Question(s) Regarding CPAP machines

The mask will last about a year, and the head strap lasts about the same. I wipe my mask with a baby wipe once a month and thats it. The tubing lasts a couple years . i ues the full face mask that covers the nose and mouth.

 

I'm going to start off with this...the only reason I use my machine is SNI requires it. Due to my low results from the sleep study FMCSA doesn't give a #### about my compliance. (The FMCSA says Ahi =>15). To be frank, my machine helps very little. No symptoms prior and I slept through the night easily. Now I'm waking every 3-4 hours and have a hard time going back to sleep.

Yes, every six months you're supposed to replace your tubing, mask and so forth. You don't have to, but you should clean what you have used if nothing else. So yes, that's possible to do. As for a new machine? Maybe every 5 years if that, the only reason you'd need a machine sooner is you did a piss-poor job taking care of it, or the machine is defective/no longer takes care of the apnea episodes.

Some insurance covers everything. Some only covers the machine, some only cover the supplies. Insurance wise this is a grey area, you'll need a doctor's authorization prior to getting anything. In the event you don't have insurance or they don't cover it, it's tax deductible as a medical expense. I'm unsure if it would qualify as a work expense though; seeing if your apnea is bad enough to where you need to use it to keep your job then it might. (My tax law is hazy at best. But I think work expenses for us count "more" than medical.)

If I have anything wrong, someone please correct me!

 

As with most everything science-related, there is no single answer that applies to all cases. Alcohol doesn't kill 100% of bacteria and the ones that survive learn to adapt over time, making them more difficult to kill later, and they can mutate. That's why changing is necessary. The 'when' is probably as much a function of the manufacturer's risk aversion as anything.

 

You saw a commercial for a medical supplier. Of course they're trying to get you to buy as much from them as they can.

I've been on CPAP since 1998. In that time, I've had:

CPAP machines: 2. First one did not have the memory card for compliance monitoring. It's still at home, with >40,000 hours on it. Works fine, if a bit noisy.

Hoses: 2. The rubber bit at the end that serves as the friction-fit connector finally split after 12 years.

Masks: ~4. Usually the plastic mask itself is fine; the elastic in the headgear goes out after a few years. I just keep tightening it until it's completely stretched out. Yes, the mask looks kind of grungy after a while, but they can be cleaned if it bothers you.

I usually just buy the parts off of Ebay; they're cheaper than the deductible on my insurance.

 

I wipe my mask every night with lemon citrus scented CPAP wipes from Amazon and wash the tubing with warm soapy water every weekend.

 

My apena was pretty bad so the machine has worked well for me. My c pap has been going strong for 8 years. I got one for the truck and one for home.

 

Mine, too. I was having over 90 events an hour and stopped breathing for 43 seconds a minute. My oxygen level was so low that they couldn't believe it. I was never in REM. Now, I look forward to using it as I wake up refreshed as never before.

 

Yeah, made a big diffrence in how i feel.

 

In my sleep study.....I had fallen asleep for, maybe 15 minutes, when they came in and said "we have to put a mask on you right now!" I guess I scared 'em.