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Newbie-Recommendations on setup & equip - Printable Version

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Newbie-Recommendations on setup & equip - Stubby - 03-12-2021

Newbie who is about to get his cpap in the next 10 days.  I was informed I will be getting a ResMed Airsense 10 w/ AirFit N30i nasal mask.
 
Did not realize how bad my apnea was until after the lockdown. Working 65-70 hour weeks early part of lockdown, with added personal stress & ended up in ICU. I don’t want to get into details but it was life threatening (not Covid). I also happened to test for sleep apnea since I’ve been putting it off for quite awhile. I think the doc said it was episodes in the high 70s (I think)
 
Been skimming though the forum & net to learn, get recommendations, tips, tricks to make sure I can finally get a good night’s sleep in years & stay compliant with the machine.  
 
Pardon if I am asking questions that’v been answered. I may have missed it going thorough lots of material trying to understand it all. Thanks in advance for your input ?
 
 
SD Card
Not included. I was going to pick up a 16GB card for $4 at the corner store. I assume that is more than sufficient to store say a few months of data for use with OSCAR.
 
  1. Forums says SD (card 32GB or lower) that needs to be FAT or FAT32 formatted. Has that changed?



Mask
I am mostly a side sleeper. Shaved head, wears glasses & no facial hair. I know I’m a mouth breather and have been using medical tape on my mouth at night for about 2 months to train myself to breathe through my nose.


I would like to see if I can use the most minimalist mask before trying larger one. I just happened to physically handle a N30i mask that I will get & it seems flimsy like it can slide off/break seal if you sweat or move around too much.
 
I looked at the AirFit p10.. looks like the mask “secures” into the nostril which is good but the single headband looks like it can slip off?? I also would like to avoid any magnetic straps.
 
  1. I gather than you can mix and match masks from other companies to use with AirSense 10??

  2. Any minimalist mask + headband recommendations? 

  3. Any nose covered/hybrid (not sure what the term is but it’s not full face mask ) mask + headband recommendations in case the minimalist masks don’t work & I need to take one step up? 
 
Cleaning
Told NOT to get ozone cleaners like Sleep8. Note that I have only 45-50 min from wakeup to do everything before heading to work and I don’t get home until 8:30pm and in bed by 11:30pm. I have to get family stuff done between then.

Is this schedule good or would you recommend something better? Any methods or products to shorten/automate the cleaning process?
 
Wake up-
  1. Disconnect mask & let machine run for 10 mins with tube connected
  2. Wash with water & wipe mask with cpap cleaner
  3. Run tap water through tube & let it hang  in shower to dry
 
Night-
  1. Clean out water tray & reconnect everything.


Weekend-
  1. Clean tube, mask & water tray with dawn + water.
    Does this “full cleaning” need to be done more than once a week?


 
Accessories
 
Got the following. Any accessory products that you think is worthwhile to get?
 
  • Rubber mat so machine stays put on my slick wooden table & catches any leak.
  • Metal hose pole that sandwiches between mattress & box spring. Got Velcro ties to secure it to bedframe.
  • Lansinoh Lanolin cream
  • CPAP wipes
 
Machine settings
 
I understand some of these settings will need some tweaking to my needs. Any changes you would recommend with these initial settings?
 
I know I was freaking out when they had they full mask on me during the sleep study. Will be working from home for 5 days once the machine gets in.  Going to try and wear mask w/ machine on from afternoon until early evening. Take a break & back on before bed. I figure I can get about 3-5 hours per day of acclimation. Any issues or other tricks?
 
  1. Mode- Autoset

  2. Ramp time- Auto

  3. Smart Start- On

  4. EPR- on

  5. EPR Type- Full time

  6. EPR level- Will start at 3.   I am assuming if I set to 2 and have trouble exhaling (I take it I will wake up as a result), I need to bump it back to 3??

  7. Climate Ctrl- Auto

  8. AutoEssentials- Plus

  9. Min pressure- I will set to 5 as that was what I had during the sleep study. I assume I can increase pressure by some increment until I get to a setting that is uncomfortable. Then reduce it and that would be my optimal min pressure. Does that sound right?

  10. Max Pressure- I think the upper pressure for me is 10. Do I just leave as is or adjust like described above to find the optimal max pressure?

  11. AIH- The number of sleep interruptions per night recorded by the machine, right?
Use machine with min at 5 at max at whatever the clinic set it to & use for 3-4 days to get a baseline AIH. Then adjust min pressure 1st to get a lower AIH. Then tinker with max pressure to lower the AIH again. Is this good or what would you recommend?

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RE: Newbie-Recommendations on setup & equip - SarcasticDave94 - 03-12-2021

Welcome to Apnea Board.

I'll answer as many as I remember to include. First off it's a very good start with ResMed machines, so we won't need that fight included. ResMed is the best for most.

Cleaning, you do it as often or not as you feel comfortable. The only probably a good idea to do daily thing is dump the leftover humidifier water, which can be tap water. If you can drink it, it can be used.

Just rinse and light scrubbing weekly should be OK. Dawn or equivalent is good with warm to hot water. Mask cushion, humidifier tub, and hose your choice, weekly or whatever. I did soak my stuff for about a half hour in suds then rinse in hot clear water, let air dry. Hose can be draped over shower curtain or similar. But again you choose how many times to clean it. Maybe a monthly replacement on the intake filter. Check for change in color.

Upon morning shutoff PAP will automatically run on low for about 20 minutes so that's covered. You'll see a blue snowflake on the PAP screen.

16 GB SD may get you 6 months plus

Pressures all look OK except the relation between Min pressure and EPR... For EPR 3 to work start at Min 7, pressure of 7 - EPR 3 = 4, that 4 is lowest your AutoSet goes. If less than 7 and EPR 3 you lose exhale relief effectiveness.

The rest looks fine.

RE: Newbie-Recommendations on setup & equip - srlevine1 - 03-12-2021

Welcome to the forum. A couple of points ...

(1) My AirSense 10 machine came from the factory with a ResMed-branded 4 GB SDHD card installed. So if the card is missing, demand that your DME provide a ResMed-branded card, not an alternative cheapie. Some forum users have successfully used wireless SD (FlashAir wi-fi) cards to transmit data to machines.

(2) According to published reports, the AirSense will store 365 days of summary data and 30 days of detailed data on the SD card. The machine itself only stores the summary data for 365 days and its own operational data (hours used, etc.)

(3) If you plan to retain the detailed data, you need to offload the data to Oscar every twenty-five days or so. Your device will overwrite data, so you have the last 30-days worth of data.

(4) As for masks, I prefer the Respironics Dreamwear as it is virtually the same design, but it is a little more robust and with the "new headgear) seems to work better. If you want to consider an older solution -- the ResMed Mirage Activa LT is a nasal mask and the cushion has a lip that helps keep your mouth closed. Most of us on the forum have gone through a period of trial and error to find a mask that meets our needs.

On a personal note, you may wish to practice some relaxation techniques at work. Unless you are in the military or a first-responder, your job is NOT worth your life, and as a management consultant with 40+ years of practice in high tech -- everyone is replaceable.

Best of luck on the journey. A good night's sleep makes for a better tomorrow.

RE: Newbie-Recommendations on setup & equip - becker44a - 03-12-2021

Airsense 10 refers to a family of machines, one of which provides no data and is not recommended.  Do NOT accept an Airsense 10 CPAP: some here refer to it as a "brick".  Please make sure you are receiving an "Airsense 10 Autoset" or "Airsense 10 Autoset For Her".  The latter has one extra Auto mode which some have found useful, of both genders.  They cost the DME the same, so it is reasonable to get the additional mode, for the same money.