Next step, when cpap fails?

Greetings

I'm 61, been using cpap for 14 months. I've had some positive results, but not as much as I was hoping for. Lately, my sleep quality has been regressing, in general. Occasionally I get great sleep, and can function normally the next day. But usually I don't get the restorative sleep I need, and am zombie-like afterwards. Sometimes, I'm able to get a quality 1 hour nap, and have a few good hours after that.

I recently talked with a rep for the company that supplies the air sense 10 machine I use. She suggested 2 options

1. Adding an oxygen concentrator to the cpap machine

2. Switching to bipap

My question......is there a logical next step, when cpap therapy doesn't provide desired results? Does one try adding oxygen first, or bipap, or something else?

For the record, my pressure is currently set to max level, I think the range is 11-20.

Any thoughts?

I don't agree with either of those steps unless you are tested and diagnosed by a doctor....The rep is an untrained salesperson.
Download Sleepyhead and show us some data. Did the "salesperson" ask to see some data?

Sleepyhead software can reveal much--
Often even more than your doctor can guess,
unless he/she cares about looking at the data.
Sadly, many do not.

You need to post your data here so that knowledgeable folks can see if your current settings are therapeutic for you or not.

Before there is a next step, you need to know how it has failed.
Having a full data machine helps in that inquiry as well as understanding any new (or newer) health issues that may be impacting your CPAP treatment.
For example:
weight change
new illness
change in sleep environment
change in the pressure needed to treat your apneas (full data machine is the only way to tell this one.)
Change in external environment such as stressors at home or on the job.
etc.
All of these things can change a good working therapy to something not as effective.

To bad we can't have a timer built into our brains that could provide a shutdown period from our problems, that would be very handy. Jim

Jimmiejojo wrote: ↑

Wed May 02, 2018 10:15 am

For the record, my pressure is currently set to max level, I think the range is 11-20.

Any thoughts?

a minimum of 11 is about a medium level, certainly not max.

If CPAP isn't providing the results you need, maybe it's time to get involved and install software so you with help here, and make it work better for you. You and we are flying blind without data.

Other things may also be need, but first the tools the have now need to be used the best they can be. Jim

Thanks to all who responded. It makes me feel welcome, here.

Ok I will look into this sleepyhead thing, and see if I can post my results.

Cheers

J

welcome, jimmy!

a suggestion, if i may? please go to the control panel and fill in your machine type, mask type and so on.

while all cpap machines run, in principle, the same way, each is different in how it responds.

once the experts on here know that and can see your sleepyhead graphs posted here, they can start making specific suggestions.

and hang in there. this therapy DOES get easier!

Jimmiejojo wrote: ↑

Wed May 02, 2018 4:29 pm

Thanks to all who responded. It makes me feel welcome, here.

Ok I will look into this sleepyhead thing, and see if I can post my results.

Cheers

J

If you want to succeed, you will do this. Your choice.

I downloaded Sleepyhead and will momentarily attempt to post results. Feed back appreciated.

you turned off the wrong sidebar.

turn off the right sidebar, turn on the left, repost the graphs.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun May 06, 2018 9:30 pm

you turned off the wrong sidebar.

turn off the right sidebar, turn on the left, repost the graphs.

OK thanks.

I only got this far with my partners help & she's going to bed now. Will try to repost again, tomorrow, or as soon as possible.