WOW!! I cant believe it.

[BigDaddy12t]

Some of you might have seen my 2 posts yesterday about my problems with my swift mask, and coming this close to giving up. Well, I gave the swift LT one more try last night, and I cant believe my results.

7.5 hours Leaks- .00 AI-.1 HI-4.0 AHA-4.1

The only things I changed, were adjusting the straps better, so they dont rub the top of my ears. And I found out that I cant connect the hose to the top of my head, I have to just let it hang loose. I did notice, that it is allot harder to breath with the LT on, then with my FlexiFit 407 on. It took me along time to go to sleep because of that. The strange part is that I dont really feel all that rested today, I am not falling asleep, but just noty wide awake yet. But I will deffinatly take those numbers any day.

[Mtnviewer]

It took me a while to figure out the strap tension on my Quattro to get my #'s down, (although I still have an open (but healing) wound on my nose bridge). Then to my horror and dismay, my #'s shot back up and I started feeling as though I were totally off of PAP therapy. After MUCH experimentation, I slowly discovered (I sleep alone so it took a while) that I was "sleeping" or at least was more unconcious or not waking or being disturbed, as often from apneas / events to know that I was no longer side sleeping but more often ending up on my back, which caused my #s, apneas and events to skyrocket. I was also mouth breathing more often when on my back, though the FF mask helps that. First I tried a tighter mask, higher pressures on APAP, and CPAP, all which caused other things to creep up my events until I realized I was on my back a lot more than I would have thought.

Then I tried a tennis ball attached to my T shirt and while I awoke quite often the first two nights with the T Ball in my back if I tried to roll onto my back, I did see my #'s Immediately plummet and by the 2nd and 3rd nights I had extremely good and restful sleeps. The turn around was dramatic and the nights with the T Ball and off my back much more restful during the days. But I see now that I'm getting used to the T Ball discomfort and unconciously finding partway positions onto my back, which I'm waking up in and I see my #'s have creeped up a little during those wakings, but the #'s are still REALLY low and I'm feeling more rested and have no headaches. I've still got a ways to go to figure out how to stay completely off my back (and to find the right APAP pressure, as if it gets too high my mask leaks now and then if I move.)

My point being, there are all sorts of little things that we need to figure out on our own. For me, I think that I need to get a video camera to watch myself sleep in order to fine tune preventative remedies to mask leaks from movement, staying off my back, or whatever else I might be doing when I'm not concious.

Anyway, if you're still tired, and your #'s are up, your "sleep" isn't restful. Maybe you are mouth breathing and need to try taping or polident on your lips, or maybe your having events when rolling onto your back (like I was). But good on you that you've found one more piece of your puzzle and good luck finding the others. It seems for me, that staying off my back is a huge help to getting restful results.

[BeanMeScot]

I have never run the LT hose over my head except when I had the reptile cord on it so it was too hot to run across my body. It seems like when the connector hose is turned up, it does leak more.

Don't let the not feeling perfect today get to you. It can take a bit of time to feel the benefits.

[Babette]

If you're interested in trying an over the head hose routing mask, that I find very comfortable and stable, you might want to consider my Nasal Aire II test drive. You can try a mask without buying it, for the cost of mailing it on to the next person. More info can be found here:

viewtopic/t30639/The-Return-of-the-Grea ... Drive.html

Good luck!
Barbara

[BigDaddy12t]

It took me a while to figure out the strap tension on my Quattro to get my #'s down, (although I still have an open (but healing) wound on my nose bridge). Then to my horror and dismay, my #'s shot back up and I started feeling as though I were totally off of PAP therapy. After MUCH experimentation, I slowly discovered (I sleep alone so it took a while) that I was "sleeping" or at least was more unconcious or not waking or being disturbed, as often from apneas / events to know that I was no longer side sleeping but more often ending up on my back, which caused my #s, apneas and events to skyrocket. I was also mouth breathing more often when on my back, though the FF mask helps that. First I tried a tighter mask, higher pressures on APAP, and CPAP, all which caused other things to creep up my events until I realized I was on my back a lot more than I would have thought.

Then I tried a tennis ball attached to my T shirt and while I awoke quite often the first two nights with the T Ball in my back if I tried to roll onto my back, I did see my #'s Immediately plummet and by the 2nd and 3rd nights I had extremely good and restful sleeps. The turn around was dramatic and the nights with the T Ball and off my back much more restful during the days. But I see now that I'm getting used to the T Ball discomfort and unconciously finding partway positions onto my back, which I'm waking up in and I see my #'s have creeped up a little during those wakings, but the #'s are still REALLY low and I'm s.feeling more rested and have no headache I've still got a ways to go to figure out how to stay completely off my back (and to find the right APAP pressure, as if it gets too high my mask leaks now and then if I move.)

My point being, there are all sorts of little things that we need to figure out on our own. For me, I think that I need to get a video camera to watch myself sleep in order to fine tune preventative remedies to mask leaks from movement, staying off my back, or whatever else I might be doing when I'm not concious.

Anyway, if you're still tired, and your #'s are up, your "sleep" isn't restful. Maybe you are mouth breathing and need to try taping or polident on your lips, or maybe your having events when rolling onto your back (like I was). But good on you that you've found one more piece of your puzzle and good luck finding the others. It seems for me, that staying off my back is a huge help to getting restful results.

I have had a ad headache problem for the last 20 some years, I get them every day, and I have them when I wake up in the morning. I am hoping that they will stop in time.

[tattooyu]

BD12t,

I had headaches almost every day, most in the afternoon. Nothing helped: drinking more water (thought I was dehydrated), Tylenol, Advil, etc. They weren't excruciating but very annoying.

In the past six weeks since I started therapy, I can count on one hand how many headaches I've had, and they are getting less.