Cpap 24 hour newbie

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Daso
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Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Daso » Wed Aug 20, 2014 7:32 pm

Hello all, I'm 45, in good health, maybe 5 lbs overweight and was recently diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea based on a home sleep study and I guess typical daily symptoms. I opted to go the cpap rout and received at resmed s9 escape auto (with humidifier) and the swift fx nasal pillow mask. I had my first night last night and it was weird if that's an appropriate description. When I would open my mouth my lips would sort of flap.

Anyway, I made it through the first night (did not attach humidifier) and woke up 4 times (not sure why) and went back to sleep. I woke up in the morning with a solid headache and a really dry mouth. Although these unpleasant side effects, I do have to admit that I woke up a bit more alert and seemed to have some more energy during the day today.

Here's the part I didn't like. Mid day and through the evening, my throat and back of tongue feel sort of swollen and mouth and tongue feel weird. It caused a bit of panic in the afternoon then I just got over it and went about my day. I'm still feeling the weird mouth and throat but I don't mean to say I am actually having any difficulty eating, swallowing or breathing. I do feel like I might be what you call a bit of a mouth breather due to frequent right nostril congestion.

Sorry for this very long post, but the tech recommended I add the humidifier and try to make sure my mouth stays closed and a friend recommended the same. Have any others had this weird mouth sensation as well on first night or CPAP. I hope this gets easier. My wife said she heard some snorting sounds last night which leads me to believe that I must have been opening my mouth a few times. Sort of scared me from using again tonight but going to do it. Also and finally, is a stream of air supposed come out of the small holes at the front of the swift fx hose. Unit is very quiet and only gets noisy if I take it off my nose. I'm thinking about having a dental mouthpiece made to try as well. Thanks in advance advance for any advice. New cpap user Daso

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palerider
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by palerider » Wed Aug 20, 2014 7:45 pm

Daso wrote:received at resmed s9 escape auto (with humidifier)
I'm so, so sorry.... read this: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... h-a-brick/
Daso wrote:and the swift fx nasal pillow mask. I had my first night last night and it was weird if that's an appropriate description. When I would open my mouth my lips would sort of flap.
if you can't figure out how to arrange things in the back of your throat to keep air from coming out your mouth with the machine on (it can be done, you do it unconcously when switching from breathing to swallowing food) then you might need a mask that covers mouth and nose (called a full face mask)
Daso wrote:Also and finally, is a stream of air supposed come out of the small holes at the front of the swift fx hose.
yes, it keeps you from suffocating by venting out the air you exhale... otherwise you'd breath it back in.. and after a bit, that'd be "bad".

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Daso
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Daso » Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:14 pm

Palerider, Thank you for the points. I actually read the article and called the dme today and the tech downplayed my whole request for the s9 autoset. Yes, mine is a rental through Aetna. Just three days since I got it. Should I call them and play the hard card that I want the data capable model? I guess I could call Aetna as well. If it's a rental, couldn't I just return it after trying it for a few weeks anyway. When I called they said the only units they stocked from resmed is the s9 escape and when they were setting me up, that was all I saw they had. Thanks again. Trying it with humidifier on 2 tonight

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palerider
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by palerider » Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:28 pm

Daso wrote:Palerider, Thank you for the points. I actually read the article and called the dme today and the tech downplayed my whole request for the s9 autoset. Yes, mine is a rental through Aetna. Just three days since I got it. Should I call them and play the hard card that I want the data capable model? I guess I could call Aetna as well. If it's a rental, couldn't I just return it after trying it for a few weeks anyway. When I called they said the only units they stocked from resmed is the s9 escape and when they were setting me up, that was all I saw they had. Thanks again. Trying it with humidifier on 2 tonight
I don't honestly think there's anybody with any experience on this forum that would say you should be happy with an escape anything.

it denies you the ability to take charge of your therapy, in denies you the ability to even see how effective it is, beyond a single "well, your average for the night was something like xxxx" but no detail about WHY it was like that.

it's almost like trying to drive your car to work blindfolded... if everything goes right, and you make all the turns, and speed adjustments just right, you'll get there. but, if you hit something.... you won't know what

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Janknitz
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Janknitz » Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:42 pm

Read my blogpost "Help, I'm stuck with a brick". The longer you keep the brick, the less chance of getting a decent machine. Take action NOW.
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
Don't Pay that Upcharge! http://tinyurl.com/2ck48rm

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:06 pm

+1000!
Return the brick.
Ask your doc to re-write the Rx to include "patient access to therapy data, including AHI and numeric leak data".

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Daso
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Daso » Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:45 pm

Thanks everyone, will do. Any thoughts on my initial side effects?

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zoocrewphoto
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by zoocrewphoto » Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:28 am

Daso wrote:Thanks everyone, will do. Any thoughts on my initial side effects?

Sounds like you were opening your mouth. This causes therapy to not work during those times and will dry out your mouth.

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Pugsy
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Pugsy » Thu Aug 21, 2014 7:09 am

Dry mouth usually means some mouth breathing but from my own personal experience I have learned that it doesn't take mouth breathing all night long to dry out the mouth. I have had it happen with as little as 10 or 15 minutes of mouth breathing (I can usually spot it on the leak graphs).

Just another reason to get a machine that lets you evaluate your data...like the leak data. 10 to 15 minutes of mouth breathing isn't the end of the world but without the leak graphs to show me I wouldn't have any way to know how bad (or not) the mouth breathing might be impacting my therapy.

The Escape Auto will give you the generic AHI data point but that is all. It doesn't record anything else...like leak and leak control is pretty important.

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palerider
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by palerider » Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:33 am

Janknitz wrote:Read my blogpost "Help, I'm stuck with a brick". The longer you keep the brick, the less chance of getting a decent machine. Take action NOW.
I already pointed 'em at that blogpost it's one of my 'go to' references

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Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

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JQLewis
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by JQLewis » Thu Aug 21, 2014 8:54 am

I got stuck with a brick and after four months of trying I may have succeeded in getting rid of it (I'll believe it when it happens).

You should definitely try to get a better machine. What does your script call for? Did the doctor write it properly and the DME ignore it, or was the script written too vaguely? I would look at both your DME and your doctor, if neither is concerned about you getting a machine which give you sufficient feedback on your therapy. I had to go through four different sleep docs in four months to find one who understood the value of a data capable machine.

Good luck. Be persistent.

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Daso
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Daso » Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:26 pm

I guess the sleep center I went to stocks their own units. I called them today and made my case for returning my rental escape for the s9 autoset. Let's see what happens. I had less dry mouth last night. I'm still tossing and turning getting used to a hose on my face and had a couple of nighttime headaches , still, I felt more awake in the morning.

Daso
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Daso » Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:32 pm

For those that use the resmed RS9, what do most of you set humidity at? I tried 2 and 2.5 and still got dry. What is an advisable starting point. Should I give 1 a try. I actually felt a bit of discomfort in my nose with humidity

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BlackSpinner
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by BlackSpinner » Thu Aug 21, 2014 2:40 pm

Daso wrote:For those that use the resmed RS9, what do most of you set humidity at? I tried 2 and 2.5 and still got dry. What is an advisable starting point. Should I give 1 a try. I actually felt a bit of discomfort in my nose with humidity
It is very individual and also depends on the home humidity. Some people hate it some people love it.

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Nick Danger
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Re: Cpap 24 hour newbie

Post by Nick Danger » Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:34 pm

If your mouth is dry, it won't make a whole lot of difference what the humidifier is set to if you are breathing through your mouth. That is one of the several reasons that you HAVE to get rid of the brick - the data would let you determine whether mouth breathing is a problem and help you evaluate how various fixes to the mouth breathing problem are working.

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