one week on the hose!

rgmartin · Post by **rgmartin** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:24 am

Hi!

Well, after years of poor sleep and low energy and a dreadful year in which I've hardly been able to think and spent most of my days napping, I have got through my first week on the CPAP. I currently have a RemStar Plus (set at the prescribed 8 cm) with heated humidifier and a F&P HC405 mask under a 30-day trial. I will probably be buying a F&P HC234 CPAP when the trial is over.

My experience so far has been relatively good. I adapted to sleeping with the mask right away, and I seemed to have more energy and a clearer brain from the first day. The biggest problem is that I managed to pick up a cold over our Thanksgiving weekend, but I am finding that the heated humidity keeps my nasal congestion to a minimum. Kind of weird coughing with the mask on, though!

I've been reading all the discussions on this forum about people studying their numbers every day to see how everything worked the previous night. Is this necessary? Will I be able to do this with the HC234? Do you need special equiipment/software to do this?

Cheers,

Rick

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, CPAP

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:03 am

Rick, welcome to the forum! Kitchener/Waterloo has always held a fond place in my heart since I went to UofW in the late 70's for co-op CompSci.

Wonderful for you to have such a positive start.

There are a few of us who have now gone through colds with CPAP (myself included) so we can sympathize. Cranking up the humidity sure helps, although you may find that you need one of the Aussie heated hoses to get it high enough without rainout (condensation forming in the cooler hose and mask).

No, it isn't necessary to examine your numbers daily. In fact, it isn't necessary to inspect them at all. But some of us like to be able to monitor our progress and tweak our treatment. And some of us are obsessive and just can't resist peeking (you know who you are! and if you think I'm talking about you you're wrong -- I'm talking about that other person ).

I have the ability to look at my data with my 420e, but I tend to do so perhaps every 2 weeks or so unless I believe that something has changed in my condition that would require intervention.

I'm not familiar with the machine you are using, so someone else well have to comment on what it is capable of.

mikemoran · Post by **mikemoran** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:00 pm

Rick welcome onboard. The true measure is how you feel not what the numbers say. If you can breath agaisnt the pressure, are comfortable enough to sleep and feel better the next day then that is what counts. The only thing you may consider, and trust me there are tons of posts on here, is an autoPAP machine.

The reason is we change over time, weight , age sinus infections and such. An auto will automatically adjust your therapy to match your changing situation. With a pure CPAP (set at one pressure) you would have to change the pressure more by trial and error to bring you back to the same effectiveness of therapy.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 5:45 pm

WAFlowers wrote:And some of us are obsessive and just can't resist peeking (you know who you are! and if you think I'm talking about you you're wrong -- I'm talking about that other person ).

Well, hmmmpppmphhhh, I've never...

(and I am NOT wrong...)