My BiPAP diary + Question about waking-up in the night ...

I just started my BiPAP therapy this Monday (10/06). The following is what happened for the passed 3 night:

10/06 (Monday): I just cannot fall asleep because I am fighting with my Swift LT nasal Pillow almost all the 1st half of the night. My nose hurts like hell, especially on the tip of my nose. After 2 times of trying Swift LT, each time is less than an hour, I quit. I use the nasal mask I got from my sleep study session instead. Maybe I turn on the humidifier a little bit too strong (temperature higher than it should), I start to get water dripped out of the nasal mask and my face is wet. The hose is also filled with water. The nasal mask also leaks. I finally fall asleep (I don't know when). However, when I wake up, I feel a little more energetic.

10/07 (Tuesday): Called the doc and asked for a switch of my mask from nasal pillow to FF mask. Doc than faxed the new prescription to the DME for a new FF mask. Give the Swift LT one more try, and surprisingly, tonight the Swift LT doesn't hurt my nose as badly as the previous night. I can still feel the pressing on my nose, but it is a lot less painful. I think it is because I found the right position for the straps so that the nasal pillow will sit under my nostrils without pressing my nose too much. I wear the LT all night without changing the mask back to nasal mask at all. I still wake up 4 times during the sleeping, sensing the mask pressing on my nose and sensing some leaks, so when I toss and turn during the night, sometimes I need to adjust the position of the Swift LT so that it will stop leaking. The leakage, however, is less than that of the nasal mask I wore last night. I start to feel willing to give the Swift LT more trying. When I wake up on 10/08, I feel again a little more energetic.

10/08 (Wednesday): Get the Mirage Quattro FF mask from the DME, so give it a try. It fits my face nicely. I hardly can sense any leakage. It also fits my nose/mouth nicely when I toss and turn during the night. However, I still wake up 2 times during this night, sensing the mask on my face. I also notice that my breath pattern seems altered. While I do not fall asleep, I will breath quickly and inhale sharply when I wear the mask. I then remind myself to relax and breath normally. When I wake up this morning, the energetic feeling seems not as strong as those in previous 2 days.

Now going-to-bed becomes interesting for me because I don't know what I am gonna get for tonight. However, I notice that since the BiPAP therapy starts, I can not fall asleep as quickly as I used to. I don't know whether it is because the feeling of wearing mask on my face, the worry about leaking, or the worry about opening mouth (I am a mouth breather) while wearing the Swift LT. I also notice that I still wake up 3 or more times during the sleeping. So I wonder whether the waking-up is because I still need to get used to the therapy or I still cannot get enough air from the BiPAP therapy. How can I find out that my BiPAP therapy is indeed effective and my waking-up is not caused by apnea?

OxyJo wrote: Now going-to-bed becomes interesting for me because I don't know what I am gonna get for tonight. ?

OxyJo, what an interesting observation.
I feel the same way.
Is it the feeling of hope, for sleep and a better day?
Is it the gamblers mentality, can't wait to see if
the next roll(pun intended)is going to be the big winner.....
Is it a challenge to see if I can, indeed, endure this?
Is it a challenge to see if I can "beat" yesterdays numbers?

I am just over 100 days. I switched to ffm after the first month
w/Optilife pillows. I have a mask that is dialed in and fits.
I can put that pup on, fire that muth'a up and
I'm good to go for the night. I wake up sometimes and don't
even realize that I have it on or I'm breathing through it.

I love to dream. Some I remember, some I don't, but whenever I
wake and know that I have been dreaming, I just smile because
I know I have been in good sleep.

Your diary will serve you well. I would also suggest you keep a daily record of
your data, as well.

Yes, going-to-bed has become interesting........and enjoyable, again.

OxyJo,
If you had the software... I'd send you to it. Are you sure that you have the classic? Not the M-series? If you've got the M-series then there is info that you should be able to pull from the LCD... so make sure what you've got.

I found that when I was willing (leave it for a week before you try anything) to move the EPAP number up that I slept better at night.

OxyJo, look at the mask on my profile that I used for my titration the other night. It comes with 3 sizes of pillows and mine wound up being a small. It was the first time I had a mask on, it was lightweight and comfortable. I did notice a little condensation in my hose but it was very minimal. The pillows were so soft and stayed in place so nicely and the headgear was very soft as well. No mark on my face in the morning and I fell asleep within 30 minutes I was so comfortable. Now this is coming from someone who has anxiety and who was practically freaking out when I got to the study. I would most certainly give the one I used a try as it is similar to the Swift you used. Good luck!

MichelleFL wrote:OxyJo, look at the mask on my profile that I used for my titration the other night. It comes with 3 sizes of pillows and mine wound up being a small. It was the first time I had a mask on, it was lightweight and comfortable. I did notice a little condensation in my hose but it was very minimal. The pillows were so soft and stayed in place so nicely and the headgear was very soft as well. No mark on my face in the morning and I fell asleep within 30 minutes I was so comfortable. Now this is coming from someone who has anxiety and who was practically freaking out when I got to the study. I would most certainly give the one I used a try as it is similar to the Swift you used. Good luck!

Careful. OxyJ has already switched to a FF mask due to mouthbreathing with the Swift. Not a good idea to switch back to a nasal mask without a strategy to deal with mouthbreathing.

Hi, cflame1:

The machine I ma using now is rent from my DME, and what they have right now for a BiPAP aptient like me is BiPAP Pro2. I have told my doc and the DME that I want to get the M-Series BiPAP with auto Bi-Flex. Hope that I can have my own BiPAP ASAP.

By the way, what is the difference between "M-Series BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex" and "M-Series BiPAP Plus with Bi-Flex"? Which one is better?

Definately... DON'T go to a Plus.

A Plus gives absolutely no data other than for compliance. Not worth the purchase unless absolutely the last resort IMHO. It's a step down from where you are now.

The auto gives you much more flexibility and data. You don't just stay at one set of IPAP/EPAP... I set a max IPAP and a min EPAP and how much space to allow between them. If you can at all convince the doc/DME to do auto, go for it!

The data helps you to know what's possibly wrong when you have a problem.

new here but very confused about my bi flex does anyone take their masks off during the night and wake up without it? or get choked up is it supposed to slow way down in the night I am not sure I am doing this right