System One REMstar Auto w/ A-Flex or S9 for RERA & hypopnea

In my sleep study I didn't have any apneas only hypopneas and RERA's (some snoring). Is either one of these machines both auto better for treating and/or recording them in their algorithms? Thanks for the help

-M

izziguy wrote:In my sleep study I didn't have any apneas only hypopneas and RERA's (some snoring). Is either one of these machines both auto better for treating and/or recording them in their algorithms? Thanks for the help

-M

Could be that you'd be as well or better off with using straight pressure.......and it wouldn't make any difference which one you use as long as it's in CPAP mode. Autos chase snoring and flow limitations and could very well wreck your sleep.


Den

Either the System One or the S9 should treat your hypopneas and RERAs just fine.

But---regardless of the choice of company, you want to make sure the model of the machine you get records full efficacy data.

For the PR System One you want a PRO or and AUTO model. Do NOT accept a System One Plus since it only records compliance data.

For the Resmed S9 you want an Elite or an AutoSet model. Do NOT accept an Escape or an Auto Escape since they only record compliance data.

It would be great if the DME let you actually try out both machines.

There are some differences in how the software displays information to the user---particularly flow limitations. The S9 doesn't pretend to score RERAs; but the System One does. I say "pretends to" because neither machine can possibly measure an arousal---which is an important part of the definition of RERA.

The S9 has much better data available from the machine's LCD. With the System One, you really need Encore Viewer or Encore Pro to get any meaningful data out of the machine.

Would you also agree that straight cpap would be a better idea?

Nice thing about either APAP machine is that there is always the option to change it over to CPAP mode and see how things go. Cost for APAP is not all that much more than CPAP model. With APAP you get 2 machines in one.

Is CPAP better than APAP as far as treatment? This is going to be something the individual has to decide. Newbies especially have a lot to sort through without having to deal with the pressure variations and possible disruptions in sleep they might cause. Mask fit, comfort, sleeping with alien on face, etc. Some people do better on straight CPAP, others do better with a variable range. Also a few people report that they do better on one brand than the other because they have had a chance to use both. You are going to find that there are as many variables in opinions as there are people using these machines and there isn't often a clear cut black and white answer.

Is there any way you can rent or try each one for a short time to see which seems to suit your needs the best? That would be the ideal situation. Example would be Respironics and ResMed both offer exhale relief but how they do it is completely different from the other. You might like one better than the other.

If you had titration sleep study they should have a suggested pressure to use. If it were me I would get the APAP machine of choice and use it in CPAP mode (or in APAP mode with very, very minimal range to mimic cpap) at suggested prescribed pressure for a while till I got used to sleeping with the machine, get leaks under control, monitor data with software and just in general get a handle on things then consider change to APAP or widen the range if you feel things are less than what you want and you want to experiment. Keep the variables to a minimum at first.

izziguy wrote:Would you also agree that straight cpap would be a better idea?

Some thoughts.......
You may not know what works best for you until you try any number of options (pressures, pressure ranges, humidity settings, etc.). Having an APAP/Auto at least allows you to have more options to try.......which is a good thing. Unfortunately, different APAPs have different algorithms (programs) which MAY respond differently to the same types of events. Generally speaking, they ALL respond to events by analyzing the breathing patterns and increasing pressure. Then, at some point, they drop the pressure back to (typically) the lowest setting. If you have a breathing pattern that triggers a pressure increase and you're in a deep sleep stage or REM, the pressure increase(s) MAY disrupt your sleep and kick you out of that sleep stage......which is NOT a good thing......because you need sleep that is not being constantly interrupted. It's going to be difficult enough getting used to this new way of sleeping. Throwing pressure changes into the mix can make it even more challenging.......they can affect "mask fit", too.

Do you have a copy of your sleep study? (If so, spend some time studying it.)
Do you have your prescription? (physical document)
What did they prescribe for your pressure setting?


Den