CPAP + O2 COncentrator

O2 and CPAP mostly treat different, if somewhat related, conditions.

If you have apnea, when you're not breathing due to apnea, it doesn't matter whether the air in your nose is normal 20% O2 or 100% O2. O2 may help a little bit with apnea, especially if you have hypopnea, but it's not anywhere as good as CPAP. This can be a problem in hospitals where the stupid doctors and nurses think O2 is a substitute for CPAP.

O2 is not usually a substitute for CPAP, nor vice versa.

Many people who do NOT have apnea need supplemental O2. CPAP would not help them, since CPAP keeps your airway open, but doesn't increase airflow much in a non-apneac.

You normally only need CPAP+O2 if you have apnea plus another breathing problem. However a fair number of people do need both.

There are also ventilators, which do sometimes treat the same conditions as O2. Ventilators look like CPAP, but work a bit differently. It's a lot more common to combine O2 with a ventilator.

Please be aware that if you don't purchase the Inogen At Home direct from them you will not receive any support from Inogen. They will refuse to answer any questions about the machine such as the usage meter located on the back and are only interested in selling equipment. Mine was purchased from a DME and the machine was registered by the DME with Inogen for warranty purposes, but all questions are referred to the DME. No support from Inogen.

On the Inogen, I think buying from the manufacturer is the same cost as at DME's. $1499. They did overnight it to me at no charge, but that may have been a courtesy since it took so long to get the rx from my dr. They were very helpful with that problem, just my dr couldn't seem to get around to it for 3 weeks. they were very worried that I didn't have any o2.

They checked my insurance as well, but my plan does not give any benefit for buying a machine, and Inogen doesn't rent.

If you buy from them, they do provide a good service- if something goes wrong with the machine, they will send a loaner out first, then you send in your machine for repairs.

I have an email out to Inogen asking what the numbers behind the little window means.

TG