New User Here

[CosmosHuman]

Greetings. Having had two sleep studies revealed my OSA is pretty severe. Was provided through my insurance a Philips Dreamstation autoCPAP and FP Simplis full face mask. Not happy with the mask and have appointment tomorrow to see the nurse at Lincare. I'm getting puffiness below both eyes. Mask fits and not tight. That was the mask used while on the tritation test. I will also request a heated tube. Already ordered an extra regular tube from Amazon but was given the old bait and switch. Sold as original but sent cheap Chinese junk and returned today. Lincare gave me a list of what supplies will be replaced at certain intervals. My insurance is Medical Mutual. I'm at. 90/10 copay until I need my out of pocket which should be pretty soon. I had a bit of gas in tummy after the first night so I bought some Gas X and it has been working.

I've been reading the posts here and am trying to take it all in. I'm feeling more rested just after four nights. I found out that there is a Philips Amara View mask that may be able to help me. Any advice? I am a mouth breather.

[CosmosHuman]

I wanted to add a few more questions. My ramp is 4. I'm ok with that and fall asleep quickly. Are there any other settings I should be aware of? I fill the humidifier with distilled water. Don't have the heated tube yet. What setting for humidifier as I get some congestion and stuffy nose. I used the dream app and it's helpful. What is Flex setting?

[Pugsy]

Flex is the exhale relief. Play with the settings to see which seems to feel the best to you but you will need to test it at 6 cm or more. It won't engage at 4 or 5 cm...must be at least 6 cm for you to feel it.
The most reduction you will be able to get is 2 cm at the setting of 3. It's not an exact per cm reduction because it varies the reduction based on your breathing.

Humidity needs will vary among the individual and there's no certain setting that works for everyone.
I happen to like as much moisture as possible but other people do very well with minimal to even no added moisture. If your nose clears up in a hot steamy shower...you might like the higher setting but then again you may not.
I find that the moisture seems to help any congestion I may have and often wake up with a clearer nose than when I went to bed.
So this is an area that you are just going to have to experiment with to see what your nasal mucosa wants or needs.
If your current setting is on the low side...try increasing it...if your current setting is on the high side try lowering it. If your current setting is in the middle toss a coin...but if going by the odds try a little higher as more people are on that side of it than the other.
Google "cpap rhinitis" for additional information.

Do you have the provider/clinical (this is not the same as the user) manual for your machine? If not, you can request it here. There's some really useful information in the manual that will explain the features like Flex, etc.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

DreamMapper is pretty lame and really only shows you what is available on the machine's LCD screen.
When you have time check out the software that is available (and free) for much more detailed information.
You can read about it here.
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

[CosmosHuman]

Thanks Pugsy. I have an iPad but I can't get the sleepy software, so I'll have to dig out the ole HP laptop later.

[Pugsy]

No huge rush on digging out that old PC. The data available will get you close. The main problem with limited data is if you are having problems they aren't always so easy to spot when just looking at the numbers off the LCD screen.

But if your AHI is nice and low and your leaks are minimal and you are sleeping well and feeling good during the day...that software report will probably be rather boring.

The software comes in real handy when you aren't having nice low AHI numbers or if you aren't feeling as good as those nice numbers say you should.

If you start having some major problems or feeling really bad...go dig out that PC sooner than later.

[CosmosHuman]

The highest Flex setting is 3.

[Pugsy]

Yes, the highest Flex setting is 3 but that's not necessarily going to equal 3 cm like some people think.
Respironics machines have always made it so that the most actual drop is 2 cm at that setting of 3.
Makes no sense but that's the way they do things.
The actual drop is based on the force of your own breathing.
I tell people to not to worry about the actual setting but to play with all the settings (including off) and see what "feels" more natural or comfortable to them and use that setting no matter what it is.
Exhale relief is supposed to make exhaling more natural or comfortable and since each person is different on how they "feel" things...what works well for one person won't necessarily work well for the next person.

You will find that a lot of this CPAP stuff comes with that YMMV sticker. What one person just loves another person will just hate.

Just remember when testing Flex that you have to be using 6 cm or it won't even turn on to check it out.
I see people all the time saying it doesn't feel any different and come to find out they are using ramp and/or starting at 4 cm.
Actually at 4 cm...a person shouldn't even need exhale relief. That's a minimal setting and even my titration study started out while awake at 5 cm.
Often people complain of feeling like they are suffocating at starting pressures of 4 or 5...we won't but it sure feels like it sometimes because there's not a lot of air moving at those low pressures.

[CosmosHuman]

Update. Had my current mask adjusted and ordered the new Amara View size medium. Also I asked for a heated tube and was provided with one. The nurse printed out my stats for the last several nights. Nurse said I only have to wash the tube once a week. I've been doing it everyday. The mask does get washed everyday. Looks like I'm on track. Highest pressure I needed was 16.5. Last night I took the mask off at 4 am. Was pretty uncomfortable. I felt like I had chipmunk cheeks. The readings show I had no leaks, but I felt uncomfortable. I have been so sleep deprived for such a long time. It was getting pretty noticeable at work. Lately friends said I don't look so tired. But I'm tired. It's going to take time to get better. I realize that. Oh, the nurse will remotely unlock the tube type. I'm not messing with another manual. I'm just too tired.

On an unrelated note, water main break on my street means no water for the next several hours. Oh what fun.

[Okie bipap]

Once you get a little further along on your cpap journey, you may find yourself cleaning less than you are now. When I started, I was told to clean everything weekly. Since then, I have gotten to where I clean it much less. I still clean the mask weekly, but do the water reservoir every other week, and the hose once a month if I think of it. You will find people here who clean every day, and others who never clean. It depends on what you are comfortable with.