RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
All good info that I'll just ditto. Good luck and welcome to the Apnea Board.
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RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
Just an update. The DME came today. I didn't have time from getting my diagnosis and them making the appointment to talk to them again before they showed up. They had a few machines but did not have the resmed! I asked specifically for it and they said they can get it but then I'd have to wait and make another appointment. With my schedule this was really the only week for a while I had the time to do it, so I ended up with a Dreamstation. It seems to have a similar function to the resmed from what I can see? Is there any reason I shouldn't have this over the resmed?
The mask I chose is the Philips Respironics Dreamwear. Does anyone have any experience using this mask? It felt comfortable. One thing I noticed with all of the masks is breathing seemed tougher. I guess I really won't know how to feel about it until I test it tonight
12-26-2019, 01:40 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-26-2019, 01:41 PM by 70sSanO.)
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
Nothing wrong with Respironics. The DreamWear mask is a good one.
Being tough to breathe is usually not a trait of CPAP. My guess, and it is just a guess, is that the set the machine up a with a low starting level, such as 4. It is tough to breathe if the pressure is too low, especially if a ramp is used at 4. Typically a starting pressure of 6 is a good place to begin, although some suggest higher.
Others will probably chime in.
John
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
Plenty of people do fine with a PR machine, and you may be one of them. If you have flow limitations, the ResMed will probably do a bit better for you; for me, though, the key factor is that the ResMed follows my breathing patterns in a very natural way. I was titrations on a PR machine and always felt it was trying to rush me through exhaling. Drove me nuts.
Could you ask your provider to make the PR machine a loaner while they get you a ResMed?
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
There are several reasons why we recommend the ResMed. Post your daily Cha r ts and we will see what pertains to you. The Dreamstation Auto is a capable machine but it cannot handle as many thearaputic situations as the ResMed AutoSet can.
12-26-2019, 02:07 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-26-2019, 02:09 PM by NJYanks.)
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
(12-26-2019, 01:40 PM)70sSanO Wrote: Nothing wrong with Respironics. The DreamWear mask is a good one.
Being tough to breathe is usually not a trait of CPAP. My guess, and it is just a guess, is that the set the machine up a with a low starting level, such as 4. It is tough to breathe if the pressure is too low, especially if a ramp is used at 4. Typically a starting pressure of 6 is a good place to begin, although some suggest higher.
Others will probably chime in.
John
ah yes it is setup at 4. Thanks for the advice.
(12-26-2019, 01:53 PM)Dormeo Wrote: Plenty of people do fine with a PR machine, and you may be one of them. If you have flow limitations, the ResMed will probably do a bit better for you; for me, though, the key factor is that the ResMed follows my breathing patterns in a very natural way. I was titrations on a PR machine and always felt it was trying to rush me through exhaling. Drove me nuts.
Could you ask your provider to make the PR machine a loaner while they get you a ResMed?
hmm interesting. Thanks. Yeah I'll see how tonight goes and I guess go from there
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
(12-26-2019, 02:01 PM)bonjour Wrote: There are several reasons why we recommend the ResMed. Post your daily Cha r ts and we will see what pertains to you. The Dreamstation Auto is a capable machine but it cannot handle as many thearaputic situations as the ResMed AutoSet can.
Thanks for the response. I will post the charts once I have some data
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
I was originally going to get the Dreamstation Auto. My DME had me try it, then the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset for her. Although I thought the Dreamstation was very quiet, I was shocked to find that the ResMed was silent! I got the ResMed. The for Her model has a third mode (and is white rather than black), otherwise is the same machine as was recommended for you. CPAP mode, APAP mode, and APAP for her mode (a slightly different algorithm).
Hopefully, your DME will go with the loaner route for you.
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
Your DME couldn't supply a Resmed? Use another DME who will! From what I can gather, many DMEs are more interested in the bottom line for dollars than your respiratory health though this doesn't apply to all. The cheaper machine is a bigger profit for them. As mentioned by Bonjour, the codes provided by insurance companies allow for the better machines.
The Dreamwear nasal mask is a very good mask if you are a nose breather. They also have a pillows version. I used a Dreamwear happily for a couple of years but switched to the the Resmed version last year (N30i nasal and P30i Pillows) It suits me better but the Dreamwear will still do the job for me.
RE: Just Diagnosed/Few Questions on DME Meeting
I love my DreamStation Auto. (I have the ResMed Autoset Airsense 10, also. I bought it for travel, since the case is better and the machine has a smaller footprint.)
My sleep study showed about a 7 AHI, too. My sleep "doctor" didn't want to treat me, but I said *something* needs to be done because I can't go on continuing to feel this miserable.
Although I do think the # (AHI) is valid. I don't like the "mild" vs "severe" attributes. If someone was choking us, would we tell the police the choking was just mild? Does it really matter THAT much if we were unable to breathe for 15 seconds 30 times per vs 30 seconds 10 times per hour? Strangulation/choking is strangulation/choking.
I do want to ask if you have figured out if your DreamStation is an Auto (500) or not. THAT is pretty imperative.
Also, if you find you're not liking the DreamStation (maybe you got a noisy one, or maybe you find you need more aggressive pressure algorithms), then you can tell your DME that the DreamStation isn't working for you, and you want the ResMed. This starts as a rental (for a year), so the way I looked at it was that I wasn't stuck with anything, and I could give it back anytime I wanted (during that year).
