1st night with DreamWear mask - Best night ever.

[pwgphoto]

Started CPAP 13 days ago with my DreamStation AutoCPAP machine and the two masks I got during my original titration study. A Wisp Nasal Mask and an AirFit P10 Nasal Pillow. I used the Wisp for the titration. I used the AirFit my first two nights at home because I wanted minimal stuff on my face. I liked the pillows, but got a sore on my nose. I switched back to the Wisp for the next 12 nights having mixed results and waking up a bunch to adjust mask. I felt like it would ride up and block my nostrils, if that sound possible. I would sleep a few hours, wake up, adjust and sleep some more. I was not properly fitted for a mask or even asked by my DME when I got my machine, she just grabbed something out of the sample closet, but that is another story.

Fast forward to yesterday. I have been dealing with another woman at the DME and she is awesome. I told her I was not happy with my masks, including the one the original RT gave me, which I never opened, another nasal pillow system. I told her I thought the DreamWear mask looked awesome and I wanted to try it.

I went to the office that afternoon and she broke out the DreamWear. She told me I was the first one she has fitted for the mask. Said measured my nose with the card and said I needed the small mask cushion and the medium mask frame. She snapped it together and I tried it on. After some adjustments, we tried it with the air flowing from my machine. It felt great, or more like it felt like I was hardly wearing a mask. I was a happy camper when I left, both with the mask and I starting to like the DME for the first time.

Hooked the machine and mask up back at home before bed, put it on and went to bed. I hardly feel this thing on my head and nose. Very comfortable. I was able to sleep on my side and even my stomach with no problems. Something that has bothered me since starting CPAP. I don't know how it does it, but this thing hugged my nose and didn't really move with my head shifting on the pillow.

Air flows through both side of the mask frame and if one side gets blocked under your head on the pillow, plenty of air comes through the other side. The top head swivel, which I thought was weird at first, did great keeping the hose out of my way. I turn from side to side many times during a night, before this, I always had to move the hose around my body. This just was out of the way and didn't need to mess with it.

The proof for me was when I woke up in the morning having slept most of the night. I only recall waking up a couple times and slept for many good chunks of time. I had no leaks according to my machine, but I have never had any readable leaks with any mask on my machine. My AHI# was a five on my machine and a 1.9 on my computer app, both all time lows for me.

Now I know it was only one night, but I am hoping that this is the way it will be from now on. If so I will be so happy. Again the mask feels like almost nothing on my face and head. My numbers were at an all time low and I feel they will get better once I get my machine more dialed in, but hopefully I no longer have to worry about my mask.

[cancun]

Thanks for sharing that, I am still debating trying that mask and all good posts about it help me lean in that direction.

[pwgphoto]

Second night with mask, still real comfortable, but my AHI# was considerably higher last night at 5.2, it was 1.9 the night before. No settings were changed. Makes me wonder why. I don't think it is mask related.

[Pugsy]

When AHIs increase and we don't know why the first thing to do is look to see what part of the AHI increased.
Which category increased. If it was the Clear Airway category and you spent some time awake on the machine for some reason then it may just be awake CAs getting flagged by mistake and it doesn't really mean anything. This is where the software comes in and Sleepyhead won't work with the DreamStation machines.
I think Dream Mapper now shows each category..the machine itself probably only shows total AHI on that LCD screen.

In general though...sometimes we can have just "off" nights, I even still have them every now and then, and we don't know why. So I don't worry unless they stay "off" for several nights.

Do you have a Windows computer?
If so there is a very new version of the Encore Pro software that was just released after the DreamStation release and I am assuming that it will work with the Dream Station machines...
would you like to try it? Pro is a bitch but not an impossible to deal with bitch.

[OutaSync]

Pugsy, is the new Encore Pro backwards compatible? I'm going to have to get a new laptop soon and I don't know if the old Encore Pro will work with the new Windows. Or will the new Encore Pro work with my old ASV?

I also have the DreamWear mask on order and can't wait to try it out.

[curems]

Second night with mask, still real comfortable, but my AHI# was considerably higher last night at 5.2, it was 1.9 the night before. No settings were changed. Makes me wonder why. I don't think it is mask related.

I'm glad you're liking this mask! For me it is the best one out there. I tried Wisp but it caused sores on my nose and pillows tend to make me feel like I'm suffocating no matter what size I use.

I know Pugsy said she gets "off nights" now and then and I'm wondering if, in general, it may be more common to have more variability in our numbers starting out and then start to see more consistency with time. I'm still a newbie myself, just 3 months in, but I have been through a lot of masks and some pressure changes. It seemed like my AHI went up a little with the DreamWear but my leaks also became almost non-existent. Now my AHI had been dropping for the past 3 days. My plan is to continue with this mask and see how it all goes until my 6 month appt. Having the most comfortable mask for me with no leaks will certainly help me maintain compliance and if my pressure needs to be adjusted, so be it (my AHI is back down under 3). I have also been having a few more centrals (max of 6 in one night, 1-4 other nights) so I'm not sure what that means but I've got a great doc who actually wants to work with me to make this work.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[Pugsy]

Pugsy, is the new Encore Pro backwards compatible? I'm going to have to get a new laptop soon and I don't know if the old Encore Pro will work with the new Windows. Or will the new Encore Pro work with my old ASV?

I haven't been able to get the most recent Pro version installed to check it out to see if it says anything about compatibility. Will try it on a different computer later and see if it will work on it.
Usually the new versions are backwards compatible and I suspect this new version is just adding DreamStation compatibility but I can't say for sure.

In terms of Windows...I don't know which Pro version you have currently and there was a version change to make it compatible with Windows 8.xxx but no version change was needed for Windows 10 as far as I know.
How old is your Pro version? If it's on a disc...that's old and I doubt it will work with Windows 10.

Which ASV model do you have? The old smart card Legacy model? I had read that at some time Encore wasn't going to support the smart card machines but I don't know if or when that has happened yet.
If for some reason the new version won't work with your machine...Encore Basic will and it will work on Windows 10 as far as I know. I can help you get it.
When you get the new computer (or if you just want to try the new Pro version now) send me a private message and I will get you pointed to it.

[OutaSync]

Ha, yes. I have the version that was new in 2007. I'm not at home right now so can't remember. So far, everything is holding up well, I have over 21,000 hours on my main ASV. It whines on and off during the night, which drives me crazy. Still don't feel like it is doing me any good at all and have not yet ever felt rested in the 8 years I have endured this crap.