Given ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her by Clinic

Hi all,

I've been recently diagnosed with sleep disorders including OSA and hypopnea with a 96 AHI after completing a sleep study in November, which I understand is severe.

I was referred to a clinic where I could start on a 1-month trial with a CPAP machine to see how sleep therapy worked. I was given a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her by the clinic, and the agreement is that I purchase the unit at the end of the 1-month trial so long as my doctor prescribes that type of machine and it's providing positive results - there was a $150 deposit I forfeit if I choose to purchase elsewhere after my trial.

It wasn't until I got the unit home that my wife pointed out they gave me a "For Her" model since they never gave me any other options at the clinic except that unit I was essentially assigned.

I'm having "buyer's remorse" because it's the For Her model and sleep apnea itself is a bit embarrassing, using a CPAP machine designed for women in addition to that is doubly embarrassing. The staff member I met with at the clinic has yet to get back to me on whether I can switch the model I need to purchase and said I should continue to use it for the trial period.

What would you guys do in my situation? Use the machine for a month and then buy it? Or possibly forfeit $150 to get a different machine?

The "for her" model is exactly like the black model and in addition has an additional algorythm that may make the therapy more comfortable. Why is it embarrasing? Do you invite people up to your bedroom to see your CPAP? You might ASK why they gave you that mode. You might compare what the Clinic price is to the internet price. You might be cheaper off by forfitting the deposit. Most top of the line models can be purchased out of pocket for $600-$900

I own that same machine and yeah it's beige instead of black and has a leaf pattern. As LSAT says it's the same as the regular black machine except it has the option of being set to a "for her" algorithm. Did they set your machine to "for her"? Do you know how to find out? There's a possibility they might think that might be appropriate for you...I have no idea if some men benefit from the for her algorithm or not. I am sympathetic to you because I am the opposite....I would have been unhappy with a black cpap, so I can understand your unhappiness. But with an AHI of 96 you probably don't want to fool around. Reading up on the effects of untreated apnea might help you get over some of the embarrassment...it did for me. I don't care what anybody thinks of my machine or how I look masked up, it's better than a stroke or dementia. If your wife understands what could happen if you don't treat your apnea then she should embrace your equipment.

LSAT wrote:The "for her" model is exactly like the black model and in addition has an additional algorythm that may make the therapy more comfortable. Why is it embarrasing? Do you invite people up to your bedroom to see your CPAP? You might ASK why they gave you that mode. You might compare what the Clinic price is to the internet price. You might be cheaper off by forfitting the deposit. Most top of the line models can be purchased out of pocket for $600-$900

Their response was that it is unisex and they usually only stock that model because it can be set with the other "For Her" algorithm. I travel a lot for business and leisure, so I will end up having others in my hotel room either for meetings or splitting a room. I just picture myself being embarrassed about having a machine with flowers on it and explaining that it's for sleep apnea.

The consultant I met with didn't seem very knowledgeable about other options which made me very cynical about this whole clinic. The cost from this clinic is $1000 Canadian for the machine alone, which is around $795 U.S., but Canadian health care plus my company health benefits will cover around 90% of the cost.

AMK wrote:I own that same machine and yeah it's beige instead of black and has a leaf pattern. As LSAT says it's the same as the regular black machine except it has the option of being set to a "for her" algorithm. Did they set your machine to "for her"? Do you know how to find out? There's a possibility they might think that might be appropriate for you...I have no idea if some men benefit from the for her algorithm or not. I am sympathetic to you because I am the opposite....I would have been unhappy with a black cpap, so I can understand your unhappiness. But with an AHI of 96 you probably don't want to fool around. Reading up on the effects of untreated apnea might help you get over some of the embarrassment...it did for me. I don't care what anybody thinks of my machine or how I look masked up, it's better than a stroke or dementia. If your wife understands what could happen if you don't treat your apnea then she should embrace your equipment.

They didn't set the machine to "For Her" and the consultant didn't seem that knowledgeable about the different settings - she said this model is "exactly the same" and it's "unisex" when I brought up the idea of changing from the "For Her" model to the standard model.

I'm just over 30 so my friends can still be a bit immature and I wouldn't hear the end of using a product designed for women.

John Deere or camouflage duck tape, anyone?
Or a ghillie helmet cover to hide it in the daytime.
Actually, mine is not all that "girly".
It looks more like an upscale clock radio--sci-fi version.

You were given the best choice available, so there is no reason for concern. You have a choice of two auto modes and a single pressure. The only downside is...there is no real downside. Resmed is the top of the line and you benefit by having the most flexible apap. Some people prefer the Respironics machines, but there is no way to know unless you try it yourself and that costs more money.

FWIW, I have two For Her machines (one for a backup). I'm very happy with that choice and have had no problems. I usually use the For Her algorithm, but at certain times of the year, the regular algorithm works better (particularly when the smoke from Western fires gets here).

If you are bothered by your buddies, if they care at all, just say you had a choice between a machine that had 2 modes or 3 modes, so went with 3 modes in case that 3rd mode worked better. There is just a color difference to indicate which machine you have.

A bar in Crawford, NE had posters in the window, promoting a rodeo to fight breast cancer.
The slogan was, "Real men wear PINK".
It showed a bull rider wearing a pink shirt.
It says a lot about a man's self confidence when he accepts his soft side.

The "for her" model is the best model from ResMed, and has additional functionality.

There is an additional "For her" algorithm, which is supposed to react quicker to flow limitations. However, this seems to only react quicker when pressure is below 10. Above 10, some strong snoring is required for pressure to change.

In Europe, it's the only model that can detect RERAs. Since RERAs are not gender-specific, who knows what ResMed marketing is thinking...

I think the white device itself is nicer than the standard black one, and the "for her" label on it is tiny: surely, you will be embarrassed more by using CPAP and a mask.

An xPSAP is for YOUR benefit, not the manly-man police. Do you think ANY of the guys who might make fun of it would refuse a pink life raft if the ship was sinking?

Case wrote:"For Her" algorithm

Case wrote: I travel a lot for business and leisure, so I will end up having others in my hotel room either for meetings or splitting a room.

Erectile dysfunction is a common side effect of untreated apnea. Explain to your stupid buddies that "For Her" is because all of your girlfriends want you to continue to be strong in this area for decades.

In any case, many of your buddies already need CPAP, and many others will need it soon.

Case wrote:will end up having others in my hotel room either for meetings or splitting a room.

I always put the machine in a drawer as soon as getting out of bed. You don't want hotel staff contaminating the machine or knocking it off in the floor.

Others sharing the hotel room may prefer you wearing "diving gear" to hearing you SNORE.
Alternatively, anything beats waking up next to a BODY.

Case wrote:
I travel a lot for business and leisure, so I will end up having others in my hotel room either for meetings or splitting a room. I just picture myself being embarrassed about having a machine with flowers on it and explaining that it's for sleep apnea.
I'm just over 30 so my friends can still be a bit immature and I wouldn't hear the end of using a product designed for women.

These are the solutions I can suggest (in random order):
1) New friends - preferably ones who are not still dressing like adolescent skate boarders
2) Cover the machine with duct tape - the machoest of all macho looks (in the case of the travel bag, buy the generic AS10 bag - it is identical in all respects other than having less decoration than the for her version)
3) Before sharing a room, ask those in the pool of possibilities to choose between two options - a) a night of loud snoring, or b) a CPAP machine they can't hear running that prevents the loud snoring
4) Ask the same pool who among them also use CPAP

As others have stated, you got the best ResMed APAP machine.
If you don't want/need to use the "for her" option, don't enable it.

From the manual:

AutoSet for Her mode

"AutoSet for Her mode is based on key aspects of ResMed’s AutoSet algorithm and delivers therapeutic responses tailored to the characteristics of female OSA patients.
The AutoSet for Her is similar to ResMed’s AutoSet algorithm with the following modifications:

Reduced rate of pressure increments designed to help prevent arousals.
Slower pressure decays.
Treats apneas up to 12 cm H 2 O and continues to respond to flow limitation and snore up to 20 cm H 2 O.
Minimum pressure (Min. Pressure) that adjusts according to the frequency of apneas:
If two apneas occur within a minute, the pressure reached in response to the second apnea will become the new minimum treatment pressure until the next treatment session.

Patients who use AutoSet for Her will still get the benefits of ResMed's AutoSet technology including improved sensitivity to flow-limitation and Central Sleep Apnoea Detection with Forced Oscillation Technique."


Den

.

The machine is fine, I recommend a well-placed sticker to cover the "for her" part.

Case, that makes sense, actually. DMEs don't like to keep a lot of varied inventory, so if they can keep that one machine in stock and give it to both men and women then that's more cost effective for them. I think it would be easy to cover the "for her" words on the machine. As for the beige with the leaves, I think it's fairly innocuous...it's not giant pink Hello Kitties and glitter hearts. I think if you put a sticker on it and are just matter-of-fact about that being your cpap machine that others will take their cue from you. They might be curious, and you can answer questions. When you explain that your AHI means that you stop breathing that many times per hour all night long with an accompanying jolt of adrenaline from your suffocating brain to get you breathing again, that should peg the respect meter.