I recently was diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea---30 events per hour. On Sept. 18 I'll be fitted and tested for a CPAP. After that, I expect to have alot of questions answered and many new ones, but today, I'd like to ask about equipment for travel. From browsing this forum I see that there are many, many different CPAP choices. What about the travel set-up?  I am wondering if there are only a few, and I could go ahead and order one.
I will be traveling a week after this fitting and test, and I'd like to have something to take with me. is it just as complicated to choose a traveling CPAP as the one for home?  thanks for your help.

In most cases you can take your home machine with you when you travel, and it will come in a travel case.  Some machines are smaller than others, and there are a couple of machines that are sold as travel machines.  I would suggest not buying a machine for travel yet, I would suggest waiting a while until you are more comfortable using CPAP.

All new, normal, CPAP machines will automatically work on just about any mains voltages that you will encounter while you travel, you will just need a simple adapter to be able to plug your cord in the outlet.

When you travel, don't forget to take an extension cord with you.

thank you...I had a feeling that was the answer. I am feeling impatient...and even more so reading here about how long it takes to find the right
set-up!  but grateful that there is so much information.

When you are traveling to make sure to pull your machine out of the case before putting it on the X-ray machine. I didn't know that I had to do this the first time, and they just ended up banging it around while taking it out of the case.

Yeah, take the machine out out of the bag and put it in a tray all by itself to go through x-ray, and then the TSA agent will take it away to be swabbed.  The swabbing takes about a minute or less, and you should have your machine back by the time you get through the metal scanner.

I have heard that the agents at some locations do not swab CPAP machines, but it is pretty standard for them to get swabbed in the US.

The most important piece of equipment to get exactly right is the mask.  Any CPAP that has the pressure properly adjusted will work just fine, it is the mask that will make or break your use of CPAP.

another question---
I am getting fitted (for the first time) and then will sleep at the doctor's office, so they can see if the CPAP is effective, on September 18.
I assume that they will tell me what kind of a machine to order. How long does it take to get it? and I see (on this forum) stories of people trying out different machines. That must get expensive! thank you.

It is impossible to say how long it will take to get your equipment; it could take anywhere from the same day that you get your titration up to a couple of weeks, perhaps longer.  I would think that a reasonable time might be 2 to 4 days, but it can take way too long when you are working with certain DMEs..  DMEs are the brick and mortar stores that rent and sell CPAP equipment..  It can also depend upon how long it takes for your doctor to score your titration study and write a prescription.



Last edited by Bearded One on Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

thank you. even though that's a wide-ranging answer, from right away to over a month, I feel better! this is such new territory...I can't imagine what people did before forums like this existed. the idea of sleeping with alot of stuff on my face is not thrilling, but the hope of feeling rested and fresh is worth gold. thanks.

My DME took about a week, but they are right you never can really tell.  If you haven't gone in yet when you do go in for your next sleep study ask them, and they should give you a pretty reliable estimate of time for their suppliers.  My tech told me about a week, and it was a week and two days. So he was pretty much on the ball.


If you fly out of Indianapolis they normally don't swab, but South Florida International does.

mtherault wrote:

If you fly out of Indianapolis they normally don't swab.

FYI, I have been swabbed every time.  No big deal though.


_________________
OSA Sleep Test 8/29/07, AHI 64/Sat. 74%
Titrated 10/1/07 and 9/30/08
BiPAP Auto M Series w/Humidifier 15/10cm
OptiLife Mask; Ruby chinstrap


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

what is the DME?

DME means the Durable Medical Equipment company where you will get your xpap machine and supplies.


_________________
OSA Sleep Test 8/29/07, AHI 64/Sat. 74%
Titrated 10/1/07 and 9/30/08
BiPAP Auto M Series w/Humidifier 15/10cm
OptiLife Mask; Ruby chinstrap


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

thank you. this is like learning a new language. someone should make a "Berlitz for sleep apnea afflicted".

My DME had the machine ready to go immediately, even before the official PSG (sleep study) report was ready. My sleep doc wrote an Rx for the DME  that said, "if you get XXX findings in the PSG, give him XXX machine with XXX settings." My DME only has two kinds of machines and they keep them in stock. I had the PSG on a Thursday night and could have gotten my machine the next Monday morning.

Takoma wrote:

thank you. this is like learning a new language. someone should make a "Berlitz for sleep apnea afflicted".

  It will only take you a short time to learn the lingo, talk the talk, walk the walk, and dance the dance.


_________________
OSA Sleep Test 8/29/07, AHI 64/Sat. 74%
Titrated 10/1/07 and 9/30/08
BiPAP Auto M Series w/Humidifier 15/10cm
OptiLife Mask; Ruby chinstrap


CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a