[Equipment] JOY! I've been swapped to a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet (from a SEFAM S.Box)

[dbcpap]

Big Joy!  

After continued struggles with my NHS hospital-supplied SEFAM S.Box, which I documented here:
https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...S-Box-SBox

The brilliant hospital staff have now kindly swapped me to a ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset at my request.

I am genuinely excited about being able to install the OSCAR software and share my data and findings with you in this thread (I couldn't change the title of the old thread, so I presume that starting a new thread was the correct course of action) -- and quite probably ask for your advice/guidance as I go.


First observation: Packed, the AirSense seems about 30%+ more compact and lighter than the S.Box in its bag, which is useful as I travel fairly often.

Thanks in advance to those that have already helped me on this forum and will no doubt continue to do so. I'm grateful to have found you.

db

[OpalRose]

Wow, so glad you were able to make that swap.

You're fine with starting this new thread and by inserting the link to your previous thread is helpful.

Be sure you have a new SD card in your AirSense.

[dbcpap]

First night with the ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset (auto-everything, default settings). How am I looking?


(I appreciate that one night's data alone isn't enough to paint a full picture, but I'm excited at last to have some visual data to work with -- my previous SEFAM S.Box was a impenetrable "black box".)

[Irish2024]

dbcpap, can I ask how you found the switch from the Sefam to the Airsense?

I'm based in Ireland, but have been on the Sefam since April 2023 with mixed results and obviously no way to change my treatment parameters. As such, I'm considering a change to a Resmed machine which will allow treatment changes guided by OSCAR.

[NicoFR]

good for you
i had my first night with an air sense as well. I swapped from the sefam to the dreamstation and finally air sense 11.

good luck with you treatment

[Irish2024]

Hi Nico.

How did you experience the Dreamstation and Airsense compared to the S.Box?

[NicoFR]

Sefam got me a week of relief where I felt soooo good.
Then they changed it for The dreamstation but I was still feeling tired.
I only have the airsense since yesterday and only one night so… I shall see how my day goes

[dbcpap]

dbcpap, can I ask how you found the switch from the Sefam to the Airsense?

Executive Summary: I'm much happier with my results using the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset.

I initially used the Sefam S.Box for a relatively short time, about 2-3 weeks from memory. I documented my initial Sefam S.Box experience here.

The NHS then offered to swap me to to a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset which I've been using nightly for just under 6 months. My Sleep Apnoea appears to be under good control and I no longer feel any tiredness in the day time (beyond what would be reasonable). I tend to go to bed between 22:00-00:00 and I no longer use an alarm clock to wake-up, instead I now wake-up naturally between 05:30-07:00 without any apparent exhaustion/tiredness (I must say that I seldom actually get out of bed and start my day at 05:30, but I could if I chose to -- I still don't "like" mornings...).

Maybe once a week I wake-up too early (between 02:00-04:00), either because I need to use the bathroom (I've learnt to drink a large glass of water before sleep to avoid having a very dry-mouth in the morning) or because the CPAP machine is blowing a gale into my nose (but not to the same extent as the former Sefam S.Box, which was uncomfortably strong and I felt like I was being inflated like a balloon!). Regards the dry-mouth, the Airsense is nothing like as bad as the Sefam S.Box was for this side-effect (I can control the humidity setting on the Airsense 10 myself, I can't recall whether this was possible on the Sefam S.Box without intervention from the healthcare professional). 

To be honest, I haven't spent any further time learning to analyse my results on OSCAR as I'm happy enough with my results as they are, alebit there might well be a way to stop me being awoken too early when the pressure is too high. My AHI readings according to the display on the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset are 0.x for a really good night (which I get fairly often), 2.x-3.x is about average and 6.8 would be about the highest I now see if I've drank too much alcohol and have a bad night's sleep. Pre-treatment, my AHI was 15+ from memory.

I recently upgraded from a normal tube/hose a heated tube from Resmed as, when in the UK winter, I have been rudely awoken by 'rainout' a few times, which appears to be the humidifed water vapour recondensing in the breathing tube on a cold night (I don't run my hosusehold heating at night). It was like having a personal nose shower and quite annoying. The heated tube immediately fixed the problem. I don't travel with the heated tube because everywhere I go is warmer than the UK! :-D

If you're in Ireland, in my own experience I would:

1. 100% exchange the Sefam S.Box for a Resmed Airsense 10 autoset (or 11 if that's now working with OSCAR). If you cannot get one from your heathcare provider, then I would go so far as to say that you should buy one privately, self-funded. I can't tell you how much I would have paid to win back my  strong energy levels.
2. Definitely get the humidifier water chamber (I wasn't offered this by the NHS until I asked). Experiment with the humidity settings, I think mine is currently at 6.
3. If you get 'rainout' just spent the £35/€40 to buy the heated hose/tube.
4. Clean the equipment very frequently. I wasn't initially advised how important it is to frequently and regularly clean/wash the equipment -- particularly the mask, which I now do daily using the cheapest washing-up liquid as it removes the natural skin oils and contains no moisturiser: the 'tackiness' aides a good seal (I sleep on my front, so my face and mask hits and rubs against my pillow). I run wam water through the tube at least weekly and change or clean the air-filter monthly (or even couple of months if I forget).

Any more questions, do ask. I'm not an expert, but I have had a very positive experience with this machine and I'll do my best. It's genuinely life changing.

[PetarPan]

Hello, I'm in Ireland and aldo got sefam box I was not happy with.
Go to resmedpei.com site and
 speak to them, that have few clinics in Ireland.
I'm getting my sefam box picked up by courier and going to get airsense 10 instead ?

[Sleeprider]

dbcpap, congrats on swapping the Sefam for the Resmed. I was the first to comment on your original thread that we did not have much experience with the Sefam S Box as they were just recently adopted as standard issue by NHS. If I may comment on your chart posted above, you need to rains minimum pressure to match your median pressure. 4-cm minimum is insufficient, and you need to be at 8 cm to allow EPR to work properly. This will stabilize your pressure and EPR and should be a much better experience. After we see the results of that change, we can take another look and see if there is more available to optimize.