Are hypoallergenic filters worth the difference in cost?

[GrammaBear]

I checked with the Supplier #1 to compare the cost of the standard filters vs hypoallergenic filters.  It seems that their price for 6 filters, standard or hypoallergenic is $11.95.  Has anyone ordered the hypoallergenic filters and found them to be superior to the standard filters.  The DME that supplies my cpap supplies always sends the standard and I don't know if they even stock the hypoallergenic filters.

[Crimson Nape]

I can't tell any quality difference. The hypo's, being more dense and thus restrict incoming air, make my S9 louder.

[Melman]

Hypoallergenic filters remove smaller particles and, therefore, more particles than standard filters but they are not sterilizing filters if that's what you're looking for.  Are you experiencing symptoms that you think will improve with better filtration? The air you breath when not using your CPAP is the same that you breath in your home when awake. The purpose of the filter is to protect the machine, not the user. As Red pointed out, they also cause the machine to work a little harder because they restrict air flow more than standard filters.

[Hojo]

I used one of those filters (can't remember which company I bought it from) but it darn near killed me; it wouldn't allow the machine to work properly and I almost suffocated, I will NEVER try one again.

[Mosquitobait]

If you don't have allergies, it's not worth the bother. I use knock-off standardfilters in the wintertime, but found that the hypoallergenic filters work once the windows are open. I prefer and use Resmed brand filters instead of knockoffs, but I couldn't always get them.

Gramma, contact the office that services your account and ask them - do you supply hypoallergenic filters through the warehouse OR if not, can I get them through the office?

As to why some of you had problems with your machine with using hypoallergenic filters, I have no answer. They shouldn't be affecting your machine - it's fine enough to remove larger pollen and cat fur, but doesn't substantially impact air.

[Hojo]

I found some comments that I had posted on a thread I had started when I was trying to figure out why my respiratory rate suddenly shot up to 50 breaths a minute:




'The first few nights that I woke up and felt like I was panting like a dog but then during another episode I realized I wasn't 'panting', I wasn't even breathing.  I wasn't breathing because I couldn't exhale against the pressure, but I was actually bucking the excessive (air) pressure.   My wife woke up and even noticed the noise of me 'panting' and put her hand on my back (I was on my side) to wake me but she noticed that I wasn't panting, I wasn't breathing, so she went to wake me but I was already awake (in a daze)'.

A few days later;

'I have breaking news on my tachypnea:     After your post last night I got to thinking that I should look into tachypnea as being a side effect of CPAP and before even looking into it, I had a light bulb go off;  FILTER!

I had changed the standard (screen) filter that the came with the ResMed to a hypoallergenic filter, and low and behold, that is exactly the night that my tachpynea started.  I went to the machine, opened up the door to the filter and turned the machine on, wow, it almost got sucked in, that is how hard the machine had to pull to get air.  I put in the normal screen filter that comes with the machine and it it allowed a lot of air to enter the machine without any restriction.

Next test:  And I did this under the observation of my wife so to see if she could tell the difference in the effects on me.  I did not tell her what I was doing to the machine (I made her turn away), I put one filter in, turned the machine on with the FFM mask on.  I took several normal breaths (CPAP at 12 with no ramp), then held my breath.  Changed filters and repeated the test.

The results were as I suspected; the screen filter allowed the machine to work normally and the air to escape out the vent in the FFM without any problems.  To my wife, it looked like I was holding my breath (I was).  With the hypoallergenic filter I had difficulty exhaling against the pressure of 12 (after several minutes I could not exhale).  When I held my breath with the hypo filter in place my wife thought I was panting, I wasn't, the machine was bucking the pressure and my body was jerking with it.

So, now I have to wonder what is up with this filter, is it normal.  I won't name the filter (it did come from a CPAP supplier), but I would caution in using a hypoallergenic filter until the cause can be determined.

So last night with the normal screen filter, my tachypnea was absent and the results were back to where they were pretty much before.'