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Help with CPAP
#1
Help with CPAP
My name is William, 

I have a long history with CPAP let me give a little of it. I was diagnosed with OSA in April of 2010. I have tried multiple times from 2010 until about a month ago to use my cpap to no avail. I could never get more that a few days of usage when I would just give up (for many reasons, uncomfortable being the main one.). All that was until a month ago when my husband and I were cleaning out a closet and ran across my cpap machine. I decided that I needed to give it another go and to my surprise I could tolerate it. I ordered a new mask and hose and started wearing my machine every night and started feeling better. 

That was until 4 nights ago when I started seeing black foam flecks in my water tank. I started looking online to see what the issue was and discovered that my machine was part of the Phillips Respironics recall. I stopped using the machine that night. Since then I have been miserable sleeping. Could it be that one month of use ruined me for not using it? My throat has been raw waking up every morning from the snoring. I didn't have this problem before I started using it. 

Well I called my local sleep center and the fastest that they can get me in for a physician appointment is in January. I am desperate for a Cpap machine in the mean time and saw someone was selling one on FB marketplace. I bought it this morning and adjusted the pressure to my settings on my previous Cpap and thought "Ahh sleep again". But I find that this machine is not working for me. It is a Respironics REMStar Pro (before they got bought by Phillips and not part of the recall) my main issue is the pressure on the machine and the poor flex on expiration.

Initially set it on the 13 that I was prescribed many years ago. This was almost unbearable compared to my old machine. I have played around with it all morning to the point that it is on 4, the lowest it will go and the flex on expiration is nothing really. 

I have an at home sleep study ordered and supposed to come in this week, after which I can go buy a new CPAP machine. I just need to talk with someone about this. 

My questions are these: 

1.) Is the difference is Flex that much different on the REMStar Pro vs. the System One? 
2.) Even at 4, I am getting terrible aerophagia, any suggestions on how to stop this? 
3.) I am just worried that after struggling for years with not having CPAP and finally using it and loving it, I won't get the same results again. 

Just some advice and words of encouragement please. 

Thank you, 
Will.
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#2
RE: Help with CPAP
"... Could it be that one month of use ruined me for not using it? My throat has been raw waking up every morning from the snoring. I didn't have this problem before I started using it..."

Yewbetcha.  In the short time you were getting the designed benefits from using it, your sleep changed.  You slept better, and you got to like it....kinda. Now, you're back suddenly to the crappy so-called sleep you used to 'enjoy', and your body is rebelling.  This is my opinion, although there could legitimately be other explanations.

I hope you get a replacement soon.  Phillips has a replacement on the market already, but we here at apneaboard favour the RESMED series for a number of reasons.

I'm glad to see you have persisted, even if a great bit later.  You should see lots of benefits, although they may be long in coming. Many post here complaining of seeing, or feeling, no real benefit to their CPAP therapy.

Aerophagia is most often the result of either swallowing excessively or sleeping preferentially on one's back.  This should be avoided.

Every time you are away from PAP for more than a week or so, and especially if you get new equipment and/or accessories like masks, you are probably NOT going to have a seamless resumption of your therapy.  But, as with the first time you got it nicely dialed-in, you can do it again.  Same process, same open mind, same determination, same persistence.  
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#3
RE: Help with CPAP
Thank you @mesenteria for your reply. I appreciate the words of advice and encouragement.

I wanted to give an update. Sunday Morning I found someone selling one of the old Respironics (Prior to Phillips merger) CPAP machines. I bought it from them in hopes to use it until I got a new CPAP machine. Unfortunately no matter what I set the pressure to it seemed like it was stuck on 20, and the CFLEX was terrible.

Well after feeling defeated again with the used CPAP and Phillips only offering me $25 for my CPAP with the recall, I decided that I was going to do something different. Sunday afternoon I opened up my CPAP machine and spent over 2 hours cleaning out every spec of foam in the machine. I'm talking I even opened up the turbine and deep cleaned it all with alcohol. It was a chore but I got it in spic and span shape in the end.

I have used it Sunday night and last night with no issues. I even added a bit of gauze as a filter on the tube coming from the machine into the humidifier chamber so that it might catch any spec that I may have missed. The machine has worked well and I have slept really well for the last two night.

My home sleep study kit came in this morning and I hope to be able to purchase a new CPAP by the end of the week.

I'm thinking of getting the Airsense 11. Any other suggestions?
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#4
RE: Help with CPAP
People feel the ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset is still a valid alternative to the 11, and you might find it at a better price.
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#5
RE: Help with CPAP
Just wanted to provide an update.

I had my in home sleep study and it went well, other than not really being able to sleep with the stuff on and without my CPAP.

I was able to get into see a Sleep Doctor and had my appointment today. I just bough my new Airsense 11 and will use it for the first time tonight! I'm excited.
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#6
RE: Help with CPAP
I was going to suggest replacing the foam chamber with a foamless one for $30 on Amazon...  You can still do that since you now know how to open up your machine..  I will tell you that I've tried a few resmed machines the S10 and the S11 and I cannot sleep as well using them even with self-titration and low AHI...  So I would keep your DS1 as it has been the best machine for me, just in case you don't sleep as well with the S11. Smile
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