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New user question
#1
New user question
I have just been diagnosed with an AHI of 23.2 and recommended pressure of 5. I have never used a cpap before and am not the usual candidate (not overweight etc) I think this may be due to Lymes disease and neurological issues. I am hoping to go through a private cpap company as see no point in going through insurance as my deductible is so high and the health care company my ENT uses gets v. bad reviews. I am thinking of the AirSense 10 Auto Sense CPAP with humid air. As a woman, is there any point in requesting the female unit? I have no idea which type of mask to request - I sleep on both sides and my back. I am a light sleeper however and hate noise. Is this a good choice? So grateful for the feedback!
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#2
RE: New user question
Welcome to the board, there is a list of suppliers you can find online here, and many have used them. The "For Her" is "milder" making changes if I understand it correctly, and can be easier for a noob to get used to.

As for the mask, that is the hardest thing to figure out for almost everyone. Basically you have two choices - nasal and full face. The nasal injects the air into your nose. If you do not breath through your mouth while sleeping the nasals can be lighter and more comfortable, if you are a mouth breather they may work if you can find a way to keep your mouth shut - some do, some don't. Full face mask can be "easier" to get used to, but can be a little less comfortable, and if you flop around from side to side, they can leak a lot. The two from ResMed are called the F10 (Full face mask) and P10 (nasal Pillows) - there are also nasal masks - sort of a compromise between a mask and a pilow for the nose.

Some of the online suppliers will provide a "try it" arrangement, where you can buy one and try it, and return it if it doesn't work for you. You are going to find the mask to be the largest challenge in getting one you are comfortable wearing and that doest leak too much.

And lastly, setting of 5 seems very low - it's possible, but many people feel they are not getting enough air trying to breath at that low of a pressure. The AirSense 10 Auto is a good choice here, since you can start with low settings like 5 to 10 or so and and let it "find" your best setting. If you start at 5 and feel you are suffocating, move it up to 6, or 7 or more until you are comfortable breathing.

Good luck.
I am not a Medical professional and I don't play one on the internet.
Started CPAP Therapy April 5, 2016
I'd Rather Be Sleeping
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#3
RE: New user question
I bought my APAP from an online supplier (who also has a brick and mortar store locally) for the same reasons you described. The unit is silent and it sits on my night stand a couple feet from my head. However, we also have been using a pink noise machine for years (long before APAP) so if it did make much noise I would never notice it. It is a great machine and I can recommend it.

Unknown to me when I bought my unit is that the women 's version is recommended by many for everyone regardless of gender. It apparently has better software than the non-women' s version.

As for masks, everyone has their preferred brand and model. If you are not a mouth breather then I recommend a pillow type mask since they are so small, comfortable and very effective.

Good luck in your research and purchase.
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#4
RE: New user question
Thanks to both of you! Sounds like a good machine...will most likely have other questions once I have ordered it.
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#5
RE: New user question
Hi somnia16,

welcome to the forum.

I would recommend you do get the "for her" model. It has an additional operating mode that adjusts pressures using a different algorithm that is said to be tuned with more gentle pressure transitions for women who tend to be lighter sleepers than men.

We have both models in our house. They cost the same and the "for her" offers the extra operating mode. If you poke around you might read that the "for her" model reports RERAs and the standard model does not, but that is no longer true.

Bottom line is both machines have the same capabilities for collecting and reporting event data; however, the "for her" model does have an additional operating mode that is ostensibly tuned "for her". So it makes sense to get the more capable machine and you will have more options.

Here's a typo or nit that might matter when you talk to the DME... The machine we are discussing is the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet (you wrote Auto Sense). There are many models that have similar sounding names, and when you shop you need to be specific so that your DME doesn't use the confusion to sell you something that works better for them than you. What you want is the model that can collect a rich set of data and can automatically adjust the pressure. If you are interested to explore other brands, check out this link for a great discussion about what's important and how to avoid buying a "brick" (i.e. a machine that doesn't collect data you can analyze). http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ne_Choices

As for noise, I don't have any basis to compare different brands, but I find the ResMed A10 to be quiet enough. Disclaimer: I am a pretty sound sleeper.

Re: Mask type. There are several mask types. I have used full face mask and nasal pillows. The most comfortable by far is the nasal pillows. It's lightest weight and in my case the air pressure is significantly lower to achieve the same desired results. But that's my opinion, mask type is a personal choice based on what gives you the most comfort, least leaks, and least noise.

You might need to try a few different masks before you find the best one for you.

The sleep lab that did your study or your doc might have a recommendation for where to start. If you are a mouth breather they might suggest full face mask to start. (Note the Full Face Mask covers the mouth and nose, there is a bigger type called total face mask that covers the cheeks as well). I started with a FFM because I am a mouth breather, but I had trouble controlling leaks until I added a chin strap to keep my mouth shut. Overnight the leaks were gone. A short time later I wondered if I could use the chin strap with pillows (the holy grail of mask types), and that's when I found my perfect combination. That whole progression took about six months of experimenting.

Re: Insurance. A few quick thoughts: The DME your ENT doc uses is most likely irrelevant to what it will cost you. What might be relevant is whether the DME you choose is considered in-network or out-of-network with your insurance company. Even though you have a high deductible there may be advantages to staying in-network: (1) whatever you spend will count toward that deductible as well as out of pocket maximum, and (2) you might find your in-network provider offers contracted rates for machines and supplies that are better than out-of-network providers, even if you have to pay the entire amount because you haven't met the deductible yet.

Saldus Miegas
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#6
RE: New user question
All good advice. Consider the insurance route. The same DME will get $1,000 for my machine without insurance but with my insurance they will only $500. Insurance companies negotiate prices for you and you use up some of your deductible for later problems. Put a fine pencil to it.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas. 
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#7
RE: New user question
great thanks, my insurance only works with one company but their reviews were awful...I am particularly interested in the AirSense 10 Auto set so will check if they have it...
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#8
RE: New user question
If it is Apria, have had good luck with them. I know they have had bad reviews.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas. 
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#9
RE: New user question
Going to try them if they can get the ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ for Her CPAP w/ HumidAir™ Humidifier which is the one I want to start with. Will let you know how it goes!
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#10
RE: New user question
Hi somnia16,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Much success to you as you start your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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