The C. P. A. P. thread

An apnea is when the body stops breathing and this has been proved scientifically to be a bad thing:)

Understatement of the week. And yes, I'm new to these machines as well. I mean, that's probably a good thing, being in my 20s and all.

That said, I can certainly think of a few friends who could use this...thus allowing me a good night's sleep when we travel!
 
Yeh, sleep apnea is not a good thing - takes years off your life potentially, since your body is under so much strain from the repeat episodes of not breathing each night. Was very grateful that a doctor friend of mine 'diagnosed' me with it, after listening to me through the walls of a cabin we were once staying in!

Happy dude - if you have a look at the pic that Coriander posted of that resmed portable battery pack, they are allowed to be used on flights (to be safe, you want to let special handling know about it as part of your CPAP travel notification) - I can't recall if it's batteryworld or other sites, but each of the major CPAP machines appeared to have accompanying portable batteries --- they're not cheap, but it makes travelling (even just for use in hotels), so much simpler!
 
I was on the phone to Resmed today to confirm that they don't currently have a battery back up. Next I rang my local CPAP dealer who has recommended the Medistrom Pilot 24 Battery: it comes with adapter cables that can be used both for my Resmed S9 and the Airmini. Weighing only about 500gm it's half the weight of my Resmed PowerStation II. I'll check it out tomorrow morning.

pilot-24-with-airmini-4.jpg
 
Just to clarify, the size of the batteries I use for work equipment preclude them from air transport, not the type. They're 12v 38Ah, akin to a mobility scooter for example.
 
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I was on the phone to Resmed today to confirm that they don't currently have a battery back up. Next I rang my local CPAP dealer who has recommended the Medistrom Pilot 24 Battery: it comes with adapter cables that can be used both for my Resmed S9 and the Airmini. Weighing only about 500gm it's half the weight of my Resmed PowerStation II. I'll check it out tomorrow morning.

View attachment 135417
The Medistrom battery is a great choice for purchasing, as it can be adapted for use with several machines. While the Resmed Airmini is a great piece of kit for travel on aircraft, you may for example wish to use a Philips Dreamsatation when staying in hotels, or just wanting the battery as a backup in less-power stable areas.
 
The Airmini is a great piece of kit. However it is the most limited unit when it comes to mask compatibility - with only a handful of masks, including Respmed masks, that are compatible with it.
 
I apologise in advance for my poor memory and lazy search ability, but someone asked about CPAP charging on the Kokoda Track.

I'm heading off on Sunday to install a solar charging station in Buna and have specially added a power point to make CPAP charging possible, so thanks to whoever asked, as I would not have considered it otherwise!
 
I apologise in advance for my poor memory and lazy search ability, but someone asked about CPAP charging on the Kokoda Track.

I'm heading off on Sunday to install a solar charging station in Buna and have specially added a power point to make CPAP charging possible, so thanks to whoever asked, as I would not have considered it otherwise!
That was me.:)
 
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I'm using a Medistrom Pilot 24 with my AirMini and it works very well. Having a battery pack that makes you independent of aircraft power maximises your seating options, and many airline will simply not allow you to plug an xPAP device into the on-board power under any circumstances.

The FAA regulations applying to US related air traffic allow use of xPAP in flight only is you have an FAA compliant device (all Resmed machines are certified as being FAA compliant) and you have battery power capacity to sustain the machine for 1.5 times the duration of the flight. The flight duration thing is really aimed at medical other devices than xPAP, but it is there in the FAA documentation. Some US airlines take it as an absolute requirement, while others are more relaxed about it.

QANTAS is quite probably the easiest airline to deal with in terms of in flight use of xPAP... their paper work is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. You will also need to get a separate approval if you want to use a battery pack. This is done through the special handling group, but this is also straightforward in my experience and the approval usually lasts until the end of the calendar year.

Many airlines required MEDIF forms to be completed if you want to use xPAP in flight, and the processing is usually a bit different for each airline. My advice if you need to go down the MEDIF route, is to start the process as early as you can as it can be very tedious.
 
I read this on the SQ site to mean there are no forms required to use my CPAP onboard - am I right ?

No self-powered medical devices can be carried on board, except:

  • portable hearing aids
  • heart pacemakers
  • nebulisers
  • continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines
  • FAA-approved Portable oxygen concentrators (POC)

You don’t need approval to use these devices on board our flights. However, we may not be able to provide inflight power supply on all your flights with us. We recommend that you use a gel or dry battery that can power the equipment for at least 150% of the flight time. For instance, if your flight is 10 hours long, please have a battery supply of 15 hours.
 
I read this on the SQ site to mean there are no forms required to use my CPAP onboard - am I right ?

No self-powered medical devices can be carried on board, except:

  • portable hearing aids
  • heart pacemakers
  • nebulisers
  • continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines
  • FAA-approved Portable oxygen concentrators (POC)

You don’t need approval to use these devices on board our flights. However, we may not be able to provide inflight power supply on all your flights with us. We recommend that you use a gel or dry battery that can power the equipment for at least 150% of the flight time. For instance, if your flight is 10 hours long, please have a battery supply of 15 hours.

That is the way I read it as well. It is very similar to the information on QR which I take as giving permission to use CPAP devices that have FAA approval. As an example of a different approach CX has the following rules :-

Medical Portable Electronic Devices (MPED)
Strict regulations exist regarding the use of portable electronic devices onboard aircraft. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon do not provide any Medical Portable Electronic Devices (MPED), but passengers are allowed to use their own MPED (including respiratory assistive devices) inflight under the following situations:

  • Advance notice has been provided. (My bold)
  • The passenger has been cleared as medically fit to fly (MEDA clearance) and that he/she is able to complete the flight without extraordinary medical assistance or posing a direct threat to the health and safety of others.
  • Devices can be stowed and used consistently with applicable safety and security regulations.
I applied for approval and got it but only used my machine on one flight as it didn't work very well on the plane.
 
Typically I use my Resmed CPAP on SQ and QF long hauls to London and Los Angeles. I guess my 4 machines are about 12 years old now and no issues. Carrying a spare mask in my luggage is something I do and I charge each battery pack the week before flying.
I have a unit in each of Sydney and Melbourne for the weeks I am staying there so I don’t need to carry a unit in my hand luggage.
 
More airlines will tell you over the phone that they need MEDIF than will require it at the airport. Often having your prescription or a copy there-of with you at boarding will cover you. MEDIF gives coverage for a range of complicated no-escort, or possible assistance required, conditions. Often a patient being transported on a plane will require CPAP additional to other support systems. So someone over the phone is likely to err on the side of caution. I would start at the website for their policy first.
MEDIF is useful for ensuring you have access to a power point though.
 
That is the way I read it as well. It is very similar to the information on QR which I take as giving permission to use CPAP devices that have FAA approval.

SQ only mention FAA approval is required for POC devices - it goes on to state;

All continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) models can be used on board our flights.
 
BTW - for those that didn't know - CPAP was invented by an Australian. Professor Colin Sullivan at the University of Sydney. I understand he is still teaching - he's in his 70's. It's what the "S" stands for in the Resmed model naming system.

So probably no real coincidence that QF know the most about CPAP on-board planes.

I use the Resmed S9 Autoset without humidifier at home. I never bother to take it travelling - I can go 2-4 weeks without treatment and only slowly get more progressively tired. Normally I'm too excited whilst travelling to feel it.

The very first CPAP machines I'm told were made from swimming pool pump parts with the masks glued to the patients faces. Despite the noise and discomfort apparently one of the earliest test patients still wanted to take the contraption home!

My first machine was the S6 CPAP - the pressure is set so high that my nose literally bleeds - but it worked until I found that the Autoset was much more friendly. My doctor said there should be no difference between CPAP and Autoset but i can feel it. On the other hand he said a humidifier should be beneficial but I get nothing from them when i try them.
 
I snore and know I can’t sleep on my back, but are fine on my side - I’m not tired. I’ve been hesitant to investigate as I hold a heavy vehicle licence and have heard stories of licences being suspended until diagnosis has be finalised.

Anyone care to expand on the diagnosis process? I presume you can’t just purchase a machine?
 
I snore and know I can’t sleep on my back, but are fine on my side - I’m not tired. I’ve been hesitant to investigate as I hold a heavy vehicle licence and have heard stories of licences being suspended until diagnosis has be finalised.

Anyone care to expand on the diagnosis process? I presume you can’t just purchase a machine?

The process varies, however you start with your GP. Snoring is one thing, but what is key to find out is if you are 'obstructing'. So have your significant other listen to your snore and see if you have periods where you stop breathing, or have difficulty breathing - often indicated by a stuttered snore. What I'm about to write is a general guide to what the contemporary practice is, but some doctors may do things differently.

So your GP will send you to a sleep specialist. They'll have a chat to you and see if you feel tired or have found your sleep quality lacking. They may have a bit of a look via a laryngoscope to see if you have inflammation. If they feel it is necessary they will send you for a sleep study.

The study is done in the home, however you will be wired up at some clinic earlier in the afternoon. They dot your head and body with electrodes, slip a pulse oximeter to your finger, and stick a couple of small devices near your nose and mouth to measure breathing and to record your snoring. You then toodle home and have promptly the worst sleep you have every had because all the gear stuck to you is annoying. The next day you will pull everything off and hand it all back to your tech.

As a side note: I managed three hours sleep, then went on to have a job interview the next morning for a job in a major tertiary ICU - which I got. So don't worry. It won't ruin your life the day after.

A couple of weeks later you hook up with the same specialist again, who sticks your data that's on a USB into a computer in his office and shows all the times you stopped breathing in the night as well as the periods of snoring you experienced.

If the decision is you need CPAP, they will organise a visit to a CPAP tech who will organise a 1 month trial. The doctor will produce a 'prescription' which tells the tech what has been happening, and they fit you with a machine and a suitable mask or nasal cushionthat you rent for a month - or maybe more. This machine, usually an 'APAP' (Automatic) will probably be fitted with a modem which sends the data back to your specialist to analyse. They will also give you a few hints on how to handle the hardest part: sleeping with that thing from alien attached to your face. At may be disheartening to know, but it takes about a year to get used to the cushion or the mask.

They use APAPs for a good reason. While the prescription will define a approximation of what pressure you will need, an APAP assess constantly if you are obstructing or not, and raises the pressure until it stops. After a while your machine will show an average pressure that you will need.

At this point things can diverge a bit depending on where you get advice.

So the idea is to go back to your specialist where they talk about how you are doing on CPAP. The continuation failure rate at this stage is about 50%. If all is doing okay they then organise you to continue a rental plan with your equipment provider, suggesting as you get used to it you may wish to buy your own machine. Buying in Australia however is expensive. Make sure you have good health. Specialists prefer you do this because they like to keep the monitoring services going, and also your machine is set up to your 'prescription'. This is especially important if you chose to do the 'CPAP' route, instead of using an 'APAP'. CPAP machines are cheaper as they just need to be set to one pressure. Your specialist will advise on what is best, but if you have the APAP route as an option, most will go for it.

However...

CPAP/APAP machines are much cheaper in the USA where the market is stronger. This is where things get blurry as many Australians will buy their machines from there. Your specialist or your tech will not support this or offer you much to assist you. So you'll need to get the machine set up yourself, which will be a bit of a steep learning curve. Also many American providers don't sell without a prescription directly from your doctor.

So yes, you can buy them. But you really need to have some indication from a specialist at first on what you are doing, what kind you need, or if you even need it at all.
 
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Oh, I should add. A large part of that 50% failure rate is due to personal and emotional reasons. Build a good support network, and talk to people who have gone through it. The encouragement or understanding you can get can mean the difference between success on CPAP and failure.

To that end, anyone that needs someone to talk to, feel free to drop me a line anytime.
 

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