First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
User avatar
Jas_williams
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:12 pm
Location: Somerset UK

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by Jas_williams » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:17 pm

Sarah,


I just wanted to say I am with the nhs and was given a brick so I could see no data, other than how do you feel I ended up buying my own machine and adjusting myself when the sleep Nurse asked why I had bought my own machine and why I had adjusted the pressure I showed her Resscan reports I had printed out in preparation (as that’s the software they use) and explained my reasoning and lower AHI values and they were happy I was not locked up it was not acrimonious it was interested conversation with an engaged patient I hope your experience will be the same if you decide to change your own settings.


Jason

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Using sleepyhead and a pressure of 6 - 21 Resmed S9 Adapt SV with a Bleep Sleep Mask

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:39 pm

Jas_williams wrote:
Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:17 pm
Sarah,


I just wanted to say I am with the nhs and was given a brick so I could see no data, other than how do you feel I ended up buying my own machine and adjusting myself when the sleep Nurse asked why I had bought my own machine and why I had adjusted the pressure I showed her Resscan reports I had printed out in preparation (as that’s the software they use) and explained my reasoning and lower AHI values and they were happy I was not locked up it was not acrimonious it was interested conversation with an engaged patient I hope your experience will be the same if you decide to change your own settings.


Jason
That's good. They should appreciate patients who take an active interest in their own welfare. If I decide to change the settings, I will. I think I've got to the age when I say and do what I like. :lol:
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask

User avatar
scruffies
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:21 pm
Location: Fremont,Ca

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by scruffies » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:07 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:10 am
When you have the reply to box open look down on the lower left corner for
options and attachments tabs
click on attachment tab
then click on "add files"
then find your screen shot and click on it to attach the file
click preview to see if it shows up
if it does then click on submit for final submission
Thanks Pugsy for the information. I was also wondering how to do that.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: 11-15 pressure setting, CPAP starting 1-22-18

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:16 pm

This CPAP business isn't easy is it? The past two hours I've been lying awake feeling like I'm getting no air. My heart's pounding so I've pulled off the mask to give myself a break. I may try again in an hour or so once I've settled down.
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask

User avatar
Jas_williams
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:12 pm
Location: Somerset UK

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by Jas_williams » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:26 am

SarahB wrote:
Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:16 pm
This CPAP business isn't easy is it? The past two hours I've been lying awake feeling like I'm getting no air. My heart's pounding so I've pulled off the mask to give myself a break. I may try again in an hour or so once I've settled down.
If you feel like your getting no air it is likely your auto set is on too low a start pressure but we really need sleepyhead graphs to find out for sure.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Using sleepyhead and a pressure of 6 - 21 Resmed S9 Adapt SV with a Bleep Sleep Mask

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:20 am

It starts on 4. I was holding my breath to get the pressure to ramp up. :D Just couldn't relax as I felt I wouldn't be able to breathe if I didn't concentrate on it consciously. Then my mouth fell open as I got drowsy even though I'd bandaged my jaw tightly and that was the final straw.

Got up, had a cup of tea, did some crochet then when I'd relaxed a bit I tried again and managed five perfect hours sitting in an upright position on the sofa. I don't feel physically rested but the SleepyHead graphs look good. :)

I've yet to get a night's sleep lying down in bed. It's a challenge!
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask

User avatar
Jas_williams
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:12 pm
Location: Somerset UK

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by Jas_williams » Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:32 am

You really need to go into the clinical menu and change the minimum pressure to a higher value I suggest 6 as a starting point - to get into the clinical menu press and hold the ‘Home’ key and the circular knob for over 3 seconds, If your minimum pressure is 4 it’s too low. You may find that turning off ramp or setting the minimum vale of ramp to 6 will also help. But to be honest we need what your machine is set at to advise correctly. A daily graph from sleepyhead is the quickest and simplest way for us to read and understand your current settings.


Jason

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Using sleepyhead and a pressure of 6 - 21 Resmed S9 Adapt SV with a Bleep Sleep Mask

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:10 am

Thank you. The minimum pressure is set at 4. I believe my graphs earlier in the thread show this.

I suspect my problem is more an attitude of mind than a lack of air but increasing the starting pressure may help.

Thanks to all who have suggested this. :D
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask

User avatar
Jas_williams
Posts: 1120
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 2:12 pm
Location: Somerset UK

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by Jas_williams » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:15 am

Sorry just found your earlier graph,


Based on that graph as starting pressure of 8 would be good and will eliminate the feeling of lack of air

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: Using sleepyhead and a pressure of 6 - 21 Resmed S9 Adapt SV with a Bleep Sleep Mask

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Sun Feb 18, 2018 8:17 am

Cheers! :)
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask

ajack
Posts: 977
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 2:54 am
Location: australia

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by ajack » Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:11 am

also turn the ramp off or have that at at least 6. For treatment min pressure I saw 8 suggested, I'd start there or 9, to be around the 'Med' median pressure. you then raise it 1cm as you go, till the OA/H are sorted. Basically what I have previously said.
Do you have some charts to put up?

_________________
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

jefe2018
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:01 pm

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by jefe2018 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:16 am

I've been using my ResMed 10 for 90 days and had similar experiences as you are now having but have made very good progress.
My initial settings were: ramp at 4, low pressure of 4 and high of 15. I had a full face mask.

I got no sleep for a week and was destroyed by high pressure; cheeks popping, high pressure leaks and stomach aches. I was exhausted after the first week. I was sure I would never use the therapy successfully. pugsy and others helped immensely. I dreaded going to bed, because I knew I was headed for another epic with the machine.

I switched to a nose-only Dream Wear mask and got a chin strap. The low ramp was choking off air and preventing me from relaxing, so I bumped it up to 6 which was comfortable. I bumped my low pressure up to 9 and my high down to 11. This tight range prevented a lot of the apnea from occurring on the low end, and reduced most of the high-end events. I also enabled the EPR (exhaust relief) and over a few days moved it up to 4, the max setting. This made it easier to exhale. It has helped with the air-gulping.

My attempts to get help from my PT or Doc were a waste of time. I don't think they have ever used the machines and can't relate to our (your) challenges. There are better experts here to help you with dialing in your settings, but right now your goal should not be AHI-related. It should be to get comfortable with your machine, your mask and your settings. You need to sleep. After you eliminate some of your issues, your AHI will come down, and you'll be able to focus on better AHI performance with fine-tuning your settings.

I'm still gulping a bit of air, but rarely have stomach aches in the morning. My AHI has been below 1.0 for two weeks (how did that happen?) and I'm getting rest at night. This happened AFTER I became friends with the device. For me: higher ramp pressure to relax as I go to sleep, higher low-end pressure, lower high-end pressure, new mask. I may be letting some events creep in at the high end, but I can't USE the machine at higher settings, so have live with that compromise. It is worth it, because I'm sleeping now, and have low AHI. That works for me.

You'll get it, but work with these guys on the forum. I never would have made it without them. I would have tossed my machine already.

_________________
MachineMask

SarahB
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:09 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: First real night with CPAP. Constantly woken by machine.

Post by SarahB » Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:40 pm

That's so encouraging! Thanks!

You're right, it's the support from forum members that really keeps you going. 😀

I've realised that the problem with the FF mask was leaking. I was very reluctant to use it again after that experience but plucked up courage last night.

It is very difficult to get a good seal on the mask at all and it's not very comfortable when I do. However, although it leaked a bit when I moved about I managed to sleep quite well.

I woke up once when my mouth had dropped open and slipped out from under the mask. Another leak.

The AHI score wasn't brilliant but overall it was the best sleep I've had so far.😀

I know you've said not to worry about the AHI scores at this stage but I'm aware that the consultant will be looking at my first two weeks of data soon. If everything is fine he will sign the forms allowing me to reapply for my driving licence. Otherwise it's going to be several more months before that happens, so I'm keen to get good results quickly. That's not very realistic in the first two weeks but that's my time limit.
Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset. Mask: Resmed Airfit N20 nasal mask