Sierra

Here are my thoughts based on my family experience with CPAP. My wife started on CPAP first and got a ResMed S9 Auto machine nearly 4 years ago. It has a humidifier that can be disconnected and left at home for ease of travel, while giving up the option of using the humidifier and heated hose. However the travel case does not get smaller, and there is really no savings in bulk and inconvenience. Our son got into the CPAP next with an AirSense 10 AutoSet. He had a cadillac insurance plan and got a travel machine (Z1 Auto) paid for as well. He tried it a couple of times and found it too noisy to get a good sleep with compared to the standard ResMed. He stopped using it and gave it to his mother. She tried it a couple of times and gave up on it too. Fast forward to several months ago when I got my AirSense 10 AutoSet. As part of my package I managed to get two travel cases for the A10. They are more travel friendly than the S9 case. My wife modified it slightly and now uses the A10 case for her S9 machine. The Z1 Auto stays in the cupboard. Now my wife and I both travel with our A10 machines. I consider the Z1 an emergency spare if any one of us has a machine failure, but not worth the trouble to travel with it due to the inconveniences of it.

So what are the inconveniences of a travel machine? Typically they have no humidifier, although the ResMed AirMini has sort of one that uses a replaceable filter that claims to recycle your own moisture?? The AirMini requires a special mask and I believe there are only a couple of ResMed masks that fit it -- P10 nasal pillow, and N20 nasal? Not sure. I like to collect and monitor my data with SleepyHead. The Z1 and AirMini do not collect any data to a SD card. You would have to check but if you use MyAir it may be possible to link both the A10 and AirMini to the same MyAir account. Not sure, but I doubt it because I think the AirMini only collects limited data anyway. So that are the main issues; no heated hose, no or questionable humidifier, issues collecting data, and depending on the model limited selection of masks.

So far, I have not found the AirSense 10 difficult to travel with at all. The travel case has a nice strap that holds it in place when looped over a wheeled carry on travel bag. There is no need to carry water, as tap water is fine to use for a week or two at a time. Just use vinegar to rinse out the water reservoir when you get home. I find I can pack up my A10 machine in less than 5 minutes, so it is no big deal. The CPAP is classed as a medical device so does not count against your carry on baggage allowance when flying. If I am going on a 2-4 day trip, I can fit the A10 case inside my carry on bag along with everything else. However, you do have to dig it out to get through airport security.

Just my thoughts. I have had no temptation to buy one, or even use the one we have now.

Also, make sure the machine is not set in Airplane mode. Airplane mode disables the wireless data transfer.

I don't use MyAir, but instead use SleepyHead to monitor my detailed CPAP results. My understanding is that MyAir depends on the machine being able to connect to a local and compatible WiFi network to transmit the data to MyAir. Is it possible that the WiFi service that you normally get in the UK is not there in Italy? The wireless signal strength indication should be green, not gray, and not showing the No Wireless symbol.

What specific model of ResMed AirSense do you have? It is possible some machines do not collect detailed data, but I would expect those machines do not accept an SD card.

You can find some detailed data on the ResMed data management and storage system at the link below to the technical manual. See pages 28-29.

ResMed AirSense Technical Manual

And here is a link to a basic SleepyHead instruction manual, if you do not already have it.

Don't give up on SleepyHead. Use of it is very helpful to your apnea management.

Welcome to the forum.

The ResMed saves data internally in some limited built in memory storage, but that is only basic summary data, not the detailed data. All the detailed data is written direct to the SD card. If you just put the SD card in today there will be no detailed data on it. If you leave the SD card unlocked and in the machine overnight it will collect detailed data on the SD card going forward.

Does that answer your question?

Duct tape would probably work and may even work without the chin strap, but could be quite difficult and painful to get off. I was at Walmart (in Canada) today and I checked out their paper medical tape in 10 yard rolls. The 3M Nexcare was $2.47, the Walmart Equate generic $1.97, and the Band Aide brand was $5.47. The Walmart brand seem small, suggesting the tape may be thin. Strikes me that the 3M Nexcare Gentle tape would be the best buy of the choices they have.

I have read that CPAP therapy is supposed to reduce blood pressure. My blood pressure was well controlled with an ACE inhibitor and a beta blocker before I went on the CPAP. I have not noticed any significant change in blood pressure post CPAP. However, I convinced my doctor to reduce the beta blocker dose in half, because I felt it was increasing my incidence of central apnea. I have also read that CPAP treatment improves your blood glucose values if you are diabetic. I am diabetic and I have not noticed any change to BG readings either.

I am not familiar with the drugs you are taking, but my suggestion would be to keep detailed records of your BP at various times of the day and take it to your doctor for review. There are some recent studies which have found that risk increases when the diastolic pressure is lowered to less than 70. See this link:

Can Your Blood Pressure be Too Low

I looked back at some of the SleepyHead charts you posted, and with the pressures you are using, the For Her algorithm may work very well for you.

They are correct in saying that the auto adjustment algorithm is different in the ResMed compared to the DreamStation. However, they are not that different, and the machine will self adjust for any difference. And, if you get the AirSense 10 AutoSet For Her version of the ResMed, you will have two choices of algorithms in that machine. You can try both and see which works best for you.

So, no I think it would not make sense to trial the ResMed first. When I did my sleep trial I was given a Fisher and Paykel SleepStyle machine. I went straight from it to the ResMed AirSense that I purchased on line. No problem at all.

There are a few difference in the options though and I can help you get started with the ResMed. If you post 3-4 SleepyHead reports of your recent typical nights, I can give you my suggestions for the starting settings with the ResMed.