Really need advice on how to improve treatment

Hello everyone,
I'm returning to sleepyhead because my treatment still doesn't seem to be working after almost a year. I've posted on here a few times but didn't post correct screenshots so i'm giving it another try. Treatment for me has never really seemed to work. Over almost a year of using CPAP on and off, i can only recall maybe 10 times i've felt a little better, but nothing like what i've heard other people saying, "i've noticed a huge difference!, this saved my life!, i can't sleep without it!, etc.".

I've messed with my pressure settings and it just doesn't seem to help. The main reason i got CPAP was because i would always get very drowsy while driving and sometimes it would be really bad, a few times i've almost crashed into neighbors yards.

So i'm 5'4", 140 lbs, 23 years old and i do go to the gym and have a good diet. My starting AHI was 15 (according to my at home sleep study, mild apnea). My doctor recommended i use an airsense 10 and i use a full face mask because i'm a mouth breather. I just recently got mask liners because i drool alot and it would always wake me up in the middle of the night due to a wet face. They seem to be working which has helped a little bit which is why i'm giving this another shot.

Alot of times i do get aerophagia, which sucks because sometimes i wake up a couple hours before i need to get up and i won't be able to fall back asleep for a while because of the full, uncomfortable stomach. I have my EPR set to 3 as well, which has helped a little.

If you guys need anymore information, please let me know. Thank you very much for any help.

Link to album: http://imgur.com/a/KMk4f

You haven't tried raising the min. pressure at all from its default low setting, and that's the first thing to try if AHI remains above ideal levels. Try 6 or 7 for a few nights and see how you do... it may be as simple as getting effective treatment vs inadequate.

Julie wrote:You haven't tried raising the min. pressure at all from its default low setting, and that's the first thing to try if AHI remains above ideal levels. Try 6 or 7 for a few nights and see how you do... it may be as simple as getting effective treatment vs inadequate.

I didn't include screenshots of that, but i have tried raising it higher and it seems to make the aerophagia worse. But i can try it again and see what happens.

I agree with Julie. Your min pressure of 4-5 is too low. Gradually increase it to 7-8 and see if you don't feel better and have a lower AHI. It won't stop the drool....maybe a lower humidity will help that. An increase in min pressure was recommended back in May...evidently you never tried it.

You may need a different machine (bilevel) to help you better tolerate the higher pressures (that you seem to need) and hopefully it will get you the therapy you need without feeding the aerophagia monster.
Your EPR setting of 3 creates somewhat of a bilevel experience but you may need more than 3 cm difference between inhale and exhale to keep the aerophagia monster away.

Time to talk to your doctor about your options and your issues with more pressure and the aerophagia monster complicating things.

LSAT wrote:I agree with Julie. Your min pressure of 4-5 is too low. Gradually increase it to 7-8 and see if you don't feel better and have a lower AHI. It won't stop the drool....maybe a lower humidity will help that. An increase in min pressure was recommended back in May...evidently you never tried it.

I did try it.. For maybe a week and i got really bad aerophagia so i turned it back down. But i will try again and turn down my humidity as well, thank you.

Pugsy wrote:You may need a different machine (bilevel) to help you better tolerate the higher pressures (that you seem to need) and hopefully it will get you the therapy you need without feeding the aerophagia monster.
Your EPR setting of 3 creates somewhat of a bilevel experience but you may need more than 3 cm difference between inhale and exhale to keep the aerophagia monster away.

Time to talk to your doctor about your options and your issues with more pressure and the aerophagia monster complicating things.

Thank you, i'll try raising the min pressure for the next week and see if it makes the aerophagia worse again, and conveniently i have an appointment coming up in 1 week.

Guest wrote:

LSAT wrote:I agree with Julie. Your min pressure of 4-5 is too low. Gradually increase it to 7-8 and see if you don't feel better and have a lower AHI. It won't stop the drool....maybe a lower humidity will help that. An increase in min pressure was recommended back in May...evidently you never tried it.

I did try it.. For maybe a week and i got really bad aerophagia so i turned it back down. But i will try again and turn down my humidity as well, thank you.

Currently your med pressure is 9.2 which means you are averaging that pressure. Raising your min pressure to 7-8 should not cause more aerophagia

Guest wrote:i'll try raising the min pressure for the next week and see if it makes the aerophagia worse again, and conveniently i have an appointment coming up in 1 week.

Do that and if its still a problem be sure to ask the doc what to do about it. Should be recommending a bipap for you.

Longwalksonthe wrote:Hello everyone,
I'm returning to sleepyhead because my treatment still doesn't seem to be working after almost a year. I've posted on here a few times but didn't post correct screenshots so i'm giving it another try. Treatment for me has never really seemed to work. Over almost a year of using CPAP on and off, i can only recall maybe 10 times i've felt a little better, but nothing like what i've heard other people saying, "i've noticed a huge difference!, this saved my life!, i can't sleep without it!, etc.".

I've messed with my pressure settings and it just doesn't seem to help. The main reason i got CPAP was because i would always get very drowsy while driving and sometimes it would be really bad, a few times i've almost crashed into neighbors yards.

So i'm 5'4", 140 lbs, 23 years old and i do go to the gym and have a good diet. My starting AHI was 15 (according to my at home sleep study, mild apnea). My doctor recommended i use an airsense 10 and i use a full face mask because i'm a mouth breather. I just recently got mask liners because i drool alot and it would always wake me up in the middle of the night due to a wet face. They seem to be working which has helped a little bit which is why i'm giving this another shot.

Alot of times i do get aerophagia, which sucks because sometimes i wake up a couple hours before i need to get up and i won't be able to fall back asleep for a while because of the full, uncomfortable stomach. I have my EPR set to 3 as well, which has helped a little.

If you guys need anymore information, please let me know. Thank you very much for any help.

Link to album: http://imgur.com/a/KMk4f

You feel lousy and your data confirms why - your numbers suck. Follow the advice you are receiving.

Maybe you need to look at your diet - you say you go to the gym, which tells me you're health conscious, maybe playing with diet, maybe taking in too much fiber which can certainly cause aerophagia. Look somewhere else for answers besides just Cpap.