New (UARS) -- lots of questions

zan wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 24, 2019 4:33 pm

zan wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:04 pm

4. What are the most important maintenance tips to help my machine last as long as possible?

Before I forget about it, is there anyone who can answer this question?

Change the filters when they get dusty. that's it... nothing else for the machine.

zan wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 24, 2019 4:33 pm

zan wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:04 pm

4. What are the most important maintenance tips to help my machine last as long as possible?

Before I forget about it, is there anyone who can answer this question?

Some of these sound silly but...

a) Replace the filters regularly;
b) Remove and empty the humidifier tank before moving the machine;
c) Don't pull the machine off the night stand or drop it; and
d) Don't pull on the power cords (i.e., don't lift up the power brick by the cord)

Cleaning is a different question. This is what I do (many do less; some do more). I use distilled water (keeps mineral deposits in the tank down) and empty my tank each morning and let it air dry. I use a wipe on my mask each morning (I use wipes marketed as cpap wipes; others use wipes marketed as baby wipes). Every month (give or take), I hand wash the mask, humidifier tank, and hose (many don't do the hose). Soap and warm water, rinse well, and then dry. IMHO there is no need for daily cleaning, fancy cleaners, tube brushes and the like except in extraordinary circumstances (i.e., serious immunosuppressed persons -- like post organ transplant). In fact those might cause things to degrade more quickly....

Thank you both for the advice! Here's how things went yesterday with my dad's CPAP:

Not much came of it, which I guess I expected. Woke up feeling more or less as I usually do.

The machine is a Dreamstation Auto CPAP with heated humidifier and F&P Simplus FFM, small size. The first thing I did was clean the whole thing - mask, hose, humidifier tank, and the machine's outside (dish soap + water for the internal parts, and just wiped the external bits with a Lysol wipe). This made the air smell like artificial citrus when I put the mask on, but it was tolerable. Didn't think to check the filter, so I'll do that later today. Once I refilled the humidifier tank with distilled water I started to give it all a go -- I wore it for maybe 1 hour, then another 1.5 hours while playing with the pressure settings and getting used to the mask itself, and by the second hour I stopped noticing it being on my face, so I was feeling pretty confident about it! I stuck with fixed humidity level 4 and 7.5cm H20, no heat, ramp disabled, FLEX setting 2.

Going to bed last night was another matter, though, and I think there were just too many variables for me to know why using the machine didn't go so well. My bed at home isn't the most comfortable, so I found myself shifting onto my stomach a lot -- something I usually only do during hot summer nights -- instead of sleeping on my sides (I never sleep on my back). Because I'm a side sleeper, the FFM wasn't the most comfortable to wear, it had a lot of leaks (which I mostly tolerated) and forced me to angle my head. When I opened up the machine's humidifier this morning I found that the water level had changed by maybe a millimeter. I woke up twice to take the mask off because I felt like I was suffocating, and after the second time I just left the mask off because I'd had enough for the night. The machine logged 4.4 hours, but most of that was probably from when I was trying it on awake -- I figure I only made it for 90 minutes asleep.

I'm going to ask if I can borrow the machine for the next few days until mine arrives so I can keep playing with it. Tonight I'm going to try a higher pressure, maybe 9cm, to see if that helps with the feeling of suffocation (felt fine on 7.5 while awake but I guess things are different while asleep).

Going to order a mask and headgear for the VAuto today. Are all mask / hose connections universal or do only certain masks work with certain machines?
Also, any suggestions on where I can buy the mask, frame, and headset out of pocket? Amazon doesn't have the right size + product combo I need, and CPAP.com's return policy is for warranty issues only.

Hoses and masks all have universal connecting pieces. No worry there. The only time I have seen people have a problem when changing masks is when a part off an old mask gets stuck inside the long hose and they don't realize it isn't supposed to be there.
Now there are some limitations with the tiny travel machines but since you aren't getting one of those machine...no worries...all masks will fit all hoses.

Cpap.com has a 30 day return policy on all masks....it's not just on warranty issues.
It's called free return insurance.
You have to have it returned to them by 30 days from the date originally shipped. If size is wrong or you just hate it you can get a refund or replacement. Most people will know long before the 30 days is up if the mask is a keeper or not.

Good to know... I called my local medical supply store and found out that they can do mask fittings, so I'll give them a visit in a few days. Might not even need to go online.

zan wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:40 am

Good to know... I called my local medical supply store and found out that they can do mask fittings, so I'll give them a visit in a few days. Might not even need to go online.

Be sure to ask for a price quote.
The forum sponsors (cpap.com) list all their prices online, so you can compare.
Remember, cpap.com has return insurance, so you can try at home.

You slept with the machine on for the first time -- well done! Lousy experience, sure, but it will definitely get better. I had a week of "titration" with the PR machine and had a rotten time with it, partly feeling short of breath and partly feeling as though it wanted to hustle my next inhalation while I was still exhaling. I think you will like the VAuto.

You've gotten some suggestions about trialing masks. The time, energy, and possibly money that you invest in finding a comfortable mask are all well worth it. Do you think you need a full-face mask? Do you mostly breath through your mouth during the day or through your nose?

Thanks for the encouragement! I've been ingesting information from this forum all day and already have a few ideas for what I'd like to try once my VAuto comes in next week.

Unfortunately, money will be the biggest drag when it comes to getting CPAP supplies. Since I don't have time for a job with school, I'm left to pinching pennies and digging into savings. I can't stand asking my parents for money, even though it's for medical issues, so these last few weeks have been like pulling teeth for me. :/

Catching myself mouth-breathing at night is extremely rare, so I'm looking at the ResMed AirFit N20 (I tried it on briefly after my diagnosis and it seemed to have a decent fit) and the N30i (looks good, seems to have a fair bit of positive reviews, but I'm a bit wary since I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet).

Relief can't come soon enough. D: I've been pushing my sleep issues with urgency because I'm in the process of applying for a competitive major, and sometimes I don't even have the energy to finish my homework.

chunkyfrog -- The local supplier has the same price as CPAP.com. Have yet to check other online dealers. By the way, are you familiar with the Monty Python "Crunchy Frog" skit?

zan wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:34 pm

Unfortunately, money will be the biggest drag when it comes to getting CPAP supplies. Since I don't have time for a job with school, I'm left to pinching pennies and digging into savings. I can't stand asking my parents for money, even though it's for medical issues, so these last few weeks have been like pulling teeth for me. :/

Supplies aren't very expensive if you just replace things *WHEN NEEDED*, not on an artificial "we'll make more money if those schmucks throw away perfectly good stuff and buy new things as often as we can bill their insurance" 'schedule' from your average avaricious DME.

Amazon and eBay are my favorite places to get budget supplies...

Just have a spare of everything, and replace as needed.

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:54 pm

Supplies aren't very expensive if you just replace things *WHEN NEEDED*

Good thing I'm cheap and lazy I usually extend the life of my belongings to embarrassing (but not unsanitary) lengths.

Amazon hasn't been returning many hits for the N20, which is a bit surprising. On eBay I collected sources for the cushion ($12.95), frame ($16), and headgear ($16) for a total of $48.95 -- does this sound like a reasonable price? It definitely beats the $98 on CPAP.com.

That's a reasonable total price for the N20 building it with replacement parts that are new.
I always thought that if I could build one for about half of online retail that I was doing pretty good.
Down side is of course you buy it you own it but there's always the opportunity to sell it here on the forum if you just hate it and while you won't be able to recoup all your costs...you can most likely get a good chunk of it back.

If you ever try the ResMed AirFit P10 nasal pillow and find you like it well enough to use it as a primary mask...let me know what size pillows you need because I have a surplus of some sizes and you are welcome to them for free if you will use them.

A generous offer, Pugsy! The P10 was actually my second choice -- I like the look of them a lot better, but during my (again, brief, and probably inadequate) mask test at the clinic they leaked a bit more than the N20s. If you have enough stock to hold onto an extra XS for maybe a month, I would greatly appreciate it.

zan wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:10 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:54 pm

Supplies aren't very expensive if you just replace things *WHEN NEEDED*

Good thing I'm cheap and lazy I usually extend the life of my belongings to embarrassing (but not unsanitary) lengths.

As far as "sanitary" and cpap go, the germs on a cpap mask are overwhelmingly *YOUR* germs... so of little concern.

And everything can be cleaned adequately with soap and water.... gently. the more aggressive you are at cleaning, the more often you'll wear out/tear things and have to replace.

palerider wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:36 pm

And everything can be cleaned adequately with soap and water.... gently. the more aggressive you are at cleaning, the more often you'll wear out/tear things and have to replace.

Yay, more reason to be lazy!