Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
I just turned 59 a few weeks back, and I've been using a Puritan & Bennett GoodKnight 318 cpap device for going on 20 years now set on 7. It's just a straight cpap, but has worked all this time with NO signs of ever quitting. It does have a ramp feature, but I've never used it. I also am using the Mirage Swift II nasal pillow mask, which works well. No humidifier, as even a pass-over one has always caused rain-out and made me feel like I'm drowning. Though I do get extreme dry mouth. Even though this has worked for me, I never have felt completely wide awake and all that full of energy after a night of sleeping.
So, I recently started thinking about the terrifying thought of "what would happen IF my machine ever DID quit"? My setting is only around 7, BUT, I can NOT get to sleep and stay that way without the cpap. I've even had a septoplasty and uveloplasty (my uvela was huge) way back then, but even so, I still needed the machine.
I decided to start doing some research on the internet, and was amazed at all the choices of machines that are now available. They make my old machine look like it was made for cavemen, back in dinosaur days! Though like I said, my old machine has never missed a beat, and I'm still alive so that's good. Anyway, I found a used ResMed 8 Autoset II with humidifier on my fairly local Facebook Marketplace for a cheap price, and the guy agreed to ship it. It's at my local post office, and just went on the truck and will be delivered today!!!
I can't WAIT to install the Sleepyhead software and use the new machine to hopefully get things "tuned in" a little better. My mask is also getting close to being due for replacement, so if I can find a good price on one, I'm thinking about replacing it with an Airfit P10 nasal pillow mask. I'm on my own for paying for all this, as my insurance is a high-deductible plan, and it's almost impossible to get to the point of paying the deductibles before they cover anything.
This all makes me wish I had "woke up" sooner to the fact of all these newer cpap devices, and done this 7-8 years ago. But, better late than never.
I'll be back with any questions if I have them, and/or to post my stats and get some feedback on how I'm doing.
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
Congrats on your new machine. Welcome to Apnea Board!
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
The S8 Autoset is pretty dated, and is superceded by the S9 and Airsense 10. The biggest drawback is that any data is stored on a smartcard and is not compatible with Sleepyhead software. That said, the autoset (auto) CPAP function is very very good, and it should improve your treatment over the old machine. Keep an eye out for a newer S9 or Airsense 10, and if a good deal comes up, get it. Having access to your data can really help to optimize your machine and there also have been some improvements in the newer models.
Welcome.
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
(12-20-2017, 09:57 AM)Sleeprider Wrote: The S8 Autoset is pretty dated, and is superceded by the S9 and Airsense 10. The biggest drawback is that any data is stored on a smartcard and is not compatible with Sleepyhead software. That said, the autoset (auto) CPAP function is very very good, and it should improve your treatment over the old machine. Keep an eye out for a newer S9 or Airsense 10, and if a good deal comes up, get it. Having access to your data can really help to optimize your machine and there also have been some improvements in the newer models.
Welcome.
Well, babysteps for now with a much newer machine than my old one and we can see from that. It's almost like starting over from scratch, as compared to basically sticking a vacuum cleaner blower in my mouth all these years, LOL.
Though this is the first I've heard that Sleepyhead software won't work with this specific machine? Why is that, as it appears to have a regular sd card setup? Even if it's for sure that it doesn't work with Sleepyhead, it must then work with the ResMed software, which I also have a download of.
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
It will work with ResScan. If it is a SD card then perhaps, but I believe that Sleepyhead was not developed until the S9 was available, so the software was never written for the S8 and older Resmed machines.
Since you have the Autoset function, are you going to setup variable pressure and let the machine self-titrate. I would think that setting it to a range of 7 to 12 might be a good trial to see where you end up.
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
Hi MikeBear,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck as you continue CPAP therapy, and also with the newer machine.
trish6hundred
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
(12-20-2017, 10:29 AM)Sleeprider Wrote: Since you have the Autoset function, are you going to setup variable pressure and let the machine self-titrate. I would think that setting it to a range of 7 to 12 might be a good trial to see where you end up.
Yes, that's what I plan on doing. Though I was thinking more along the lines of 5 or 6 to 12 for the range. For the first night or so, I think I'll just set it to straight cpap at the pressure of 7, and see how that works compared to my older machine. Once I get an idea of IF they match/are calibrated to the same pressure level at a particular setting, I'll go from there.
I do have some asthma at times, and I have COPD (chronic bronchitis, though I've never smoked, thank God at least that it's not emphysema) I also tend towards being a mouth breather during the day. It sounds strange, BUT, even at my age I don't believe I truly know how to properly breathe! I tend to breathe too shallow, and I frequently find myself holding my breath during the day. I've also always been a chronic "air-swallower". Some of that might be because I'm at least 40lbs overweight, but I'm working on trying to get that down, and it's so much harder at this age...
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
From what you are saying, I would do some more medical stuff. Do you have access to a pulmonologist and sleep doctor? I think I would have some investigation, to see how your COPD with shallow breath with faster breathing is affecting you. You may need another type of machine. Shallow breath mouth breathing during the day, may also indicate a lack of O2. To me it doesn't sound as simple, as swapping to auto cpap
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
(12-20-2017, 05:15 PM)ajack Wrote: From what you are saying, I would do some more medical stuff. Do you have access to a pulmonologist and sleep doctor? I think I would have some investigation, to see how your COPD with shallow breath with faster breathing is affecting you. You may need another type of machine. Shallow breath mouth breathing during the day, may also indicate a lack of O2. To me it doesn't sound as simple, as swapping to auto cpap
I have had that checked a few years back, and they claimed I passed the tests ok. Though they told me that I: "have some sort of disconnect between how much oxygen my brain THINKS I'm getting, versus how much I'm actually getting". At several points where they had me HYPER-ventilate, I actually "went into another universe" or something, almost like a faint without fainting. It was real odd, as when I came out of that state, my pupils were fluttering back and forth constantly. When I mentioned to the therapist guy that I thought I went "elsewhere" for a short time, he said: "yeah, you did", and basically blew it off saying it was nothing! It happened several more times during the testing, but he's the expert...
Translation: they SWEAR I'm getting enough oxygen saturation, HOWEVER, my brain doesn't believe it. I'm usually fine, however I am prone to exertional dyspnea, which then causes a panic attack, and I have to calm down and take deep slow breaths to recover. When I'm like that, it very much helps to have someone standing next to me telling me: "everything is fine, you're going to be ok, take slow breaths and calm down".
So, now that I'm actually aware things aren't really all fine and well, I'm starting with a newer machine for now, and will go from there.
RE: Excited! Getting new (to me) cpap machine today after 20 years!
I'm glad it's been checked out and the symptoms aren't a real problem. If you want to keep an eye on it and reassure yourself during an episode. You can get a O2 meter off of ebay for $50 cms50f, it will also record your o2 levels over 24 hrs and you can view it on your computer.
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