Just finished home study, but question about which CPAP test machine I tested?

[Fats Drywaller]

Wish there was a way to mount safely to the wall.

If that's feasible, to attach a small shelf to the wall and put the machine on it, that would work OK if it's lower than your head while you're sleeping.

"Hose Buddy" has been mentioned, and I know of another one (haven't tried it) called "Hose Boss", whose name I just realized is presumably a pun on the phrase "who's boss". Show that hose who's boss!

[vroomvroom]

. . .  vroomvroom - you've definitely come to the right place - lots of friendly, helpful people here.  

I won't comment on the technical stuff as there are others who are much more knowledgeable about that, but I will say in reply to your comment "I don't know how people do it" - as the only alternative is to continue to suffer from sleep deprivation, we just do . . . and so will you.  

I would recommend getting the machine up off the floor and onto a night table close to your bed which would mean less dust getting into it and allowing the hose more 'reach'. 

Thanks!

Unfortunately, a night table won't work in my current set up, unfortunately, but perhaps a metal folding chair just might. It will be an incredible hassle, and will limit my "quick escape" options in the case of a disaster (earthquake, etc) as I'll probably forget it's there and trip over it. More importantly, I'd also be concerned about the CPAP sliding around especially if I'm tossing and turning. I will need to figure this out to keep it off the ground. 

Just a thought here. I think the choice of the Airsense 10 Autoset vs. the Autoset for Her might be a bit tricker...I have the Autoset and use the Standard Ramp...I have a pretty large lung capacity, according to my Pulmonary doc...so I find the even the Standard ramp up can leave me a little air-starved, but I don't like starting on my min pressure either.

I agree with everyone on the mask testing...it took me 4-5 in "The Shop" and another three on my own to find two that I can really tolerate. I use full face mask because I have a lot of sinus congestion almost all the time...and no...the PAP WON'T by definition clear it out...it may help...but don't expect it to.

My two masks are the F10 Simplus and the Amara View (I like the Amara better, less obtrusive, but a bit tricker to fit at times.

Good luck...its not easy...I had to toss the machine away for a while before my wife told me to get back on it.

The "air starved" feeling is one I got with the pillows! It almost feels like I need to take an extra deep breath every now and then to make sure I'm getting enough air. It was really weird. Once I'm asleep, that's a different story and I don't notice it. But it's the getting to asleep that requires an extra or deeper breath. 

I think my max pressure was set to 4.0 by the doctor's office. I have no clue if it increased during the night when I was sleeping, though. 

I hope the local DME I go to will have different mask options. I was not able to complete the trial with the full face mask because I couldn't figure out if the noise was normal so I only got to try one nasal and one pillow mask. That's not nearly enough with how many there are on the market (I'm getting overwhelmed with choices!). 

The Airsense 10 Autoset is the correct machine for you, and for most users, the For Her version is nice but not particularly important.  It's better not to place your machine on the floor, but it really doesn't hurt any thing.  It will be more comfortable if you support the hose so it doesn't drag on your face. Something as simple as a lanyard, like the ones used for work I.D.s, can support the hose at or above the bed elevation so you can move freely. I use a lanyard with an attachment to the headboard, but the wall would work.  Keep it simple, and it will work out fine.  Lot's of people like the "hose buddy", but you may not have enough slack with the machine on the floor.

I will try to make sure that I figure out a solution to keep it off the ground. I didn't even consider dust, etc, that could enter the machine by it sitting on carpet. 

I looked into "hose buddy," and while steep at $60 on amazon, I think the reviews seem to be saying it's completely worth it since people can thrash about without the hose getting in the way! It will be necessary for me to not have the cpap on the ground to avoid the lack of slack issue you mentioned. 

Just a thought here. I think the choice of the Airsense 10 Autoset vs. the Autoset for Her might be a bit tricker...I have the Autoset and use the Standard Ramp...

The ramp feature is different from the APAP algorithms and the machine's response to events.  Ramp is (sorry if this comes as a surprise) just a trivial mickey-mouse feature that has nothing to do with the therapy itself; it's purely for comfort while the patient is getting used to using the machine, analogous to training wheels on a bicycle.  Usually it's best to switch it off, but for anyone who can't put up with the therapeutic pressure yet (while awake), sorry and forget I said anything, for now.  You'll see eventually.  But if you didn't mean the Ramp feature, but rather what the machine's firmware does after starting out from the lowest pressure in whatever range has been set, then yeah, that's one thing the algorithmic differences are about.

The "for Her" model has a third algorithm in addition to the two that are standard in the regular A10 Autoset model.  Maybe the three could be called Standard, Soft, and Softer?  Everything else is the same, including the price, except for the color and the nice leaf pattern on the case.  Here's a summary:

apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Resmed-Airsense-10-Autoset-vs-For-Her-model?pid=274439#pid274439

This is interesting. I will ask my doc to issue a prescription for the "her" model. I wonder if they don't for some reason want to oblige, could the DME just give me the "for her" version as the model is basically the same (except for the extra algo)? 

How does the machine know: 1. I am male, and 2. which algo is best for me? Maybe the female algo would be best, but is this something I need to manually select or does it do it on its own? 

Can you explain what "ramp," is exactly? In my 5 night trial, I think the ramp feature in the menu options was set to "auto," and I have no idea what that meant. I just left it as-is. Would I notice it ramping while sleeping?

Wish there was a way to mount safely to the wall.

If that's feasible, to attach a small shelf to the wall and put the machine on it, that would work OK if it's lower than your head while you're sleeping.

"Hose Buddy" has been mentioned, and I know of another one (haven't tried it) called "Hose Boss", whose name I just realized is presumably a pun on the phrase "who's boss".  Show that hose who's boss!

Unfortunately, I am renting, so I cannot a shelf to the wall. That would have been a good solution, I think, especially with a raised lip on each edge to keep the CPAP securely in place while I toss and turn. I'm worried my current idea of putting the CPAP on a metal folding chair will be a poor decision because my tossing and turning, if too violent, could knock the machine off the chair. 


Thanks everyone for your input! Apologies for the significant typos in my earlier post. Apparently, this site on mobile breaks my phone's autocorrect somehow, lol!

[vroomvroom]

I just came across this post here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...4#pid84174

Which says: "did you get the regular Airsense 10, or the "for women" version? I'm still trying to decide which one I should get myself. On the one hand having the extra feature of the "for women" machine sounds good, but on the other hand since it responds on the first missed breath rather than the third, I'm thinking it might make my Adam's apple twitter."

What does this user mean by responding to the first missed breath instead of the third? How would this impact men?

[jaswilliams]

The for women model also has the standard Autoset mode so you can try either and whichever works best for you stick with

[Fats Drywaller]

I will ask my doc to issue a prescription for the "her" model. I wonder if they don't for some reason want to oblige, could the DME just give me the "for her" version as the model is basically the same (except for the extra algo)?

The insurance HCPCS code used for all of the lowest tier of CPAP and APAP machines is the same, E0601, so it's not a matter of needing a different prescription.  You would only need a different Rx if stepping up to a higher tier, bi-level or ASV.  And the DME should be able to get either the regular Autoset or the "for Her" model, although some DMEs will be difficult about that and will pretend that the only machines they can provide are the ones they happen to have in stock at the moment.  However, if you can persuade the doctor to specify not just that code number but the specific make & model of machine and follow that with the injunction to the DME "Dispense as written", that should do the trick.  If the doctor doesn't see any justification for that, then oh well and you tried, and you can always settle for the regular Airsense 10 Autoset model, which is fine.

How does the machine know: 1. I am male, and 2. which algo is best for me? Maybe the female algo would be best, but is this something I need to manually select or does it do it on its own?

You manually select it in the settings.

Can you explain what "ramp," is exactly? In my 5 night trial, I think the ramp feature in the menu options was set to "auto," and I have no idea what that meant. I just left it as-is. Would I notice it ramping while sleeping?

If you weren't given a copy of the user's guide for the A10 on paper, and if you're interested in reading up on all the details, which is a good idea if you'll be getting your own machine of the same type, you can download a PDF here:

https://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/...er_eng.pdf

And you can request a PDF of the clinical guide by e-mail; follow the "CPAP Setup Manuals" link at the top of the AB web page. Definitely get that one; it can be important to know some of the stuff in it.

Ramp is intended to let newbies get used to the pressure in a more gentle way.  It starts out very low and over some number of minutes increases to whatever minimum pressure you've set, after which the machine's APAP algorithm takes over.  Or if you're using fixed-pressure mode rather than APAP, it gradually increases from very low to that fixed pressure and stays there (except for EPR if that's enabled).  The idea is that by the time the full therapeutic (prescription) pressure is reached, the patient will be asleep and won't notice.  That's why I call it a mickey-mouse gimmick.  I'm not in favor of it and I think patients should simply get used to breathing through the mask (nasally only, of course) at the prescribed pressure or range of pressures.  I don't see that as a big deal.  So I've always kept the ramp feature switched off, even from day 1. And my pressure has always been 15 or an APAP range around it ... in other words, relatively high. So am I a big strong rugged he-man? No; it's just a mickey-mouse feature, that's all. (And actually I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK.)

[Dormeo]

Several thoughts about keep the machine from sliding off a chair. If you do us the hose buddy, it has Velcro straps that will secure the hose to the stand, so that even if you tug on the hose, the tug will not reach the machine. If you don’t use the hose buddy, you might try a fleecy hose cover that you could safety-pin to your sheet, again so that tugs would not reach the machine. Finally, if you go to Amazon and search for rubber mats for dog bowls, you will see some mats with textured surfaces you could cut to size to provide friction between the bottom of the machine and the seat of the chair. Might also also damp down some noise. Good luck with it all!

[vroomvroom]

This was all great information, thank you!

---

Ramp is intended to let newbies get used to the pressure in a more gentle way.  

Thanks this was all great information!

---

Several thoughts about keep the machine from sliding off a chair. If you do us the hose buddy, it has Velcro straps that will secure the hose to the stand, so that even if you tug on the hose, the tug will not reach the machine. If you don’t use the hose buddy, you might try a fleecy hose cover that you could safety-pin to your sheet, again so that tugs would not reach the machine. Finally, if you go to Amazon and search for rubber mats for dog bowls, you will see some mats with textured surfaces you could cut to size to provide friction between the bottom of the machine and the seat of the chair. Might also also damp down some noise. Good luck with it all!

Great idea! I plan on using the hose buddy, and the velcro straps are a good call. I can definitely use those--probably won't even need any of the other solutions!