[CPAP] new old new

[coughcough]

Hi. I'm new here, and I'm new in the sleep apnea world, at least new to the terminology and technological advances. I seem to have fallen between the cracks in the past several years. Maybe because we changed doctors a few times. I don't know. All I know is suddenly I don't understand a word anyone is saying about sleep apnea. About 30 years ago I was diagnosed with it. OSA. I've used CPAPs ever since, but technology passed me by. Now, I know nothing. And I can't talk intelligently to anyone about it. For example, what is a central apnea?  

Additionally, my husband picked out an insurance for me that was a big mistake. Huge co-pay that won't pay for anything. I've lost a lot of weight in the past 3 years, and I find I will have to have another sleep study. But I can't pay for it. So I'm trying to make do with what I can get. 

The first go round, I got a CPAP from a friend. But I didn't know til I got there that she smokes. Well, that's bad for me and my asthma and allergies! So I got another used CPaP, 10 years old  (ResMed S6). I found out online that you can't adjust that particular one without outside equipment and help. Shucks!   

Right now I'm using my son's old CPAP, and he's using the one I thought was broken (ResMed S9). It seems to be working fine for him. I still think it needs fixing. But we need one more CPAP so I can get it in for repair. I'm stumped to know what to do next. Any ideas? 

Also, is there a good reference somewhere so that I can catch up on terminology? (Yes, I read the first article on this forum about the different types of machines. I had not know about any of that. Thank you!!  )

[Walla Walla]

Welcome! Here this might help getting up to date on some of the words. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...efinitions

[coughcough]

Thank you! That is helpful!! 

[gwc2795]

Welcome Coughcough

Ask questions and we will be happy to help.

[stanleydean]

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you can find the time just poke around in all of the nooks and crannies of the forum; definitions, wiki articles etc. You will be surprised at how fast your knowledge and understanding will build up. Sorry you have insurance problems but hopefully you can manage to get through this. Sometimes friends and relatives have a cpap machine sitting on a closet shelf that you could use. Masks and hoses are another matter, use new ones by hook or by crook. With new mask, hose and new filter the machine used by a smoker may be OK. And don't overlook the new filter. You can most likely buy masks, hoses and filters on line from some of the providers listed here or from Amazon with no Rx and those items are not terribly expensive. You can obtain clinician's manuals from this site that will allow you to make settings.

Wishing you good results,

Stan

[coughcough]

Thank you for the kind responses. It looks as if my situation is more complicated than I thought. Please be patient while I explain.

In February I had bronchitis. It was industrial strength, and at the end of it, I felt something change in my breathing. But I was still slowly recovering from the lingering results of bronchitis, so I thought that perhaps the phlegm I was experiencing running into my lungs was causing me to wake up several times a night (about 2 hours apart). The first several times this happened my CPAP went crazy. It would puff out large amounts of air from time to time. It also stopped a few times while I was asleep. That's when I thought the CPAP was broken. But my son tried the machine and it works great for him. No stopping. Now I didn't know what to think. And his was working out ok for me (we switched) but I was still waking up several times a night. It has now been going on like that over 30 days. I'm exhausted, not really getting REM sleep, anxious, twitchy, head swimming most of the day, with foggy thinking, and more. I'm experiencing extreme mood swings. Talk about miserable.

I even saw the doctor who said I was free of pneumonia, not having swollen thyroid, nor lymph glands that were swollen. He couldn't see any obstruction, yet I am feeling one. He thought, like I did, that it was the phlegm filling my lungs that was the problem. So he gave me a breather (like Advair) that was to dry up the running mucus. Two nights and it worked. Last night when I got up to take a breathing treatment with my nebulizer (told you it gets complicated), there was no mucus in the lungs. Only a little bit. But I still felt an obstruction. That's when I remembered that an ENT told me about 30 years ago that I had a deviated septum. That rang a bell. So I have spent the rest of this early morning looking up things this could cause and ran across turbinates. I had not known about turbinates. I knew about deviated septums although I didn't know it could have this type of obstructive results.

So it looks as if I have a dual problem. I will need to see an ENT and deal with both the mucus that is filling my lungs a few times a night and there must be either swelling of the turbinates or the deviated septum is causing problems. All I know is that something happened when I had Bronchitis this year. I coughed HARD and long. It must have done damage.

My question then is about the ENT, the deviated septum and surgeries like septoplasty and rhinoplasty, and about the turbinates and the surgeries that reduce them. Anyone here have experience with these? I'd like some more information. Thanks in advance!

[Sleeprider]

Your situation is made more difficult because your CPAP does not produce data, and therefore no clue as to what is going on. I understand things might be tight, but it would be tremendously helpful to find a machine that could give you (or us) insights on your respiration. The top machine would be a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset, and even the older discontinued S9 Autoset. Just in case you are in the market, here are some ideas.

Supplier #2 has a gently used S9 Autoset for $379.
Amazon vendors are getting about $650 for the new Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset.
You can find the new Autoset available from a Craigslist seller in Detroit for $550 and that same seller has an Aircurve 10 Vauto for $650.

Data and an updated machine would make a world of difference to your insights, and is probably less expensive than the ENT exam which may or may not provide useful information. Many of us have deviated septums and other issues that pose no problems for using CPAP. Your bronchitis is thankfully cleared up and you have a clean bill of health from your physician. I believe we could help you to solve your problem and get you started on more comfortable and more effective therapy if you upgraded your machine.

[Sleep2Snore]

Hi Coughcough,

Welcome to the Apneaboard.

I know things have moved on a lot in the past 20yrs especially, but it is well worth getting a machine like the ResMed Airsense10 Autoset.
It responds to your needs automatically to your needs if it is just normal uncomplicated Sleep Apnea. With an Auto machine you do not need to go for another study, it will fine where you are with pressures. However, as we don't know if there are other complications it is difficult to advise witch machine to get, however for straight forward Sleep Apnea the Airsense 10 Autoset is as good as you get, nice and small, gives you data, adjusts to what you require and is very quiet.
There are other machines on the market and some prefer the Dreamstation, but I tried it and the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset and it had the edge, but not be a huge amount, but enough to swing me to the ResMed.
I don't know what if any other complications you may have with Sleep Apnea, but if you have used a basic machine for all these years you should be fine, but without data it is difficult to say.