APAP Results - Think I need to adjust machine?

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:38 pm

HERE are my results from Encore Pro for the past few days. If I am reading this all correctly, then I should probably up my minimum pressure, as it looks like it is spending half the night ramping up to a level that stops my apneas/snores, etc... On page 11 of it, there is a Summary of Daily Details which I think shows this the best.

Let me know what you think.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:58 pm

Mark,
It seems quite possible (maybe even probable) to me that the reason your machine is running so high above your minimum has to do with that ASTRONOMNICAL mask leak!!! 44%?! Half of the air you're getting is escaping out of your mask! I have the same exact mask you do, and I average around 25% leak each night. Do you have the wrong size mask? Are you having problems getting it adjusted?

CollegeGirl

Edit: In fact, it looks like I not only have the same mask you do, but the entire identical setup!

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:01 pm

From what I am reading in the manual for this mask http://www.fphcare.com/osa/pdf/HC431/185043396.pdf, 38L/min is the normal for 13cm H20, which 13.7cm H20 is my mean average. The leak goes up from there to 47L/min @ 19cm H20.

I don't seem to be having much in the way of leaks from the mask. I do have a goatee and I'm sure a little air is leaking around my chin from that. Once in a great while, I have a stream of air hitting me in the eye, but I usually get that stopped pretty quickly. Typically, if I have a leak, it wakes me up (at least I think so anyway).

Maybe I will turn the alarm on this weekend and see if it wakes me up reporting leaks.

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:12 pm

Here are a couple screenshots from MyEncore to support my theory that I might need to up my minimum pressure:

and

I'm new at this, so bear with me

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:24 pm

Apparently, it's you who need to bear with me. I've been doing this whole Auto thing since July, and I thought that (by reading another CPAP board since March and doing tons of my own research) I'd learned a few things, at least enough to be able to share. Apparently not. Looking at that chart makes me wonder, though - because that makes ME wonder now at MY leakage percent - it's about 10 LPM under what it should be. I'm wondering if maybe I'm blocking exhaust ports at night without meaning to. Anyway, I'll show you my images, and, while it may or may not help, at least we can feel ignorant together.

All right restedgal and all you other gurus, what think ye of our graphs?

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 4:09 am

Mike
I agree with your reading of the data - it looks like anything beneath 13 is a waste of time. My Encore makes that very clear, there's a drop in you AHI per pressure just about there, and if it were me, that's where I'ld put my minimum pressure for a test period.

Welcome to the board, CollegeGirl! You've got some great reading waiting for you - click on the FAQs and start with the posts by -SWS!

Encore measures leaks in "litres per minute" - a volume index. Each mask has it's own, so to speak "default" leak rate, cause by the vents. The amount of air leaking out through the vents depends on the pressure, and gets higher as the pressure. The numbers are not percentage numbers/

If the leak rate measured by your machine at each pressure is less than what the mask maker reports, at those pressures, then something is definitely wrong in your system.

I'ld start by looking making sure the vents are absolutely clear, and then probably try out the mask and machine for an a hour or so while I'm awake, and conscious of my actions. Could you have partially covered the vent/s when cleaning the mask and putting it together again?

If the leak measurements are still off, I'ld contact the doctor or DME (or both of necessary) immediately.
It they're OK when you're awake, look for ways to make sure you're not covering the vents inadvertantly while sleeping.

Good luck, and keep us posted.
Happy reading!

O.

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:34 am

Thanks ozij. Since I didn't get any input before bed last night, I set my minimum pressure to 14. I got to sleep much quicker and I think it was because I had more air blowing in my face. Some nights with the minimum set to 10, it just didn't feel like I was getting enough air. I will let it go for about a week and see what the data shows me.

My wife told me this morning that she was awake for a couple hours and said I would start to snore, then the machine "corrected" me and I would stop. She said that was pretty constant. I am thinking maybe I should lower my CFLEX to 2 from 3 to see if the extra airflow might stop those mini-snores. Anyone done this before to help correct snoring?

CollegeGirl - Didn't mean to throw the book at ya. I have read more in the last month on these boards than I have in all of my life. I want to nip this thing in the bud. I had just seen a post on another board yesterday talking about pressure lost through the mask and a link to the manual for my mask, so I thought I'd post what I found.

It does sound like there may be a malfunction with your mask, and I'd check it out ASAP. If there is a problem with the vents or the non-rebreathing valve, you could be breathing in some bad air (carbon dioxide, I think).

-Marc

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:18 pm

cybergoon wrote:I am thinking maybe I should lower my CFLEX to 2 from 3 to see if the extra airflow might stop those mini-snores. Anyone done this before to help correct snoring?

Playing with the C-Flex setting can indeed impact the treatment. At 3 you're getting maximum relief, so decreasing the drop in pressure during exhalation might help, but I think you're likely to see a better snore-elimination response if you raise the minimum pressure up from 14.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:29 pm

ozij wrote:
Welcome to the board, CollegeGirl! You've got some great reading waiting for you - click on the FAQs and start with the posts by -SWS!

Thanks, ozij! I always start out with FAQs, before I post anything. I equate it to knocking on someone's door. You don't just barge in. One has to be polite about it.

ozij wrote:
...

If the leak rate measured by your machine at each pressure is less than what the mask maker reports, at those pressures, then something is definitely wrong in your system.

I'ld start by looking making sure the vents are absolutely clear, and then probably try out the mask and machine for an a hour or so while I'm awake, and conscious of my actions. Could you have partially covered the vent/s when cleaning the mask and putting it together again?

If the leak measurements are still off, I'ld contact the doctor or DME (or both of necessary) immediately.
It they're OK when you're awake, look for ways to make sure you're not covering the vents inadvertantly while sleeping.

Thanks for the advice, ozij. My guess (not having tested this theory yet) is that, even using that specially-designed CPAP pillow, I'm blocking the vent a little with my pillow while I'm sleeping. I sleep with my head to the side and down a little, since I'm a stomach sleeper.

The irony here is that the mask leaks so much out of the sides that it's waking me up at night. I have to press my face as hard as I can against the pillow (with my head to the side - I'd never block the vents *consciously*) just to stop it from leaking. I NEED my sleep doc to squeeze me in SOON - things are getting kinda bad. This mask is SO uncomfortable it's ridiculous.

Pad A Cheek · Post by **Pad A Cheek** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 4:22 pm

Has anyone heard of strap pads that make the mask more comfortable. i made my own over a year ago out of microfleece. They make the mask more comfortable and help with mask marks in the morning. I don't want to get into trouble here, so if you want to know more about these email me or PM me and I can explain more in detail. I hope this is vague enough to be ok on the posts.

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 6:26 pm

Padacheek,
I don't think anyone minds you posting to alert us to your new product - in fact, I think your invention is a great idea, and one I may end up purchasing myself, eventually. That said, however, it IS getting a bit annoying to see you pop up on so many threads. Perhaps I'm irritable because of my lack of sleep, so forgive me if I'm being b-tchy. (Also, perhaps I might have seen you on so many threads because you also posted to the other CPAP forum I frequent). Might I suggest you starting just one thread and posting your information there? I'm sure people will be interested enough to look at it, and would rather see it there than on so many other threads. Just my two cents.

NeurosurgeryNP · Post by **NeurosurgeryNP** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 6:28 pm

I don't think that lowering c-flex would help eliminate snores - C flex works on exhalation. Snoring typically occurs on inhalation. So, I am not sure if it will help.

As for the FP mask - How dod you guys like the flexi-fit mask? Have you tried any other to compare it to?

Thanks, Jen

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:24 pm

Jen,
All users experience masks different ways, and I've heard some good thing from other users about this FFM.

That being said...

I *hate* it. If I fasten it just tightly enough that it doesn't leak, it rubs my face so raw, my chin bleeds and I have "perma-scratches" on my cheeks. If I fasten it just loosely enough that it doesn't slice'n'dice my face, it leaks and wakes me up. It's quite possible that it just the wrong size for me, but I've tried both the medium and small interfaces, and neither have worked. I'm getting rid of this mask at the fisrt available opportunity, as I'm not getting any sleep at all because of it.

*Deep breathing.* Ahem. Sorry. I get a little angry thinking about it. YMMV.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:17 am

In case my FAQ comment wasn't clear - this is what I meant:

cpaptalk-faq.php

It's a user collection of sites urls we found helpful.

O.

cybergoon · Post by **cybergoon** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:29 am

I don't have any problems with the headgear for this mask at all. My only real problem with the mask is that it hurts the bridge of my nose. I have the top strap loose, in fact the headrest doesn't even touch my forehead. The bottom strap is fairly tight, to keep leaks from occuring around my goatee. I just need to build something to get it to not hurt my nose so much. Other than that, I love the mask.

I still have my minimum pressure set to 14. Over the weekend, I slept pretty well. I looked at my data last night and my AHI is still running really low, but my snores are still up there. I think I am going to set minimum to 16 and try that out for a few days and see how it goes. Only problem with these higher pressures is getting the mask to stay sealed. A few mornings recently, I have woke up and air was leaking through the side of my mask, where my cheeks are. If I open my mouth (to let my cheeks puff out), it seals back up. I think the curve of the mask just isn't quite right for my face.

-Marc

APAP Results - Think I need to adjust machine?

APAP Results - Think I need to adjust machine?

Uncomfortable mask