Sleepyhead shows horrific night, NEED to make a change

[nimboo]

http://imgur.com/fdEheH1

What do I need to change? Please help me...

I just updated sleepyhead, and it is now doing a great job with the Aircurve 10 data, showing two pressure lines. Beautiful. But those events??

well, when you've got the pressure maxed out on a lowered ceiling, and there's tons of obstructives, it's pretty clear that more pressure, as you surmised.... is the answer.

That's what I thought too! I told my dad this, and despite his objections, this is what we ended up doing.

HOWEVER, I have to say he was right. There is something going on with this Quattro FX and high air pressures.

Take a look at this graph: http://imgur.com/68QWiTZ
During the period of time shown in this graph, I was by my dad's side the entire time, watching him breath (or try to) with the Quattro FX mask.

My dad falls asleep nearly instantly, he always does, because he is always exhausted. I saw him fall asleep, and then fail to take his next breath. I watched his body start to quiver as if struggling for air, and I could hear the machine waiting to raise the ipap (I was also watching the sleep report screen).

Each time he stopped breathing, it raised the pressure a bit, he'd take a couple deep breaths, then suddenly he'd stop breathing again (guessing the air stint collapsed?).

And then, on that last one I finally saw what he meant about how the pressures get too high, I saw him take a huge deep breath on that last one (before the data cuts out, that's when he took the mask off again), it was so much that it woke him up. The air suddenly rushed in after that long period there of nothing.

THEN look at this graph: http://imgur.com/BXIioX9

This one shows the area I just showed you, and then after that it shows a great night's sleep when he switched back to his nasal mask, where the pressures never went over 10.5

Why is this? What is wrong with the Quattro FX? Why can't it hold the air stint with comparable pressures to the nasal mask?

Could it be that your dad's head is flopping forward cutting off his airflow? If so more pressure is not going to work.....his neck needs to be sableized

YES. Jesus he has this thing about thinking he needs to "elevate" himself, but then he just puts a bunch of pillows under his neck only, elevating his head basically, tucking his chin into his chest. I keep telling him that that is not how to hold an airway - his neck needs to be inline with his back.

In the first graph I just posted, he had his head propped up like that, and then in the second graph I told him to take the pillows away.

I hated the fact that he both switched back to his old nasal mask AND took away the pillows that were flopping his head forward - he changed two variables at once...NOT SCIENTIFIC...but he refused to wear the Quattro FX mask again after it woke him up again with high pressures. He really doesn't think it was just the elevation of his neck that was causing it, there is just something about the Quattro FX that is off for him. His mouth is open, I can see it, while he uses it, is that bad?

He finds it to be impossible to lay on his side with the Quattro FX mask - he said the mask leaks when he does, unlike with his nasal mask.

How bad were the leaks with the nasal mask?

Unless the leaks with the nasal mask were really seriously out of control, you dad may be better off using the nasal mask so that he can sleep on his side if that's what he wants to do.

check out the second graph I just posted - that was from last night. It's much worse than with the Quattro FX, but for some reason he still gets better sleep with the nasal.

Either way he sleeps on his back - never sleeps on his side. The great data from that graph was on his back.

There's an old saying..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Why have you changed to a new/different mask that produces the "shitshow" ? Any reason to not go back to the mask that worked well ?

Because the nasal mask looks like this: http://imgur.com/FxZtm5e and was in dire need of replacement. We thought a full face mask would be better for him because he has a deviated septum and sometimes the nasal mask pushes against it, and also because he often opens his mouth while sleeping.

We are starting to conclude we were wrong and need to try to return the Quattro FX and instead get an updated nasal mask.

[palerider]

the leaks are worse with the nasal mask, but they're not too bad... ie, they're under 24lpm almost the entire time.

for some people, the ffm pulls their jaws back, while a nasal or pillow mask may let their jaw go forward, thus the ffm would narrow the airway, and the nasal or pillow mask open it up more.

I'd go with the mask that he likes.

[Gasper62]

"Because the nasal mask looks like this: http://imgur.com/FxZtm5e and was in dire need of replacement." ~~~ OK, just buy a new one. (the same model) Maybe two. Good luck

[robysue]

the leaks are worse with the nasal mask, but they're not too bad... ie, they're under 24lpm almost the entire time.

for some people, the ffm pulls their jaws back, while a nasal or pillow mask may let their jaw go forward, thus the ffm would narrow the airway, and the nasal or pillow mask open it up more.

I'd go with the mask that he likes.

I agree with palerider here: Yes, he's got leaks with the nasal mask, but they're under 24 L/min almost the entire time and they don't seem to interfere with your dad's ability to sleep well with the nasal mask. So it's not necessary to force a FFM on your dad, particularly if he does not like the FFM.

"Because the nasal mask looks like this: http://imgur.com/FxZtm5e and was in dire need of replacement." ~~~ OK, just buy a new one. (the same model) Maybe two. Good luck

I also agree with Gasper62 here: If the old nasal mask is worn out, your dad would be better off replacing it with a new version of his old familiar nasal mask. Or if that model is no longer made, replace it with a mask very similar to the one he's been using.