Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

Back to the Machine
#1
Back to the Machine
Hello all,

I'm new to the board here. Thought I would tell you a little history of what I'm going through.

I obtained my Cpap machine around 10 years ago. I was newly married to my wonderful wife of 13 years now. From day one i was running her into the other bedroom. Being newlyweds I wanted to sleep in the same bed as my wife. She was telling me i was snoring very loud. I knew what it was all about because growing up my dad raised the roof every night,

So talking to my doctor, he sent me off to a sleep study. They decided I needed a cpap and within the month I had one.

Well, as you'all know there is some getting used to the machine and sleeping with it. I found myself ripping it off my head every night and it running till i woke in the morning.

This went on for a couple of months and I really didn't notice feeling better after using it. So off to the closet it went along with my wife to the other room

I ended up opting for the surgery, and being that insurance was still paying for things at that time I had it done.
Talk about painful but more on that later.

I was 31 or 32 at the time of the surgery. It did not work for me within six months I was back to the same situation.

Ok, fast forward 10 years, I am now 41 years young and a sleep deprived mess.

Today I pulled the old beast out of the closet and am going to give it a try again. This apnea is really taking it's toll on my life so something needs to be done.
I thought about going back to the doctor about it and probably will but I'm self employed and have a 12000$ deductible. So I avoid it like the plague.

I figured since i had the surgery I would not need the pressure as high as before. I ended up finding this site looking for a way to adjust this machine.

My question to you guys would be

1 Is it safe for me to use it again as it is an older model?

2 Should I just give it a few nights or a week at it's set pressure from 10 years ago pre surgery.

3 should I bite the bullet and get back into a study and have them set it up for me?

Just looking for some advice from folks that are using the Cpap and it has helped.

I need to get started on something as I am so miserable and fatigued every single day and have been fighting this for years. It is now starting to take its toll on my health.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful

Thanks so much



Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: Back to the Machine
I think you should bite the bullet and get a sleep study done unless it is a prohibitive cost. also the new machines are so much better and quieter i think you should get a new machine. your wife will thank you. :>)
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: Back to the Machine
I don't know too much about older machines, so I'm not sure how well your current machine will serve you.

Obviously, the ideal solution would be to start afresh with a sleep study, doctor consultation etc.

If that is not an option and you are willing to take your treatment into your own hands, you could buy an Auto-CPAP machine (the ResMed AutoSet or the Philips Respironics REMstar Auto are good machines) and let it figure out your optimal settings. You will need to monitor your own treatment results (both the machines I recommended will provide detailed treatment data) using either SleepyHead (free and will handle either machine), ResScan (free but for ResMed machines only), or EncoreViewer (~$100 and for Respironics machines only).

If the cost is an option, you should make sure that your current machine is data-capable so you can monitor your treatment. Particularly with a fixed-pressure CPAP machine, you will need to manually adjust your treatment pressure until you find the optimal treatment pressure.

Going it alone obviously makes the large assumption that your problem is entirely Obstructive Apnea and not some other sleep disorder.
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Back to the Machine
Hi cbenner,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
What RonWessels said.
I'm glad you have decided to start using your machine again. Supplier #2 on the supplier list here on this board has either open-boxed or gently-used machines for GREAT prices if you decide to get a different machine.
Best of luck and hang tight for more responses to your post.
trish6hundred
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: Back to the Machine
Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I am planning on going to the doctor to get another sleep study done. But in the mean time I think I'm going to attempt It. Since my first post this morning I made an appointment with the Doc

I have a Remstar pro flex c from what I can tell from the info on this site.

Thank you so much for tuning me in on finding a new machine, if I need one. At the moment I just do not have the extra funds to go for a brand new system.

I'm looking forward to seeing if this is going to help. The only other thing that my ENT has suggested is having my deviated septum fixed.

I'll update as things progress.

So the head unit I have now comes over the center of my face and has nasal pillows. What are the most comfortable new ones that are out now? I'm sure technology has came a long way since my machine was built.

Thanks for the advice, Guys and Gals
Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: Back to the Machine
(08-02-2013, 09:44 PM)cbenner Wrote: So the head unit I have now comes over the center of my face and has nasal pillows. What are the most comfortable new ones that are out now? I'm sure technology has came a long way since my machine was built.

Ask anyone in the world of CPAP and they will agree that machines are expensive, but easy; the devil is in the mask. I went through nine masks before I finally found one that worked for me and I could tolerate.

There are various categories of masks: nasal, nasal pillow, full face, and hybrid. There are also chin straps that can be used with a mask. Do some research by looking at the web sites for the suppliers listed here. (The supplier link is at the top of every page on apneaboard.) Check out the different mask and then ask about the ones that look good to you. Some member of apneaboard has had experience with every mask currently being sold, so you will surely get some responses.
Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: Back to the Machine
Well,

I gave it a try last night and made it about 6 hours. The pressure was way too high on the unit. The only reason I say this. The unit has a 45 minute ramp up and I would immediately fall asleep and as soon as it made it to full pressure i would awaken hardly able to exhale. Also the discomfort of the mask and getting used to the unit again. I tried this throughout the night, the good thing is i feel like i actually had gotten some sleep last night.

Until I make it to the sleep study. Then wait the couple weeks for the doc to read it. Then wait for the office to schedule in to adjust my old machine which they are going to want me to upgrade. I'm figuring this will be a months worth of time.

I need to find the manual or find someone that can help me crack into this machine to adjust the pressure a little and try again.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
Question I'm back, tired, and hopeless. But is Bilevel the answer ?? weuw 83 4,958 03-23-2024, 08:16 AM
Last Post: Sleeprider
  Wake and can't get back to sleep hydra 11 517 02-23-2024, 12:05 PM
Last Post: Lucid
  [Symptoms] Help my symptoms got better at first but then they came back after a month LordofthStrings 14 930 02-22-2024, 03:28 PM
Last Post: LordofthStrings
  Side sleeper vs. Back sleeper readings Bob Cali 4 397 02-21-2024, 09:54 PM
Last Post: PaulaO2
  Help figuring out why symptoms are back Jess2117 1 293 02-21-2024, 06:39 PM
Last Post: MikeR20
  Back at it after a few years HomerJ 7 539 02-18-2024, 12:08 PM
Last Post: Sleeprider
  Trouble Breathing, take off mask and put back on, then no trouble? mogulman 0 233 02-13-2024, 06:10 PM
Last Post: mogulman


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.