CPAP Titration - any advice?

I did a two night sleep study separated by a month. First night was wired-up and slept without a mask to get a base line. The second night a month later was done all wired-up and with a mask. I told the tech that I was a mouth breather but he insisted on me trying the nasal pillow first. I am glad he did. I have, for the most, part stopped being a mouth breather and the nasal pillow are as unobtrusive as you are going to get. I did sleep very well in the sleep lab. It was a secure setting with no interruptions. You will do fine.

Hmm, as one who has a phobia about snakes, I guess I just need a positive attitude.

Dave, if you feel the masks might cause claustrophobia, would be possible to meet with the technician prior to your sleep study to try on masks so you can take your time to get acclimated? If this is an issue and I am not 100% sure based on what you have written, the tech would slowly work with you to adjust to wearing the mask. That way you could go into your titration having a good idea as to what mask would be the best option for you.

Best of luck.

49er

Can I ask a question since all of you seem to know a lot about titration studies. I need a Auto PAP because I have UARS. I live in Panama which makes it very difficult t get really competent medical care. Doctors here are good for veterinary medicine, but not much else. There are a couple of sleep centers, but I would not trust them here. So I dealt long distance with doctors in the US. My question is that I never got a sleep study because 1. It is unlikely that I would be diagnosed with OSA, so they might say that I do not need a PAP machine. 2. I could NEVER fall asleep in a sleep lab, no matter how much sedative they gave me.

So I just got an Autopap, and other than my doctors prescription, bypassed the medical community entirely. My husband is a doctor and I have to say that I don't trust the medical community. I always do my own research for anything - never take a doctors word at face value.

Will that Autopap set my pressure correctly? So far (I am waiting for a mask that fits, so can't use it at night yet) when I use it during the day, it feels great. I feel like I am finally getting the air into my lungs that I have been missing for years - can't wait to get my new masks. So my question is if you use an Autopap, why do you want to have a titration study at all?

Hello all.

I came back from the CPAP titration study early this morning, slept 2 more hours at home, and I think I feel more refreshed than usual. (though it may be the placebo effect).

I wore a nasal mask and didn't much feel it, except some air flying out the sides once in a while. There was one recorded incidence of a leak that the technician corrected, maybe the others I corrected myself. I was well oxygenated throughout the night.

However, I moved around often in my sleep, and I felt bothered by the whooshing air noise, it was like a radio playing next to me.

Also I found that my heart rate goes down to 53 bpm in my sleep, when it should be 60+? Perhaps something I should look into.