Noninvasive ventilator (Trilogy Machine)
My husband is in end stage COPD. He has been hospitalized many times, the last time was for a month at a nursing home for some rehab. He is not doing well at all. He has chronic respiratory failure... he retains CO2. They put him on a Noninvasive Ventilator called Trilogy. He uses it a lot....it's getting to be almost all the time. He sleeps nearly all the time. He can't do much of anything for himself. I still manage to work two days a week but I'm afraid that might be changing soon. I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience and how they dealt with it? I also wonder if anyone has any experience with the Trilogy and the use of it most of the day. I'm feeling very frightened about what lies ahead and yet I don't know what lies ahead if that makes any sense.
Hi rosemstewart - I'm sorry about your husband. It sounds like you've been through a lot. First, let me put your mind at ease about the non-invasive ventilator he's using. It's become a very common device to use and very effective. Depending on a persons level of CO2, they may need to be on it only at night, sometimes throughout the day, or even almost all the time. The Trilogy does for the lungs what they aren't able to do for themselves any longer due to the COPD.
Ask your husbands doctor to be very honest with you and let you know what they feel is ahead. It can vary so much from patient to patient becuase of so many factors that are involved. But, they will tailor a plan of treatment that's just for your husband and what they feel will work the best.
In the meantime, be sure you take care of yourself as well.
Regards, Lyn (site moderator)
Hi rosemstewart and thanks for reaching out here. I'm sorry to hear the challenges you are facing with your husband's condition. It's easy to understand your apprehension and anxiety - especially about the 'unknown' moving forward for him. I believe that Lyn has provided you with some excellent suggestions. The more you know about COPD, the better you will understand about your husband's situation and how best to help him.
I thought you might gain some additional insight from this article: https://copd.net/living/bipap-live-better/. It speaks to using these devices in the home that deliver BiPAP and CPAP - that is what the Trilogy does as well.
I do hope you find it to be helpful.
Please know you are always welcome here.
Leon (site moderator)Where is the triligy article?
Hi SammyQ, and thanks for your inquiry. I don't believe we have an article that is specific to the Trilogy ventilator, per se. However, this article, by our own John Bottrell, explains the therapy (BiPAP and/or CPAP) that is available with the Trilogy: https://copd.net/living/bipap-live-better/. I do hope you find it to be helpful. Wishing you well, Leon (site moderator)
I've been on oxygen for my COPD for a number of years but the last two I'm getting worse. I'll be getting a Trilogy ventilator next week and my provider has made all kinds of promises to me, such as, I'll be able to go out for walks and do more activities after being on the ventilator for a while. I'm wondering how much of what I've been told is BS and how much is reality. Can anyone tell me anything about how effective a ventilator really is? Thanks.
I too am a mouthbreather. I can exhale moderately via my nose but inhaling that way and my nostrils collapse. I tried those nose-strips and they work but after a week my nose developed strong signs of irritation from the adhesive.
The masks that come with the non-invasive ventilator are just like CPAP masks but I get claustrophobia very fast from them and rip them off. My head feels like it's in a cage similar to what used to be used for torture in old stories, whether true or not.
So I'm left with not being able to use the ventilator at night and during the day can only use the mouth device. I'm probably going to have to return the ventilator and just stay with oxygen via a cannula.well that sucks, but good luck to you...maybe eventually you will be able to tolerate it..fingers crossed that you find something that works for you!
Around three years ago, I was told I qualified for the Trilogy also, because I had numerous hospital stays in one year. My excitement with getting it was that it said it would cut down on hospital visits. It kept me out of the hospital for two years (for breathing occurances) I am only using it when I lay down, two or three times a day depending on how I feel, and I don't sleep that long anyway anymore, so it takes longer for me to get 8 hours in, lol. I just got off a hospital stay though (not for breathing issues) and with all the bloodwork they did do, one of them was a measure of CO2...and for the first time that I remember in most of my life...it was in the NORMAL range. I am still not walking around freely and I still look like I am dying when I do so, but I really like this machine. It works for me as far as I am concerned. Yes, I know this is not a "cure" so I am not that silly. I am just saying I like this machine and I hope it helps anyone that uses it.
