why is my CPAP therapy not working

[vettman]

I'm a new member of this forum, and feel lucky to have run across it. I've searched the site on several topics, and have already learned a lot. Here is my situation; I have successfully used a ResMed S8 Escape System, with their HumidAire3i humidifier, and a Mirage Vista nasal mask for three years. I started using this "system" on 3/27/07; the success/benefits were almost overnight. I have used the "system" every night since I received it. I had no issues until about 2 months ago, when I started waking up after approximately 4 hours of "good" sleep. Getting back to sleep was slow to near impossible. Over the last couple of weeks, this condition has worsened. I still fall asleep within 30 minutes of "lights-out", but now I'm waking up within 1-2 hours, and no more restful sleep for the remainder of the night. I'm estimating no more than 40 hours sleep in the last 10 days. I will see my sleep therapist this afternoon. If anyone has any suggestions for ideas, issues, recommendations, etc. that I might bring up with him, please let me know. Needless to say, my sleep deprivation has me very concerned, and is definitely effecting my quality of life.

Thanks

[Mary Z]

Just words of encouragment. Good luck with your sleep therapist this afternoon. I'm sure you're not feeling very good, but it's sure not due to concompliance.

Mary Z.

[KatieW]

Are there there any changes in: weight, diet, medications, lifestyle, stress factors,etc that could be affecting either your cpap therapy, or your sleep pattern?

Unfortunately your Escape doesn't provide information on your therapy. Would your doctor willing to upgrade to a data capable xpap eg. S8 Elite II or S8 AutoSet II? Then you could see if your cpap therapy is effective, by giving you information on leaks, AHI, HI, AI for each night.

Let us know how your appointment goes.

[BleepingBeauty]

I'm a new member of this forum, and feel lucky to have run across it. I've searched the site on several topics, and have already learned a lot. Here is my situation; I have successfully used a ResMed S8 Escape System, with their HumidAire3i humidifier, and a Mirage Vista nasal mask for three years. I started using this "system" on 3/27/07; the success/benefits were almost overnight. I have used the "system" every night since I received it. I had no issues until about 2 months ago, when I started waking up after approximately 4 hours of "good" sleep. Getting back to sleep was slow to near impossible. Over the last couple of weeks, this condition has worsened. I still fall asleep within 30 minutes of "lights-out", but now I'm waking up within 1-2 hours, and no more restful sleep for the remainder of the night. I'm estimating no more than 40 hours sleep in the last 10 days. I will see my sleep therapist this afternoon. If anyone has any suggestions for ideas, issues, recommendations, etc. that I might bring up with him, please let me know. Needless to say, my sleep deprivation has me very concerned, and is definitely effecting my quality of life.

Thanks

Hi, vettman, and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear your therapy has taken a downturn recently, and I hope you and your doc can figure out what the problem is. Have there been any big changes in your life over this period of time when your therapy hasn't been going well? Weight loss or gain? Increased stress level? Any pain or other medical issues you're dealing with?

With a ResMed Escape, there's no useful data for either you or your sleep doc to look at in an effort to determine what's not working well for you. Perhaps you can ask your sleep doc to prescribe a machine that offers full data reporting so that, the next time you're having a problem with your therapy, you can both see what's going on while you sleep. Having no access to the data is like flying blind.

In the meantime, perhaps your doc can order a one- or two-week trial on an APAP and then review the data to see what's going on with you right now.

Best wishes on getting back on track quickly.

[Snorkler]

Vettman, you have been using cpap for a few years and hopefully you only need to have your pressure adjusted to put things right again. Your new sleep study should provide some answers. Good luck.

[vettman]

Thanks for all the informative and caring responses. I'm going to enjoy monitoring and using this forum. FYI, I'm just back from seeing my sleep therapist. I have been loaned a ResMed Autoset II to use until Monday, at which time they will download the data and determine what pressure was successful in controlling my apnea. They will then download this pressure setting into my machine. Therapist also wants me to try ResMed's Mirage Liberty full-face mask. I'm hopeful I'll get some "good" sleep this evening.

FYI, only change in health and lifestyle has been some stress associated with my wife's health, which is slowly improving.

[harry555]

perhaps you have now started to mouth breathe, so losing all CPAP benefits, this causes a dry mouth and tongue

[nursedeborah]

I am sorry that you were having such a hard time. I just got my CpAp on the 19 of Feb, and I could tell the
difference the next am, other thn it kept turning offf on me. They finally had me ste it to auto off, but it did
the same night before last. It didn't do it last nigt as much, and was on more than it's even been on. It was also
on when I woke up.

I am so new at all of this, but just hearing how you were feeling not that I totally understand.

Glad you got a new machine, ect., and hope you will feel the difference soon.

I am a mouth breather, and that has nothing to do with one getting the O2 they neeed or not!
I just had to have a good fit on my mouth! As long as it's on you r face, and going in, it does
work. There are many mouth breather's out there.

Debbie