Trying nasal prongs; problem is taking off mask in the night

I've decided to try nasal prongs even though I see that they are not very popular. I looked at "customer reviews" for the prongs and the people who like them, really like them but, of course, there are some very negative reviews as well. Right now I'm on my 3rd mask (Air Fit P10 for Her). I didn't change my profile because I didn't know if I would keep it. I use the Swift FX that I got from the DME while waiting for my new masks to come in. I tried the Dreamwear and I actually like the way it felt but I still was only able to keep it on for a few hours. I even tried taping it to my face with surgical tape. That tape is pretty easy to take off, so I just took it off as I have been the whole time. (Afraid to use stronger tape because I've used it for other things before and ended up with bruises when I pull it off). I'm trying the prongs because I'm claustrophobic and the idea of not much contacting my face appeals to me. I've been told that maybe my pressure is not right and that's why I'm removing the mask in the night, but I have one of those auto adjusting machines so I don't think I can change the pressure. The only time I've kept the mask on all night is one night when I had taken an extra pain pill because of my shoulder surgery (surgery was in January). My daughter-in-law is a nurse practitioner and she thinks I should take more sleeping meds to knock myself out to increase my chance of success with CPAP. I just hate to think of doing that because right now I take a small amount of ambien every night just to fall asleep. I hate to think of increasing it because when I take more I feel too sleepy the next day.

The good news is that I do have the return insurance and I can keep trying new masks if I want to. I paid for the Dreamwear and can exchange from there. I may go back to the Dreamwear and try the new gel pillow and keep trying to figure out a way not to take the mask off (right now I take it off after 2 to 3 hours - so I can fall asleep I just can't keep it on).

KTinTexas wrote:I've decided to try nasal prongs even though I see that they are not very popular.

If you are talking about nasal pillows, that is wrong - nasal pillows are very popular.

KTinTexas wrote:but I have one of those auto adjusting machines so I don't think I can change the pressure.

You can change the pressure on any CPAP machine. But first, do you know how to read the data in the machine display? AHI? Leak? Pressure?
Data can lead you to making appropriate changes to the pressure settings. Just guessing can lead to inappropriate changes.

KTinTexas wrote:My daughter-in-law is a nurse practitioner and she thinks I should take more sleeping meds to knock myself out to increase my chance of success with CPAP. I just hate to think of doing that because right now I take a small amount of ambien every night just to fall asleep. I hate to think of increasing it because when I take more I feel too sleepy the next day.

Go with your instincts. Ignore the DIL. You should be able to sleep better once your CPAP therapy is optimized.

KTinTexas wrote:so I can fall asleep I just can't keep it on

What does that mean?

Nasal prongs..the ones that actually do go up inside the nostril quite a bit???
Like this one?
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/innome ... e-kit.html
Big difference between "pillows" and "prongs".

No, not extremely popular and not many to choose from but there's lovers and haters of every mask out there.

Give them a try. Every time you try something new you will learn something about yourself and what your preferences and needs are.
When I was first starting cpap therapy I think I tried every nasal pillow mask available at the time during the first 6 months.
I did try the nasal prongs too...and I think it was to the Nasal Air II that I linked to above.
The prongs themselves when properly fitted sort of disappear and really aren't all that big of a deal but the headgear and the hose arrangement leaves a lot to be desired. Also the prongs have to fit just perfect inside the nose and they have to inflate a bit to seal. If the size isn't perfect it won't work. I found that out myself. One size was just a tiny bit too small and when it inflated in the nose it didn't seal completely and the next size was simply too big. It fit okay when not under pressure but the minute I turned the machine on and it inflated it hurt like the devil. No way could I sleep with it. One was too little and the next size was too big. I just happened to be an "in between size".

Yes, I mean nasal prongs and not pillows. I mean I am able to fall asleep with the mask on I just can't KEEP it on. Well, if I find the nasal prongs hurt I will have my Swift FX to fall back on. The nasal prong mask does come with a variety of sizes to try.

KTinTexas,

The prongs may be worth a try. If they work for you, it doesn't really matter whether anybody else likes them or not.

As for the problem you describe about taking the mask off:

1) Are you aware you are doing when you take the mask off? Or are you doing in your sleep?

2) When you wake up and find that the mask is off, what do you do? Silently fuss at yourself for failing to keep the mask on yet again? Or do you just put the mask back on and then go back to sleep? Or do you only wake up in the morning to find that you took the mask off yet again?

3) What make and model of APAP are you using? While the machine can and does automatically adjust the pressure at night, it helps to have the minimum pressure setting set at the right level for optimal CPAP therapy for you. Different people need different amounts of pressure. It would help us help you figure out how to adjust the pressure settings if you would tell us what machine you are using and what your overnight AHIs look like. Downloading SleepyHead and using it to post some daily data would give us a lot more to go on for helping you get over your hump.

I don't think the Dreamstation supports Sleepyhead software.

KTinTexas wrote:I don't think the Dreamstation supports Sleepyhead software.

The older versions of SleepyHead don't but the latest version of SleepyHead 1.0.0 Beta 2 will work with the DreamStation machines
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead

Pugsy wrote:

KTinTexas wrote:I don't think the Dreamstation supports Sleepyhead software.

The older versions of SleepyHead don't but the latest version of SleepyHead 1.0.0 Beta 2 will work with the DreamStation machines
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead

I'm very untechnical. How would I use that? I figured out that I could use Dreammapper with this machine. I looked on the machine and see a port to connect to. I can't find any instruction that tells me what kind of connector I need but I'm looking. Do you know if I can connect it to a tablet? I have an Android phone and it is loaded up and tells me there's no room any time I try to download anything else, so I'd like to use my "Nextbook" which is a Windows 2-1. I'll look for a 1800 number to call to try to get some help.

I've noticed my AHI numbers going up even for the short time I'm able to use the CPAP. So, something is definitely not right. I'm going to call my doctor's office and talk to the PA. I have healthcare.gov insurance and MB that's why they just dropped off the CPAP and pretty much left me on my own.

KTinTexas wrote:

Pugsy wrote:

KTinTexas wrote:I don't think the Dreamstation supports Sleepyhead software.

The older versions of SleepyHead don't but the latest version of SleepyHead 1.0.0 Beta 2 will work with the DreamStation machines
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead

I'm very untechnical. How would I use that? I figured out that I could use Dreammapper with this machine. I looked on the machine and see a port to connect to. I can't find any instruction that tells me what kind of connector I need but I'm looking.

Your data is recorded on an SD card---the same kind of card that many digital cameras use. Many modern day laptop computers have an SD card slot. And if yours does not, SD card readers are readily available at places like Office Max, Target, Walmart, etc.

Once you download SleepyHead, you need to open the program up. It will step you through the process of creating a SleepyHead user. When you are ready to read your data into SleepyHead, you put the SD card into the SD cardslot or SD cardreader and attach the card reader to the USB port. (It is no harder than plugging in a cell phone into a computer.) Then you import the data into SleepyHead using a menu.

I wrote a pretty thorough users guide for SleepyHead aimed at nontechnical people several years ago. While the guide was officially written for an older version of SH, the basic stuff has not changed. You can find the guide at http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... SleepyHead

Do you know if I can connect it to a tablet?

Unfortunately SleepyHead is not available for tablets. You need a laptop. It doesn't matter if the laptop is a Windows laptop or a Macintosh laptop.

I have an Android phone and it is loaded up and tells me there's no room any time I try to download anything else, so I'd like to use my "Nextbook" which is a Windows 2-1. I'll look for a 1800 number to call to try to get some help.

Since your Nextbook is a Windows-based tablet, it might work. But I don't know enough about Windows-based tablets.

The cheapest, smallest laptop computers running Windows 7 (or later) will easily run SleepyHead.

I've noticed my AHI numbers going up even for the short time I'm able to use the CPAP. So, something is definitely not right. I'm going to call my doctor's office and talk to the PA. I have healthcare.gov insurance and MB that's why they just dropped off the CPAP and pretty much left me on my own.

Does Dreammapper break your AHI down into the component parts? In other words, when you look at your data in Dreammapper, do you see numbers labeled as OAI, HI, and CAI? If so, what do those numbers look like on a typical night?

Also, what does Dreammapper say about your leaks or your mask fit?

Any way you could take a picture of your data in Dreammapper and post that to the forum?

KTinTexas wrote: I'm very untechnical. How would I use that? I figured out that I could use Dreammapper with this machine.

DreamMapper is better than nothing.
It will give the AHI and a sort of break down into event categories as well as a sort of leak evaluation number.

As for SleepyHead...no way to use it on your phone even if there was room on the phone.
You need some sort of a computer with a SD card slot or at least a USB port (adapters for USB to SD cards are available for cheap) to be able to use SleepyHead. Does your notebook with Windows on it have a slot for SD cards or a working USB port? I am not familiar with that particular Windows product but it might work with SleepyHead.

I have an iPad...no SD card slot and no USB port and even if SleepyHead worked on it (which I don't think it does) I have no way to get the data off the SD card to the iPad that is easy.
Those of you using WiFi cards...I know that is available but I said "easy". I don't want to suggest to someone who admits to being computer challenged to try the WiFi SD card thing. Heck, I don't even want to do that work myself.

I have a Windows 7 laptop so I could use that. I haven't used the Dreammapper yet. The display on my machine just says "AHI" and gives a number. There is a mask fit display and it has been 100%. There is a periodic breathing which is always 0% and a "90% pressure" reading that varies (plus I don't understand what it means). Will have to look for the SD card. Didn't see it when I looked in - only saw a port.

KTinTexas wrote:I have a Windows 7 laptop so I could use that.

Yes. Use that.

I haven't used the Dreammapper yet. The display on my machine just says "AHI" and gives a number. There is a mask fit display and it has been 100%. There is a periodic breathing which is always 0% and a "90% pressure" reading that varies (plus I don't understand what it means).

The 90% pressure number is the level that your pressure is at or below for 90% of the night. For example, if you use the machine for 8 hours and the 90% pressure is reported as 10.5, then your pressure was at or BELOW 10.5 for 7.2 hours since 90% of 8 hours is .9 * 8 = 7.2 hours. For 10% of the night or 0.8 hours, your pressure was at or ABOVE 10.5.

Will have to look for the SD card. Didn't see it when I looked in - only saw a port.

If the DME didn't include the card, you can buy a cheap one of your own. Or you can call the DME and ask them to provide you with the card that should have been included in your machine. They're likely to give you some kind of malarky excuse that the SD card is not needed because they're monitoring your usage wirelessly.

My latest 90% pressure reading is 14.5. I only had 2.5 therapy hours last night (which was more than the 2 nights before)

I was wrong. I found the SD card. I don't have anything at home that can read it, though, so I will have to make a purchase.