CPAP users?

Great info. Thanks!

 

Anyone thought about the new Inspire option? Would be interested in hear reviews of it. Would love to ditch the CPAP.

 

Cool. Thanks.

 

I looked into briefly. It's not for me. Even if I could get over the implant and whatnot, the thought of having to get opened up just to change the battery gives me the heebie jeebies.

 

This. They are trying to maximize revenue. If you use the tank, your hose will be the thing you want to replace most often, as even if you clean them daily they can accumulate moisture and get mold/mildew in them. They have antimicrobial hoses, which do help. Masks that are cleaned daily are fine to keep a while, and reservoirs that are cleaned daily are fine to keep a while. Do replace the filters (though many are washable. Check if yours is).

I have a full size unit but bought a ResMed AirMini travel unit with HumidX cartridges when I was traveling every week. I use that one full time now. No tank to clean and fill, just humidity cartridges to replace every month (it pulls moisture from your exhalations), and the unit itself is much smaller on my nightstand.

 

I have a CPAP. Probably should get new stuff more often than I do. But I recall my grandfather saying many years ago that however many miles people tell you to get an oil change, a good rule of thumb (at least back then) was to double it. I also have one of the cleaners, and one rep that sells the replacement products told me that the cleaners will damage the CPAP and shorten its life. I was skeptical about that claim given her financial interest in selling new hoses and filters.

 

My pulmonologist showed me the results of my sleep study. I had numerous incidences per hour and severely low O2 levels twice. He told me straight up that I am slowly killing my organs with such low O2 levels. I too would stop breathing. My wife would often wake me up worried.

Mine is a piece of cake to wear. My wife loves it because I don’t snore, quit breathing, and gasp for air.

Now she’s the only one that snores. Lol

 

I remember completely freaking out when I wore it for the first time. Something about breathing out against the air made me feel like I was suffocating. You get used to it though.

I think this biggest hurdle was learning how to sleep with it on. I can't fall asleep on my back, but found a way to sleep on my side with it on. Most of the time when I do wear it, I have to say a timer so I can fall asleep, wake up just long enough to put it on, and then fall right back to sleep.

 

My sleep study was horrific. 40+ incidences per hour. O2 in the 60% range. Doctor said be grateful I wasn't dead already. She wrote a letter to insurance and I was being fitted for one the next day - said I was a risk to die at any moment.

 

Thanks. That's what I have. Starts off low pressure, then ramps up once it senses that I'm asleep. Even with the low pressure, that first deep inhale is so nice, but then I breathe out and it feels like someone is smothering me with a pillow, lol.

 

When I first started, I'd breath in through nose, out through mouth until I got used to it.

 

40?! Dang.

I just looked at the app and I had 3.8 events/hr last night. I usually hover around 1.5ish.

 

And that in itself is a super weird sensation, IMO. It's like your house when you have a door open and a draft comes in a slams the door shut. Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if it's on. All I do is open my mouth. Yep, it's on, lol.

 

That was without the CPAP for the sleep study. Last night I was 1.2/hr. Average for the last 4 years is around 1.5 like you.

 

I was at 29 for my study, but I thought I slept better than usual for the study. And I kept waking up with the nostril piece laying on my chest. They said that they had enough data to work with. I'm thinking that if I had my usual night of sleep (terrible), I would have been higher than 29.

 

As soon as I heard about Inspire I got a consult. The doctor said I was the poster child for CPAP, and could not say I would get a better result. I was very disappointed for sure. I have been on the CPAP for 30 years. Started off with a mask, but switched to the nasal pillows as soon as they came out. It was a life-changer for me. I do not believe I would still be alive if I had not gotten it.
The companies, I have Verus, want you to get supplies as often as possible, but I get them as I need them. I have finally gotten them to email me, so no more calls.

 

Mine starts out low and adjusts as needed. Maybe I have a BiPap instead?

The picture in post 5 is my set up both machine and nostril pillows with strap.

 

APAP does that too, and is another option. Even most CPAPs will ramp the pressure, though you may need to adjust the ramp.