Portable CPAP machine question

[Back 40 #23910 L]

Looking for recommendations on a portable cpap machine.   

Thanks in advance

[Pat Riot]

I have a Phillips Respironics. I have had it for 4 years now and it works great. It has the ability to be a BiPAP or a CPAP. It's quiet and it can be set up / customized to your needs. It has a chip that stores all your data so it can be downloaded and sent to your doctor. I have gotten so used to it that it seems odd not to be using it when I didn't have the ability to plug it in on a trip. It's about 14" long, 7" wide and about 5" tall. The water tank holds 8 ounces of water. The machine, power pack, hose and mask weigh about 5 pounds when packed up in it's carrying case. I would recommend this one to anyone that needs one.  

[Back 40 #23910 L]

thanks PR, wow, those things are pricey !

[Utah Bob #35998]

1 minute ago, Back 40 #23910 L said:

thanks PR, wow, those things are pricey !

Exactly why I didn’t bother to get one. Saving a little space while traveling just wasn’t worth it for me.

[J-BAR #18287]

My wife and I are both using ResMeds and are very pleased. The unit is about the size of a cigar box.  The system is portable in a bag about the size of a large purse.  We are on Medicare A and B; ours cost us nothing.  Check with your medical insurance about what they will pay for.

 

This is my second CPAP.  My first was a Fischer-Paykel.  It worked, but not as sophisticated as this ResMed.

 

She endured my snoring for years before I had a sleep study and got my first CPAP.  I endured her snoring for years until she had a sleep study and got her first CPAP.  There is no way either of us would sleep without one.

 

This is my ResMed model:

 

http://www.thecpapshop.com/resmed-airsense-10-elite-cpap-with-heated-humidifier?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping - All Products&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtJbTBRDkARIsAIA0a5NMZCoZFmY3ZyXakgowI_8XI5VkeVVyJ4NizLH-uhk31Ulap5BZVKMaAudpEALw_wcB

[Cactus Jack Calder]

+1 what J Bar said.

We even went through the same scenario with the machines. Don’t know if we have the same models but the ResMed units are much more sophisticated and easier to transport. TSA recognizes a CPAP as a carryon and doesn’t hassle you about “what’s that, take it out and unpack it so we can see that isn’t a forbidden device”. 

Also, I have found many hotel/motels have a supply of distilled water for CPAP’s, and you can always stop at a grocery store for the water.

One idea I would advise, bring one of those three socket splitter plugin thingies. That way you can make up an extra socket if all the wall sockets are full.  I even travel with a power strip so I can plug in phones and tablets as well as the CPAP’s.

[Pat Riot]

50 minutes ago, Back 40 #23910 L said:

thanks PR, wow, those things are pricey !

Mine was covered by my insurance.

 

13 minutes ago, Cactus Jack Calder said:

lso, I have found many hotel/motels have a supply of distilled water for CPAP’s, and you can always stop at a grocery store for the water.

One idea I would advise, bring one of those three socket splitter plugin thingies. That way you can make up an extra socket if all the wall sockets are full.  I even travel with a power strip so I can plug in phones and tablets as well as the CPAP’s

That is a great idea, Jack. Thank you for the suggestion. There never seems to be room for my machine at hotels.

[Utah Bob #35998]

15 minutes ago, Cactus Jack Calder said:

One idea I would advise, bring one of those three socket splitter plugin thingies. That way you can make up an extra socket if all the wall sockets are full.  I even travel with a power strip so I can plug in phones and tablets as well as the CPAP’s.

Yeah the lack of sockets in hotel rooms is a problem.

 

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

Medicare will not cover one if you already have a unit.

 

[Dr. O. R. Vet]

1 hour ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Medicare will not cover one if you already have a unit.

 

If the unit is 5 yrs old, it is possible to get another one through medicare.   Check with your Dr.  Also check with the company you get your supplies.  Sometimes they have used ones. Paid less than what a Ruger cost.

 

I had a ResMed but didn't like it--it "wheezed" all night long.  Got a used Respronics and have the ResMed as a backup (Sort of like having a spare shotgun)  :-)

 

Dr. O. R.

[Cactus Jack Calder]

Dr. O. R. 

 

You may be right about the wheezing I wouldn’t know. I sleep so soundly with the CPAP I don’t hear it. That is one of the things I like about it. I feel more rested in the morning and sleep sounder at night. All in all, I guess I really needed it. It took a while to get used to the head/nose piece but once you find the right one for you it feels strange without it.

 

Back 40, 

I have read that Sleep Apnea can result in damage to your heart and the CPAP helps prevent that. Use it religiously for best results. Good luck with the insurance, like Pat I am on Medicare and it was free and was replaced well after 5 years at no cost to me. Just need your Dr. to prescribe it. For me they did a “Titrate” test to check on the correct setting. The newer machines can be set to respond to your needs. Once the machine figured out the ideal setting the tech set a fixed pressure and away I went.

[Irish Pat]

I have the same system as Pat Riot.  Taco Bill, Red River Rudy, and I usually travel together and stay in a travel trailer at the range.  They always tell me that  I can forget my guns, ammo, cart, anything but don't ever forget my "snorkel", as I used to snore very loudly.   Another advantage to having it is after the three of us have steak and beans at the range for supper and I can put on the snorkel  and am not exposed to their methane gas attacks all night created by the copious amounts of Bushes Ranch style beans that they have  consumed.   

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

Did anyone else read the subject line as "Portable CRAP machine question"?

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

13 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I have a Phillips Respironics. I have had it for 4 years now and it works great. It has the ability to be a BiPAP or a CPAP. It's quiet and it can be set up / customized to your needs. It has a chip that stores all your data so it can be downloaded and sent to your doctor. I have gotten so used to it that it seems odd not to be using it when I didn't have the ability to plug it in on a trip. It's about 14" long, 7" wide and about 5" tall. The water tank holds 8 ounces of water. The machine, power pack, hose and mask weigh about 5 pounds when packed up in it's carrying case. I would recommend this one to anyone that needs one.  

Made in my home town.

[Pat Riot]

12 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Exactly why I didn’t bother to get one. Saving a little space while traveling just wasn’t worth it for me.

I do hope you at least got one Bob. If you need it they can help you tremendously. 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Respironics and Phillips are both good machines.
I travel with a battery backup, it's heavy but the Jeep packs the weight nicely and if I need it, I fetch it out, otherwise let the machine carry the weight.

It gives me portable 110 volt power and one time I used it to power our basement sump pump til the power came back on.

Never thought about carrying a power strip for those hostelries that are miserly with their outlets but that's a good idea!
After I got snow stranded in Strausburg after buryin' my stepdaughter some years back I threatened to include an extension cord as well, it would have been handier to run out that orange cord than to go back out to the Jeep and haul in that heavy power pack.
Not that I'm lazy or anything (insert innocent expression here!)

[Utah Bob #35998]

4 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I do hope you at least got one Bob. If you need it they can help you tremendously. 

Yes, I take my Phillips unit with me. The newest model is smaller than the first one I hd.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Seems like they get smaller every year.

My first CPAP was in '93 and it was the size of a woman's train case, howled like a miniature 747 on heavy takeoff.

They are WAAAAYYYY smaller, lighter and QUIETER now!

[Pat Riot]

38 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Yes, I take my Phillips unit with me. The newest model is smaller than the first one I hd.

Good 

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

My wife uses a ResMed  Airsense 10. Quietest unit she’s had and she loves it. Very portable. She’s made 13 trips up to Ohio in the last ten months to take care of her dad. It’s made her life a lot easier this year.  This is her third unit, the other brands had too many complications for traveling.

[Ramblin Gambler]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2613499/

 

This is my travel CPAP.  It's got problems. It's very loud, but that doesn't bother me because I'm a sound sleeper.  Sometimes it feels like it's not putting out enough air, but I do sleep well with it.  For me space is at a premium when I travel offshore.  I will not take an extra bag just to cart my CPAP around and there's no room in my bag for a full sized machine.  So this works.  I like that it's got a rechargeable battery (2 actually).  I tested it out and a fully charged battery lasts about 8 hours.  I figure as they age that number will go down.  I also have 2 of my 'full size unit' for reasons too complicated and uninteresting to go into.  So I keep one as a travel CPAP if I'm not flying.  Last time I had a setting change the lady put up quite a fuss when I brought 3 machines for her to set.  She tried to tell me I was only allowed to have 1.  That's why I'm still looking for a new CPAP place close to me, BTW. 

 

Pat, which philips do you use?  I tried to look it up and they have a whole line. of them.  I don't see anything in your post that narrows it down. 

[Utah Bob #35998]

6 minutes ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2613499/

 

This is my travel CPAP.  It's got problems. It's very loud, but that doesn't bother me because I'm a sound sleeper.  Sometimes it feels like it's not putting out enough air, but I do sleep well with it.  For me space is at a premium when I travel offshore.  I will not take an extra bag just to cart my CPAP around and there's no room in my bag for a full sized machine.  So this works.  I like that it's got a rechargeable battery (2 actually).  I tested it out and a fully charged battery lasts about 8 hours.  I figure as they age that number will go down.  I also have 2 of my 'full size unit' for reasons too complicated and uninteresting to go into.  So I keep one as a travel CPAP if I'm not flying.  Last time I had a setting change the lady put up quite a fuss when I brought 3 machines for her to set.  She tried to tell me I was only allowed to have 1.  That's why I'm still looking for a new CPAP place close to me, BTW. 

 

Pat, which philips do you use?  I tried to look it up and they have a whole line. of them.  I don't see anything in your post that narrows it down. 

I have a Phillips Dream Station. Nicer than the previous model I had.

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

Howdy:  I don't have sleep apnea but that's my job, I work in a Sleep lab as a CPAP program manager. All of my patients that have went out and bought a travel CPAP have been disappointed. They're noisier and don't seem to keep up the pressure as well as the home units. The batteries, humidifier and other accessories cost additional. Your home unit can be smaller if you can travel without the humidifier. I tell them if their going to a humid environment try it without and get some saline nasal spray to use before bed and in the morning. If their going to an arid environment better take it.

[Ramblin Gambler]

My travel cpap came with a little humidifier attachment you put on between the hose and mask.  It seems to work pretty good.  But then again I rarely put water in the humidifier of my home unit, so I must not need it too often. 

 

My old supplier gave the same excuses when she refused to show me a travel CPAP.  "No one is ever happy with them, too noisy, etc"  They had some small units in the display case but she wouldn't let me see it or find one I could hold.  That was actually the second to last straw that made me fire her.  The next time I came in I asked for a different person and was told I was her account.  That was the visit where she told me I wasn't allowed to have 3 CPAPs. 

 

Anyway, the noise complaint has an easy answer.  Is it noisier than my snoring?  No?  Then what's the problem?  Just think, some people pay good money for a white noise machine and I get one built in to my travel CPAP.  The pressure doesn't seem to be as high, but it keeps me from snoring.  I think those small units just have a problem with airflow.  If I can get my dr to give me a scrip to turn on the auto function, I think it'll fix that issue right up.