I propped a pillow up between us until we adjusted but now I don't even feel the exhaust..KC5cychris wrote:I use the Quatro as well my Wife says it feels like a bug crawling over her. Its been a month now and she has gotten used to the little bit of air and we have moved on, she even asks when I get into to bed where my mask is, so I will say it has made a difference even in her sleep.bluecow wrote: I do notice my facemask "blows out" air toward my husband when I am facing that way. Anyone deal with that? I don't want to give him a chill
welcome and hang in there it gets better
Chris
Have had machine 2 nights--ugh! No love lost here.
Re: Have had machine 2 nights--ugh! No love lost here.
_________________
| Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Humidifier: HumidAire H4i™ Heated Humidifier |
| Additional Comments: 14/8.4,PS=4, UMFF, 02@2L, |
"Do or Do Not-There Is No Try"-"Yoda"
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
"We are what we repeatedly do,so excellence
is not an act but a habit"-"Aristotle"
DEAR HUBBY BEGAN CPAP 9/2/08
Re: Have had machine 2 nights--ugh! No love lost here.
It's too early in your PAP experience to draw any conclusions on just about anything except the lack of data capability of your machine. To "help" monitor your therapy, software data REALLY helps. However, there are MANY OTHER VARIABLES and they often change as well, so good PAP therapy, especially initially, is IME, a moving target.
I really like the Quattro mask, but I also went to a foam store and out of their scrap blocks I had them cut me a foam pillow that fits perfectly for my spine alignment & neck support & I had cut outs made for the mask to fit into so that the mask isn't moved or touched by the pillow. Cost = $5.00, vs. $69 or more or less for a PAP designed pillow. I'm getting a 2nd one made in a few days, this one I'll have a layer of softer tempurpedic foam put on, though now I'm used to the firm foam. The pillow case doesn't look "normal", but then PAP therapy isn't normal to most, though it is now to me.
Also as far as the mask goes, use the CPAP.com website to read about their masks & you can use their sizing chart to find a mask to fit your face shape, sleeping style & so on. As well you can read many user reviews there to help you decide on what "might" work for you. And just when you get the mask to work well, the head gear stretches, or your face is oily or something else changes & you have a less than restful night. Relax though as it's a fairly long process to tweak this & that, find out about all that you have to tweak & customize, as rarely does all work perfectly right out of the box.
As far as sleeping postion goes, my thoughts are to look at things this way ..... what you "WERE or ARE" doing now, might "seem" normal or right for you, but only because you've been doing it for a long time, not because you knew better or because it was healthy AND ESPECIALLY realize that your present "active" sleeping situation may be part of your OSA events. So if your active sleeping style is helping to cause apneas, & I'd guess that part of it certainly could (supine position), you may not want to continue to accept "active" sleeping as your normal vs. changing it to side sleeping ONLY as your new normal. You'll benefit in many ways with side only sleeping (of the body AND head), with likely far far fewer apneas, snores, hyponeas, runs, etc. in your data, you can use an often much lower air pressure, your mask will be more comfortable because it will be more loose as the PAP pressure will be lower so the head gear tension will be much looser, you''ll have fewer mask leaks, you won't have red marks on your face or nose, your nose bridge won't be as bruised, but most important of all, you'll BE FAR MORE RESTED, and so you will feel MUCH better and have less effects of OSA, such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, & so on.
IME, & from much of what I read in this forum, sleeping postion can make or break effective PAP therapy MORE than most people think, believe or will accept to change, vs. just accepting that part of what got them onto the OSA bus in the first place is "normal" & healthy? You may want to video record your sleep for a few nights to SEE exactly how you sleep & how it may hinder or help your OSA. Otherwise you are just guessing & the software data may only confuse a simple fix. The software data only helps tell you that there is a problem or not, it doesn't tell you what the problem is or how to fix it. But SEEING the problem can help you fix it ASAP.
As for travel, no big deal, you'll WANT to travel with it once you start feeling better. Soon it could feel like nice your favorite PJ's that you can't sleep without. I made my own shorter version foam pillow to fit in my carry on luggage as hotel pillows just don't work as well for me.
Lots to learn, tweak & possibly change. Relax & be patient. Don't spend a ton of money until you figure more out. The important things are a mask that works & fits well for YOU, the right sleeping position that doesn't add events & rob you of sleep & a comfortable presure that reduces or eliminates events along with the mask & sleeping position. The rest are just frills more or less.
I really like the Quattro mask, but I also went to a foam store and out of their scrap blocks I had them cut me a foam pillow that fits perfectly for my spine alignment & neck support & I had cut outs made for the mask to fit into so that the mask isn't moved or touched by the pillow. Cost = $5.00, vs. $69 or more or less for a PAP designed pillow. I'm getting a 2nd one made in a few days, this one I'll have a layer of softer tempurpedic foam put on, though now I'm used to the firm foam. The pillow case doesn't look "normal", but then PAP therapy isn't normal to most, though it is now to me.
Also as far as the mask goes, use the CPAP.com website to read about their masks & you can use their sizing chart to find a mask to fit your face shape, sleeping style & so on. As well you can read many user reviews there to help you decide on what "might" work for you. And just when you get the mask to work well, the head gear stretches, or your face is oily or something else changes & you have a less than restful night. Relax though as it's a fairly long process to tweak this & that, find out about all that you have to tweak & customize, as rarely does all work perfectly right out of the box.
As far as sleeping postion goes, my thoughts are to look at things this way ..... what you "WERE or ARE" doing now, might "seem" normal or right for you, but only because you've been doing it for a long time, not because you knew better or because it was healthy AND ESPECIALLY realize that your present "active" sleeping situation may be part of your OSA events. So if your active sleeping style is helping to cause apneas, & I'd guess that part of it certainly could (supine position), you may not want to continue to accept "active" sleeping as your normal vs. changing it to side sleeping ONLY as your new normal. You'll benefit in many ways with side only sleeping (of the body AND head), with likely far far fewer apneas, snores, hyponeas, runs, etc. in your data, you can use an often much lower air pressure, your mask will be more comfortable because it will be more loose as the PAP pressure will be lower so the head gear tension will be much looser, you''ll have fewer mask leaks, you won't have red marks on your face or nose, your nose bridge won't be as bruised, but most important of all, you'll BE FAR MORE RESTED, and so you will feel MUCH better and have less effects of OSA, such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, & so on.
IME, & from much of what I read in this forum, sleeping postion can make or break effective PAP therapy MORE than most people think, believe or will accept to change, vs. just accepting that part of what got them onto the OSA bus in the first place is "normal" & healthy? You may want to video record your sleep for a few nights to SEE exactly how you sleep & how it may hinder or help your OSA. Otherwise you are just guessing & the software data may only confuse a simple fix. The software data only helps tell you that there is a problem or not, it doesn't tell you what the problem is or how to fix it. But SEEING the problem can help you fix it ASAP.
As for travel, no big deal, you'll WANT to travel with it once you start feeling better. Soon it could feel like nice your favorite PJ's that you can't sleep without. I made my own shorter version foam pillow to fit in my carry on luggage as hotel pillows just don't work as well for me.
Lots to learn, tweak & possibly change. Relax & be patient. Don't spend a ton of money until you figure more out. The important things are a mask that works & fits well for YOU, the right sleeping position that doesn't add events & rob you of sleep & a comfortable presure that reduces or eliminates events along with the mask & sleeping position. The rest are just frills more or less.
_________________
| Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Additional Comments: Dental Appliance to keep my Mouth Shut & No Jaw Advancement, Contec CMS-50E Oximeter & v.98 software |
I MUST stay off my back to reduce OSA & snoring. I use a small backpack of solid styrofoam to keep me on my side (tennis balls too small), & use DIY customized soft foam pillow to keep my head in a side sleeping position to eliminate most OSA.