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Humidification for All?
Just wanted to hear some opinions on this. One of the people I work with on http://cpapcritic.com say's that he was never given a humidifier. He is stubborn, and will not go and get one. His nose runs for half the day, and he said that it gets cold some nights. My question to the forum is...Did you automatically get a humidifier with your cpap? and Do you think it should be standard equiptment?
Views: 9
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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Yes, I was just automatically scripted an integrated, heated humidifier w/my original Resmed S8 Elite w/EPR. I do remember during my titration at one point having COLD water in my mask.
The point was brought home to me tho when I was put on a loaner Respironics APAP w/o ANY humidification. W/in 3 days the interior of my nose was RAW. The local DME shiester wouldn't provide a humidifier and the best my sleep lab could come up w/was a passover humidifier to try. THAT was like pouring salt on a raw wound!! A fellow PAPper saved my bacon by giving me his spare F&P HC 100 stand alone heated humidifier!!! THAT and some Ayr Saline Nasal Gel.
BUT I do read more often than I would ever have suspected given my own personal experience of those who are doing just fine w/NO HUMIDIFIER and some w/just a passover humidifier. I don't see many posting that they are using their integrated, heated humidifiers in passover mode so I'm of the opinion that MOST CPAPpers, especially newbies, NEED a heated humidifier at least at first until their nasal passages toughen up and get acclimated to the air pressure ESPECIALLY those starting out w/a nasal pillows style mask.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Lyons on
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The DME to which I went to, the only one within a 60-mile radius, which stocked units, sold the units separately. I would be willing to bet they could command a higher dollar cost from the insurance companies when they sold them separately.
My script indicated a humidified unit.
I want to go on and state that the support staff of the DME was terrific. The billing/insurance division needed to take a remedial math / customer service course. They were actually idiots. They were attempting to bill the wrong insurance carrier and then tried to bill me when that carrier refused to pay the claim.
Needless to say, I billed them at an hourly rate to clean up their mess. We parted ways after they admitted their error.
Don't be afraid to stand up to these folks. They rely on their intimidation tactics to maintain their superlative attitude.
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Even integrated humidifiers are separate items. Check at cpap.com for instance, or any other line DME supplier. The xPAP and the humidifier, integrated or stand alone, are separate items. Even the .... is it the Fisher & Paykel? that has a humidifier built into the device itself and can be bought w/or w/o the humidifier and if you buy the device w/o the humidifier you can't later buy the built in humididifer for it you would have to purchase a stand alone humidifier.
Even Medicare purchases the humidifier, integrated or stand alone, separately, and outright, while they insist on a "capped rental" (rent to own) for 13 months for the xPAP itself.
The local DME suppliers bill a mask in "parts" while the online DME suppliers sell them as a unit. But the local DME suppliers, at least most of them, will not sell the individual parts. Even Medicare will buy a mask every three months, but the headgear only every 6 months. Yet most DME suppliers will tell you you are only eligible for a mask every 6 months if you are on Medicare. Most local DME suppliers don't even stock mask parts separately.
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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on
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I was written a script for both the CPAP and the heated humidifier. When I ran out of water one night, I knew what felt like to be living in the Gobi Desert....D R Y!!!!
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My unit came with a heated humidifier from my DME. I don't even remember what my prescription said, but I'm certain it didn't specify the humidifier. My insurance covered the machine as supplied, no questions asked.
When I started my therapy, I was on the tail end of a cold/ear infection with chest congestion for which I was using asthma puffers (also reacting to pollen at the same time). My family doctor suggested I wait until I was a little better before trying the CPAP because it was a 30 day trial, and she wanted me to have the best experience possible when starting out. I couldn't wait, so I gave it less than a week before starting. I was finished a course of antibiotics, but still using the puffers. At first, I found that my chest congestion was just not clearing up, and my Resp. Therapist and I discussed the humidity, she questioned whether it was still just symptomatic asthma, but I have never, ever needed my puffers for my hayfever before in my life.
I finally turned the humidity almost completely off, and was able to get off the puffers in a matter of days. I'll remember this in the future when I have a cold, to play with the humidity until I can understand the role it plays when my airway is reactive. I have noticed that since my chest is cleared up, I feel no pressure at all on exhalation. Sometimes, I have to check the outflow thingey to make sure I have the machine going. Incidentally, my machine turns itself on when I put on my mask- that's so cool - do they all do that?
Having said that, I have run my CPAP with the humidifier turned off when it was particularly warm and humid outside, and had no problems with my nasal passages. Nor have I experienced any irritation or nasal problems since I started my therapy a couple of months ago.
I use a nasal pillow mask, and the only little problem I've had is sometimes I get a faint whistle sound that most times, I can remedy by playing with the position of the pillows or the hose. Sometimes I just can't get it to stop, and it just takes me a little longer to fall asleep. I don't think humidity plays a role in that.
I think I might just be lucky that this is all going so smoothly for me. I am aware that this is a dynamic process with many variables and may change at any time. I like the humidity, and am looking forward to having it on those cold, dry winter nights when I would have to irrigate or use vaseline to soothe my poor, dry nose. Currently, I have my humidifier set at just under 1, and two litres of distilled water lasted me about seven weeks.
As a new user, my opinion is that the humidifier should be there for me to decide when I need it. I know that once Februaury hits here in Atlantic Canada, I am going to need it, absolutely.
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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My script had with humidifier written on it.
In the summer I do not use the humidifier at all. In the winter typically just in pass over mode.
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