Can't get any rest!

I really feel for some of you who have so much trouble with this "hose-head journey".

I only have what my sleep study described as a mild apnea. And, from the data I've been downloading these past two weeks, since receiving the Encore Pro program, that is reinforced by the numbers. With the exception of a few really bad nights, my AHI has stayed anywhere from 0.8 to 2.1. From what I understand, that is well within the area called acceptable. So my empathy goes out to those of you who struggle with many and significant apneas and other high numbers.

That said, I'd like to vent my frustration with this whole process!!!!! I feel awful in the morning when I get out of bed! I don't have significant numbers of large mask leaks, but more average ones than I care to. They keep me disturbed throughout the night. I used to sleep 6 or 7 hours a night...................now I find myself under the mask as much as 8 and 9 hours........and then another hour or two without the mask so I can get some sleep. (I'm fortunate in that I don't have to go somewhere to report for work!) I wake up groggy, grumpy and with a face that looks 30 years older than the one I went to bed with! In an effort to keep down the leaking of the mask, I have the straps so tight they cut off the blood flow up the back of my neck, and the marks on my face are so deep I can't go out in public for several hours after rising.

When my girlfriend was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, she picked up her machine......put on the mask......slept the full night, from the first night......lost the dark circles under her eyes.........and, in general, has an improved life due to the therapy. So when I was diagnosed, my reaction was almost "Whoopee.............now I can get some good sleep". But here I sit, totally disappointed. Oh, I'm not going to quit using my machine, but this is just awful. I read where some people say they look forward to going to bed. At this point I'm trying to look forward to the possibility that tonight will be a good night. I've only really had one or two of those since I started back in September.

Thanks for letting me rant and rave. Now I'll go clean my hose and dry my humidifier tank.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, hose, Encore Pro, AHI, clean

You might try not have the straps so tight, or a nasal pillow mask. I use the nasal pillows and they rest lightly in my nose with no discomfort at all. In fact, if I do start having leak problems, 9 times out of 10 it is because the straps are too tight, not too loose.

IMHO, no mask should be as tight as you are talking about.

Good luck,

JeffH

Sometimes getting the lowest AHI don't mean anything, it is how you feel the next day that counts the most. Avg. person gets 7hrs of sleep, 8 or 9 is ideal.

1. You need to isolate the issues you have with this therapy and address it one by one. If it is due to the mask, then fixing or finding another mask is the thing to do. The Comfort2 is uncomfortable, noisy and it leaks compared to others I have used. Your leak data will tell you if you are having leaks, what does the EncorePro reports show? What is your pressure? What do you have the machine set to?

2. If you have the ability to post a few daily reports from the EncorePro Auto-Daily reports we may be able to determine what is up.

I have the ComfortFull 2 Resperonics mask, and a NasalAire II. If I don't tighten the full face mask as tight as I have been, there's no way it holds air. The NasalAire II is my favorite as far as leaks...............that is if you don't count the rather large one when my tongue drops and my mouth blows like a Sperm Whale. And nothing that's been suggested, or I've tried seems to solve that problem. Chin straps only hold my chin up.........they don't keep my tongue up or lips closed. I've tried 4 different mouthguards to no avail. Tape only rips out mustache hair or skin on lips. Denture adhesive strips don't hold. Sometimes I feel as if I'd like to put on my mask and have someone wrap my head like an Egyptian mummy so all this air is contained where it's supposed to be.

Last night my AHI was 1.5. Average leak was 42.99. My CPAP pressure is 13.5. (My RX is for 15) I've gotten my lowest AHI at the RX setting, but virtually no restful sleep because of the leaks. My Avg Max leak was 158.6. Avg 90% leak was 44.7. Avg leak, 41.5.

The highest Avg leak I've had since I started treatment was 50.86. I'm sure these figures aren't really all that high, but they are driving me nuts. (not a very long way to go though!) I bought some elastic straps today. I'm going to try and make a strap that will hold my mouth closed. Maybe that will work.

Chris, if you can, try some other FF masks. You might find one that fits you better and more comfortably.

If you are able to breathe ok through at least one nostril during the entire night, you might want to consider a different type of mask entirely, like nasal pillows.

I'd have to wear a FF mask all the time if I didn't tape my mouth. With tape, I'm able to use much more comfortable (for me) nasal pillows masks. Every FF mask I've used was leaky AND very uncomfortable for me to wear while sleeping on my side.

viewtopic.php?t=8011
Links to: Mouth leaks - Air Leaks - Tape - DIY Guard

I too have a high pressure setting and can understand your frustrations. My APAP has averaged 15.7 the last week. I also have the mouth coming open issue. Here's what I am doing at night that seems to be working pretty good.

1. I use breath right strips to help hold my nose open (it's broken).

2. I clean the area on my nose and under my nostrils with Sea Breeze to get rid of skin oil to help breath right strips and nasal pillows seal better.

3. I tape my mouth with a clear medical tape that has a texture to it. I'm not sure what it is, but am planning on buying more in the next few days. BTW, I have a full beard and moustache.

4. I take an old head band that my GF sewed Velcro to and wrap it around my mouth to help with the "blow-fish" issue.

5. Put on my Adams nasal pillow mask and turn on the machine and wait for sleep. This doesn't happen fast in that I've never been a person that goes to sleep fast.

Actually, Rested Gal, the mask itself isn't all that uncomfortable to sleep in, and I'm definately a side-sleeper. It's just the leaks and the pressure required on the straps to keep the leaks at a minimum. But I've just tried something new and we'll see..................

JeffH wrote:4. I take an old head band that my GF sewed Velcro to and wrap it around my mouth to help with the "blow-fish" issue.

Just got back from Wally World where I bought a couple of stretchy headbands. I just sewed one of them up with a mouth cover and velcro. Probably similar to what you've done. I'll add that to a chin strap to keep the 'ol chin up. Then plan on using my NasalAire II tonight. Maybe that'll work! As I told Rested Gal..............we'll see! (just hoping no-one is taking pictures!!!!!):lol:

Sleepy-eyes wrote:(just hoping no-one is taking pictures!!!!!)

SNAP

(Gee thanks!!!!!)

Wouldn't it be hilarious if we all attended a party "dressed" in our hose-head gear? I think the local newspaper would have a hayday with pictures of that!!!!!

I had a horrible time getting CPAP to work at first. I had blisters on my face. It took me 6 months before I could regularly sleep with the equipment.

If you have a problem with the mask, especially with its irritating your face, a professional is an enormous help. I go to Lincare and they set up my mask and headgear for me. They loosened my mask considerably from the way I had it set up, and I have not had a problem since.

Also, the Lincare people sent me a program that tells me when my insurance company allows replacement of mask, cushions, hoses, and filters and I find I don't need to wash any of my stuff at all.

Also, when I had "rain out", Lincare told me to make sure that the CPAP is positioned lower than you are. If the CPAP is higher than you are, the humidifiers leak water into the hose and mask.

Tape only rips out mustache hair or skin on lips.

What kind of tape are you using?!?

I'm new at this myself... a little more than a week on CPAP. I started taping a few nights ago. I picked up a roll of CVS-brand non-allergenic paper tape. It holds really well for me, yet comes off easily in the AM with little discomfort or gunk left on my skin or lips.

Hope you get your issues solved soon![/quote]

I slowly raised pressure for 6 months trying to figure out why I felt so bad, finally I lowered my pressure, and felt a little better, so I lowered it more and now I have felt the best for the last year!.

My AHI has allways been below 5, but I felt terrible. until I lowered my pressure.

So, while you are trying things don't forget that for you a higher
OR a lower pressure may do the trick.

strange thing is that now I am at a pressure of 9-10 on a autopap. If I try to set it to a fixed pressure of 9 I feel terrible the next day.

Brian

After all my complaining yesterday, I thought I should take the time to post an update. So..............here tis!

Last week my girlfriend's Ultra Mirage II broke. I easily repaired it with some epoxy, but she ordered a replacement anyway. The new one came in yesterday. So last night she let me use the old one.

With new nasal mask in hand, I headed to the bedroom, anticipating a good nights sleep. Things are starting to look pretty funny in my bedroom. (as I imagine they are in many of yours) I first put on a chin strap to keep my jaw from dropping. Then I put on the Ultra Mirage II nasal mask. Then the new "shut yur mouth" strap I made yesterday. (boy how my school teachers would have loved that one!):roll: I felt trussed up like a horse being hoisted from the dock to the deck of a ship!! Now the important part. If you'd asked me this morning how I had slept, I'd have told you I thought it was probably my best night so far. But the truth would be in the data I would download from the card. As it turns out, it was actually one of my worse nights! My CPAP pressure was 13.5. OA:1.5, H:1.9, and VS:0.9....for an AHI of 3.4!!!! Avg leak was 40.63. I only remembered one little leak that disturbed me. The chin strap and "shut yur mouth" strap combination worked like I'd hoped, so I'm pleased. The only real discomfort I noticed was an increase in Aerophagia.

I finally received the results of my second sleep study yesterday (from last July) which set my CPAP pressure at 15 and explained why. The study indicated that throughout the study the pressure was increased and that at 15 cm H20 all respiratory events were abolished. In looking back on my downloaded data from my machine, my very best AHI score of 0.8 was a night I had the pressure set at 15. However, I didn't sleep well at all that night because of leaks. Maybe this new method of "trussing" will correct that. At any rate, I guess it's time to "bite the bullet" and go for the 15 cm.

This journey, like so many others in life, certainly isn't what I expected or desired, but is one I WILL finish!

Chris,

Congrats on a "better" night.

You slept better and more soundly, that is why you thought you had a better night.

Maybe because you did not wake up as often you were able to go into deeper sleep allowing your body to relax more, which resulted in the higher numbers at 13.5.

If you have not already done so, increase the CFlex 3m hopefully that will help with the Aerophagia.

If after a while you are still having trouble with the Aerophagia, maybe you and your Doctor can discuss a bi-level machine which can offer more exhale releif.

Yes you will finish.


LOL RestedGal at the picture snapping.

JeffH what great advice.

Hi all,
I cant make any suggestions on all this since i just had my very 1st night with cpap, but i do have smthing to add to JeffH's comment on breath right strips.
My nose has always been a problem and i have used those strips a lot.
However, the best thing i have found so far (and tonight worked ok with my comfortclassic mask also) is something called nozovent.
The strips were uncomfortable for my skin, were very expencive since they are single use, and for me were less effective.
nozovent is reusable (lasts about 3 months).
I get mine from http://www.nosnorezone.com/nozovent.html
(they dont sell them in Greece so i have to buy online)

I hope this might be usefull for one with a nose like mine (gets narrower, even if its totaly clean), since strips or nozovent cant help much with a stuffy nose.

- and sorry for my english.. i'm not a native speaker and i havent slept well on my 1st cpap night..
i was suddently swallowing huge amounts of air just when i was about to fall asleep
i lowered my 6to12cm to 6to10cm, which helped but not removed the problem (still was suddently waking up)
pitty, since i had no other problems at all. i felt ok with the mask, had no leaks and felt i was breathing easily and normaly.