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ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
#51
RE22: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Thank you Dave and Sleeprider :-)  The details to adjust the Resmed Aircurve 10 ASV will be very helpful if I get the machine.  I have been able to move my appointment to discuss my latest sleep study, and hopefully get the prescription for the ASV machine, to this Tuesday.  Then my health insurance has to approve and the equipment needs to be ordered.  Am hopefully heading down the home stretch to get an ASV machine!

My wife is using CPAP to which we have recently added oxygen through the base of the Resmed heated hose to the mask.  This oxygen capable hose costs an additional $20 compared to the "normal" heated hose.  I also have a "tee" that fits the heated hose on the mask end through which oxygen can be added. Anyway I noticed that the addition of oxygen decreases my wifes central apneas by about half while using the CPAP setting.  The centrals have been reduced from about two per hour to about one per hour.  So adding oxygen therapy seems to reduce central apneas as I have recently read.

Hopefully using the ASV machine will completely eliminate my central apneas.  If not, I  can try adding some of my wife's oxygen supply to my heated hose.
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#52
RE: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
You are welcome.

I would ask a favor though, and it certainly isn't my business which you choose, but please be careful with the oxygen. It's best advised, as I understand it, that you have a doctor involved with the need for oxygen. Now it is possible in one of your many, scattered postings that I missed the discussion about oxygen and your doctor, and if that's the case, I apologize for not being aware of the situation.

Stating the above on oxygen is not a gloom and doom thing, but I'm just asking that you be careful. I too think I'd benefit from supplemental oxygen due to COPD, but it hasn't been suggested by my pulmonary doc. I am pushing for it, but that has yet to happen. So the suggestion to be cautious isn't without some knowledge of the benefits and possible risks. And please don't take this as my attempting to interfere or anything of the sort. I just want to make sure you're safe; I count all here on the Apnea Board as friendly associations, and I don't want any to be hurt in possible ill-advised, but well meaning decisions.

This is certainly only my opinion and does not reflect Apnea Board or it's ownership. Thanks waldo1945 for at least considering the above for advisement. FWIW I certainly may be totally off base in my concern, but I felt best to voice it rather than to stay quiet. Peace to y'all.

Coffee
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#53
RE23: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Thank you for your oxygen caution Dave.  My wife was prescribed oxygen to be used in conjunction with her CPAP machine but I have not. We have also purchased the end of finger blood oxygen concentration measuring devices to monitor our current real time situation.  My wife is also on oxygen 24/7 for pulmonary fibrosis with her blood oxygen concentration staying above 95% even while sleeping.

My blood oxygen level decreases while walking and my heart speeds up to above 150 beats per minute to try and keep the oxygen concentration from going too low.  My heart goes out of rhythm (palpitations) above 80 beats per minute and I need to let my heart slow down when I start feeling faint after my first half mile of walking.  I also have "afib" which is being controlled with medication.  I brought up the possibility of oxygen for me during our appointment with our pulmonary specialist today.  He said we would wait and see how the new ASV machine that he prescribed today works out before also adding oxygen to eliminate my cluster central apneas.  He currently feels the new ASV machine will eliminate my cluster central apneas without needing oxygen.

So, I am one step closer to getting an ASV machine.  Our doctor will be forwarding the prescription to our equipment provider and our equipment provider will try and get our insurance to approve and share the purchase cost.  I am skeptical only because our insurance company did share the cost of the new BPAP machine just a year ago.  I wish there was an option to just reload the computer program in my current machine at some reasonable cost rather than having to buy a completely new machine.  The hardware appears to be the same to me. 

Thank you all again for being so cautious and professional in your advice.
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#54
RE: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Having been thru the dance to get the ASV machine, it's going to be worth the frustration. Didn't say it'll be easy though. Humbly suggest you note doc, DME and insurance contact phone numbers. If you've been given an ASV approval and/or machine delivery/pickup date, as that date approaches (example if it were promised tomorrow) I'd call with DME to confirm.

I had to call multiple times to each of these 3 before progress took place. Doc didn't have the script right, which wasted about 2 weeks. DME cost time because of misplaced papers, and some sort of missed step in the request from DME to insurance.

Of the 3, my insurance was easiest to deal with. They expected my request to arrive, stating they actually have a CPAP user within the approval process, if I recall correctly. They noted my request was labeled expedited due to errors wasting time from the other 2.

What I did to help expedite approval was to focus on the DME and doc, calling frequently for status updates. I did call insurance too, but less frequent as they conveyed confidence to work it right.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#55
RE: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Waldo, I trust (and hope) that once you have your ASV dialed in that you will find all the hoop-jumping was worth it. I certainly felt that way.

Best,

Bill
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#56
RE24: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Thank you for the encouragement Spycar.  I requested and received a copy of the Resmed Aircurve 10 ASV clinician manual from the Apnea Board to learn more about the machine. I have also just asked our equipment supplier for an update on where my order stands.  Last week they were waiting for a copy of the ASV machine prescription and also awaiting approval by our health insurance company.  I had previously provided a copy of my associated sleep study recommending the ASV machine to our provider.
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#57
RE: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Hi Waldo

I've re-posted the second part of your post (concerning heart monitors) in the Off Topic forum. The question is definitely of interest to our members, it's just not (directly) apnea related. You can find the thread here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...#pid267311
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#58
RE25: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Thank you DeepBreathing for reposting and retitling my question concerning heart monitors.  I have since used the search feature on this site (which is excellent) and read every post that had anything to do with heart monitors.  So far there has been only one reply to my post from a talented member describing how to build a heart monitor with about $75 in parts.  I am at a point in my life that I would just rather buy a monitor.  I will start adding my current thoughts to that new heart monitor string as I have purchased one and showed it to my general practitioner doctor yesterday. 

Now to the status of getting an ASV machine.  The good news is that I pick up an ASV machine from my equipment supplier this coming Monday.  The bad news is that our health insurance is playing games with us.  They have said that xPAP machines are a benefit of our health insurance policy but they reserve the right to determine whether they will pay their 85% share until the bill is submitted.  I am concerned with this response because our health insurance already paid for my new BPAP machine a year ago and xPAP machines are usually replaced only every five years. Fortunately our equipment provider has offered to take back the ASV machine if the insurance does not pay their 85%. So hopefully I will be sleeping with an ASV machine Monday evening.
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#59
RE26: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Well I brought my ASV machine home today and immediately took a three hour nap as a test run.  Attached are the results; no apneas!  I set the machine to auto ASV using the default settings and it did it's thing very successfully.  My days and nights are reversed so I will not use the machine until another 12 hours pass.  I feel well rested and will continue to let everyone know how things go.  So far my longest sleep periods were about three hours with my other machines.  I am hoping to get much longer sleep periods with this new ASV machine.  So far getting the ASV was worth the effort.  Thank you all for your continued support :-)
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#60
RE: [split] ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto vs ASV to Treat Central Apnea
Congratulations Waldo!

Do let us know how it goes.

Bill
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