Humidifier?

My APAP prescription sets a pressure range of 4 to 7, and says that "For maximal pressure <10 heated humidification is authorized if the patient is unable to tolerate CPAP due to nasopharyngeal dryness."

During a 3 night home titration, I did not have any problems with dryness. (I had other problems, like trouble sleeping and daytime drowsiness, but not dryness). However, the humidity in San Diego changes depending on the time of year and wind direction.

The PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine with A-Flex looks like a good choice for me. One option is to buy a machine without a humidifier, and add one later if I have trouble with dryness. If I add a humidifier now, it costs a bit less than if I wait and do need one later.

How likely am I to never need a humidifier, considering the relatively low maximum pressure, but also the risk of air coming straight from a very hot desert?

You will probably need one. Remember the climate changes several times a year. All you need is a few extra dry days and you will be in misery if you don't have one. My humidifier is normally set in the middle but sometimes it gets moved up and down. The humidifier is a lot less than the machine and if you get it now it will be cheaper because it is in a bundle. Plus if your insurance is paying for it you should only have the one out of pocket and deductable, but I may be wrong on the insurance. If it's not a lot ouf of your pocket I would say go for it now.

Gerry

IMHO it doesn't matter what your XPAP pressure is set at - humidification may or may not be needed for comfort. I don't just use my humidifier for air humidity, but depending on my allergies.

Cheers,
xena

Get the humidifier. I use mine on the lowest setting most all of the time, but have on occasion set it higher depending on the weather, etc. You can always turn it off, when you don't need or want it but you can't turn it on if you don't have one. It sure beats a dried out nose in the morning with monster boogers. By the way, I do live in the desert area and that's where you'll need it the most.

Hi,

I travel a lot, so I use my machine both in the desert and along the coast as well as here in Minnesota. I use the humidifier all the time, no matter what the climate is. I like the warm air. In fact, I set the temperature in the house down a little bit, then count on the warm air from the humidifier to keep me comfortable. I seem to sleep better that way.

I'd suggest getting one. Even if you don't need a lot of humidity, you can always set it low, and get the pass through effect of the air going through the water. That will give you just a little humidity that will keep your nose from getting dry inside.

-john-

Welcome to the forum pats!

I am probably a neighbor of yours (or at least pass you on the street or freeway ). I have found that I do much better each night using my humidifier. It is especially helpful for me when we get the very dry and often hot blast of the Santa Ana winds. Nothing is better to help my nasal passages to deal with the daytime outside temperature in the mid to high 80's and a humidity of 12%, then some nice humidified PAP air at night (especially when the day before it was only 64 degrees with 68% humidity ).

Though it is so true that using a humidifier or not can be such an individual thing. As all the others have stated, it can come in handy any time of the year and you might find that you will like it and use it all the time. If I was in your situation, I would error on the side of having it and maybe finding out later that you do not use it much, then needing it some night and then being totally out of luck . Compared to the PAP machine, a humidifier costs a lot less and it is usually cheaper when purchased together with the PAP machine (at the same time).

John

Thanks for all the excellent advice. I did order the humidifier.

My humidifier is just set to Auto. I can vary the temperature if I want but I tend to leave it at 25c.