Please help with machine selection

Hello to all,

I am in a delicate situation as I'm living in Serbia and the selection of CPAP machines here is extremely limited. I have been diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea due to increased tonsils size. AFAIK, I have no Cheyne-Stokes Respiration syndrome or any other specific problem, simply my airways become blocked and my breathing stops.

Now, my doctor has offered me the ResMed Autoset CS2 machine as the only option, and with a hefty pricetag at that.

Browsing through websites I've noticed that both ResMed and other producers have other newer products (if I'm not mistaken the Autoset CS2 dates back to 2008 or 2009).

What would be the machine you would suggest instead of my only choise, the ResMed Autoset CS2?

Thanks,
Alex

The S9 Autoset would be my choice in the ResMed line.
It uses a SD card for data storage and has easy to obtain and use software and is the latest technology machine.
SleepyHead (in my signature line) and ResScan software can be used. SleepyHead is Beta software and has a few minor bugs but does a very decent job.
ResScan tutorial so you can see what it shows.
http://montfordhouse.com/cpap/resscan_tutorial/

I am going to send you a private message in a bit with a possible source for machines.

The PR System One Auto CPAP with Aflex would be my choice if going with the Phillips Respironics line. Same reasons...SD card and easy to use software (SleepyHead and Encore)

Only one reply?

acabgd wrote:Only one reply?

Here is the second.

I love my PR System One CPAP. But you should shoot for the moon -- go with the APAP.

If you want to save some serious money and still get a very good machine go with the DeVilbiss Intellipap Auto machine. It may not have all the bells and whistles of the S9 or PR60, but it's still very good, and much less costly.

acabgd wrote:Only one reply?

Pugsy's answer points to the top two machines in the top two lines of PAP therapy machines. Not much more to say. (I have Philips Respironics machine she mentioned, as noted below).

Others like the DeVilbiss Intellipap Auto. From what I've read, those are your top three choices.

John

Pugsy gave you the right answer.

The PRS1 and ResMed machines give you much better data collection than the DeVilbiss machine.

Did your doc not want to take your tonsils out first? Might not solve your sleep apnea, but three days of ice cream was fun when I was younger.

How did you get your sleep apnea tests, and titration?

It is very frustrating to start Sleep Apnea therapy, and the improvement can be absolutely spectacular in how an individual feels. Trying to start Sleep Apnea Therapy without a specific idea of how the machine should be set seems to me, could drive the an extremely needy patient to quit Sleep Apnea Treatment.

What you did not mention is, have you selected a mask? Many of us have had a lot of trouble finding the right mask for our face, and temperament. Is there any way we can help you find the right mask.

OP in this thread is in Europe and a part of Europe where the standard of health care is not the same as the standards we have here in the US. Not even the United Kingdom where they have NHS.

The original machine suggested (upon more research on my part) is actually an ASV type of machine used for people with central issues. Problem being the OP here has not had a sleep study like we think of.
More of a look in the airway, take a bit of history and this is prescribed.
No titration. No history of centrals noted. No health issues...No cardiac symptoms....no heart failure.
So unsure why the suggesting for ASV type of machine (and only offerings are the older S8 based models) but it is another country where they do things totally different over there.

So unsure why or even if there is a real need for ASV machine. OP has to bear the entire purchase price himself.
My thoughts were to maybe split the difference with the regular APAP models and go with a bilevel machine that is what I call the "plain" bilevel machine like I use which at secondwind would cost about half of what he would have to pay for the machine offered in his country. If centrals are a problem then it would show up on the S9 VPAP.

Originally we thought regular APAP machine but with the limited history...I don't know if he does or does not actually need the ASV model line of machines.
So it's real hard to come up with a suitable suggestion because I don't know for sure what the diagnosis is because there haven't been sleep studies like we are used to.

For sure which ever model....ResMed S9 or PR System One so that the software can show what is going on.
The S8 model that they are suggesting in the ASV line...requires the smart card and smart card reader ($100 from Israel is only source I know of) to use the software. A similar ASV model line machine can be bought from secondwind (used) for about what he would pay for the CS2 autoset. At least the data would be easily obtained with the S9 ASV model for essentially the same price.
Just don't know if a plain bilevel would do just as good of a job as the bilevel ASV model because we don't have a full history or diagnosis available. So it is extremely difficult to offer a suitable suggestion.

Thank you all for your replies!