More questions regarding leaking

Shari · Post by **Shari** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:12 am

I didn't want this to get buried at the bottom of my other post.

Maybe I am going about this all wrong. I pulled out my last sleep study and looked at the results again.

When I started therapy two years ago I was put on CPAP 18 pressure. I slept for the first time in my life. I was refreshed and had energy. I went back for a second study and the technician told me (before I was wired up or had put on a mask) that my pressure setting was so high I would probably have to go to BiPAP. She flipped me to BiPAP less than an hour into my study with no evidence of hypopneas or apneas. I had several arousals due to leg movement and I "snored", was her reasoning.
The only time I had any hypopneas or apneas during that study was on BiPAP. None during the 45 minutes on CPAP 18, none at 21/18, two at 22/18, and seven at 23/19.
I have struggled with adjusting to BiPAP. I hate it! All my masks bounce, it pumps my stomach full of air and I leak from my mouth. Issues I had not had trouble with on CPAP. What if all this time I have been fighting, trying to reign in leaks, trying to adjust to BiPAP, I should have been on CPAP. Or could have been on CPAP.

I think tonight I am going to try setting my IPAP and EPAP the same and see what happens. I can't feel any more sleep deprived than I am already.

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions welcome.
Shari

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:23 am

I would definitely go back to the doctor on this, certainly not leave it as is on the strength of one technician's opinion on one test.

Shari · Post by **Shari** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:30 am

Same doctor read both tests and wrote both prescriptions.

Shari · Post by **Shari** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:42 am

Oh Yeah, This is the same doctor that put me on supplemental oxygen because my O2 sat dropped ONE TIME during the night when I rolled over. It did drop to 73%, but the rest of the night I was near 95%. (Insurance denied this claim) He also said the RLS was not severe enough to warrant treatment, even though I averaged 57 movements per hour, 30 arousals per hour from the movement, and I ripped the leg leads off three times during the night.

What ever I do I will not be going back to this doctor!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:19 am

Shari, I recommend setting your machine BACK to whatever was working for you in the past.

I have found I feel much better on straight cpap with cflex. I don't respond as well to auto titration or aflex. If you feel like your previous settings were better, go back, test it out, and see.

Cheers,
Barbara