Found A DME, Aura or Breeze, Need Encore Software, Please!!!

Well, after fighting with the DME over out-of-pocket costs to obtain the APAP of my dreams, I decided to contact Apria Healthcare yesterday. Miraculously, they were able to provide the machine I wanted AT NO COST TO ME! WOW!!! I guess that just goes to show how some of the DME's out there are just in in it for the $$$'s.

Anyway, I'm going in for my headgear fitment this afternoon, and before I do, I wanted to ask Rested Gal and the other knowledgable readers on this forum about your choices between two interfaces. The Aura and the Breeze are on my short list, but I'd be interested to know what exactly you like better about one or the other? I gather by the recent revisions to the Breeze that there were some problems with the original version. Have these been fixed in the new model?

Re: Respironics Encore Pro software, does anyone have this software for sale (preferably) at a discounted price? Card reader required too...

Thanks for your feedback.

SleeplessinKC, I doubt that the DME will have an Aura or even have heard of it.

They probably will have a Breeze. My suggestion would be to take your head pillow along with you. Lie down to test the fitting....of ANY mask...even if you have to lie down on the floor right there in front of God and everybody at the DME.

Generally most people get a better seal with nasal pillows that the DME would say are "too big" for you, so make them let you try more than one size of pillows.

The sliding part of the Breeze that is on the front top of head, above the forehead, seems to slide too easily for some people. If that's the case, you can always tape it down later at that spot, after you've gotten exactly the fit you want at home.

I love the Breeze. I love the Aura a bit better, but the Aura definitely can be more of a challenge to get it to fit on some people's heads. Looking at your avatar's head, I should be scared to even attempt a recommendation!

As always, thanks for the excellent advice, RG. I'll take my pillow along with me to the DME.

P.S. My avatar was taken from a Star Trek ad. Its my idea of a 24th century OSA sufferer seeking relief from an A-PAP-P (Artificial Positive Airway Pressure Prosthetic).

Ooppss...Two days on this board and I've already Guested myself.

Ooppss...Two days on this board and I've already Guested myself.

SleeplessinKC wrote:Ooppss...Two days on this board and I've already Guested myself.

and double posted

I "guested" I deserved that one...twice!

Encore Pro and USB Card Reader:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/1440

I'm worried that if the Aura or Breeze don't work for you right away you may decide to give up on treatment. For this reason, may I also suggest you start off with a tried and true mask like the activa. The Breeze and Aura are specialty masks for advanced CPAP users, the activa is a mask that will give you the best chance of an initially acceptable seal. From there you can scale up if you feel so inclined.

I'm sure that opinion will draw fire! However, discussion on this topic can only help - so lets hear it wader and RG.

Thanks, Johnnyg, but that raises a few questions. Can the Activa be hose connector be pointed upward to allow for over-the-head hose routing? Also, does it fit over just the nose, or both the nose and mouth? Finally, does this unit pose any sealing issues for people with a moustache? One thing that I liked about the Breeze is that it offers both nasal pillow and full nose attachment options.

Hey Johnny,

Great advice! The Activa is the mask I started with. Then again the Swift and the aura were not available at that time. My feeling is the Aura should fit everyone. Some may disagree, but I am confident that I could get it to work for most anyone if I had the chance to do it in person. Every morning I wake up smiling at how easy the aura is to wear.

I think that the Breeze can be a good mask for a new user. It is tolerant of facial hair. So to is Aura BUT I'm not at all convinced that AeioMed has Aura perfected yet. I know it is good for some users, but I found it to be significantly flawed.

Breeze is a good choice for many users, as are the ResMed masks. Activa is a really good mask as is the Swift nasal pillow system.

Breeze and Swift are both good choices if you have facial hair.
Good luck!

I might add that one's required pressure should also enter into the decision about the choice of an interface. Based on my experience, those of us with reasonably high pressure requirements have more limited options. For instance, while the Breeze works well at some fairly high pressures, the Aura did not without considerable adjustments, such as using something like a panty hose leg to hold it down, along with additional straps, as found by RestedGal. I am not sure about the Activa either. But my impression about the Activa is that it is not the best choice for high pressures either. (I have been at 13/17 until now, but based on a new sleep study last night, I will have to go to a little higher pressure, not sure about how high yet.)

I don't know your particular pressure requirements but wanted to add my two cents to the discussion for whatever it is worth. Good luck!

Ann

Guest who is Willsucceed wrote:I think that the Breeze can be a good mask for a new user. It is tolerant of facial hair. So to is Aura BUT I'm not at all convinced that AeioMed has Aura perfected yet. I know it is good for some users, but I found it to be significantly flawed.

Breeze is a good choice for many users, as are the ResMed masks. Activa is a really good mask as is the Swift nasal pillow system.

Breeze and Swift are both good choices if you have facial hair.
Good luck!

WS,

If we are pointing out interface flaws, don't forget to point out the BIG hard plastic piece on the back of the Breeze. If you are a back sleeper you will need to be able to tolerate laying on this hunk of hard plastic.

Soooo, Sleepless,

What did you decide to get? How do you like it? How is it all going? Are you still Sleepless?

Ann

Well Ann, the face mask fitting went fine...I think. I was able to try several interface options with my new RemStar. I decided against the Breeze when the RT (Respiratory Therapist) informed me that it might not work very well with my eyeglasses. Ditto for the Aura, although (as Rested Gal suspected) they didn't carry that interface. However, I did like the Swift and the (Tiara) SNAPP masks. I also tried on the Activa (liked it alot) and Ultra Mirage FF mask (didn't like it), but both of these masks seemed to protrude too far in front of my face. I was concerned that this might impair my ability to comfortably sleep on my side/stomach. In addition, with the Activa and Mirage, I'd have to unlatch two quick release clips in order to put on/take off my glasses. In the end, I selected the SNAPP because it had two small airlines feeding the nosepiece versus the one larger airline on the Swift.

After getting the RemStar home, I connected the hose and mask, filled it with water and eagerly awaited bedtime. I went to bed around midnight, not knowing how much (if any) sleep I would get the first night. I remember checking the mask several times during the first few hours to see if the machine was even blowing any air. I couldn't believe how comfortable it felt to breathe compared to the jet engine they had me connected to when I took the the sleep study.

I remember spending the remainder of my waking time experimenting with various sleeping positions and strap adjustments. Seems that getting the headgear straps adjusted just right was going to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. Anyway, I didn't feel that I got a good night's sleep the first night, primarily due to the headgear issues. However, the next morning my wife was happy to report that I apparently stopped snoring completely that very first night (something I haven't done in years).

When I awakened the next morning, (despite the numerous headgear interruptions) I definitely felt more rested than normal. However, I'm not sure how much rest I actually got because I dozed off later that morning (without the machine) and slept for several more hours. Of note, upon awakening I also discovered that my humidifier's water container had somehow sprung a leak overnight and ruined the veneer finish on my nightstand. To prevent any further moisture mishaps I proceeded to put the machine in a plastic shoebox lid. Anyway, on to night two...

Saturday night went a little smoother than Friday as I became more comfortable with the SNAPP interface. I noticed some discomfort in my nostrils from the pillows, but the overall sleep experience was a little better than the first night. Hopefully, things will continue to improve.

My DME said I have a week or two to decide if I want to keep the mask. I figure I'll give it a few more days before deciding whether to switch to the Swift or Activa.