DME machine...and more issues...

After the titration study, I had a MD friend write a "apap" script and purchased a REMstar auto w/a-flex and heated humidifer. I also purchased a Respironics nasal mask (medium) because the small used in the titration study hurt the bridge of my nose. I set the auto range from 6-20 and used that until I heard the results of the titration study.

The autopap would run as high as 12-13 with a 90% of 9.5.

Finally a DME set me up with a REMstarPLUS with heated humidifier set at a cpap of 11. The nasal mask looked cheap and uncomfortable, so they offered the Bravo nasal pillows. I found them to be very stiff at night and painful at the nasal openings.

To date, I still have not heard from my sleep MD. The constant cpap is not as nice as the auto and I have returned to the Respironics nasal mask. I would like to go back to the REMstar auto or at least change the PLUS setting from CPAP to auto.

The masks are not good for position changes at night. Still working with a lot of leaking or sores under the nose and nasal bridge. I've also noticed lately I wake up with air rushing out of my mouth.

I started out great with my own Remstar machine. The DME's machine has its own smartcard and I feel like if I don't use thier machine or if I change the settings, I'll be penalized.

I'm just frustrated, I guess. Can't seem to find the right mask that won't leak out my mouth, hurt my nose or wake me up, still no word from the MD and a DME machine set to cpap only. Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks for coming to my pity-party.

Guest wrote:I would like to go back to the REMstar auto or at least change the PLUS setting from CPAP to auto.

A Plus is a straight cpap machine. It doesn't have auto-titrating capability built into it. There is no setting to change it to "auto."

Autopaps have a setting that can be changed to work as straight cpap. But it can't be done the other way 'round...can't make a cpap run like an autopap.

Guest wrote:I started out great with my own Remstar machine. The DME's machine has its own smartcard and I feel like if I don't use thier machine or if I change the settings, I'll be penalized.

Penalized in what way? I guess you have insurance that is paying rental on the machine they gave you and you want to be able to keep their machine (like for a backup machine) while you use your much better one that you bought out of pocket?

If that's it, I can think of a lot of ways I'd handle the situation yet use the machine I was most comfortable with -- my autopap.

Do you still log in under your registered name? If so, I'll send you a PM.