Introduction and a questions

[Steviemain]

If I didn't have two dogs I'd probably already be in bed just because I'm anxious to see how I feel tomorrow!!

Thanks for the support RestedGal

Plr66....I'll surely try your strap suggestions and I never even thought about baby shampoo...I already have some on hand because that's what I use to wash the dog's faces...lucky for all three of us

[Steviemain]

Hello again...my first night went OK, but as I've read here I need to stay patient until I get adjusted to wearing the pillows.

I didn't have too much trouble falling asleep, but I woke up a few times because I think my mouth opened up...I guess that's what it was because I was making some wierd noise Anyway, I fell back asleep each time, but after about 3.5 hours my nose (inner edges of nostrils) starting hurting and I had to remove the pillows because I couldn't fall back asleep. I was using the large size so tonight I'm going to try the mediums. I love the heated humidifier though as it made breathing so much easier...I obviously didn't have one of those at my sleep study.

Well, if anyone has any suggestions about the sore nostrils (they weren't sore when I woke up and they're not sore now) I'll be here for a while and I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks

[plr66]

Hello again...my first night went OK, but as I've read here I need to stay patient until I get adjusted to wearing the pillows.

I didn't have too much trouble falling asleep, but I woke up a few times because I think my mouth opened up...I guess that's what it was because I was making some wierd noise Anyway, I fell back asleep each time, but after about 3.5 hours my nose (inner edges of nostrils) starting hurting and I had to remove the pillows because I couldn't fall back asleep. I was using the large size so tonight I'm going to try the mediums. I love the heated humidifier though as it made breathing so much easier...I obviously didn't have one of those at my sleep study.

Well, if anyone has any suggestions about the sore nostrils (they weren't sore when I woke up and they're not sore now) I'll be here for a while and I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks

Hang in there, Steve. And good for you for staying patient. As I remember, it took about two weeks for the tenderness of my nostrils to subside with the nasal pillows. I used hand lotion with Aloe (Aveeno is one you can get in travel size at WalMart) several times every day on the rim of my nostrils, and that helped a lot. I also used Ayr gel rubbed on the inside of my nostrils during the day for those first weeks, as I was still adjusting to the dryness of the air blowing in, even with the HH (though I have always had it set very low to avoid rainout). Try not to remove your mask, even when you wake up with some discomfort. It will pass. It is normal to wake up several times each night as you adjust to turning over with a hose to contend with. I still do, but it is brief and not disruptive. I think you probably need to read up on mouth-taping or other alternatives to that, since your therapy is not effective until your air is not escaping through your mouth. All the best.

[Gerryk]

Steve, good luck. If more of us were able to have the information and support from this site from the beginning it would have been easier for us. But we are all here now. Just take one day at a time. I have a feeling you will be one of those people that starts on cpap and has very few problems and just falls right in and has successful therapy right off the bat.

Keep us updated
Gerry

[GumbyCT]

Stevie, I use http://www.Lansinoh.com with good results. A little dab on the nasal pillow helps the seal too. Never had a bit of soreness.

100% lanolin - Lansinoh HPA® Lanolin Topical Treatment
http://refs05.securesites.net/snap038/i ... cts_detail

[SharkBait]

...and perhaps some Afrin if I clog up.

Never use Afrin. The rebound effect isn't worth the temporary relief...

[JoyD.]

GumbyCT on Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:46 pm
Stevie, I use http://www.Lansinoh.com with good results. A little dab on the nasal pillow helps the seal too. Never had a bit of soreness.
100% lanolin - Lansinoh HPA® Lanolin Topical Treatment
http://refs05.securesites.net/snap038/i ... cts_detail

[/quote]

Stevie,
I've been following your thread with a smile on my face . . . because you and I are so much alike! I'm also "detail-oriented" and have been wearing this group out with my constant questions. But, as you are finding out . . . they are SO GREAT and SO GRACIOUSLY HELPFUL, and so knowledgeable with practical advice that works! I'm about two weeks ahead of you . . . almost identical Sleep Study Results (My doc also started me low, at 6, but I need a pressure of 13 to get rid of most of the AHI's.) I also have GERD, but get great relief now since I invested in a TempurPedic Bed that has an adjustable base with remote so I raise it as high as I need it on any given night - has made all the difference!

Oh yeah . . . the nose thing. I love nasal pillows, but I get reddened sore areas occasionally & have to put Lansinoh first on the pillow where it sits in against my nose (up to the ring that remains at the nose edge), and also rub it on the edge and inside my nose a bit. That helps so much. During the day I use A&D ointment or Mycitracin which are both healing.

The loss of air by your mouth opening will have to be controlled. You'll find LOTS of tape users here (ie, 3M paper surgical tape, J&J Waterproof tape, etc) - do a search for "taping" and you'll find the threads. Although I taped for several nights, I decided I'd prefer to try a safer method so I use a 1" wide nylon woven strap with a fastener that clips together (ie, luggage strap-like), and it gives me better results than chin straps which are too stretchy to do much good for me. I put the strap under my chin and leave the "fastener" up on the top side of my head, over my headgear. (I do wear a mouthguard made by my dentist to avoid grinding my teeth, and I think it helps me too, by giving me something to bite onto - but I believe the woven strap is the most stabilizing factor). Even tightened, however, I can force my lips open enough to get air if I need it.

Welcome to this wonderful community! I'm so glad to have you onboard. . . you fit right in

Joy

[Steviemain]

So....I'm sitting here reading your replies and being of a somewhat demented sense of humor this thought crossed my mind;

Things you probably shouldn't tell the guys at work...."Hey guys, I'm using Lanisoh, you know, the cream used by breast feeding mothers to relieve pain on their nipples to relieve the irritation on my nose from using my CPAP pillows".

I'll be buying some tomorrow, but will probably only share that info with the folks in this forum....

Thanks

[DoriC]

And don't tell them about the pantyhose some guys use to stabilize their mask!

[Steviemain]

Alrighty then!!!

Night 2 = 6.5 hours (3 hours more than the 1st night!)....I woke up several times, but I actually have more ambition this morning than I've had in a long time....and I know it will get better

I was mistaken the first night as I thought I had the large pillows, where in fact I had the medium. I tried the small last night and although I feel better this morning I felt as if I wasn't getting enough airflow so I'll try the mediums again tonight...all in due time.

Since I didn't have any of the remedy products recommended here I used some Carmex around the nose area last night and it seemed to work quite well...however, does anyone know if Carmex will deteriote the pillows faster than normal?

One thing that worked extremely well was placing the hose under the covers as suggested here...I didn't seem to be fighting with the hose hardly at all!! A huge plus for only my 2nd night.

Also, the other thing I did was loosen my straps even more than the 1st night...another lesson from here...and I didn't have as much nostril pain. I didn't think they were tight the 1st night, but obviously they were....

And for whatever reason I didn't wake up as often making strange noises from air escaping from my mouth....mouth; breathing; don't want it to happen; ahhh, the psycho babble of CPAP users.....and now I am one, ha!

And the Afrin will be going in the garbage. Once I read Sharkbaits reply I did an Afrin search in the forum...not good! Thanks for saving me that future unpleasant experience.

So far so good as I've made progress in only two nights.......pity the poor souls that haven't had the ambition (or the means) to be a member of this forum as this place keeps the attitude in check and the momentum going forward.

Well, I'm off shortly to get some Lanisoh (shhhh), Aveeno, and mouth tape (just in case). Funny thing about the MT is that when I first read about that a couple of weeks ago I thought "you got to be kidding"

Ciao for now

[SharkBait]

And the Afrin will be going in the garbage.

Steve, if you have allergy problems, tell your doctor to rx you a nasal spray along the lines of Fluticasone. You can use it every single day without harm. It's really more of a preventive maintenance. Unlike over the counter nose drops/spray that you only use when you're stopped up, you do a couple of blasts every day to actually prevent reacting to allergens. It used to be I had problems with allergies just about every day. Now, when it gets really bad and I notice everyone else having problems, my nose remains clear but my eyes will itch like crazy and that cues me to take some generic Clariton (daytime) or generic Bendaryl (night time).

I swear by that stuff! I've had ONE day of sneezing and stoppage since I started using it a couple of years ago -- and a single Clariton had me back to okay within an hour...

[Steviemain]

Hello again my CPAP friends!!

OK, 10 nights into my therapy and here's what I know so far.....questions to follow.

I'm still not getting great sleep...I wake up several times during the night to stop leaks or unknowingly remove my Swift pillows...only to wake up later with the air blowing next to my head and put the pillows back on.

On a good note....I may not be getting a lot of sleep, but I know the sleep I'm getting is better than what I'm use to getting. So you ask yourself, "Steve, how do you know you're getting better sleep in those few hours"? Well, let me tell you; 1. My analytical mind is returning...I didn't know it was weak or gone, but now that it's coming back I can tell. My organizational and math skills are getting strong again. 2. I'm restless in the morning...I no longer feel like sitting around as long in the morning reading the news and drinking coffee. I'm more like, "Let the day begin"! 3. My wit is returning, not that I ever lost it, but it's quicker and sharper than it's been in a long time....

The above may sound a bit silly, but believe me when I say those are BIG deals to me!

My theories and/or questions:

1. The Swift LT pillows are extremely comfortable (relatively speaking) as compared to the one time I used the Micro Mirage nasal mask. My question is; Since the pillows are less obtrusive than a mask why are there still so many people on nasal masks? Is it because of nose shapes, cost, inability to keep them in place, nose discomfort, high air pressure or all of the above? The reason I ask is because I'm wondering if I should try a mask to see if there is a big difference in continuous air pressure and less probability of removing it one's sleep.
2. At a setting of 7 cm's (C-Flex set at 3) I think the pillows should be fine, but I'm wondering if there is any difference between getting a 7 through the pillows and getting a 7 through a mask? All things being equal it's still an air pressure of 7 forced in through the nostrils, but is there a difference?
3. I've yet to tape my mouth at night because I ended up with severely chapped lower lips after the first couple of nights to what I can only assume was constant air blowing out of my mouth. I'm almost healed now and I may try the mouth taping trick in a couple of nights, but my question is; Will the air escaping from my mouth cause me to unknowingly wake up and/or cause poor sleep?

Anyway, those are enough questions for now. I'll continue to use my new found increase in analytical thinking to figure out how to make this process work....I'm convinced that if I can feel these positive results and am still not getting great sleep then heaven help us all if the increase in my brain functions are directly proportional to the hours of sleep I get....oh yeah!!

And guess what?! That Lansinoh is awesome!! I highly recommend it to people if their noses are getting chapped. My nose has adjusted well to the pillows now...no cartilage pain, no chapping. I really like the Swift pillows because I can wear my glasses and fall asleep watching the TV and they're not uncomfortable to wear. I'm just curious to know if there is a big difference in effect between them and the nasal masks.

Still love reading the posts and am starting to appreciate the other new users questions more and more. You veteran users really are a great source of information and I thank you for your continued feedback.

Ciao for now,
Steve

[SharkBait]

1. The Swift LT pillows are extremely comfortable (relatively speaking) as compared to the one time I used the Micro Mirage nasal mask. My question is; Since the pillows are less obtrusive than a mask why are there still so many people on nasal masks? Is it because of nose shapes, cost, inability to keep them in place, nose discomfort, high air pressure or all of the above? The reason I ask is because I'm wondering if I should try a mask to see if there is a big difference in continuous air pressure and less probability of removing it one's sleep.
2. At a setting of 7 cm's (C-Flex set at 3) I think the pillows should be fine, but I'm wondering if there is any difference between getting a 7 through the pillows and getting a 7 through a mask? All things being equal it's still an air pressure of 7 forced in through the nostrils, but is there a difference?
3. I've yet to tape my mouth at night because I ended up with severely chapped lower lips after the first couple of nights to what I can only assume was constant air blowing out of my mouth. I'm almost healed now and I may try the mouth taping trick in a couple of nights, but my question is; Will the air escaping from my mouth cause me to unknowingly wake up and/or cause poor sleep?

1. I'm assuming that people with slotted nares or they were given a nasal mask and just went with it. Everybody is unique and what works great for you or me might not work at all for someone else...
2. Have you tried a C-Flex set at 1? I bet you'll find it's very doable.
3. Make sure you use plenty of chap stick before applying tape. Also you might consider the Mirage Liberty FFM if the taping doesn't go so well. One way or another, the air thru the mouth has to stop.

Sounds like your therapy is going well!!! Hopefully as you log more and more nights, the mask removal will cease.

[Steviemain]

Thanks Sharkbait....I guess I just needed to hear there are many reasons people use whatever mask at the moment. I keep reminding myself of what I read on this forum, "This is a journey, not a sprint". Since I'm able to get another mask to try every 30 days until I find one that works I may try the FFM if the mouth breathing continues to be an issue.

I'll try the C-Flex at a setting of 1 tonight and see how it goes. I adjusted my PAP level from 7cm's to 8cm's last night and although I didn't remove my mask I felt like I barely slept at all. Tired and grumpy today.... I'll set it to 7.5 tonight....the reason I adjusted it was because I feel as if I'm not getting enough pressure to do much good, but that may be due to mouth leaks.....I'll get it figured it out.

This is definitely an adventure and every night when I go to bed I hope to wake the next morning with that "Bring it on" feeling.

"til next time,
Steve

[Steviemain]

I researched the Mirage Liberty FFM (per Sharkbait's feedback) and didn't even know such a device existed! I thought all FFM's were large conglomerations akin to military chemical warfare masks....not comfortable at all.

I've been using the Swift LT pillows and my nose has adjusted well to them, but I'm pretty sure I'm leaking/breathing from my mouth because my leak rate is 42.1 Liters. I don't think the pillows on the Mirage Liberty will be a problem, but how difficult is it to adjust to wearing the mouth piece? Does it work well if the head is turned sideways on the pillow?

I've thought about taping my mouth, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. The FFM is obviously the medically correct method, but is it necessarily the best method or is this too a personal choice?

Thanks for your feedback