Introducing myself

[corwin1968]

I was finally diagnosed with Severe OSA (ASI = 115) a couple of weeks ago and started BiPAP therapy two nights ago. I'm using an AirCurve 10 set at 25/20 with a full face mask. So far, I've done two nights of therapy. The first night I only slept about 4 hours but last night I went to bed at 8:00, woke up at 11:30 for about 30 minutes, and then slept until 6:00.

Some observations after two nights:

1) The first night I kept waking up with my mask spitting water at me. Miserable experience. Last night I turned the humidifier level down and was careful to never let the center of the hose get higher than my head and I had no problems.

2) I have a hard time getting to sleep with the mask on.

3) Having allergies and a scratchy throat sucks when the mask is on. This is why I woke at 11:30 last night.

4) I have been repeatedly awakened by my wife's snoring the last two nighta. Previously, I slept right thru it. I dont' know if I'm sleeping more lightly or I'm just not as exhausted as I was pre-therapy.

5) Last night I discovered that I actually CAN sleep in all of my normal positions!! I thought this was impossible and knowing this has improved my outlook greatly.

6) I've been awake for almost two hours and I still feel like I'm wearing the mask. You can imagine how tight I have to have it at 25/20.

7) I feel like my lungs hurt (is that possible....maybe it's breathing muscles that actually hurt?). I'm exhaling against a pressure of 20 so hopefully this is just the equivalent of "working out" my breathing muscles.

First night, I had 1.7 episodes per hour and last night I had 0.4 per hour. How accurate are these machines at actually detecting an event?


I look forward to many hours on this board learning from other's experiences with sleep therapy. I can tell I'm not going to be one of those people who feels an immediate effect. In fact, I'm actually sleepier in the mornings than I was pre-therapy. I expect that to change, hopefully sooner rather than later.

[LSAT]

If your wife's snoring is that bad maybe she should have a sleep study.

[Pugsy]

First night, I had 1.7 episodes per hour and last night I had 0.4 per hour. How accurate are these machines at actually detecting an event?

Extremely accurate when asleep.
Awake breathing can mess with the machine though and sometimes awake breathing irregularities will cause the machine to flag something.

I feel like my lungs hurt (is that possible....maybe it's breathing muscles that actually hurt?). I'm exhaling against a pressure of 20 so hopefully this is just the equivalent of "working out" my breathing muscles.

Your assumptions are correct. This is quite common and it will fade away as those muscles get used to the extra "work out"...just like what happens at a gym when we take on a new routine and new muscles get a work out they aren't used to. How long for it to fade away? Could be just a few days to a few weeks as there is no set time frame.

In terms of sleep in general...I think that during the initial adjustment phase that we simply don't always sleep as soundly. The brain is sort of on hyper alert status because something new is stuck on the face...that might explain why the wife's snoring is heard more. I know when I first started therapy the least little thing would wake me up but as time went by I got to where I would sleep more deeply/soundly.

While we read about people just putting the mask on and going to sleep and waking up feeling the best they have felt in years....those people are in a small minority. For most people it is going to take some adjustment time to reap the rewards and how long is anyone's guess.

[SleepyCarey]

First of all, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us here.

As for the mask spitting water at you, it's a common problem called "rainout". Do you have the optional ClimateLineAir hose for your machine? Having a heated hose will virtually eliminate that issue - I highly recommend it.

Are you having a hard time getting to sleep with the mask on because the mask itself is too tight & uncomfortable? Or are you having a difficult time breathing against the pressure? Are you using the ramp feature which starts the machine out at a lower pressure so you can fall asleep easier? It can be turned to AutoRamp which allows for a lower pressure until it senses you're asleep.

It is VERY common to feel like your chest "hurts" at the beginning -- you are working out those muscles that help you breathe much harder than you were before. Don't worry, that soreness will dissipate in time.

[Pugsy]

Do you have the heated hose for your machine? If not you might want to check on getting one.
Depending on how cool you keep your bedroom in the winter it is possible to have that condensation at the mask level just from the moisture in our own exhaled breath and no amount of humidity reduction or hose placement will fix it.
Heated hoses allow for greater customization of the humidity and the hose air temp. If you are like me and like a cold bedroom in the winter...heated hose will prevent what I call "ice cube nose syndrome"...highly annoying not to mention preventing the condensation in the mask or hose.

[popcpoo]

Your pressure setting sound like they are similar to mine (15-20 EPAP and 20-25 IPAP). Just hang in there, and it will get better. I have found it is hard to get the ask to seal at that pressure. When I picked up my equipment, the DME said there were very few FFM that would seal at that pressure. I ended up using the F&P Simplus. I have finally gotten to the point that I have turned ramp off completely. I found I was waiting for the pressure to come up before I would get to sleep.

[corwin1968]

Your pressure setting sound like they are similar to mine (15-20 EPAP and 20-25 IPAP). Just hang in there, and it will get better. I have found it is hard to get the ask to seal at that pressure. When I picked up my equipment, the DME said there were very few FFM that would seal at that pressure. I ended up using the F&P Simplus. I have finally gotten to the point that I have turned ramp off completely. I found I was waiting for the pressure to come up before I would get to sleep.

I checked and the F&P Simplex is the mask I'm using. I don't use the ramp function because I also suffered from the expectation the first time I tried it. I found it easier to just go full bore from the start.

LSAT, I know my wife has OSA because I've heard her stop breathing many times. I will start trying to get her to do a sleep study but she will be resistant. She just started a new job that has the same insurance I have (much better than what she had) so hopefully that will encourage her.

[Tdub210]

I use the Simplus. It works best to try and let it be as loose as possible while still holding up without leaks. It's best to let that soft lining "inflate" when the machine comes on. I'm at a much lower pressure so it might be a little trickier for you. But, tightening it down as much as possible will create leaks just like being too loose. I also suggest you try and do adjustments to it during the day, before going to bed, and laying in your comfortable sleeping position. Your face changes as you move around.

The chest thing is normal. I had the same thing. Mine too about 5 or 6 days to dissipate.

The first couple of weeks I woke up several times during the night. I'd guess 4-5 times. I think it was just my hyper-awareness of the mask. I think it mostly was when I changed positions and I guess that awareness was kicking in. Who knows, but now, almost 7 weeks in I pretty much sleep through the night. Some nights I'll wake up once, maybe twice, but go right back to sleep. I think the brain just needs time to adjust to this foreign object on your face.

I didnt feel much in the way of improvement at first. A little bit on the focus, irritability, but nothing as far as energy. That didnt happen to me until about a week ago. I definitely notice it now. Some people here have said it took a few months. There's no standard or average from what I've seen here.

You're definitely in the right place. I've had all my issues answered/addressed here. Lots of good knowledgable folks in here. One last thing, I'd strongly advise you get Sleepyhead and use it to monitor your progress. It's much better than just reading the machine.

[zoocrewphoto]

Your pressure setting sound like they are similar to mine (15-20 EPAP and 20-25 IPAP). Just hang in there, and it will get better. I have found it is hard to get the ask to seal at that pressure. When I picked up my equipment, the DME said there were very few FFM that would seal at that pressure. I ended up using the F&P Simplus. I have finally gotten to the point that I have turned ramp off completely. I found I was waiting for the pressure to come up before I would get to sleep.

I checked and the F&P Simplex is the mask I'm using. I don't use the ramp function because I also suffered from the expectation the first time I tried it. I found it easier to just go full bore from the start.

LSAT, I know my wife has OSA because I've heard her stop breathing many times. I will start trying to get her to do a sleep study but she will be resistant. She just started a new job that has the same insurance I have (much better than what she had) so hopefully that will encourage her.

She may also be more interested once you start feeling better. My mom was diagnosed about 20 years before me, and she used her machine off and on. I got diagnosed about 3 years ago,and the newer machines are much nicer, quieter, auto range, data, etc. I had some improvements right away (fewer bathroom trips, no nightmares, no headaches, etc). I also had more subtle improvements. I was more cheerful. My standard answer to "how are you?" is no longer "Tired." Not sure when it stopped, but I realized after a few weeks that it had stopped.

Shortly after I got my machine, she tried on my newer mask and went in for a new mask. She was still hit and miss using it. After my followup, I let her use my machine for a partial night to get data at her prescribed setting. She had an ahi of 3.4 which is okay, but she had a cluster of long events, most over 30 seconds, and one over a minute. We did another partial night with auto starting at her prescribed pressure. She took the reports to my sleep doctor, and he prescribed a new machine with an auto range. She feels much better and uses her machine pretty much every night now. My improvements encouraged her to give it another try, and the newer equipment and better sleep doctor helped her feel better and keep going.

[corwin1968]

I've been upping the humidifier level one notch each night and last night I got water spray in my mask again (I think I was on "6" for the humidifier). Does the heated hose completely alleviate this and do I need a prescription for it? Will setting the machine lower than the mattress help? They are about equal height right now.

[OkyDoky]

I've been upping the humidifier level one notch each night and last night I got water spray in my mask again (I think I was on "6" for the humidifier). Does the heated hose completely alleviate this and do I need a prescription for it? Will setting the machine lower than the mattress help? They are about equal height right now.

Tell your DME that you are having water in the tube and see if they will get the Rx and hose. Can't say if it would completely alleviate but would certainly help along with these tips.

Lowering the machine can help. Also raising the hose with a hose hanger or over the headboard helps keep the water toward the humidifier. There are also hose covers that can help.