Issues with shipping CPAP machines to Taiwan - Any advice?

[Sleeprider]

The Z2 machine is a new version of a travel CPAP that was known for being loud and sometimes came up short on air volume. They are much less expensive than the Philips and Resmed travel units and it is probably a good unit for travel, but not as a primary home device. No data that I'm aware of and I have no personal or even anecdotal experience with this device. There are reviews on that machine posted at Supplier #1 that might help with your decision.

Note how I referenced Supplier #1 and previously Supplier #2 and Supplier #33. That is to avoid the use of commercial and DME links which are not allowed by the rules of this forum. Please avoid links to products like this, they are easy to find with the description.

[WWu777]

One more question: If I want to test my sleep apnea again, do I have to go to the hospital and order a sleep session again? Because the waiting period for that is quite long. I heard there is a portable device that you can get that will test your breathing while you sleep and how often it stops. Right? If so, where can you get that? Thanks.

[WWu777]

The Z2 machine is a new version of a travel CPAP that was known for being loud and sometimes came up short on air volume. They are much less expensive than the Philips and Resmed travel units and it is probably a good unit for travel, but not as a primary home device.  No data that I'm aware of and I have no personal or even anecdotal experience with this device.  There are reviews on that machine posted at Supplier #1 that might help with your decision.

Note how I referenced Supplier #1 and previously Supplier #2 and Supplier #33. That is to avoid the use of commercial and DME links which are not allowed by the rules of this forum.  Please avoid links to products like this, they are easy to find with the description.

Thanks. It looks like the reviews for that machine are good. I can't post any links on this site? Why are the rules so strict here?

Is it advisable to get a CPAP machine from Amazon or Ebay? Would they be cheaper there? Even if I picked a seller with a good feedback rating? I know a lot of people warn about Ebay but if you find a seller with a high positive feedback rating it should be ok right? Do you know anyone that's used Ebay or Amazon for CPAP machines?

Btw, from Supplier #1, I saw a CPAP machine for $249 called:

Apex Medical XT Fit CPAP Machine

Wow that's the cheapest I've ever seen. Yet the reviews are very high for it, almost 5 stars. Is there any drawback to it? Why is it so cheap? What's the catch? If it's not good quality then why are the reviews so high on there? Can you trust the reviews on that site? Could they be rigged by the manufacturer and filled with fake reviews? What do you think?

[WWu777]

Update:

Good news. I found a Hong Kong supplier who will ship CPAP machines to Taiwan and said that they have experience doing so and getting it through Taiwanese customs with a good success rate. Their CPAP machines are a little more expensive than the US, at 1100 to 1200 USD, but that's ok. It's still a lot less than the 2000 USD that they charge in Taiwan for it.

If anyone is interested, their website is: (Am I allowed to post external links here? If not, I apologize.)
Link removed.
Here's what they told me by email:

Thanks for your inquiry.

We do offer free shipping for any CPAP machine to Taiwan.

We receive numerous orders from Taiwan every months. Everyone received their CPAP.

Actually CPAP is allowed to ship into Taiwan. There is a permission you can apply for through Ministry of Health and Welfare.

If your stock is being inspected, you can show the permission to get back the stock.
Although it costs time to go through certain procedures to get the permission.
But even if you do not have the permission, you can still place the order and we will ship the stock for free.

They are rarely inspected and even if so, we will ship another new package.

We guarantee the stock will arrive Taiwan.
Our store will receive payment through Paypal so Paypal will also ensure customer receiving their ordered items.

If the stock could not arrive Taiwan no matter how we ship, Paypal offer the right for customer to get back the money they paid.

More information about CPAP, you can check our website: shop cpappal [Link removed.
Feel free to ask me any question or contact me through any other platform

The CPAP machines we sent mostly don't get inspected especially to Northern Taiwan. Only few were inspected and will be returned back to Hong Kong. We will then send another whole new package again. It works every time.
We will always label the stock in way so it can pass the customs faster.

For prices, you can refer to our online store:

(Ordinary Auto CPAP)
shop cpappal Link removed.

(Travel Auto CPAP)
shop cpappal Link removed.

The prices are based on HKD and approximately times 4 for NTD.

For instance, the most popular model Dreamstation Auto with full set will cost HKD7600 and will be about NTD34800.

We don't have the most updated information about price but I guess in Taiwan will cost about 1 fold or more higher.

For travel CPAP, Dreamstation Go Auto will be a fully functional CPAP with compact size. On the other hand, AirMini AutoSet is one of the smallest CPAP on market this moment. Both are currently the most popular travel machines.
We accept credit card payment online.
As mentioned before, payment will be transfer through Paypal so both of our rights can be protected. (No Paypal account required)

All CPAP machines come with 2 years warranty for main unit. If any problem encountered, you can ship the machine to us for repair and maintenance. Only the shipping fee for sending machines from Taiwan to Hong Kong will be paid by you. We will responsible for all other charges.

Prescription are not necessary for buying CPAP machines.

All CPAP machines' interface and user manuals are in English.

Is that a good deal? The prices he quoted for travel CPAP machines are like 1100 to 1200 USD.

Btw, look how expensive CPAP machines in Taiwan are.
(1 US dollar = 30 NTD)

[WWu777]

Btw all, I forgot to post this update earlier about why I decided not to deal with the customs clearance issue in Taiwan:

Ok I contacted the Taiwan Customs Office and then the FDA, after Customs told me to contact the FDA. It seems that I cannot import a CPAP machine here without a medical license from the FDA first. Otherwise, the Customs will not allow it through. However, I have no idea how to get this license from the FDA. When I call the Taiwan FDA, the person on the phone keeps transferring me to someone else, and so I keep getting passed around endlessly. It seems no one knows anything and they keep telling me to call someone else. And when I go to the Taiwan FDA website, there is no info on how to apply for an import license and no email or contact form, only a list of phone numbers on the contact page, which if I call, will result in the same thing again where I keep getting transferred and passed around. Some of the phone staff did give me an email to write to, but when I write to them, I get no response. You would think in a first world country like this, this kind of thing would be a little easier than that.

So this doesn't seem to be going anywhere and seems like a lot of trouble. I guess the only way would be for me to go to their office in Taipei and apply for the medical import license, but Taipei is far away from me, and I have no idea whether it would even be approved.

It all just seems like too much trouble. I might as well just get it in the US. However, with this coronavirus thing and lockdown, I'm not sure when I will be able to return to the US. Or when international flights will be allowed into the US again. I hope this virus fiasco is over soon. It's more trouble than it's worth and way overblown.

Or I can look for a special sale or deal in Taiwan. With the global economy going down, a lot of companies are slashing prices, so I may be able to get a good deal now on CPAP machines here.

Addendum Question:

Since Taiwan FDA and Customs seem so disorganized and when you call them, no one seems to know anything, could it be possible that I might be able to sneak a CPAP machine past them? lol. Since the one CE uses looks like a camcorder, maybe I can have it labeled as a camcorder on the customs form? lol. They would never notice right? Especially since they seem so clumsy and disorganized. What do you all think?

[WWu777]

One more question: 

If I order a travel auto CPAP device from them, can I just turn on the auto settings and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I do that and follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right?

I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists. What do you all think?

[Dormeo]

Thanks for posting with all this good information. This could help someone in the future! I believe you can find your best settings by starting a new thread on this board. Be sure to specify which machine you've bought.

[WWu777]

Thanks for posting with all this good information.  This could help someone in the future!  I believe you can find your best settings by starting a new thread on this board.  Be sure to specify which machine you've bought.

Can't I just ask my questions in this thread? By starting new threads, it's more trouble cause then I have to keep track of them. It's easier to consolidate everything in one thread, right?

Anyway, I just have a few miscellaneous questions, if that's ok.

I think I will get the DreamStation Go Travel CPAP. Everyone seems to say that that's the best travel CPAP machine available. The reviews on YouTube all said that too. The HK website I mentioned above said they can get it to me in Taiwan and get it through customs ok. Anyway, so my questions now are:

1. Can I just turn on the auto settings on the CPAP and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I just follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right? I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists.

If I have to guess, what is a safe low risk range to set an auto CPAP? Usually the best things are mid-range. For example, if you are in a store and can't decide whether to buy the expensive brand or the cheapest brand, the best deal for your money is usually the mid-range items that are not too cheap or too expensive. Those tend to be the best value in my experience. Likewise, what would be a good safe midrange for me to set an auto CPAP if I have to?

2. How often are you supposed to get a sleep test to check on that status of your sleep apnea? Every few years? Isn't it expensive to do a sleep test, unless you have medical insurance? Even if you had medical insurance, does it pay for a periodic sleep test? How often are you supposed to get it? Just once or every few years?

3. I have a lot of nightmares and dreams with anxiety. Does sleep apnea cause bad dreams and nightmares? Or is this an issue with the subconscious mind and unconscious fears, as Carl Jung and Freud would say? Have any of you alleviated your bad dreams or nightmares by using a CPAP machine?

4. I also have this unusual sleep problem that I don't know whether it's been classified or labeled by science yet. Every few days, my sleep schedule seems to roll forward a few hours. I cannot maintain a regular 10pm to 6am sleep schedule. It keeps rolling forward every few days. Like one time it will be 2am to 10am. Then a few days later 4am to 12noon. Then a few days later 6am to 2pm. And so on. Eventually my sleep schedule is upside down and I can't even get any errands done because every business closes at 5pm or 6pm. Then it pushes forward again back to normal cycle again and so I come full circle. And then the cycle repeats again. 

I've had this problem for years. It happens usually when I live a sedentary lifestyle on the computer and have nowhere to go. But if I'm traveling and on the move a lot and walking or hiking a lot, then I get tired at the end of the day and can sleep a normal schedule. I'm wonder, does sleep apnea cause this rollover effect? Have any of you experienced something like this before? If so, does CPAP fix this problem and help set your sleep in regular cycles?

If any of you can answer these questions, then thanks in advance.

[WWu777]

Btw, this is the CPAP I'm getting from the HK supplier. See the link below. Does this site look credible and legit? Any red flags or suspicious elements that I should be worried about?

[Commercial Link Removed] Search for: Dreamstation Go Auto Travel CPAP

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Moderator Action: Commercial Link Removed

To maintain our status as an educational organization, the only commercial links allowed in this forum are to CPAP-related manufacturer websites. This is stated in the Apnea Board Rules with details given in the Commercial Links Policy section.

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[Dormeo]

Thanks for posting with all this good information.  This could help someone in the future!  I believe you can find your best settings by starting a new thread on this board.  Be sure to specify which machine you've bought.

Can't I just ask my questions in this thread? By starting new threads, it's more trouble cause then I have to keep track of them. It's easier to consolidate everything in one thread, right?

With this subject thread, the only new readers you will get are people with questions about shipping.  Try making a new thread with a subject line like: Help with settings for new DreamStation Go Travel CPAP.

Anyway, I just have a few miscellaneous questions, if that's ok.

I think I will get the DreamStation Go Travel CPAP. Everyone seems to say that that's the best travel CPAP machine available. The reviews on YouTube all said that too. The HK website I mentioned above said they can get it to me in Taiwan and get it through customs ok. Anyway, so my questions now are:

1. Can I just turn on the auto settings on the CPAP and just let the device adjust itself according to my breathing during sleep? Can I just follow the instruction manual for all my needs with the device? Or do I need to get the assistance of a nurse or sleep specialist? Can I just do it all by myself using common sense logic and the instruction manual without any outside help? Or even if I need outside help, I can just ask forums like this for advice or assistance right? I hope so, because it's a pain in the butt to go to the hospital here and find a sleep specialist. There's a language barrier, and plus the closest sleep center is far away from me too. I'd have to bother my parents to drive me there, since I don't even have my own car here. So I'm looking for a way to use this thing without needing assisting from nurses and sleep specialists.

If you can download the Oscar software (see link at top of page) onto a computer, you can generate the data you will need to optimize your settings.  I would recommend that you upload a daily chart from Oscar to this forum, where you will get good help (again, especially if you start a new thread with an informative subject line).

If I have to guess, what is a safe low risk range to set an auto CPAP? Usually the best things are mid-range. For example, if you are in a store and can't decide whether to buy the expensive brand or the cheapest brand, the best deal for your money is usually the mid-range items that are not too cheap or too expensive. Those tend to be the best value in my experience. Likewise, what would be a good safe midrange for me to set an auto CPAP if I have to?

That's not a good analogy.  Try starting with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 20.  There would not be anything unsafe about that.  By setting the maximum at 20, you will be able to see how high the machine "wants" to go in response to your breathing.

2. How often are you supposed to get a sleep test to check on that status of your sleep apnea? Every few years? Isn't it expensive to do a sleep test, unless you have medical insurance? Even if you had medical insurance, does it pay for a periodic sleep test? How often are you supposed to get it? Just once or every few years?

Most people never have another sleep test after the one that gives them their initial diagnosis.  But it might be good to have a second test if you lose a lot of weight, have surgery for a deviated septum, successfully treat allergies, or in some other way change aspects of your body that might contribute to apnea.  Also, if CPAP does not treat your apnea, an additional test might be advisable.

3. I have a lot of nightmares and dreams with anxiety. Does sleep apnea cause bad dreams and nightmares? Or is this an issue with the subconscious mind and unconscious fears, as Carl Jung and Freud would say? Have any of you alleviated your bad dreams or nightmares by using a CPAP machine?

Some people have reported a reduction of nightmares.  

4. I also have this unusual sleep problem that I don't know whether it's been classified or labeled by science yet. Every few days, my sleep schedule seems to roll forward a few hours. I cannot maintain a regular 10pm to 6am sleep schedule. It keeps rolling forward every few days. Like one time it will be 2am to 10am. Then a few days later 4am to 12noon. Then a few days later 6am to 2pm. And so on. Eventually my sleep schedule is upside down and I can't even get any errands done because every business closes at 5pm or 6pm. Then it pushes forward again back to normal cycle again and so I come full circle. And then the cycle repeats again. 

I've had this problem for years. It happens usually when I live a sedentary lifestyle on the computer and have nowhere to go. But if I'm traveling and on the move a lot and walking or hiking a lot, then I get tired at the end of the day and can sleep a normal schedule. I'm wonder, does sleep apnea cause this rollover effect? Have any of you experienced something like this before? If so, does CPAP fix this problem and help set your sleep in regular cycles?

CPAP will not fix this problem.  Your observation about the relation between your circadian rhythms and your way of life are spot on.  You need to get regular exposure to sunlight.  There's a fairly technical article here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2717723/
and a non-technical one here:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-...ects-sleep

If any of you can answer these questions, then thanks in advance.