Holden versus Ford (ResMed v Philips Respironics)
Resmed v Philips Respironics - which is the best?
After a lot of faffing about with Resmed S9 Autoset, my clinic swapped me to a PR BiPAP Servo. The difference was immediate - centrals (which had been >50% of my AHI) virtually disappeared; OSA dropped significantly; hypopneas (which had never been an issue) suddenly jumped. AHI dropped from the high teens to around 8 - big improvement.
With the PS machine I was constantly aware of the machine assisting me to breathe - almost forcing me at times. The Sleepyhead charts showed hundreds of pressure pulses each night. After a few nights I learned to adjust my breathing to the machine's rhythm and started sleeping right through, quite comfortably. The design of the PS lacked aesthetic finesse, but it spends most of its life in a drawer, so that's OK.
After the BiPAP trial was up, it was time to choose a machine to purchase. The clinic don't actually recommend a particular brand, but they did indicate they have a lot more break-downs with the PS and repair times are excessive. Whether this was spin to push me to the product which gives them a higher margin, I don't know. I decided to go with the Resmed S9 VPAP Adapt for a number of reasons - first, they are made here in Australia (despite my grave reservations about Resmed's way of doing business). Second, I preferred the Resmed user interface, and third was the advice about reliability and repair.
First night with the Resmed I realised it's a very different beast from the PS. For a start, there was none of the regular pulse of breathing - it almost felt as if the machine wasn't pumping at all. However when I had a couple of episodes during the night it took the pressure way up - it felt quite brutal compared with the PS and actually woke me a couple of times. But apart from these episodes you'd barely know it was there.
After a week with the Resmed VPAP I have to say I like it a lot better than the PS. Apart from the occasional very high pressures, it's an extremely subtle device, very unintrusive. I don't have to think about my breathing rhythm - the machine takes my lead, not the other way round. Most important, my AHI has dropped below 2 and I'm getting at most 2 or 3 apneas per night. (It's also recording fewer hypopneas).
On the down side, the S9 can't distinguish the type of apnea, just lumping them together. (Though with so few, that doesn't really matter). It also gives a less detailed output in Sleepyhead (but quite adequate to monitor progress) and I really don't like the ResScan software.
So - Ford or Holden? Resmed or Philips? Despite its shortcomings, my vote goes to the Resmed.
After a lot of faffing about with Resmed S9 Autoset, my clinic swapped me to a PR BiPAP Servo. The difference was immediate - centrals (which had been >50% of my AHI) virtually disappeared; OSA dropped significantly; hypopneas (which had never been an issue) suddenly jumped. AHI dropped from the high teens to around 8 - big improvement.
With the PS machine I was constantly aware of the machine assisting me to breathe - almost forcing me at times. The Sleepyhead charts showed hundreds of pressure pulses each night. After a few nights I learned to adjust my breathing to the machine's rhythm and started sleeping right through, quite comfortably. The design of the PS lacked aesthetic finesse, but it spends most of its life in a drawer, so that's OK.
After the BiPAP trial was up, it was time to choose a machine to purchase. The clinic don't actually recommend a particular brand, but they did indicate they have a lot more break-downs with the PS and repair times are excessive. Whether this was spin to push me to the product which gives them a higher margin, I don't know. I decided to go with the Resmed S9 VPAP Adapt for a number of reasons - first, they are made here in Australia (despite my grave reservations about Resmed's way of doing business). Second, I preferred the Resmed user interface, and third was the advice about reliability and repair.
First night with the Resmed I realised it's a very different beast from the PS. For a start, there was none of the regular pulse of breathing - it almost felt as if the machine wasn't pumping at all. However when I had a couple of episodes during the night it took the pressure way up - it felt quite brutal compared with the PS and actually woke me a couple of times. But apart from these episodes you'd barely know it was there.
After a week with the Resmed VPAP I have to say I like it a lot better than the PS. Apart from the occasional very high pressures, it's an extremely subtle device, very unintrusive. I don't have to think about my breathing rhythm - the machine takes my lead, not the other way round. Most important, my AHI has dropped below 2 and I'm getting at most 2 or 3 apneas per night. (It's also recording fewer hypopneas).
On the down side, the S9 can't distinguish the type of apnea, just lumping them together. (Though with so few, that doesn't really matter). It also gives a less detailed output in Sleepyhead (but quite adequate to monitor progress) and I really don't like the ResScan software.
So - Ford or Holden? Resmed or Philips? Despite its shortcomings, my vote goes to the Resmed.
I have not used Philips Respironics System one machine to compare but looking with interest for any feedback 
