(Part 3) Top products from r/SleepApnea

I have the ResMed S9 and I'm pretty happy with it, but there's definitely room for improvement. First, there is absolutely no reason to have the tube go out the back (other than to make it look pretty). If there's some mechanical reason for air to exit the back, then at least include an elbow with a swivel. In fact, the elbow/swivel ought to be standard equipment on every machine. If you want to make it pretty, then put a clock on it--not some dinky thing that's only readable when you're standing right over it, but a real replacement for the standard bedside clock (with an alarm too). Next, we all need better connectivity, so Bluetooth or wi-fi is a must. Integration with phone apps and sleep tracking would also be helpful. Also, wi-fi could eliminate the need for expensive modems and cumbersome SD cards. Next, the humidifier should have more options. Many folks in cooler climates like the warm, moist air; I prefer cool, moist air. Why not make a humidifier with a larger surface area in contact with the water, but that's not heated? [Here's a random example.]. Lastly, no matter how good our current mask is, we'd all like a better one. Better fit, more comfortable, easier to tolerate. (A monumental task.) Good luck.

I get that mark too to some extent, but it is overall shaped like an "A" and that's the highest mark you can get </attempted CPAP Humor>

My apologies for that.

It took me a while to find the sweet spot between too tight and just tight enough.
I also found that I had to insist that they change me from medium size and then eventually to large and then XL to fit me, resulting in less pressure lines on my face. The marks still happen to some extent, but fade within an hour or so. They ( the CPAP tech) argued that the bigger the "footprint" on the face the more area there was to seal and that big people don't necessarily need big masks, but I found that the larger mask helped me find a better seal and comfort.

I also found that I could keep the mask looser once I got a dual material mask with a stiffer foam insert inside a more flexible outer seal. I have used my mask for years with some slight leaking at peak pressure even though the tech says it should have no leaks, it still helps my sleep immensely. The mask should ideally kind of "float" snugly on your face with the rubber floppiness doing the seal--if that makes any sense

I have seen here in this sub that some people use cloth inserts ( available on Amazon) to help with issues such as yours. some Amazon reviewers suggest making your own from old undershirt cloth or whatever. I have not bought any or experimented with that although I may try it at some point. - edit -- see /u/pseudoghost and /u/Gusman54 and /u/YarnBender 's posts

The dryness and flaking does not sound good. I would keep the possibility of an allergy in the mix in your quest for a solution. Coco Butter may be very helpful for skin problems like this ( if it is just simple dryness).

A larger mask helped me with my similar "too Damn tight" problems. I would wake up feeling like my skull was getting re-shaped! --Not Good! I tried a few other style masks ( other than the delta shaped full faced) and none of them worked for me -- I could not abide the chinstrapO on the nasal only style.


Good luck on your search for a solution!

~ ~ ~ edit to add:

/u/gh5046 makes a good point about regular cleaning of the mask -- I have had some wicked bridge of the nose skin issues when I neglected cleaning. At seven days out from new you should be fine - clean it anyway!

I'm 35years old and have recently been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea ~10 AHI. I've bought an auto CPAP and have been on treatment for around one week. I feel better so far although I'll need months to quantify the improvement.

Prior to this I was on a 1 month trial where I couldn't identify how crucial CPAP was until the trial ended (which I've been told is common for mild sufferers). It was around 2 months without treatment between the end of the trial and when I bought the machine a week ago.

Like you I suffered from chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, memory issues, brain fog etc. After treatment it was clear to me that many of the fears I had were based on cognitive patterns developed while under the effect of a physiological anxiety and depression.

So in plain english, things aren't likely to be as bad as you perceive them to be. I'm not trying to downplay the potential need for rehabilitation because now that I'm on CPAP I intend to create a brain rehabilitation plan that includes the items below.

For you in particular I would do the following:

• Read a few books on Neuroplasticity. (Eg The Brain that Changes Itself, The Power of Neuroplasticity)
  
  
• Get therapy to fix any maladaptive cognitive behaviours you've developed while under the influence of apnea created anxiety. You want a therapist specialised or familiar in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. If you can't afford a therapist, get a self-help book like Feeling Good. Frankly, I think everyone should undertake some CBT sometime in early adulthood anyway, but I think you could use it in particular.
  
  
• Fix your habits now that your mind is working again. Create good sleep hygiene by cutting out blue light (f.lux app for computers/phones) and turning off electroncs an hour before you sleep (which should be ~10-10:30pm). Eat a balanced diet and supplement with Omega 3 fish oil for healthy brain function. Exercise ~ 3 times a week (preferably weights, but otherwise cardio/sport). Consider cutting down or eliminating alcohol and other drugs that may cause cognitive impairment.
  
  
• Take up Meditation which has been shown to improve executive function. 20 minutes per day concentrating on your breathing, nothing fancy. There are guides to simple forms of breath meditation all over the place.
  
  
• Non-electronic based brain teasers. Get a big book of puzzles and fit it into your routine. I recommend non-electronic because the semi-dissociative state induced by videogames doesn't activate all areas of your mind.
  
  
• Find a good memory training program. I don't have much experience with this yet, but I've heard there are some good books on this.
  
  
• If you have easy access to medical care, consider getting a referral to a neurologist for an MRI and talk your concerns over with him. Maybe there is little to no atrophy of your brain. You can't really tell from the inside except for poor memory/brain fog. Try getting another MRI in 6 months to a years time on your recovery regime to see how things have changed.
  
  Beyond all this I think its important to just do the best you can with the resources and knowledge you have available and not beat yourself up for what might have been and things beyond your control.
  
  Good luck.
  
  edit: broken links the bane of my life

I think you were on to something initially with the PC fans. They're standardized, low power, and last forever. Instead of using the 3 or 4 pin connectors, you could get a USB powered model, like these, plug them into a USB AC charger, and the charger into a timer or inline switch. If you find the airflow isn't enough, you can add a second fan or try a larger one. It won't dry a tube in 10 seconds, but let it sit for 5 minutes and it should do the job.

Instead of 3D printing small stuff, you could always use Sugru. For a funnel, see if you can find a car oil funnel. They go from a large square (for the fans) to a small circle (for the tube).

If you want to get super fancy, since the tubes are a standardized length, you could mount this fan contraction to a wall with a second set of funnel and fans at the opposite end (but with the fans flipped over). Then you'd have gravity pulling the water down, the fan blowing dry air from the top, and the moisture being sucked out the bottom. Connect the two pieces with some plastic wire conduit/covers and you got yourself a nice, tidy solution.

You could even have a 'deluxe' model with an attached shelf containing a few fans under a grating/mesh for the other bits, like face mask and head strap.

I wouldn't use a hairdryer because of the heat. I'd opt for something that uses cool air, but requires no oversight.

Of course the alternative is to just clean it early in the day and let it dry for a few hours... (but I do love my gadgets).

I feel you friend. I also went camping but did take one of those car jump all in one batteries along with a 12 volt power adapter for my machine. it had worked the previous camping trip for about three to four days just fine. But this time, it died at 1 a.m. the first night and I was awake the rest of the night. I simply cannot sleep without my cpap at this point. The rest of the trip was a misery, next night slept in the passenger seat of my Prius with the CPAP plugged and car on (on but not running). trying to sleep in a seat sucks, but the car turned itself off every hour so it was hardly any better than that first night. I believe the next night I slept in the bed of a truck with a CPAP plugged in in the truck (again, on but not running) through the little back window and it worked much better. Until it rained.

So the NEXT camping trip I got my shit together.

Get a deep marine battery. These are designed to power small things on a boat and are used to the small dribble of electricity over a long period of time. Get a battery box to place it in for safety, and a battery tender to charge it before the trip. You'll want a ring terminal harness to attach to the battery posts, and a female 12 volt adapter to plug your machine into.

The box contains everything safely with just the plugs you want sticking out the slots in the lid, but if there's small children in the camp you may want to ratchet strap it closed to be on the safe side.

I got battery and box at my local walmart. The rest from Amazon.


Female cigarette adapter:
Battery Tender Black 081-0069-8 Female Cigarette Adaptor for Quick Disconnect https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041CDPQO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_173UCbVCXJH0M

Ring terminal harness:

Battery Tender 081-0069-6 Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NCOKZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7-3UCbPET1K8N

Battery tender to charge your battery:

Battery Tender 12 Volt Junior Automatic Battery Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CITK8S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ak4UCbQYJBZCA

And of course you'll need to get the 12 volt power adapter. Look up the model maker of your CPAP machine and Google away to see where you can find one. I looked for my manual and then I found the one that was recommended in the manual along with recommendations. Mine recommends I do not use the water chamber when using the 12 volt power adapter due to power consumption and no way am I risking the battery running out of power before the trip is over. I got the adapter from a generic CPAP supplies website.

Good luck! I'm going camping this summer I hope my setup still works!

I usually camp out of state with family and have a few nights in a house before heading home. I always bring a new face mask new filter and even a new hose if I have one as after camping the machine reeks of woodsmoke and it drives me absolutely batty.


Edited to fix oh so many typos.

PS: I will edit the links more pretty when I'm on a desktop sorry about the non pretty formatting

Some people use blue painters tape, some use 3m micropore... I'd stay away from medipore, though I did use it when I was in the hospital a few times... but it leaves gummyness on my skin.

Another thing that may work for you is to wear a headband across your lips.. such as these: https://smile.amazon.com/Scunci-Effortless-Beauty-Stretch-Headwraps/dp/B001QX7QHU/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1501563354&sr=1-3&refinements=p_4%3AScunci it seems that just having gentle pressure on the lips helps a lot of people (myself included).

Being able to breath through your nose helps a LOT... google up 'stephen park' he's a CPAP expert and ENT in new york, he recently did a podcast, or video, (maybe both) about the importance of breathing through your nose for successful cpap therapy.

In the meantime, you can try using afrin (generic) but ONLY AT NIGHT.... don't use it "as directed" because you'll get dependent on it very quickly... but if you only use it once a day, at night, it'll keep your nose open, and you won't get 'addicted' to it for weeks, if not months. (A clever ENT told me that trick)

I was told specifically to not use vinegar from both Apria and my new DME supplier with my new insurance. I don't remember the reason why. I'm guessing the smell, or that it's too acidic (just a guess) They said to just use a mild soap, or a mild dishsoap like dawn.

I actually use Dr. Bronners peppermint soap. Just a few drops, in some warm water, a little goes a long way. It's a very gentle castile soap, and then your mask and hose end up smelling like a peppermint! They have a few other flavors too. It's pretty good stuff.

First suggestion is to address the snoring... not only bad for you, but good chance it is terrible for his/her sleep. Tried nasal strips or positional therapy (ie, learning to sleep on stomach, etc) yet? Beyond that there's oral appliances or cpap machines or more invasive procedures.

As far as addressing noise, suggest ear plugs and white noise. IMHO best is decent mid-sized fan, vornado is my pick after trying a few (like this one). Also there are a bunch of white noise machines if you don't like the breeze... probs can find an app that does it over speakers if you want to try it out.

I have been using Dial Gold Unscented liquid hand soap for about 10 years now. It is fantastic. Much better than anything else I've tried. It has a very mild, pleasant odor, and it is antibacterial. It's also about $2 at Target or Walmart, even less at some Family Dollar or Dollar General stores. Protip: do not get the one with moisturizer. It leaves a film that is hard to clean off. Also, the knockoff brands have a weird chemical smell, so I spend the extra 25 cents, and get a brand made in a country that isn't China.

For daily maintenance or general cleaning, I use Parent's Choice Fragrance Free Baby Wipes. They're about $4 at Walmart only. They do a great job of cleaning the the cushion and flap especially. They are hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and also have a minimal amount of chemicals which I appreciate. Some RTs will tell you not to use baby wipes. Ignore them.

I have tried MANY made-for CPAP products and most of them are either a waste of time, or ludicrously expensive. The 'cleaning wipes' I paid $10 for a pack of 90 from my DME provider, were about the size of an index card, fell apart with even delicate usage, and dried out before they were used up. No thank you.

For daily disinfecting, I have a spray bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide that I picked up from CVS for about $3. I learned this technique from an RT while I was in the hospital. It disinfects well (it is peroxide), but as for removing dirt and facial oils, it is not the best. I have had good success by removing my water chamber, tubing, and sometimes filters, and spraying a light mist in each of the openings. Then I just let it air dry. Be aware though that Hydrogen Peroxide can bleach fabrics, hair, and just about anything with color in or on it. Use with caution.

For heavy duty (monthly or so) cleaning, I use Citrus II germicidal cleaner. If this won't kill something, then it was probably already dead. I avoid using it often, since it has a very strong odor, and often requires me to rinse repeatedly, and let my equipment air out, which takes a while. This is seriously hospital grade cleaning though, so I mainly use it only when I have reason to, like when I'm back from traveling, or I've been sick.

I use Xylimelts - they are a little awkward at first, but definitely help increase saliva production while I sleep and use the mask.

My favorite body pillow so far. It's held up quite well since I got it in Dec 2013. I've been using body pillows for at least 15 years and this is by far the best I've found.

Thanks for your comment. Are you referring to the AirMini HumidX or to other HME? In any event I wonder if using an inert gas in a sealable plastic bag would work. At some point, of course, the cost and hassle of trying to stretch the life of the HumidX or HME outweigh the benefit. Might be worthwhile to experiment with this and a sealable container https://www.amazon.com/Private-Preserve-Wine-Preservation-Spray/dp/B0000DCS18.

I use a Duracell PowerPack 600 when I go camping. It's not made anymore, but anything comparable in specs should accomplish what you need. It will usually last me 2-3 nights and I charge it off the car during the day if needed. Super convenient and no assembly required.

Sure thing.

I am running this battery
Optima Batteries 8027-127 D27M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UFXHQI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3lL4yb7C6Z6P6

Which I installed in this box
MinnKota Trolling Motor Power Center https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PTHKMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_coL4ybRZADD52

I use this charger to keep it ready to go
Stanley BC1509 15 Amp Automatic Battery Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001U04MSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xnL4yb0GFAMKG

I like the MinnKota Trolling Motor Power Center as it has a carry handle, terminals to hook up my charger, and two 12v cigarette lighter outlets. I use one outlet for my 12v adapter for my CPAP machine and the other to keep my cell phone charge. It also has a simple meter to show the battery charge.

Using this setup I can get 6 night for summer camp and still have at least 75% charge on the battery.

I also have an AirSense 10 Autoset. The power "brick" provided with the unit is a conventional 120-240 VAC to DC converter. With the Ego Lawn Mower and Inverter you're converting electricity from DC to AC to DC. There will be substantial power-to-heat losses due to less-than-optimum efficiency of the power conversion.

Additionally, the AC output of the Ego Inverter (see manual, page 9) is limited to 150 Watts. At 120 Volts, this means that the current maximum it allows is 1.25 Amp. The maximum current demand that the AirSense 10 requires is 1.50 Amp. This is why the inverter's overheat is being triggered and it cuts power to your APAP; too much current is being demanded by the unit for the inverter's circuitry to handle.

I recommend following Resmed's Battery Guide using stand-alone, deep-cycle batteries.

I take my AirSense 10 camping and I recently purchased the following items, totaling to $205.56

1. $68.99 12V 35AH Group U1 Deep Cycle Scooter Battery
   
2. $11.36 Group U1 Snap-Top Battery Box
   
3. $45.03 Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp Battery Charger
   
4. $69.99 Rockpals DC Converter Compatible with S10 CPAP Series
   
5. $10.19 Battery Tender Female Cigarette Adaptor for Quick Disconnect
   
   12V 35AH batteries ship factory-charged. If used with tube heating and humidification switched off, and maximum IPAP pressure of 16 cm H2O then a single battery will last you for two 8-hour nights. See Page 7 of Resmed's Battery Guide for details of power consumption if using any of the heat settings.
   
   I hope this helps. Feel free to ask me questions.

I use this one in my Autoset 10 and in my Autoset 9 before that.

Looking it my SD card now, it looks like it adds around 3MB/day to the card.

This side sleeper pillow worked well for me: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001FPGCUG/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_U\_7p4GDbWY854QC

Well, just on my side. I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004X7CBEY/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sleep Strips

Check your leak. If it's normal, try biotene before bed, and/or xylomelts

https://www.amazon.com/XyliMelts-Dry-Mouth-Mint-Free-80-Count/dp/B001A42R1A