Seven Successful Nights (days)

[NightWorkDaySleep]

Thank you all so much for the help you gave last week, after months of this I finally used my CPAP for a full seven days successfully! Waiting on a working computer to install software to see how successful but my LCD screen is telling me my AHI is now an average of 3.1 over the last 7 days, it was 8.5 over a 30 day period when I first checked last Tuesday. My leak rate is pretty hight but that may be because I am still working on mask fitting.

I would love to figure out how to reset the LCD/memory on the machine to give me a better indication of what's going on until I can get my smart card reader going...but I bet that's not "allowed" seeing as how its part of the compliance info, not that anyone is checking that for me! if anyone knows how to reset that could you post the directions.

I'm still rotating between both the Opus 360, and the Liberty full face, but my preference is definitely forming for the Opus, its much less restricting when I roll around, and I find I wake far with fewer leaks. I kind of thought the rolling around was the apnea? I do so a little less, with the CPAP my blankets and pillows are still on the bed when I wake versus across the room like before but I'm still pretty mobile through the night. Anyone have a clue about that?

Anyone have advice for how to adjust the masks without always getting your hair in the Velcro? Even with it pulled back in a ponytail I'm constantly getting stray pieces and frizzies yanked out when I take the mask off. My first thought was scrub caps..the surgical hats you see in the operating room...any better ideas?

I followed your advice and tired the sinus wash...What had I been so afraid of? Where had that been all my life? I LOVE IT! call me crazy but WOW...so so so much better than a squirt of saline in my nose. can I say it again...I love it No more antihistamines daily for me, and forget starting Singulair, I'll stay on the Flonase for now but I might try and taper that off too! I realize I am a freak of nature liking it this much but it's a breath of fresh air! lol I am now the newest member of the sinus wash fan club! I've already tired to convince everyone I know to try it!

The ayr gel is wonderful too. It lasts just long enough to keep me comfortable but no gooey mess on my face when I get up and it does not dry on the mask and leave it worse than when I started like the KY my MD suggested, gonna have to let her know to stop that!

I LOVE the pursleep samples that Bret sent me, thats a repeat order for sure and I have only tired two of the air candy so far! just started at the top of the package and am working my way down but yum sleeping to the sent of French vanilla and chocolate SOOO much better than plastic!

The pad a cheeks are great too, my only regret is not ordering two sets for each mask that I have, They get a little gross from the ayr gel especially when I use the Opus and don't quite dry in the time span I'm awake if I decide to wash them.

And finally if any other newbies are still reading this looking for advice for themselves (I realize I just wrote a million word post) getting the tubing covered and up off the mattress and playing with the humidification ( I turned it WAY down) have made a difference too I'm sure but its just not enough time to tell you how much.

Thank you all again!
Nights

[eutychus]

To reset the LCD...

Unplug your cpap machine (you can use the plug in back of machine instead of way down at the wall)
Press and hold both arrow button at same time (inside of LCD lid)
Plug machine back in (while holding arrow buttons)
Wait for machine to beep (two quick beeps) and release arrow buttons
You are now in "secret opps" mode
Right arrow to a screen that says "Therapy" (or Therapy Sesson? - I'm away from my unit, so I can't check which it is)
Press and hold the minus (-) key for approx. 5 seconds, until the numbers reset to '0'
Press your 'start' button to return to normal person mode (or, explore to see what other secret opps you can perform)

[echo]

hey nights - try the PapCap, also from sleepguy. It completely covers your head, and acts as a chinstrap too, but it will prevent the straps from pulling on your hair. You can leave the chin strap part loose if you don't need that, or maybe even use it without it.
A light scarf will do the same trick, though the Papcap is nice to use!

For the moving around - did they peg you with PLMD at your sleep study ? (restless legs). All that movement can also wreck your sleep due to arousals. For some people it gets better with therapy, not so for others.

[GuyK]

Re: sinus washing.

Years ago, I had read online about the Grossan sinus irrigator attachments for water piks. I told a colleague about them -- he has sinus problems, and from his Indian-MD wife knew about neti pots. He bought the Grossan attachment and after a few weeks I asked him about it. His quote was something like "it's great -- it's like blowing your nose, but better".

So, I bought one too. I approached with caution at first, because I had no idea what squirting water up into my sinuses would feel like. To me, it was surprisingly gentle. There were minor issues, such as water can't be too hot or too cold, due to comfort reasons, and when mixing your own saline, the concentration of salt is important. There again, too much or too little is uncomfortable.

I irrigated consistently for about six months, and then only occasionally. These days, I only irrigate when I feel like a sinus infection is coming on, or if I've been a little clogged up.

so, mark me as a proponent of sinus irrigation. When I mention it to people, they think it's kind of freaky, but I always say it's not like that. It's like a gentle nose blow, surprisingly effective, and a little bit wet especially if you don't tilt your head the right way. And the cool part is that sometimes some really strange stuff comes out of the other nostril.

[DreamStalker]

I'll second the Grossan system as will most everyone on this forum who uses it.

For fear of not being able to use my nasal pillow mask interface and CPAP, I decided to use the Bush pre-emptive strike doctrine towards sinus congestion ... it is no coincidence that I have not had sinus congestion or upper respiratory infection in over 2 and a half years now.

http://www.hydromedonline.com/

[GuyK]

I still have congestion, due to allergies to just about everything, but I've seriously cut back on sinus infections with frequent hand-washing (I don't know if it is OCD-class or not, but I'll wash maybe 6 or 8 times a day...and not just rinses, but with soap for maybe 15-20 seconds).