New to Board and Need Help

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Cardinals45
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:31 pm

New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:40 pm

Hoping to get some help on a couple of questions. I’m a relatively new CPAP user (2 months) and went from testing at 54 ahi to average of 3.5 with pressure of 13.

I recently have had three issues:
1. Teeth sensitivity with nasal mask (since starting)
2. Recent headaches (never had before CPAP). Kind of a dull headache and little feeling of dizziness. Not sure if it’s CPAP or maybe flu-like symptoms
3. Did oximeter last night and had my highest AHI (7) since using CPAP. Just a coincidence?

Thanks and I appreciate the help.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

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Goofproof
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Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Goofproof » Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:54 pm

Sounds like we need data to suggest help,but I guess nasal mask, mouthbreathing and maybe poor pressure adjustment, but until leaks are controlled playing with pressure isn't going to be advised.

You need to fill in your profile in text not ICONNY, your settings, mask and you need to set up Sleepyhead and post images. Welcome. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Julie
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Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Julie » Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:59 pm

If your BP pre-cpap was already on the low side, it's possible the dizziness is due to cpap lowering it even more (it usually does), but without more to go on it's really not a good idea to guess. You may have the mask on too tight (bad idea) and therefore your teeth are sore... too tight keeps the silicone cushion from inflating properly. If the mask doesn't fit without leaks, you have either the wrong size, wrong adjustment or just plain wrong mask (there are so many out there).

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Pugsy » Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:38 pm

Exactly which machine are you using? Brand and model?
Exactly which mask are you using?

When you have time please add your equipment to your profile so we can see at a glance what equipment you are using and thus be able to tailor the responses a little better.
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

Hopefully you will have a full efficacy data machine that you can use available software to see in more detail what is going on during the night in terms of leak or whatever.
But we need to know the model first. Not all machines that have SD cards put anything useful on those SD cards.

The headaches...don't know but my first thought would be straps on the mask are too tight. Especially since you are reporting tooth sensitivity...something is pressing too hard on something.
The most common mistake new people make is cranking down that mask way too tight thinking that tighter is better for leak control and these masks don't have to be tight at all to seal. Depends a lot on the mask...so which mask are you using. There's probably 200 or more "nasal masks" out there and some have minimal headgear and some have a lot of headgear. So need to know which one you are using.
Strap placement also..especially if you are like me and have a bad neck. Some of those masks with that lower strap going around the base of the skull area will give me a headache caused by neck discomfort. I call them "neck headaches". The straps can push on muscles and nerves in the upper neck and cause headaches..and for me it doesn't even have to be tight to do it.

Welcome to the forum.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Cardinals45
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:31 pm

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:49 pm

Thanks to both. Great thought in the bp but it was slightly high 140/90 and has come down to 125/85 so that’s not the cause. You may be correct
About the mouth breathing. I’ve had a couple of nights where the air has been blowing directly into my mouth.

I’ll fill out the profile so you can provide more guidance. Again, new to this so sorry.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Pugsy » Fri Feb 09, 2018 6:55 pm

Hey...nothing to be sorry about...you gave us more information than we usually get from newbies. :lol: :lol:
Usually it's "help, I have a headache and I think my cpap is causing it...any idea how to fix it"
and that's all we have to go on.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Julie
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Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Julie » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:13 pm

The point if that therapy air should not go out of your mouth... not that room air shouldn't go in.

Cardinals45
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Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:29 pm

Thanks again....any ideas on the highest AHI and the oximeter...just a coincidence?

Also, I've updated equipment and readings...what else is helpful for future reference???

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Pugsy » Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:44 pm

About last night and the AHI and the oximeter....
How was your sleep quality in general?
Did you find yourself waking often because of the oximeter or something?
Sometimes when we have a lot of fragmented sleep the cpap machine will flag awake/semi awake breathing irregularities and we get a high AHI but it's not real because most of the events are awake/semi awake events and thus not real. We call them SWJ or sleep/wake/junk and we sort of have to mentally remove them from the evaluation process.
Usually these "false" events are CAs/centrals but I have seen them be OAs and hyponeas as well.

Even if you slept like a log...I still wouldn't get too worried about one night where the AHI was higher than usual. We all have those "bad" nights from time to time and we don't know why.

When I have a bad night from back pain and I don't sleep so great my AHI is often higher than normal but when I go look at the actual event the flow rate pattern doesn't look like I am asleep at all. It's SWJ most of the time and I have to shrug my shoulders and chalk it up to poor sleep from the pain.

For now...and you...and you are new to therapy..quite honestly I wouldn't start worrying or trying to learn SWJ flow rate pattern stuff just for one bad night unless you just really want to do a lot of work.
Me....I don't like a lot of work and won't do it unless I just have to and in your situation I wouldn't do it unless the AHI stays up around 7 and you know you slept like a log.
I don't do anything based on just one night's report unless the report is so horribly bad that something urgent needs to be done.
One bad night out of 2 months....doesn't qualify for urgent. IMHO

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Cardinals45
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:31 pm

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:04 pm

Thanks....that's provides some 'comfort' ....I think I was worried about keeping the oximeter on my finger and subsequently didn't get the greatest night of sleep.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

ajack
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Location: australia

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by ajack » Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:03 pm

I would also use the program sleepyhead.
are you using your auto machine on fixed pressure?
I would put it on auto min 11 max 15, just to check if 13 is your best number.

_________________
Mask: ResMed AirFit™ F20 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: S9 ST-A iVAPS and adapt ASV

Cardinals45
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Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:31 pm

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:05 am

Tried to put some of your advice into action last night. Loosened the mask to see about the headache issue. May have helped a little, but typically have 100% on mask fit and last night was 88%. Every once in awhile I would hear the air whizzing out since the fit was not as tight. I guess this is just a trial and error thing???

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Pugsy » Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:54 am

Yeah, pretty much trial and error. When I trialed the DreamWear I think it took me nearly a week with little tweaks here and there to get it dialed in. Too loose one night...too tight the next so then I would try in between...
Also see if you can move that back strap up a little higher on the back of your skull. That area is where I would always seem to have the greatest chance of something causing a headache.

Also..another thought..your bed pillow and sleeping position. Any chance that your bed pillow is now maybe putting your head and neck in a position that is something new to you that your neck doesn't like? Sometimes in our effort to avoid the chance of the mask moving or bed pillow causing movement we end up sleeping in a position that sort of puts a bind in the neck or just different position.
I can't use a tall pillow of any kind and sometimes I wake up with a headache but I quickly realize that I slept in a weird position and not my normal position.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Cardinals45
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:31 pm

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Cardinals45 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:48 am

Thanks...I'm going to try to move the back strap up...pretty much stuck with flat pillow because of old baseball injury...my shoulder aches otherwise.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: 30 day mask fit - 99%; 30 day pressure - 13.4; 30 day therapy hours - 7.8

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Pugsy
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Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New to Board and Need Help

Post by Pugsy » Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:15 pm

Another idea about the back strap if it seems to be the primary culprit...adding some sort of padding over it so that the pressure gets diffused a bit.
Maybe something like this with velcro for easy putting on and taking of but worn over the back strap instead of the top as shown here
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Strap_Pads.html

Would be fairly easy to come up with something as a DIY project. Above shown mainly to get an idea of what it might do and look like.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.