reduce costly buying a mask that ends up not working.
Perhaps one of the full face masks that I have will work for you and that would leave some cash for one of the nasal masks. There are ways to get a mask without a RX...so let me know if you end up needing to do that on your own as well.

Hornnumb2 wrote:OK now what mask to start with, I am normally a mouth breather but in the sleep study they had me wear a Resmed Mirage FX small size nasal mask. Should I start with the least invasive and go from there? Is there a set of headgear that is more universal instead of buying one for each mask. I do have a beard but keep it cut very close. Thanks

Which mask did you use in the titration study? How did that work/feel for you?

Hornnumb2 wrote:Sleepyhead will work with the 960 right?

Yes.

yes sleepyhead will work with the 960

Your doctor (any doctor) may be willing to write a script that will be good for mask purchase. Many online suppliers offer the the alternative of buying mask parts at the same costs as a mask unit. Parts are legal to sell without prescriptions. Easybreathe.com offers a $99 physician prescription if you submit a copy of your sleep study or similar evidence of sleep apnea. So lots of alternatives to get what you need.

CPAP.com and some others offer a 30 day free return. You can try a mask, and if it doesn't work, exchange or refund. I would try to use a nasal pillow mask like the Resmed AirFit P10 first. If it works, it is minimal and quiet. Again, 30 days to figure it out. Also, CALL for the best prices. The online stores are limited by the manufacturer's minimum advertised price policy on what they can show on the site. Calling frequently yields a lower quote.

About the return policy at cpap.com...it depends on the mask...some come with free return insurance but some of the others you have to purchase the return insurance. Most of the masks I mentioned above come with free return insurance but check to make sure if you want to buy from cpap.com.
With the return insurance you have 30 days from the time they ship the mask to get it back to them to get the refund (less the cost of the insurance if it is purchased return insurance).
You will need a RX for masks though if you buy from cpap.com.

Now you can often just buy the replacement parts without the RX requirement and build your own mask but you don't get the option of using the return insurance when masks are bought that way. It depends on the mask as some offer all the parts separately and some might offer most of the parts but not all as a separate purchase.

And SleepyHead and the 960...I have personally seen where it doesn't work with the 960 so bear that in mind. It's rare but I know for sure that it doesn't always work perfectly. Chances are you won't have any problems with SleepyHead if you elect to get a 960 but I speak from experience here in regards to sometimes SH acts up with the 960 data.

Nice, a 36037A Ref# with a high a LOT and SN and low hours. The first 3 pictures are Autosets -- that might confuse people looking for an S9 ASV. Is the person from Willow Glen selling a zero hour Aircurve 10 what for 1,200? The photo isn't clear enough to tell what type of Aircurve it is. Maybe an ASV, maybe something else.

Wow, just heard from my doctors office, I asked them for a script. They said they can't write one because without the other sleep studies they don't know what to set the pressures on. Should I even worry about it now since I am using a machine and with the forums help making progress. Or should I make an appointment with the sleep doctor to see if he is willing to do it with out more studies

The PCP wants more tests; uh, no. You titrated yourself.
The sleep doc needs an initial consult.
Will your insurance cover his greens fees?
When I quit a DME, I " lost" their number.
I need to clean out my contacts list in my phone again.
I think Apria is still there . . .

Hornnumb2 wrote:Wow, just heard from my doctors office, I asked them for a script. They said they can't write one because without the other sleep studies they don't know what to set the pressures on. Should I even worry about it now since I am using a machine and with the forums help making progress. Or should I make an appointment with the sleep doctor to see if he is willing to do it with out more studies

Of course they could write a script for mask and supplies without a titration. They could even support you in getting your ASV adjusted. You have nothing to lose in telling them the tests were unaffordable and you took a shortcut and are working on refining your settings. This would be a good time to question his piecemeal approach to titration, attempting to make CPAP work in spite of an obvious complex apnea diagnostic. Your doctor's professional insight and consultation would be most welcome, but if he chooses not to support your efforts, you can get along just fine without him or his studies, which apparently don't take into account the needs of the patient, but instead are designed for insurance companies.

Oops, I missed the ASV part.
The sleep doc sounds like a good idea; your PCP is probably not qualified.

Hornnumb2 wrote:should I make an appointment with the sleep doctor to see if he is willing to do it with out more studies

I am not surprised that your regular doctor wouldn't without the second titration results... I bet he had no idea what was going on with the ASV machine.
I would be surprised if the sleep doctor will do it without the second titration results.
But if you don't ask the answer is always "no".
Titration results are like the Bible to the doctors...some will and some won't and some will get their drawers all in a wad because you did your own titration.
You might get it done if you play the money ("I don't have the money for the high insurance deductible now") card and show that you have a decent working knowledge of how the machine works.

You would be surprised how well that card can play.