CPAP/BIPAP machines

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judway

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Posts
1,179
Location
West Melbourne, FL
I got my first CPAP machine today. It is a Respironics REMstar Plus M Series with C-Flex and a SmartCard. It also came with the humidifier. The interface is a Respironics Comfort Fusion nasal mask. They gave me a nice canvas bag to carry it from the house to the MH and back. It seems to be pretty quiet. Tonight is my first sleep with the new unit. I finished my second test about 10 days ago.  They said I didn't snore all night ;D. It looks like, when the rental phase and all of the copays are finished I will have about 200 bux in it. I also purchased a 12 V cigarette lighter cable to run it in the motor home. I will get to try that out in a couple of weeks.
 
Good luck with the machine Wayne. I have two Respironics units, one being my original unit and the other being my SIL's that he gave up on. Both units are a bit noisy.
 
In addition to folks here we have a few on the compuserve diabetes forum (community.compuserve.com/diabetes) who know quite a bit about those machines

In fact what little I know.... Learned from them
 
DW & I got CPAPs last Dec.  Her's actually helps her sleep.  Mine isn't for me................ it also helps her sleep as it stops my snoring.  My buddy ED joined us a couple of weeks ago and he to sleeps with a CPAP.  Fortunately, none are noisy. 
 
Glad to see this subject come up. I spent last Saturday night in the sleep lab. Don't know what they found out. They'll tell me when they get around to it. May have questions, later.

Ray D  ;D
 
Ray,

Try searching for CPAP/BIPAP; We've had prior discussions on the subject.
 
John,

I'm curious - what does a CPAP or BIPAP machine do for someone who's diabetic?
 
When I had my sleep study done in 1999 they told me that night what the pressure level was to stop me from holding my breath, 14psi. They also forwarded the results to my pulmonary specialist and he gave me the number for the company that supplied the unit. A person came to the house the next day and fitted my with my Respironics unit which I have had ever since. I did have to have it repaired once and they gave me a loaner til my was ready.

Woody
 
Yep,

That's what a CPAP/BIPAP does. Those of us with sleep apnea just can't get enough continuous deep sleep, because the brain keeps waking us up and telling us to breath.
 
Tom said:
Yep,

That's what a CPAP/BIPAP does. Those of us with sleep apnea just can't get enough continuous deep sleep, because the brain keeps waking us up and telling us to breath.

Then there are those of us who breath, just not enough- well just enough in my case but one of these days......  :)
 
Wayne:

I also use a Respironics that has a 12v plug but I replaced it with a 400 watt modified sine wave inverter ($40.00 at checker auto parts store) because I was drying out my sinuses with 12 volts (No heat for the humidifier). I tried using the coach's Xantrex Freedom 2000 inverter but the overhead was too hard on our batteries over eight hours.

Our batteries and adjacent eletrical compartment are under our bedroom so it was simplest to place the inverter in the electrical compartment, power it directly from the batteries,  and run 110v up to an outlet I added next to the house outlet I normally use. The inverter goes to sleep as soon as I unplug so I do not have to turn it on and off.

After a full night's sleep the batteries show little drain.
 
I went on CPAP in '95 and am convinced it is the earthly reason why I'm alive today.

It went with us to Centermost 1 using the 12 volt outlet. It an older Remstar and was noisy, but it had a remote control. I've had several since, adding an unheated humidifier in '98 and a heated humidifier with a new unit in '00. in '05 I got a new unit with the humidifier attached and this last one is very quiet. I hear the compressor in our sitting room that provides 3ml of oxygen and not the Remstar.

I was prediabetic in '93 , and my Dr was watching things very closely. Oxygen saturation is the link between the CPAP and diabetes and many other organ related diseases. My saturation level had a mean of 83%, a level that left my pancreas, heart, e.t.c., without the oxygen needed the hours I was a sleep. The CPAP, IMO and that of my PCP until '01 allowed me to manage both my incipient diabetes and the congestive heart failure diagnosed in '88 following my first heart attack. A boost of the compressor setting giving me more oxygen in '01and '04  was part of the key ro being off metformin from '05-'06 and controlling with diet.

After I had my ICD implanted in '05, I was able able to go off metforman when my potassium shot through the roof and my rt kidney needed [and got,] a miracle.

CPAP and Bev's hugs are the tools used to keep this body going and your notes and prayer are the levers that pry this tired body out of bed. Thank you, and keep it up. I'm still ridin' for the brand and my lady.

We're resting this week as her 28 radiation treatments are now completed. Her pain level is 10x10.
 
Thanks for that explanation Bob. I didn't understand the connection until reading your message.
 
I spent my first night with the CPAP machine. The machine made a noise which sounded like what I imagine a big bear would sound like sleeping next to me. Judy sleeps with earplugs so she did not complain. She likes total darkness so I will have to cover the 3 big blue lights.

I woke up about the same number of times as I usually do without it, but I was back asleep sooner and I feel the sleep was much more restful. I definitely feel better this morning than yesterday. My mouth was not dry so I didn't sleep with my mouth open (the mask does not cover my mouth). I did not use the humidifier. I feel that the system works for me.

I did not have any problem with the mask or equipment. I did make an entire turn and rapped the hose around me, but the problem was solved by turning back the other way. I will have to get a different pillow which needs to be shorter.

I was going to post on the old thread but a message came up that it was over 120 days old and suggested that It might be better to start a new thread.

Jeff:
On my system, the 120VAC is converted to 12VDC with an in-line power supply and the 12V goes into the humidifier. A wire then comes out of the humidifier and goes to the CPAP machine. When the 12V from the battery supply is plugged into the humidifier I would expect the system does not know where the 12V comes from and the humidifier should work fine without the 120V. I will try reading some more and maybe try it when I get a chance.
 
judway, you might want to try a full face mask, if you begin opening your mouth.  Once you get used to the CPAP (less than a week), you'll feel like a million dollars.
 
judway said:
I woke up about the same number of times as I usually do without it, but I was back asleep sooner and I feel the sleep was much more restful. I definitely feel better this morning than yesterday. My mouth was not dry so I didn't sleep with my mouth open (the mask does not cover my mouth). I did not use the humidifier. I feel that the system works for me.

    Those of us with Sleep Apnea really don't know how often we "wake-up," we only realize the times our conscious mind recognizes that fact we're awake.  One thing you need to make sure of is that you don't have any leaks around the mask.  Leaks make for a loss of air pressure (calculated during your sleep clinic session/s) which will lessen the effects of the CPAP machine.  When my mask gets a bit loose and the air leaks, I tend to begin snoring again (so I'm told) and the CPAP machine loses some of its effectiveness.  Today, I can't imagine sleeping without it and I'm sure it has added years to my life.

Steve
 
WOW!!  I didn't realize I had so much company.

Like Bob, I give my CPAP a lot of credit for my longevity as well.  I have had multiple heart attacks, two open heart surgeries (quad bypasses), both congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation so the last thing I need is to have my sleep apnea starving my brain of oxygen.

My machine, a 6 year old ResMed, seems to be a bit primitive when compared to some of today's models.  It's basically an air pump with the addition of a passive humidifier if needed.  No fancy data recording or data link capabilities like some I read about on sleep apnea related forums.
 
Several suggestions:

1. Use two tubes with a connector, not one, and set the CPAP on a rug on the floor. Amazing how much less you'll hear!

2. Our son Scott, who loves to work up ideas, came up with a ||-----------o that swings on 2" of wood attached to the wall 3' above and center of my pillow. I run the hose through the "o" and it drops down to the mattress. I further use a little cord just under the --o tying the hose together and keeping the hose from losing the adjustment point I like. Now, I never sleep on the hose. :mad: 

3. I take adjustable cubical coat hooks in my travel bag for use on hotel head boards. Every hotel I've contacted has provided me with a gal of distilled water at no cost and a frig for my insulin. Be nice to the reservation clerk, or take your RV!

4. With my Breeze Way sleep system, NO MASK, never again! This system is very comfortable and is like a scuba breathing system except the rubber straps holds the nasal pillows in the nostrils, not a mask piece that never wanted to fit perfectly without being cinched down so tight that the ruts were deep.

Anyone have other tips? I'm always ready to learn.
 
Judway, do a test of the unit first. The 12 v outlet beside the bed had too small a wire and could not supply enough juice to keep the resperonics running.


Bob Maxwell: "I went on CPAP in '95 and am convinced it is the earthly reason why I'm alive today."

...despite my attempt to kill you one night at your house N of Santa Fe! I was plugged into an outlet on the same circuit as your bedroom and neglected to turn off everything, blowing the circuit breaker feeding your CPAP.
 
I've been on my Respironics with a heated humidfier for over a year now and LOVE it.  We hardly ever camp without cord power, so I just plug her in.  If I ever primitive camp, I'll look into a converter.
 
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