Newbie Desperate for General Help - Introduction

[Hydrangea]

As a newbie, I don't have much to add, but here are a couple things I thought of:

Humidifier - I would set it to adaptive. It makes it more automated, and can prevent rainout. (I learned that lesson the hard way.)

Machine (with humidifier) is supposed to be lower than your head while sleeping. So I had to put mine on a lower shelf of my nightstand.

Be patient while adjusting to sleeping with a mask. It took me a week to be comfy with it. I bailed after 4.5 hours or so the first night, and after 3.5 hours the second night. By the end of the week I was ok with it. By the end of 3 weeks, I realized I needed a higher starting pressure than 4 or 5, as it was causing me to be a bit starved for air, which led to me feeling anxious while wearing the mask. Once I bumped up the pressure (no thanks to my dr), I felt much more comfy!


Kudos to you for taking charge of your health! Better to intervene now, than later. Well done!

[Nash]

As a newbie, I don't have much to add, but here are a couple things I thought of:

Humidifier - I would set it to adaptive.  It makes it more automated, and can prevent rainout.  (I learned that lesson the hard way.)

Machine (with humidifier) is supposed to be lower than your head while sleeping. So I had to put mine on a lower shelf of my nightstand.

Be patient while adjusting to sleeping with a mask. It took me a week to be comfy with it. I bailed after 4.5 hours or so the first night, and after 3.5 hours the second night.  By the end of the week I was ok with it.  By the end of 3 weeks, I realized I needed a higher starting pressure than 4 or 5, as it was causing me to be a bit starved for air, which led to me feeling anxious while wearing the mask. Once I bumped up the pressure (no thanks to my dr), I felt much more comfy!


Kudos to you for taking charge of your health!  Better to intervene now, than later. Well done!

Hydrangea - Great post, you might have really saved me from some trouble as I was going to put the machine on a wall shelf that sits about 2 feet above my head. I had no idea that it had to be lower than the user. I must have missed that in the info I read. Thanks for that!

I am going to lookup "rainout" after I post but just the name scares me.

So since you have the same machine I am wondering if you have all these settings set to auto? The humidifier along with the heated tube on auto, the SmartRamp = on, and the Optistart = on? You pretty much let the machine do all this for you?? This machine can really do all that with messing up or skewing the data or something? I mean that would be great if I could just set them all to auto. Please let me know how you have it set.

If I could sleep 4.5 hours at one time I would be so happy I might cry.   Thanks again!

[Sleeprider]

Nash, the SmartRamp feature incorporates the auto titrating algorithm to ramp, rather than just using a time and pressure approach.  If it detects flow limitation or other cues that would normally cause an increase in pressure, it does indeed increase pressure, and ramp is terminated if the minimum auto pressure is reached.  It's a good thing to have on.  Without autoramp, the pressure simply starts out at the set minimum ramp pressure, and pressure increases gradually for the time the ramp is set.  No drawback to using this feature.

Optistart on the other hand is a minimum pressure override.  With this ON, the machine will use a minimum pressure equal to the 90% pressure of the previous session.  You will often hear us advise new members on the forum to increase minimum pressure to prevent events.  This feature simply does that automatically.  So, even though you have set 7 as a minimum pressure, it's very likely with Optistart, your minimum pressure could be 9, 10 or higher, depending on what you needed the night before.

Sleeprider - So you think the SmartRamp is harmless to use and can actually help but the Optistart should probably just be left off? Appreciate your help!

If I was setting your machine for CPAP pressure, I would select your 90% pressure.  Optistart does this automatically and if your starting pressure is too low it overrides that and starts it where it needs to be.  A Philips machine needs an optimium minimum pressure to work properly because it does not escalate pressure fast enough to prevent apnea events in some people.  Optistart would fix this is is therefore a good thing.  In my experience, the best therapy is not achieved by setting pressure as low as possible, but as close to the optimum as possible. Not a bad name for this feature, "Optistrt".

[Hydrangea]

WRT rainout... it's when water gets in the hose and/or mask (through condensation, I believe). While I was sleeping, my mask started chirping and making other weird noises. I woke up, and realized my mask had accumulated some water. The next day, I changed humidifer to adaptive, and have had no issues since. (Well, now I have a heated hose, and I've heard that helps to prevent the rainout.)

I don't believe we have the same machine, but I think they're the same brand.

I forget where I read about the lower-than-your-head. It makes sense, when siphoning water and such... or water and electricty, with the drip loop... or something like that. LOL

I've tried putting the auto start on, but I can't sniff through my nose strongly enough to get it to come on. With a FFM I can, though.

Now that I've read more about the smart ramp, I will probably turn that on. I tend to choke as I'm falling asleep, although since I got the cpap it does a good job of not letting me. Who knows, though... it seems cool. Then again, I don't use ramp anymore. After a week or so on cpap, I no longer desired it.

I'm sure you'll get uninterrupted sleep (unless you have kids and dogs like I do! LoL).

[Nash]

Hydrangea it is the same machine I am pretty sure. Weird how there is so many names for this thing! I am going to change my info too DreamStation Auto/APAP - Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier). I don't really get it but that is the title of the product I bought. Everybody else calls it a DreamStation Auto/APAP.

Sounds like I would definitely not want any rainout! My machine came with a heated hose. It is actually the only hose I have. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I can't wait to start. I have everything set up but my mask seems to be lost somewhere in the mail. The day I get it I am hoping for a solid 4 hours! 

[Nash]

Nash, the SmartRamp feature incorporates the auto titrating algorithm to ramp, rather than just using a time and pressure approach.  If it detects flow limitation or other cues that would normally cause an increase in pressure, it does indeed increase pressure, and ramp is terminated if the minimum auto pressure is reached.  It's a good thing to have on.  Without autoramp, the pressure simply starts out at the set minimum ramp pressure, and pressure increases gradually for the time the ramp is set.  No drawback to using this feature.

Optistart on the other hand is a minimum pressure override.  With this ON, the machine will use a minimum pressure equal to the 90% pressure of the previous session.  You will often hear us advise new members on the forum to increase minimum pressure to prevent events.  This feature simply does that automatically.  So, even though you have set 7 as a minimum pressure, it's very likely with Optistart, your minimum pressure could be 9, 10 or higher, depending on what you needed the night before.

Sleeprider - So you think the SmartRamp is harmless to use and can actually help but the Optistart should probably just be left off? Appreciate your help!

If I was setting your machine for CPAP pressure, I would select your 90% pressure.  Optistart does this automatically and if your starting pressure is too low it overrides that and starts it where it needs to be.  A Philips machine needs an optimium minimum pressure to work properly because it does not escalate pressure fast enough to prevent apnea events in some people.  Optistart would fix this is is therefore a good thing.  In my experience, the best therapy is not achieved by setting pressure as low as possible, but as close to the optimum as possible. Not a bad name for this feature, "Optistrt".

Thanks for that info Sleeprider. So I hear you saying that these auto features are a good way to find and maintain your optimum settings. I did not realise that this machine could do all those things at once. I am going to give the settings a try. 

[Hydrangea]

Hydrangea it is the same machine I am pretty sure. Weird how there is so many names for this thing! I am going to change my info too DreamStation Auto/APAP - Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier). I don't really get it but that is the title of the product I bought. Everybody else calls it a DreamStation Auto/APAP.

Sounds like I would definitely not want any rainout! My machine came with a heated hose. It is actually the only hose I have. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I can't wait to start. I have everything set up but my mask seems to be lost somewhere in the mail. The day I get it I am hoping for a solid 4 hours! 

Aaah, ok. I'm too new to this to know the nuance.  I started with a Pro (400?), and now have an Auto (500).  So you're probably right. 

My original DME was my sleep dr, who gave me the cheap stuff... so I started with no heated hose. But I fired him as my DME, and switched to a DME that is not associated with a sleep dr... and they defaulted to including a heated hose with a DreamStation Auto.  

Rainout wasn't scary. Rather it was just super annoying, and a good learning opportunity to make me appreciate a DME that would give a heated hose as the standard.

[Newbee2016]

Hydrangea it is the same machine I am pretty sure. Weird how there is so many names for this thing! I am going to change my info too DreamStation Auto/APAP - Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier). I don't really get it but that is the title of the product I bought. Everybody else calls it a DreamStation Auto/APAP.

Sounds like I would definitely not want any rainout! My machine came with a heated hose. It is actually the only hose I have. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I can't wait to start. I have everything set up but my mask seems to be lost somewhere in the mail. The day I get it I am hoping for a solid 4 hours! 

Ha ha. "Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier)" this seller forgot to include "previous model" or "former model know as" after the start of the bracket. My seller had the "previous model" description but I was still worried the old model 560HS would arrive (first purchase from Amazon and a high priced item) and verified it through the other reviews of the seller on Amazon. You can drop the part within the brackets for your profile.

If you select Adaptive for the humidifier and are using a heated hose, you should be able to go to a higher setting of 3 or more. I'm still using my old unheated hose and had used Adaptive with a setting at 3, no rain-outs. Not using the humidifier for now.

Take it easy over the first week and don't panic. Takes time to get used to it initially. Just come back to Apnea Board for advice 

[Nash]

Hydrangea it is the same machine I am pretty sure. Weird how there is so many names for this thing! I am going to change my info too DreamStation Auto/APAP - Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier). I don't really get it but that is the title of the product I bought. Everybody else calls it a DreamStation Auto/APAP.

Sounds like I would definitely not want any rainout! My machine came with a heated hose. It is actually the only hose I have. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I can't wait to start. I have everything set up but my mask seems to be lost somewhere in the mail. The day I get it I am hoping for a solid 4 hours! 

Ha ha. "Respironics dx500t11 (560HS - REMstar Auto with humidifier)" this seller forgot to include "previous model" or "former model know as" after the start of the bracket. My seller had the "previous model" description but I was still worried the old model 560HS would arrive (first purchase from Amazon and a high priced item) and verified it through the other reviews of the seller on Amazon. You can drop the part within the brackets for your profile.

If you select Adaptive for the humidifier and are using a heated hose, you should be able to go to a higher setting of 3 or more. I'm still using my old unheated hose and had used Adaptive with a setting at 3, no rain-outs. Not using the humidifier for now.

Take it easy over the first week and don't panic. Takes time to get used to it initially. Just come back to Apnea Board for advice 

LOL No actually the seller did have that line in there but I had to remove it to fit it in my profile. The same exact thing happened to me. I ordered it off Amazon for $380 and was really worried that it was going to be the old model that showed up. I have seen a picture of the old model and it was black. When the white one showed up I was relieved. 

I will try Adaptive for the humidifier. I have decided to set everything to auto and just see if it can do everything by itself. Hard to believe it is that advanced but I just have to have faith in the crazy thing. 

Thanks for the encouragement. I am committed to making this work!

[Corvette817]

Nash, welcome!  I've only used a machine for a month so far, including two weeks of a head cold.  The first night I ripped it off after 2 hours.  Now I'm good for 6 to 8 - whatever you feel, stick with it - you have nothing to lose and much to win.  I'm still working on everything, including breathing more consciously and deeply during the day (maybe that is why millions of people practice yoga?)

Anyway, I wanted to mention that I use witch hazel on a cotton pad on my face every night.  You can get it at the dollar store or a drug store, by the isopropyl alcohol. My Aunt told me back in the day that it was our family secret to not getting wrinkles - lol - but I've looked it up, and it is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.

I applaud your initiative and action on this.  This website has certainly helped me to get and keep going.