New Data Capable Machine

I've been on cpap for about 2 months. The DME gave me a RemStar Plus M series. My RX is cpap at 7. I felt I was adjusting okay but not great. I was still waking up 3 -4 times per night. When I visited my PCP (no sleep doc in my small town) she called DME. When I went over there I was greeted with jocular calls of "troublemaker" so I'm reluctant to address my concerns to them. When I requested a data capable machine I was loaned an old style RemStar Pro (?) for two weeks. The doctor's office nurse called and said the results were okay. Not too helpful. Anyway I just bought a Intellipap Auto Adjust. I've used it for three days. It's great to have an actual number to look at unfortunately my numbers aren't too good. The first night I tried apap set between 5 and 10. I felt lots of mask leaking and my ahi was 24. Next night I tried cpap at my prescribed 7. AHI of 10.5. Still felt mask leaks some of which seem to me to be due to the stiff tubing that came with the machine. Last night I switched to my more flexible tubing with the same mask (Comfortlite 2) and my AHI was 9. I know this is still terrible but for all I know it was this bad on the other machine. Any suggestions? Please don't flame me

mray300 wrote: I was greeted with jocular calls of "troublemaker" so I'm reluctant to address my concerns to them.
Any suggestions?
Please don't flame me

300, being treated like that at a DME is totally unacceptable.
If you can, file a complaint.
I'd like to go over there and kick some @$$ , but that's just me.

I think you need to continue what you're doing.
Keep trying stuff, keep learning, keep asking questions.
You'll get it.

Generally, the only flaming that goes on here is directed at jocular RT's.

mray300 wrote:I've been on cpap for about 2 months. The DME gave me a RemStar Plus M series. My RX is cpap at 7. I felt I was adjusting okay but not great. I was still waking up 3 -4 times per night. When I visited my PCP (no sleep doc in my small town) she called DME. When I went over there I was greeted with jocular calls of "troublemaker" so I'm reluctant to address my concerns to them. When I requested a data capable machine I was loaned an old style RemStar Pro (?) for two weeks. The doctor's office nurse called and said the results were okay. Not too helpful. Anyway I just bought a Intellipap Auto Adjust. I've used it for three days. It's great to have an actual number to look at unfortunately my numbers aren't too good. The first night I tried apap set between 5 and 10. I felt lots of mask leaking and my ahi was 24. Next night I tried cpap at my prescribed 7. AHI of 10.5. Still felt mask leaks some of which seem to me to be due to the stiff tubing that came with the machine. Last night I switched to my more flexible tubing with the same mask (Comfortlite 2) and my AHI was 9. I know this is still terrible but for all I know it was this bad on the other machine. Any suggestions? Please don't flame me

Not to worry about being flamed here. You have legitimate questions and concerns, and everyone here wants to help.

My advice would be to acquire the software and card reader for your machine. That will give you the ability to see how your night went in graphs, with more detail (and more accurate numbers than the machine's display provides). Having the charts in front of you lets you make correlations between mask leaks and events, for example, so you can work on what's not optimal about your therapy. Without that information, you're taking stabs in the dark trying to figure out what's going wrong and how to fix it.

Smart move in acquiring a much better machine. Now you need the software and a reader to complete your set-up. In the meantime, start reading here on the forum. Check out the yellow lightbulb at the top of the page ("Our Wisdom") and the thread near the top of the main page, titled "Where a CPAP Newbie Should Start." Tons of information to be found here.

Did you, by chance, get a copy of your sleep study? If not, do that. Request the complete copy (5-7 pages, usually, with graphs and charts - NOT just the doctor's summary of 1-2 pages). You're entitled to it under HIPAA regulations (if you're in the U.S.). You should keep that AND a copy of your prescription, in case you ever want to purchase another machine from an online dealer, such as our forum host, https://www.cpap.com (or the related auction site, http://www.cpapauction.com).

Stick around, and keep asking questions. Every one of us has the same goal, and the help and advice to be found here is unrivaled anywhere. Welcome aboard.

This Intellipap has a smart code system. You take the code enter it online and can see AHI, exhale puff index, non-responding event index, high leak flow time and some other stuff. There is software but I think it gives you the same information. Thanks for the notion to look at the orange light bulb. I've already found some useful information. There is no substitute for a data capable machine. That's the most important thing I've learned so far.

mray300 wrote:This Intellipap has a smart code system. You take the code enter it online and can see AHI, exhale puff index, non-responding event index, high leak flow time and some other stuff. There is software but I think it gives you the same information. Thanks for the notion to look at the orange light bulb. I've already found some useful information. There is no substitute for a data capable machine. That's the most important thing I've learned so far.

No, the smartlink module and software give you detailed graphs of pressure, leaks, and events plotted along a timeline. It would let you see whether your events correlate to periods of leaks, a particular sleep phase, or whatever. I've the detailed graphs far more useful than the summary numbers in understanding what is going on.

I'm not going to flame you but IMO waking up 3-4 times per night doesn't necessitate a doctor's visit. I think it is totally unreasonable to expect to sleep through an entire night without waking. Setting unobtainable goals and not realizing them leads to unnecessary stress which usurps the beneficial therapy you might be receiving. Now if you don't feel well and are certain your equipment isn't working properly that's another story.

Seems to me that's what the OP was saying, and the new equipment proved to be true. Now at least, mray300's got hope of getting good therapy.

I am often up numerous times during the night.

I have learned that no matter how badly I would like to be able sleep without getting up -- it isn't going to happen.

I have never specifically went to the doctor for my sleeping patterns, but have had other medical conditions that doctors have attributed to my nightly wakings. I have been told once those have been treated and corrected it would allow me an uninterrupted nights sleep. It hasn't happened and at this point have accepted the fact that it never will.

Check your data on your machine, if all looks well, accept the fact that you may be one of those that get up at night.

Yes while awake last night I figured out that the additional software will give me more info so I will be on the lookout for some. I wish I could figure out why a new machine at the same setting could make such a difference. I feel like I'm half awake all night long listening to every small sound.

When the poster said "waking" I assumed she meant waking in bed with eyes open, possibly changing posititon, and then going back to sleep. I consider that normal. Does anyone close their eyes, fall asleep, and not move for the entire night? That can't be good - what about limb stiffness? Isn't that why they exercise coma patients?

You mentioned getting up, which I assume to be rising out of bed. I only do that at most once per night to go to the bathroom. Any more than than I would agree is a problem.

It wasn't that I was awakening 3 or 4 times per night it was that before cpap I felt like I only woke up once so I didn't see cpap as an improvement.

I would not worry so much about your numbers the first few weeks,because getting used to the cpap is like getting used to going to sleep with a diving mask and tanks under the water.the air pressure and mask takes some getting used to.After you can get used to being strapped to all this stuff and relax, The numbers you want will follow.That's why we check our numbers every morning,Tweak the machine a little according to how we slept,and pray for a better nights sleep the next night.The main thing above your stats and everything else is to hang in there and don't quit.Remember this machine is what's helping you wake up the next morning to start another day. I have leakage of 26 l/s consistantly but i also have a full beard so i feel thats acceptable for me. my HI is usually around 3 and AI usually 0.1 so being diagnosed as severe SA i am lucky for the numbers i have been getting.I wish you the best with your therapy - Jon