CPAP cleaners stink!

[fried1765]

Most of the people I know that use them are overweight. I’m not saying everyone that uses one is overweight but that’s been my observation. I’m guessing there were fewer overweight people 50 years ago.[/QUOT

My Cardiologist (Harvard Medical School professor) recommended a CPAP for me 6 years ago.
I am 6' tall and 189 pounds (79+)
Sleep study showed that I had many heart stoppages per night.
I have sinus issues as well.
The CPAP is GOOD for me!

 

[RickB]

Just to be clear, I do not give a hoot in **** what any of you think about those of us who use a CPAP or the device itself.

 

[radios1]

Most of the people I know that use them are overweight. I知 not saying everyone that uses one is overweight but that痴 been my observation. I知 guessing there were fewer overweight people 50 years ago.

very true. Sleep apnea - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

 

[grnspot110]

I've used a CPAP for close to twenty years, started out with it set at 14, a few years later, another sleep study allowed it to be reset to 11. During a recent hospital stay at two different hospitals, the first one had a new looking unit that I got along fine with. I was then transferred to the other hospital that had what looked like probably the first CPAP ever built, pressure was so high I couldn't get it to seal. The tech cinched the face mask so tight it felt like my teeth would deform. I question if he knew as much about them as he thought he did! I was able to get my neighbors to bring mine to me & slept much better the rest of my stay.

At home I still use the same unit I started out with, using a nose mask. Before starting it, didn't get into REM sleep & never remembered any dreams, now I do! I used to soak my mask & hose in a vinegar/water solution as recommended by the supplier. I got a cheaper Ozone generator around a year ago & wipe the mask out with a disinfectant wipe.

 

[fried1765]

I have been using one for about two months. My quality of life has improved in the recent few weeks.
You can be as skeptical as you wish, I do not foresee abandoning my CPAP at this point.
Cleaning the equipment manually really is not a burden. When natural sleep conditions/habits allow your BOC to get down into the low 80s things have to change.

Rick: As I assume you now know....
It starts out as a PITA.....
Rather quickly becomes just a nuisance....
Soon becomes a real pleasure.
I have been using mine for 5+ years, and now even have a spare machine.
If mine were to fail, I could not get restful sleep without it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I find that bleach and hydrogen peroxide make a great foaming action that cleans/disinfects. I use it to clean my water tank (humidifier) then rinse well. No smell left. Slosh it back and forth in the hose and it is fresh as new. It does waste a lot of water rinsing it though but then I dont do it every day.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Rick: As I assume you now know....
It starts out as a PITA.....
Rather quickly becomes just a nuisance....
Soon becomes a real pleasure.
I have been using mine for 5+ years, and now even have a spare machine.
If mine were to fail, I could not get restful sleep without it.

I have been using a CPAP for over 25 years and I keep an old spare one just for emergency in case my primary craps out. I cant sleep without it.

 

[kf4uda]

I have acute sleep apnea and have been using a CPAP for over 15 years now. I probably should have been using it a lot longer than that. The few nights that I have had to sleep without it over the years have not been good. I have a soclean as well. I was not aware of the issues with it and will look into it.

 

[RickB]

Rick: As I assume you now know....
It starts out as a PITA.....
Rather quickly becomes just a nuisance....
Soon becomes a real pleasure.
I have been using mine for 5+ years, and now even have a spare machine.
If mine were to fail, I could not get restful sleep without it.

Happily my experience through the first two phases was quite short. On the one hand I should have had it sooner, on the other waiting for a quieter unit and better mask technology probably was a benefit.

 

[3Ts]

The ozone ones that is. My wife and I both have sleep apnea. After seeing William Shattner carry on about them for the upteenth time, we decided to buy one for each of us. I did a bit of searching online and spoke to someone at the medical supply where we get our equipment.

That person said that the So Clean voids the warranty on Resmed CPAP machines so we went with the VirtuClean. Both use ozone but the VirtuClean only cleans the tubing, mask and resivoir while the So Clean cleans the internal parts of the CPAP machine.


Ozone stinks! You need to clean the mask with a wipe then allow air to blow through the tube about 5 or 10 minutes before using and it still stinks of ozone. My wife's sinus's got irritated. So, I did some more digging which I should have done to start with. Seems that these devices are not FDA approved and that the ozone may be harmful. In my case, it sure was unpleasent.

I wish my medical supplier had been more upfront about this but what with the restrictions going on, our personal contact was limited to a parking lot purchase. Also, with the VitruClean, there is no return unless you purchase directly from VirtuClean. That really stinks!

Ozone is a pretty powerful disinfectant. It it believed to work by destroying the cell wall of bacteria and viruses. I'd think that would happen with any organic material. Ozone doesn't know the difference between the bacteria cell and the cells in the human body.

Waste water treatment plants use ozone to kill pathogens and have to be sure the ozone is not released into the atmosphere. I'd be very cautious about use of ozone.