Newbie here—Just diagnosed and CPAP coming in 5 days

[BigMoose13]

Do you take any medications of any kind and if so what?

How many times do you think you might be waking up during the night or are you sleeping soundly for the most part?

Hi Pugsy. No medications at all—otherwise boringly healthy. Save for some NasaCort for allergies. I’m probably waking up every time I shift or roll over when I sleep. I’m not a thrasher, but I’m betting it’s 4-6 times per night. It’s not “wide awake” but awake enough for me to feel the mask and other stuff on my face and futz with it a second or two to make sure it’s on right, or to adjust for tightness.

[BigMoose13]

(I don’t snort when I sleep, I don’t have night sweats and morning headaches have dissipated). I also don’t have that anxiety/heart racing sensation any longer. Huge plus.

Congratulations on that part!

I do know I’m struggling with the mask still (it’s too tight, leaves now permanent indentations on my face and the inside of my nose is so sore I can’t even blow it without pain).

Your mask is designed so that it should not be adjusted tightly. Have you watched any videos on fitting and adjusting your mask? - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... sal+Pillow

Thanks! Yeah I’ve watched the videos as well. I did talk to my doc about the mask, he said it should not be tight or painful. I go in tomorrow to try new ones. I have a big head so that’s a challenge lol. The one I have now is not adjustable, hence some of the problem.
Also, pay attention to hose management. When you get in bed, there should be some slack in the hose. Check that when you roll to another position, there will still be slack in the hose.

[Fetou]

Based on your pressure being a range, I think you may have the wrong machine selected in your profile. A pressure range would imply an APAP machine. You may have the AirSense 10 Autoset

[BigMoose13]

Based on your pressure being a range, I think you may have the wrong machine selected in your profile. A pressure range would imply an APAP machine. You may have the AirSense 10 Autoset

Yes correct I do. But the drop down menu only has the airsense 10 for her or for travel, and I think both of those are wrong.

[Fetou]

Based on your pressure being a range, I think you may have the wrong machine selected in your profile. A pressure range would imply an APAP machine. You may have the AirSense 10 Autoset

Yes correct I do. But the drop down menu only has the airsense 10 for her or for travel, and I think both of those are wrong.

It's hiding with the "R"s because it starts with Resmed, while the others don't for some reason and therefore all start with "A".

[Pugsy]

It's hiding with the "R"s because it starts with Resmed, while the others don't for some reason and therefore all start with "A".

I hadn't realized this until the other day and it makes for more confusion...
I was going to send a note to the powers that be to see if we can get that fixed.
I think that all the new ResMed AirSense/AirCurve machines should be in the A's...everyone agree with me.????

[Fetou]

It's hiding with the "R"s because it starts with Resmed, while the others don't for some reason and therefore all start with "A".

I hadn't realized this until the other day and it makes for more confusion...
I was going to send a note to the powers that be to see if we can get that fixed.
I think that all the new ResMed AirSense/AirCurve machines should be in the A's...everyone agree with me.????

Generally, yes.

[palerider]

It's hiding with the "R"s because it starts with Resmed, while the others don't for some reason and therefore all start with "A".

I hadn't realized this until the other day and it makes for more confusion...
I was going to send a note to the powers that be to see if we can get that fixed.
I think that all the new ResMed AirSense/AirCurve machines should be in the A's...everyone agree with me.????

I'd say they should all be in the R's, under Resmed. and even have the REF number on the back in the name.

And it's kinda dumb to have 'humidair' in the title. as if it were an option.

[Jas_williams]

(I don’t snort when I sleep, I don’t have night sweats and morning headaches have dissipated). I also don’t have that anxiety/heart racing sensation any longer. Huge plus.

Congratulations on that part!

I do know I’m struggling with the mask still (it’s too tight, leaves now permanent indentations on my face and the inside of my nose is so sore I can’t even blow it without pain).

Your mask is designed so that it should not be adjusted tightly. Have you watched any videos on fitting and adjusting your mask? - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... sal+Pillow

Thanks! Yeah I’ve watched the videos as well. I did talk to my doc about the mask, he said it should not be tight or painful. I go in tomorrow to try new ones. I have a big head so that’s a challenge lol. The one I have now is not adjustable, hence some of the problem.
Also, pay attention to hose management. When you get in bed, there should be some slack in the hose. Check that when you roll to another position, there will still be slack in the hose.

The strap positions on the P10 make a big difference on the tightness if you have the divided strap with one side on the top of your head and one just over the ears, the P10 can feel very loose also you may find a larger pillow will also be more comfortable, the pillows are supposed to just rest on the out sides of you nostrils if the protrude in too far they can make your nose sore

[BigMoose13]

It's hiding with the "R"s because it starts with Resmed, while the others don't for some reason and therefore all start with "A".

I hadn't realized this until the other day and it makes for more confusion...
I was going to send a note to the powers that be to see if we can get that fixed.
I think that all the new ResMed AirSense/AirCurve machines should be in the A's...everyone agree with me.????

I'd say they should all be in the R's, under Resmed. and even have the REF number on the back in the name.

And it's kinda dumb to have 'humidair' in the title. as if it were an option.

LOL--thanks, I found it and updated it!

[Slartybartfast]

Just read through your post. Your beginning numbers and oximetry are same as mine at the beginning. I found immediate relief after getting my machine. I mean, the morning after I woke up almost giddy with relief.

My titration study said I needed 10.5 pressure. My sleep doc doesn't believe in APAP machines, so I took my prescription and bought my machine out of pocket. I settled on a pressure range of 8-12 like you. And, to be fair to my sleep doc, my pressure averages about 10.5 while I'm sleeping. No more crazy trapped in an underground bunker with no air, or snorkeling and can't reach the surface dreams. No more morning headache.

Everybody's different. It looks like you got a good sleep doc who prescribed you a reasonable pressure range. Many noobs here don't. And if you can breathe through nasal pillows, without air leaking, that's about as good as it gets. Sure, I wake up several times each night and am aware of the hose and the mask, but it's just for an instant, and I reposition myself, or whatever and I'm back asleep again. Keep the straps as loose as you can get them. My straps often slip off my head and I feel something's not right and adjust them. And get a flannel "hose cozy" to cover your hose with. It makes the hose much less noticeable as you move around during sleep. You'll get used to the paraphernalia.

The bigger question is, what is keeping you from feeling rested. And that is something that we can help you with, via dialog, but you really need to bring that up with your sleep doc.

P.S. just thinking. If you have anxiety about going to sleep, I wonder whether it might help to bump up your minimum pressure a bit. The first night I was on CPAP, I hadn't had my overnight titration study yet. But I got a call from the sleep doc saying that he didn't want to alarm me, but he wanted to see me that afternoon. I showed up and he went over my sleep data. He said he didn't want to sound dramatic, but my condition was life-threatening. He wanted to set me up with a loaner CPAP machine until I could come back for my overnight titration study. So he showed me how to use it and sent me home. I KNOW the presssure was way higher than I needed. I awoke feeling like I'd been blowing up balloons all night. But it wasn't a bad feeling, just like my chest was totally expanded. I felt wonderful.

Don't know where you are at this point on taking control of your own pressure settings. You might want to let your sleep doc do that, or go Rogue like most of us do here and change them yourself.

A good first step would be to collect and post some data here so all the local experts can have a swing at you.

[BigMoose13]

Just read through your post. Your beginning numbers and oximetry are same as mine at the beginning. I found immediate relief after getting my machine. I mean, the morning after I woke up almost giddy with relief.

My titration study said I needed 10.5 pressure. My sleep doc doesn't believe in APAP machines, so I took my prescription and bought my machine out of pocket. I settled on a pressure range of 8-12 like you. And, to be fair to my sleep doc, my pressure averages about 10.5 while I'm sleeping. No more crazy trapped in an underground bunker with no air, or snorkeling and can't reach the surface dreams. No more morning headache.

Everybody's different. It looks like you got a good sleep doc who prescribed you a reasonable pressure range. Many noobs here don't. And if you can breathe through nasal pillows, without air leaking, that's about as good as it gets. Sure, I wake up several times each night and am aware of the hose and the mask, but it's just for an instant, and I reposition myself, or whatever and I'm back asleep again. Keep the straps as loose as you can get them. My straps often slip off my head and I feel something's not right and adjust them. And get a flannel "hose cozy" to cover your hose with. It makes the hose much less noticeable as you move around during sleep. You'll get used to the paraphernalia.

The bigger question is, what is keeping you from feeling rested. And that is something that we can help you with, via dialog, but you really need to bring that up with your sleep doc.

P.S. just thinking. If you have anxiety about going to sleep, I wonder whether it might help to bump up your minimum pressure a bit. The first night I was on CPAP, I hadn't had my overnight titration study yet. But I got a call from the sleep doc saying that he didn't want to alarm me, but he wanted to see me that afternoon. I showed up and he went over my sleep data. He said he didn't want to sound dramatic, but my condition was life-threatening. He wanted to set me up with a loaner CPAP machine until I could come back for my overnight titration study. So he showed me how to use it and sent me home. I KNOW the presssure was way higher than I needed. I awoke feeling like I'd been blowing up balloons all night. But it wasn't a bad feeling, just like my chest was totally expanded. I felt wonderful.

Don't know where you are at this point on taking control of your own pressure settings. You might want to let your sleep doc do that, or go Rogue like most of us do here and change them yourself.

A good first step would be to collect and post some data here so all the local experts can have a swing at you.

This was incredibly helpful, thank you. First off, how do I collect the data you suggest? I can't see on the MyAir site the values of my pressure. I do know it was set to 4 for ramp up, which was wildly insufficient (buried alive!) so I turned that feature off straightaway. Now it just starts at 8 which TBH often feels insufficient and I end up doing the "in through the nose/out through the mouth" routine for about 5 minutes until it stops feeling suffocating. BTW, I have every intent of telling the doc all this as well--he's really responsive and engaged, so that makes me hopeful as well.

Second, I know I'll get used to the equipment *eventually,* but my poor nose is at the point where it's painful to put the dang thing on now. I googled but didn't come up with any pads for those (but did get some for the sides of the straps). Overall, I think the mask is flat out too small. The nose piece fits perfectly--the unadjustable strap is just too small for me, I think. I've actually begun stretching it out over the back of a chair during the day which is helping relax it. It's a catch 22--I add the washcloths to relieve pressure on my cheeks from the strap, but that makes the straps even tighter in the nose region, which in turn pulls the nasal pillows hard into my nose, making it even more sore.

My doc was gracious enough to give me an Rx for multiple masks, so my plan was to continue with this one but rotate it out with 1-2 others. While that will give me more to get used to, it will also change up the pressure points from both the nasal pillows as well as the straps on my face. Hopefully THIS is the cause of my continued fatigue, since perhaps I'm just flat out not sleeping well (yet).

Let me ask you--if I'm at the wrong level of pressure, could that account for the fatigue? And would that somehow show in number of events?

And while I'm envious you felt better immediately (like you, I wouldn't complain about feeling like a balloon if I weren't tired) I'm sorry you had such a scare--and grateful you had a doc who took care of you immediately.

[Pugsy]

Software you so can see the detailed date your machine gathers that MyAir doesn't show
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

and examples of what you can see along with format and instructions for posting screen shots if you want member input.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

[BigMoose13]

Thanks, Pugsy. Whoa, that's like learning a new computer language! I'll take a look when I have time to focus. Your links were helpful! BTW, just back from the CPAP place--I have two new masks. Let's see how I fare with these. At first blush/in the office, both seemed more comfortable than what I have now. Let's hope that remains the case!

[Muse-Inc]

Big Moose, congrats, you're going about this the right way: one thing at a time. First get the right mask or at least one that you're relatively comfortable with (let's hope 1 of the latest 2 is do-able). Then tackle the next thing.

PS If end up needing a FFM (full face mask), check out mine (pillows and covers mouth). Click on it in my signature to see it on our host's website.