18 months later (Advice needed)

[Ograx]

Well I've been on CPAP for close to 18 months now and am currently on day 7 off of using it.

I've had decent results using mouth tape and nasal mask but have found when using CPAP I can't ever get more than 6-7 hours of sleep and wake up feeling crappy. ( The mouth tape has also caused some red rash issues)

I tried FFM but result was terrible with the leaks and jaw soreness.

The last week that I've stopped using it I have been able to get 8-9 hours of sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed than when using.

I know its not reliable but my fitbit also seems to think I wake up less often not using the CPAP then when I did use it.

When I did my sleep study I had an AHI of 18 when sleeping on back and less than 10 when side sleeping so I've been trying to just sleep on my side.

I am big into weighlifting and I think having the extra mass even though it was muscle was contributing to my apnea problem so I've lost over 30 lbs.

Tonight I am going to try CPAP again with a set pressure instead of a variable rate and see if I can get a decent amount of sleep.

I guess my question to you guys with the CPAP knowledge would be how I might go about using CPAP and actually get the amount of sleep I need?

Also do you think the weight loss should mean I should get another sleep study done?? ( I'm in Canada so its free and my doc I'm sure would send again if asked )

Thanks

[Julie]

Sounds like you might need to try different masks - which you should be able to do if you find the right dealers, or get referred by your MD to do it (unless you have insurance that covers it and they might have ideas of where to look). You also need to be lying down to try FF masks as your face changes a lot then, plus the wt. loss can make a surprisingly big difference.

What you really need is to download (free) Oscar here and post according to instructions re what and what not to show. Once we get a look at things, we can advise on adjustments, plus whether you should (likely) go back to auto. Guessing is a waste of your time, plus Oscar can usually tell at least as much (minus the EEG) as most lab tests about where you stand.