Snoring and CPAP/APAP machines

[DiscoMick]

So, I'm interested in hearing peoples' experiences with these machines. I'm sure there are other snorers on AULRO. [emoji4]

Snoring has never worried me, but The Navigator reckons it keeps her awake. [emoji34]

Tried a firmer pillow to lift my head, and nasal flushes to keep clear, but she's not satisfied. Not a case yet of Happy Wife = Happy Life. [emoji53]

Had a sleep test and now I'm trialling an APAP machine. Feel like a fighter pilot from Top Gun wearing it. Looks silly.
Still adjusting to having air blown up my nose, but so far it is clear I can lay flat and not snore. Gets a bit claustrophobic at times, and I have to pull it off.
Because I have a beard I have to use a nose-only mask as a mouth one would not seal, so I have to learn to only breathe through my nose or the machine goes nuts and pumps out a gale of wind. [emoji54]

The Fisher and Pykal machine is 240 volt only, so I would need one which could run on 12 volt as well.
These things are expensive, so we are bargain hunting and comparing machines.

So, my questions are:
Do these machines live up to the big claims made for them?
Which machines are best?
What portable machines would you recommend?

[V8Ian]

After being accused of snoring, I stayed awake all one night. I didn't snore once, debunking the false accusation. [bigwhistle]

[PhilipA]

Just be careful with 12 volt machines.
On a trip with the Range Rover Club a member with a Perentie with an extra battery under the seat complained that his machine had gone off after 6 hours.
Finally we found the specs and it drew 5 amps!
there are ones available that draw less.
I understand that they have a dehumidifier which takes lots of power but can be turned off.

Regards PhilipA

[Roverlord off road spares]

I Have a Fisher paykel machine, sleepstyle I have servere Sleep Ap., the machine is good and quiet, but the nose mask keeps coming off at night as i sleep on my side and the beard doesn't help. If I slept on my back it wouldn't be so much of a problem'. I have nose pillows on my mask but the nose feels sore some mornings from the pressure. As for snoring, I tried the chin strap to help train the mouth to stay shut at night, that kept sliding off, eventually i got a few months of good sleep. Recently Heather has been sleeping inn the spare bedroom due to my snoring and violent trashing again. At $2K make sure your machine and mask are suitable for you. masks can range around $200 for a decent one.

[Roverlord off road spares]

After being accused of snoring, I stayed awake all one night. I didn't snore once, debunking the false accusation. [bigwhistle]
Heather cant sleep due to my snoring, I tell her how can I snore when I'm Asleep, but apparently I am asleep when I answer her.[wink11]

[Milton477]

I have used a CPAP machine for 10 years now. Current machine is a a Resmed S9. Runs off a Resmed 12V supply when in the van. I definitely know when I have slept without my machine as my throat is sore from snoring. I use a nasal mask & sleep on my side without losing the mask.

Are these machines all they are hyped up to be you ask? I used to stop breathing while asleep which is what sleep apnea is. Doesn't happen with the machine & do have a better nights sleep.

[oka374]

I started with an F&P machine for the first three months, it was a free loaner from the sleep centre but quickly found the nasal mask supplied didn't suit me (I too have a mo and beard).
Looking around locally I found that despite the CPAP machine being developed here in Oz and one of the biggest manufacturers being Aussie (Resmed) that due to an exemption from the ACCC they are allowed to price fix which results in a local price that is several multiples of the price it is available for overseas I would never buy any of their products. Their machines are also 24 volt which means higher power usage and a machine specific (more dollars) adapter to run on 12v.
I bought a new Devilbiss Intellipap 2 APAP machine from the Respshop in the US for less than $1k delivered and it is a model that is hard to get here as the local distributor must have a few container fulls of the previous model, the 2 has an inbuilt clock with larger easy to read without your glasses and auto dimming plus has a small footprint, runs on 12v including the humidifier.
As we have an Oka motorhome the Devilbiss machine stays in there and I bought a secondhand Phillips APAP machine from Secondwind.com with very low (<100hrs) for around $400 for home use.
Have you tried a Phillips Dreamwear mask? It is what I have used for the last few years, it comes in three versions, nasal pillows (sits under your nose), nasal gel pillows (the soft bits stick into your nostrils) or a soft full face that I could use even with a beard, the same basic "frame" is used by all three but the best bit is the hose joins to the frame at the top of your head and there is virtually nothing in front of your face, I can sleep on either side, flat on my back or even on my stomach with my head turned a little to the side.
Resmed have recently copied the Phillips Dreamwear but their version whilst also having the top of the head hose connection is thicker and heavier and the nasal bit has a hard centre section which I found pushes the whole thing sideways when trying to sleep on your side. Yes I did relent and buy a Resmed product but have returned to the Dreamwear nasal cushions as I find it the most comfortable.
I buy masks and supplies from an ebay seller in Qld as they are usually much cheaper than the ripoff CPAP places here in Oz with masks going for $100 -$120 usually.
When you buy a machine make sure you buy an AUTOMATIC machine (APAP) as they will adjust themselves to demand as you sleep rather than a fixed pressure and don't let supposed sleep "experts" tell you otherwise.
There are also sleep apnea forums and the best software (most late model machines store data on an SD card ) is a free program called Sleepyhead developed by an Aussie too.
We travel constantly so the Devilbiss machine gets plenty of use and I use the humidifier all the time.

[edddo]

Sleeping in different rooms is very effective.
Weight loss can also help.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

One look at a printout of your sleep pattern will be enough..... [wink11]



QLD Health look after the whole thing, from sleep tests to supply of machine.

but yes, spare parts are rediculously expensive.

We run Di's through an inverter in the Van,, no where near 5a,,,,

[BMKal]

I have severe sleep apnoea and a heavy beard. These days I virtually cannot sleep unless using a CPAP. At home, I have a Phillips BiPAP which I have had for more than 10 years. For travelling / camping / working on remote mine sites etc I have a Transcend Auto unit with both mains power supply and / or a P8 battery pack which usually gets me through two nights of use. The 14.4V battery is quite small (about the size of a 50 pack of cigarettes) and weighs 500 grams. This unit is approved for use on international flights, and I have used it on QANTAS flights to / from Europe. When camping or travelling on the road, I charge the battery from the inverter that I have built into the back of the Disco.

Before being diagnosed with sleep apnoea, my wife informed me (and everyone else) that I was a very heavy snorer and that I stopped breathing multiple times during the night. Back then, I used to suffer from splitting headaches almost permanently when awake, and used to go through so many packets of Panadol it was scary. When I was diagnosed by a local GP and then referred to a sleep study place in Mt Lawley (Perth) I was told that I was one of the worst cases of sleep apnoea that they had come across and was at very high risk of a stroke. They put me on a rented CPAP straight away, and while it took some time to get used to wearing a mask all night (I was clean shaven back then) - I stopped getting the headaches virtually from Day 1 and rarely get headaches of any kind since. I have also given up smoking since those days (used to be around a 50 / day habit with me since I was about 15 yrs old) and now, in my 60's am much fitter and more active than I was 10+ years ago.

Hadn't heard of the Phillips Dreamware mask that oka374 mentioned above before now. Just looked them up and think I might give one a try. The only thing I struggle with using the current nasal pillow mask is keeping the bloody thing on my head all night and the leakage as it moves is very annoying.

[DiscoMick]

Thanks for all the replies guys. That's lots of very useful information.
I'm still trying to figure it all out. We're hitting the road on September 23 so I have to make a decision fast.
I want an auto travel machine with battery that can be both 240 volt and 12 volt with a nose mask. I'm going to find out more about the Z2, I think.
That Second wind site is useful. Even after converting the prices to Aussie dollars it's still cheaper than buying here.
I wonder how long their delivery would take?

Sent from my A1601 using AULRO mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=78345)

[Saitch]

Mike, perhaps an option would be to hire a suitable AC/DC model for the trip and see how you go with it before handing over a lot of your hard-earned.

[mick88]

Apparently there is an App you can get on your phone and it will record your sleep pattern.
My brother who happens to be a heavy snorer did this after his GP told him he had done the same.
After using the App my brother got himself a portable machine and reckons he is sleeping so much
better, and jumping out of his skin when he is awake.
He is aged early fifties and a shift worker.

Cheers, Mick.

[oka374]

Shipping from the Secondwind in the US to me in regional NSW is usually about a week, no duty on medical equipment either.

[Don 130]

Apparently there is an App you can get on your phone and it will record your sleep pattern.
My brother who happens to be a heavy snorer did this after his GP told him he had done the same.
After using the App my brother got himself a portable machine and reckons he is sleeping so much
better, and jumping out of his skin when he is awake.
He is aged early fifties and a shift worker.

Cheers, Mick.

What's the name of the app Mick? My wife is a shocking snorer, but is in denial. "I'm not using one of those things.... don't need it, anyway, what would you know about them?." She has trained herself to be suitably quiet when sharing motel rooms on country work trips. When I eventually convinced her to get tested, she came out much better than she should have. I've always threatened to set up some sort of recorder so I can play her back to herself and hopefully shock her enough to pull finger. I think an app might be a convenient way to get the job done.
Don.

[DiscoMick]

Thanks for all the feedback.
We've identified a Resmed which seems to have all the features we want. Found a shop in Brisbane selling it for a reasonable price. Going to check it out on Saturday.

[p38arover]

I have auto Fisher and Paykel with a ResMed mask (actually a few of them because some are bloody awful to use). There's $350 wasted on one which needs a new strap but it's no longer available.

The mask that covers mouth and nose is a mongrel as it leaks air into my eyes. The nasal prongs are unusable as air blows out my mouth.

My health fund (Defence Health) paid a large slice of the cost of the machine. Some CPAP specialists, e.g., my local Priceline Pharmacy, allow one to hire a mask to trial before purchase.

The proprietary memory stick (why not use an SD card? :soapbox:) on mine failed and I haven't replaced it. With it, the CPAP centre can download and look at one's sleep pattern.

Lastly, check with your electricity provider, you can probably get a Life Support rebate for having one. For me, it's $32/qtr with AGL.

[Bigbjorn]

My recollection of interviewing clients on Sickness Allowance or Disability Pension with sleep apnoea is that most were grossly obese. Lose 40-50 kilos and most were cured. One guy (truckie who lived on Pepsi and road house food) told me his doctor wanted him to lose half his body weight. He was over 200 kilos.

[Eevo]

The nasal prongs are unusable as air blows out my mouth.




well close your mouth then!

[DiscoMick]

I have a beard, so I'm just using a nasal mask.
Thanks for the tip about the life support rebate - I'll check that out.

[DiscoMick]

So, just to update, we have bought a Resmed Mini, which can operate on both 230 and 12 volts, plus a battery big enough to run it for two nights, which can recharge from both 230 and 12 volts. The unit is approved for use on planes. It has auto start/stop and other features. Using a nose prong mask. Very happy with it. And The Navigator is getting a good night's sleep, so happy wife = happy life.
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