New to CPAP

Hey everyone, figured I would introduce myself and take the opportunity to ask some questions.

I'll update account profile but here are some initial details. I live in Moncton NB Canada and am finishing up a one month trial of an Airsense 10 Austoset from a local sleep shop. I'll likely get the as10 for my home machine and an airmini for travel. I work a 8/6 rotation at a mine in Northern Ontario so I fly a lot. The past month has shown me how much I dont want to fly with the as10. I've been testing with two different masks, the n20 and n30i.

I have a few questions that I'm hoping you folks can maybe answer.

1. For the past week I seem to be taking the mask off in the middle of the night. The first three weeks I didnt really have this issue. Does anyone else have this problem and how have you been able to resolve? This seems to occur with both the masks I am testing although only started after i began trying the n20.

2. When i use the n20 i usually wake up with serious amounts of condensation inside the nasal cover. This makes, an otherwise comfortable mask, uncomfortable and I think may be related to question 1.

3. Of the masks I've used I find the n30i is the most comfortable, likely because of hose placement and less touch points, but it isnt compatible with the airmini. Has anyone got a hack? Would be best if it had the option to still work with the humidex puck. Air up at the mining camp is quite dry.

4. Those with the airmini, does the humidex work well? They told me at the shop that it provides a level of humidity similar to the as10 on setting 3 and the plus is similar to setting 4, is this true?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but these are just at the top of mind at the moment. Thanks in advance.

Holy Cpap wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:36 pm

Hey everyone, figured I would introduce myself and take the opportunity to ask some questions.

I'm sure I'll have more questions but these are just at the top of mind at the moment. Thanks in advance.

welcome to the zoo! while waiting for folks to answer your questions, let me slide this link to a discussion here recently re: humidex-

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=177951&p=1335111&hi ... x#p1335111

if you use the search function on the forum, you'll find more.

good luck!

You have a PM.

This is common when starting out. Use some medical tape and place a strip on each side of your mask. Place one end of the tape on your cheek and the other bottom end of the mask. This way you'll be awaken when you remove the mask. Eventually you'll stop taking the mask off.

Are you using a climate control hose on your Remed? I was getting condensation also until I quit playing with the hose temperature and place the temperature on auto. See if this helps.

Sheriff

If a humidex puck was an effective alternative to a water tank, we'd all be using one. It's not.

You can't hack the N30i to work with a humidex. The humidex needs to be in close proximity to the mask, to capture the humidity from your exhaled breath. With the N30i it won't fit, it's too far away and there are two vents between it and the mask. Exhausted humidity will not be captured by the humidex and returned back.

A lot of people are not happy with the AirMini, complaining of noise, limited mask choices, poor humidity and lack of ability to import data into OSCAR for self management.

If you insist on using the AirMini, then consider the p10 mask option.

If you can try before you buy do so, otherwise I don't think it's a wise move as your first machine.

One of the biggest challenges of CPAP success and quick adjustment is finding a good mask. You've found one in the N30i. That's really where you should start.

If you must use a portable then consider not using humidity, then you can hack the AirMini to be used with the N30i. Or the Respironics DreamStation Go which can be used with a water tank. Though many here consider Respironics to have an inferior algorithm.

Sheriff Buford wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 8:44 am

This is common when starting out. Use some medical tape and place a strip on each side of your mask. Place one end of the tape on your cheek and the other bottom end of the mask. This way you'll be awaken when you remove the mask. Eventually you'll stop taking the mask off.

Are you using a climate control hose on your Remed? I was getting condensation also until I quit playing with the hose temperature and place the temperature on auto. See if this helps.

Sheriff

I have a feeling this may be less comfortable and I have a beard that will likely prevent the tape from sticking but Ill give it a try. At home my wife, hits or shakes me awake to put it back on, as my snoring wakes her. I am using a climate hose but have not tried the auto setting thanks for the suggestion. I have turned it off completely but that didn't work will try auto tonight with that mask and see what happens.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 05, 2020 9:09 am

If a humidex puck was an effective alternative to a water tank, we'd all be using one. It's not.

You can't hack the N30i to work with a humidex. The humidex needs to be in close proximity to the mask, to capture the humidity from your exhaled breath. With the N30i it won't fit, it's too far away and there are two vents between it and the mask. Exhausted humidity will not be captured by the humidex and returned back.

A lot of people are not happy with the AirMini, complaining of noise, limited mask choices, poor humidity and lack of ability to import data into OSCAR for self management.

If you insist on using the AirMini, then consider the p10 mask option.

If you can try before you buy do so, otherwise I don't think it's a wise move as your first machine.

One of the biggest challenges of CPAP success and quick adjustment is finding a good mask. You've found one in the N30i. That's really where you should start.

If you must use a portable then consider not using humidity, then you can hack the AirMini to be used with the N30i. Or the Respironics DreamStation Go which can be used with a water tank. Though many here consider Respironics to have an inferior algorithm.

That's kind of what I figured re: Humidex. I was skeptical when I was told it was so "effective". I have tried the AS10 with the humidity off completely and that didn't seem too bad at all. P10 didn't work well for me first night I tried it.

I just really don't want to lug the AS10 around; its really annoying after about 12 flights in the past month can't imagine it gets better. I typically get on over 100 flights by Dec so the convenience is a really big factor. I will see if the shop can loan me an airmini to trial before I buy. I guess I could always just put a humidifier in the room Im mostly using the airmini in. I would just get a second AS10 for camp but then I would have nothing if I need to overnight away from home/work.

I had tried the P10 for a night and it was a nogo; just didnt seem comfortable but perhaps I will try again.

Better diagnostic capability, or at least the option of, would be nice but as Ill have the AS10 when im at home I don't think I would be too concerned about that either. Unless, should I expect that sleeping results with the two different machines to vary greatly even from the same manufacturer?

As far as noise, I sleep, both at home and at work, with a fan running all night long on mid/high respectively about 4 feet from my head. So it would have to be quite loud. Should I expect it to drown that out?

Thanks for the suggestions/info.

I sport a beard too. Try moving the tape up around the skin area under the eyes area where there is some skin. Good luck!

Sheriff