newbie doubts about leaks and data

hey all--

i was diagnosed with sleep apnea 6 months ago. i can't even begin to tell how great finding this forum was for me back then--the whole story of being told i was choking 80+ times per hour was not easy to process, and the information i found here was an enormous help. i started using a cpap machine shortly after being diagnosed.
honestly, i never found it complicated or uncomfortable to sleep with my mask. maybe i needed the cpap therapy that badly. i've been 100% compliant from day 1, and the results were amazing: i stopped taking medication for my alleged "dysthymia", and felt basically great. my memory lapses were gone, my concentration improved, my mood was the best in years.

after the first 3-4 months, i started feeling not-that-great. i would wake up tired sometimes, and my memory was not as sharp. i thought, hey, you get used to good things, and maybe the improvements don't feel so spectacular after a while.

but then i went for the 6-month check up at the sleep institute and the doctor who saw me told me that my blood pressure was a bit high.
i put this together with my perception of poor sleep lately, comments from my partner ("the mask seems to move when you're asleep, and it kinda leaks air"), and my mouth being very dry when i wake up sometimes.

could it be that my treatment was not as effective as it should?

i came back to this forum and i found that (believe it or not), there's such a thing as "leaking." i also read that some folks seem to have a lot more information about their treatment by interpreting data from their machines.

sorry for the long intro; i wanted to give you guys some background and introduce myself to the community.
these are my doubts:

1. should i do something to keep my mouth shut? i read in the Wisdom section that it might be dangerous, but i also read that poligrip strips seem to work for some.
2. should i explore getting a new machine, or software? the data that i can get from machine doesn't seem to be as complete as i read in some postings. i basically don't have any feedback about my therapy, other than my own perceptions, which may be subjective.
3. should i try to find a new doctor? i feel that my introduction to the therapy has been sketchy at best, and that the follow-up is nothing more than a few superficial questions about my general health, without any hard data to evaluate how my therapy is going.

thank you so much.

Welcome to the forum.

1. Yes.

2. Considering the time that you've been using the machine, you probably couldn't get a "switch" to a better, data-capable one, so I'd recommend getting at least the "Pro M Series" or the "Auto M Series w/A-Flex" (more options). You may not NEED an Auto, but they have more capabilities. And "Yes", definitely get the software to monitor your therapy.

3. I ditched my sleep doctor right after I got my first reports. The chances of you finding a better one are iffy at best. There are probably some good ones out there, but if you're getting good results from your therapy, why do you need a sleep doctor?

Den

hey Den, thanks for your reply.

Wulfman wrote:
3. I ditched my sleep doctor right after I got my first reports. The chances of you finding a better one are iffy at best. There are probably some good ones out there, but if you're getting good results from your therapy, why do you need a sleep doctor?

good question. maybe i'm used to look for the "authority." i agree with you--am not very optimistic about the issue anyway.
thanks again,


Martin