New To CPAP and site

[cookerhouk]

Hi,

I was directed to this site by the Respitory Therapist that set me up with my machine. I did a sleep study at the request of my cardiologist (one in a battery of tests since May). I went back for the CPAP part and got the prescription. It said that my AHI was 7.4 and my pressure is 6. The tech said that most of my disruptions were in deep sleep on my back.

I was given a REMstar Plus M Series with C-Flex and with a heated humidifier and the Swift LT for her nasal pillows. I have had good nights and bad with the mask. A couple of nights I went from 10:00 to 5:00 but a lot of nights I would wake up around 1am - some nights the mask would come of and some nights I would force myself to get past it. I had some issues with feeling like I was suffocating (especially at the beginning and with exhaling). After reading some of the posts on here, I stopped using the ramp (and that helped) and reset my C-Flex to 1 (was at 3). I changed from having the hose clipped over my head (and larger hose over the headboard) to having the "elephant nose" as my husband calls it. All have seemed to make my nights more restful. I wake up to go the bathroom but fall back to sleep fairly easily and make it to 4-4:30.

My question is with the machine I have, is it worth it to buy the software and card reader? It has a smartcard in it (that I need to get to the RT before my Dr. appt Wed). I've seen where people talk about their AHI, leak rate, etc. From what I can see in the manual, they talk about screens you can look at and it just has number of nights greater than 4 hours, etc. Does the card record different info - or just what I would be able to see on the screens?

Thanks for the help

[harry33]

welcome
as an older reader Ive never had any interest in data

I suggest you clamp hose to headboard, allowing enough slack to roll over in bed, try to sleep on side

be patient and continue with your positive attitude

[kteague]

Glad you seem to be adjusting pretty well. About the software, it can only report what the machine records onto the card, and the machine you named does not track treatment data, just usage. The next level up is the M Series Pro. It would give you treatment data. While some info can be seen in the screen, software allows for more detail. Those details may not be needed if all is going well, but if not, the extra info can help troubleshoot. The screen of a data capable machine can allow you to get an idea how overall effective your treatment is and if you have leak problems.

So your RT referred you to this site - we don't hear that often. Hope you are able to get everything working well for you in short order.

Kathy

[GumbyCT]

I commend your RT for referring you to this site. But I suspect you may be past the point where you can swap machines UNLESS your doc writes a new script.

Unfortunately, any machine with a "Plus" in the name records nothing more than hours of use. So the software will do No Good. The very best thing you can do now is to educate your self by reading and searching then reading some more.

Start at the top of the page there is
New Users
Wiki
and Where a Newbie should start.

Good Luck

[cookerhouk]

Thanks for the response. My machine is less than 2 weeks old so I guess I could swap out.

I changed the nasal pillows last night from extra small to small. Got a good night's sleep (only woke to alarm when my son took his food out of the oven at 1am). I seemed to be able to breath better with the larger size pillows.

[KatieW]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Glad changing the pillow size worked for you. I've found it's all about making those minor adjustments, until you're comfortable.

This is just me, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with NOT having access to the the data. Someone else recently said it's like driving a car without a speedometer. You don't have to get the software, if the information on the machine readout is enough for you, or since you have a good RT, you could take your card in, and have them download the reports for you.

Edited for clarity--yes, I would upgrade your machine to a data capable one.

[Hawthorne]

Even your RT cannot download any reports from the smart card except how long you use the machine, with the Plus. There just is no other data available with that machine.

You need at least a Pro to get detailed data as to events, etc.

[GumbyCT]

Even your RT cannot download any reports from the smart card except how long you use the machine, with the Plus. There just is no other data available with that machine.

You need at least a Pro to get detailed data as to events, etc.

My 1st sleep center (the PA) told me they could get the data out of my Plus machine. They knew how - it was inside the machine. Next appt. I brought the machine in. No data = NO Way.

I no longer use those lying bums for anything. I just can't and won't trust my health (life) to people who willing lie to me - esp. for no reason at all. How can you tell if they were to tell you the truth?

[Hawthorne]

I'm with you GumbyCT. They are either don't know or they lie. Either way, I don't want to deal with them.

[Patrick A]

Even your RT cannot download any reports from the smart card except how long you use the machine, with the Plus. There just is no other data available with that machine.

You need at least a Pro to get detailed data as to events, etc.

My 1st sleep center (the PA) told me they could get the data out of my Plus machine. They knew how - it was inside the machine. Next appt. I brought the machine in. No data = NO Way.

I no longer use those lying bums for anything. I just can't and won't trust my health (life) to people who willing lie to me - esp. for no reason at all. How can you tell if they were to tell you the truth?

Must have been APRIA RIPOFF sounded like the same Bovine Excrement I got from them in 2005 and am still getting now.

[Patrick A]

I commend your RT for referring you to this site. But I suspect you may be past the point where you can swap machines UNLESS your doc writes a new script.

Unfortunately, any machine with a "Plus" in the name records nothing more than hours of use. So the software will do No Good. The very best thing you can do now is to educate your self by reading and searching then reading some more.

Start at the top of the page there is
New Users
Wiki
and Where a Newbie should start.

Good Luck

I second this motion welcome to the world of hose worship and to the forum.

[jweeks]

A couple of nights I went from 10:00 to 5:00 but a lot of nights I would wake up around 1am - some nights the mask would come of and some nights I would force myself to get past it.

Hi,

I had trouble sleeping through the night when I first started CPAP. I'd often wake up after about 2 hours, and then be awake for 2 hours or so before I felt like sleeping again. I think my body was more refreshed after those 2 hours of sleep than any night of sleep that I had in the past decade, so it thought it was done for the night. You didn't get into this condition overnight, so you are probably not going to get back out of it overnight, either. In fact, you might end up having to relearn how to sleep all over again. It took me several months before I was sleeping through the night and getting over 7 hours of sleep. But I did get there, and I suspect that you will get dialed in, too.

You did say a few things that concern me. First, that you feel like you are suffocating. That is usually a sign of too little pressure. A pressure of 6 seems awful low. Most folks need 8 to feel like they are getting enough air. Is that what they titrated you at?

Second, you say that you get up to have to go to the bathroom. That can be a sign of ineffective therapy. You said that your AHI was over 7. Depending on your machine, that might be a bit on the high side. I'd love to see data from your machine to see what is happening on a typical night.

Third, you state that your RT suspected that you were sleeping on your back. Did your sleep study indicate that you had positional apnea? If so, then you kind of need to know how bad it is. If it is real bad, the you have to avoid being on your back at all costs. In my case, no amount of pressure will help me when I am on my back, so I simply cannot go there. If it is more mild, then you might want to run with an APAP machine rather than CPAP. When set right, an auto machine can increase the pressure as needed when you change position.

This is all stuff that you should discuss with your sleep doctor, and your sleep doctor should be up to speed on these issues. I am just some random Joe on the internet, and I really don't have a clue about how this works from a medical standpoint.

Good luck!

-john-

[cookerhouk]

John,

When I did my sleep study, the Tech was the one who told me I had my episodes when I was on my back in deep sleep. The pressure of 6 came from the titration study with the CPAP machine. After reading information on this board, I stopped using the ramp because of the feeling of difficulty breathing out. I also changed the C-Flex level because the drop was originally set at 3.

I used to get up 3-4 times per night. Since I have started on the CPAP, I hardly ever get up. The few nights I have gotten up are because I was already awake. I think I have been waking up because I hear my college-age son coming home. I usually drop right back off to sleep.

I normally sleep on my side - and rarely slide onto my back. Now if I do and my mouth opens, the wind tunnel effect wakes up my husband and he nudges me.

The next step is to get him into a sleep study. He snores like a freight train.