CPAPtalk.com

This is my first time on this forum, so a little history. Years ago I did the sleep test, not to mention my friends at the hunting camp griping, and I have sleep apnea. My doc gave me a choice between the cpap and surgery on my uvula, laser removal of same, and I chose surgery. That was the worst sore throat I've ever had and it did not work. So, flash forward to last week, I ordered an AEIOMed Everest II, and it arrived Friday. I set it up and tried it out, its set at 10, which seems to end up blowing out of my mouth when I start to relax, so I took it off and plan to reset it to 8 and see what happens. I have a headband type thing w/ chin strap, and the air is blowing directly into my nose; its not uncomfortable, just the whooshing noise of air coming in and breathing out. The only thing is, this contraption scares me a little in that I wonder if I'll wake up dead. Any advise here? Thanks.
Mike
Baton Rouge LA

LA Texan wrote:<snip> ...which seems to end up blowing out of my mouth when I start to relax...

Hi Mike, and welcome to cpaptalk!
Please register, and add you CPAP equipment to your Profile, so that all can see what type mask you are currently using.

If you have a nasal mask, air will certanly leak from your mouth, unless it is kept shut durng the time you're on CPAP.

Some of us here use special tape to aid in that. (NOT Duck tape, either, OK?)

You can do some research on that via the Yellow Lightbult at the top.

...your mouth shouldn't leak any more than your mask!..

LA Texan wrote: The only thing is, this contraption scares me a little in that I wonder if I'll wake up dead. Any advise here?

It can be scary at first, so many new things to deal with, and some 'tweaking' here and there.

If you ever WAKE UP 'dead', be sure to let us know!!
Hey, YOU said it, ha ha, but I know what you mean.

You're more likely to have that problem when NOT using your CPAP equipment.

Did you have a recent sleep test recently? How did the doctor determine your pressure needs were 10? Was that before or after your surgery? Lowering your pressure will not help with the mouth breathing and you will need to either use a chin strap (which often fails), tape, Polident strips, or a full face mask. You will HAVE to keep your mouth closed in order to get the maximum benefit from cpap. If you mouth breathe you are negating any benefit the cpap might offer.

Generally after such a surgery as yours, pressure needs are increased. If it has been a few years since your sleep study, you should consider another sleep study to determine your proper pressure or borrow an apap for awhile to see if the prescribed 10 is still adequate.

You might benefit from a machine that offers exhale relief. Your machine offers (as I can remember) no exhale relief or any useful data. It is a perfect machine for a back up or to use with a battery back-up for power outages.

Please let us know the name of the mask you are using as others may have useful suggestions.

Mike, most people that have had the surgery report that it made the problem you are having worse. By shortning the uvula it makes the opening in your throat so large your tongue will no longer seal so the pressure goes out the mouth and it really never cures OSA. It somes times makes it a bit better but in some ways makes the end result worse. I suspect that you will find that you have no choice other than to go to a full face mask and let the pressure go in the nose and mouth which is the only way to keep the throat from colapsing. Unless you can control the leaks you won't get much in the way of therapy.


Good luck!

Jerry

OK, I regestered, hope y'all can help me out.
Mike

My opinion:

You got the wrong machine, if you don't know your pressure setting you should have gotten a autopap and one that displayed sleep data even better (or that had reports available).

But with basic cpap, I would start out at a lower pressure and work up from there. I would start at 6.5 cm until you get used to wearing the mask where you can fall asleep, you may have to supplement even that with TylenolPM if you find yourself laying there awake.

I'd start at the 6.5 use it for a night or two then based upon how you feel start increasing the pressure to 7.0 then 7.5 and work your way up to 10.

Studies done in the past by Resmed and others indicate that more than 70% of SDB events are eliminated at a pressure of 8.0 cm, so above that you are only trying to eliminate the last 20%.

Get over 10 cm and you run the risk inducing central apnea, so without any feedback data I'd use caution going higher. If you wake up in the middle of the night or early morning hours gasping for breathe then you may need a pressure increase from 10 cm, but if you wake feeling like the walking dead with migraines then you may have too much pressure.

In the olden days before autopaps they would just give you a cpap set at 10 cm and send you on your way.

Allow yourself a good 4-6 weeks to get use to this therapy, once you get over that hump it becomes easier.