ShiftWorker

Hello Video Guy, I have used both Respironics Dreamstation and the machine I have now is the ResMed AirCurve 10 ASV. Both seem to be quiet, but they are obviously very different machines. I do like the heated tube in the winters of Colorado but not sure if I would want it if I were in a coastal city. I think all of the new model machines are going to be similar as far as how quiet they are, but have only tried the two brands above.

Hello, As far as the 02 concentrator goes, The Resperonics Ever Flow is a good quiet machine. Yes it is for home use only, when traveling for long periods or even overnight you may need to rent one (set up in advance) for your stay. Any concentrator will use a standard air tube to connect to x-pap machine. this can be via a connector that you put between the c-pap machine and the hose to your mask. if you use the climate line heated hose then you will need to get the hose with the built in adapter made by ResMed. This should be in your prescription for the concentrator and then will be covered by your insurance or medicare. As stated above there are times when you need to be in charge of your treatment, ask as many questions as you feel are necessary, ask for referrals become knowledgeable in your care, I have talked to a couple of doctors, outside of their practice, and they all have told me that if a patient is concerned enough to ask questions and take part in their health management, they are the ones the doctors will not view as a number that they need to get through each day.

Hello, I do not know what type of mask you use, I can talk about my experience. I wear a Full Face Mask its an AirTouch F20 from ResMed. I was having trouble keeping my mask under my lower lip and would wake up in the middle of the night with the bottom of the mask in my mouth. I went to a company that sells mask liners and pads for straps, Pad A Cheek. I picked up what they call a mask stabilizer, this worked for me, until I learned to keep my mouth shut. The part that may help you is that putting this strap on after getting my mask fit and comfortable meant that removing the mask became much more difficult as this strap needed to be removed first. The strap attaches to the bottom straps of my mask and goes under the chin. This company has other straps that may also help with your type of mask. You will eventually get used to keeping the mask on, just keep trying.

I picked up one of the Buckwheat pillows, this was a little odd at first. It seems though that within my first week of using it, It has become my go to pillow that I now take with me wherever I go! it is a slightly heavier pillow but will conform to many positions and stays in that shape until I settle it into a new shape. The one I got comes with extra filling and has some added foam to the buckwheat so was very customizable. They are available on Amazon.

Soft cervical collar, available in different sizes from Amazon, also I use a My Cpap Fit buckwheat filled pillow, also from Amazon, comes over stuffed and you can adjust for comfort. The collar will keep your chin from touching your chest and the pillow can be adjusted to cradle your head/neck to keep things comfortable. I used both of these with my xpap but have trained myself well enough to not need the collar now, I have come to really like the pillow and even travel with it.

The collar was under $10.00 but the pillow was more like $50.00.

As in all things YMMV, what works for me may be useless to you.

Snuffie, I am not new, but am really giving this a good try this time. Over five years ago I had a sleep study, well two, then was sent home with a CPAP machine and a huge Full Face Mask, my pressure was set as high as that machine would go, 20 cm h2o I think is what they call it. I was told to get used to it. Well, I couldn't! After much complaining to people who don't care, my primary care doc does not know much about sleep apnea and cpap, I went into A-Fib last December. I decided that that was not fun, so asked my doctor for a referral to see a sleep specialist. Three more sleep lab studies and a new ASV machine later, i am trying to get used to therapy, my pressure still runs fairly high so I still need a full face mask, good thing the newer style masks are much better then my first one! I have made my mind up that I will make this work this time, my other health problems are starting to pile up, this is a good start (getting some restful sleep) to get all under control!

FearlessBlue, I am going through the compliance issue now. One of my biggest problems is that it usually takes me 7 hours to get 3 hours of sleep, i have the type of insomnia that wont let me go to sleep. I know that my health has taken a big hit because of non compliance with treatment, and I am tired most of the time with no energy. I have talked with my Sleep Doctor about the insomnia and we think that it is caused by apnea itself, my brain knows or has been trained for many years that if I go to sleep, I will soon wake in an oxygen starved panic. It is difficult for me to lay in my bed for three or four hours wearing a mask attached to a tube and not fall to sleep.

Following good sleep hygiene practice says to not stay in bed for hours if one cannot go to sleep, that one should get out of bed and sit and read or do something other then lay uncomfortably in bed while not sleeping. This is my dilemma, if I can use my machine for three hours a night, I wake feeling great, most of the time, suggesting treatment is working. If, in time, the hours do not get longer, I will be considered non-compliant and will lose insurance coverage for my expensive ASV machine, even though the time that I am using it is resulting in much improved and desired outcomes.

As mentioned above, not only do I not normally go to sleep, the plastic alien octopus strapped on my face and its hose, that needs constant management, make things more difficult. I woke the other day, except for the massive pressure in my chest (that is what it seemed to be) was extremely painful, I had swallowed lots of air so I needed to belch, big loud belch, I felt great after the pressure was gone. I know this will work for me, after getting used to all the normal things that people need to adjust to. I just hope I can become compliant (In my insurance companies eyes) long enough that I may actually get, at some point, a normal 7 to 8 hours of sleep!

I also know that, for many people, it is not just a comfort issue. Some get claustrophobic and anxiety issues give them grief, that some meds used to treat these problems cause problems of their own. There is no one size fits all in many cases.

Good luck with your project. Robert.

VersitilePurpleEchidna1016 I am almost in the same boat as you but had an echocardio and my LVEF is above the 45%. I am now in the "Holding Pattern" between sleep study and Dr. prescribing an ASV machine. Before starting treatment on your own I would have a talk with the doctor about using xpap therapy. For me the regular cpap pressures caused central apneas to occur, and if my ejection fraction was less then the 45% then i had to deal with the 33% mortality rate of this group of people. I am not sure which direction I would have needed to go in but would definitely had medical advise before just doing something i read on a forum. Good luck in getting a solution and keep us posted. Shift Worker.

You could ask your doctor for a trial period of a drug called Trazodone, sleep is not the drugs main purpose but does help for our patients. This is a non habit forming med. I am in long term recovery from substance abuse, i fought that battle once and do not want to go there again. This is what my doctor recommends I use and it seems to work for me. Becoming dependent on a drug is not often noticed by the person until it has a hold on the person, then drugs like Ambien are very hard to get off of. Try to listen to your doctor but be your own advocate, become educated on what can happen with whatever medicine you take, insist that the doctor help or refer you to a sleep specialist. Good luck, and sleep well.

This whole prescription for a mask is not right, I was talking to one of my care givers, I asked what it was all about, she told me "it is a medical device" I replied that it was the bottle not the pill. I told her that it makes no sense to make being compliant so difficult. I have purchased my Amara View from Amazon, no prescription needed. On the sites that sell masks and supplies, you can purchase all parts to make a complete mask, if buying parts no script needed, even though you are getting a full mask. Shop around and you can find what you need.