New CPAP user... My experience so far

[NancyAZ]

gurp13, thanks for continuing to post updates of your experience. I got my machine just a little over two weeks after you did and I've enjoyed following your progress. I have also had a pretty good time with CPAP compared to many that I've read about. Reading the solutions you've come up with for some of the problems you've had has helped me also. Good luck and I hope that you continue to have success. Keep posting.
Nancy

[gurp13]

NancyAZ, thanks for the vote of confidence!

Well, night 19 went well. I wore the large pillows last night. No pain! I had to wear it a little tighter than I would have thought because I would get little leaks, especially if I tried to roll over. But, it was not so tight that it hurt.

I still woke up a couple times. I feel like this will get better eventually, though. Right now, I am still very conscious of my breathing when I wake up. It's not bad, just takes me a little longer to fall back asleep.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Swift FX. Interestingly, my AHI is at 1.2, so it continues to drop ever so slightly. But, with the nasal mask, I had an overall 90% pressure of 9.8 but with the nasal pillows the 90% pressure is up to 10.4 or thereabouts. The nasal pillows need a higher pressure? I wouldn't have guessed that.

[DocWeezy]

But, with the nasal mask, I had an overall 90% pressure of 9.8 but with the nasal pillows the 90% pressure is up to 10.4 or thereabouts. The nasal pillows need a higher pressure? I wouldn't have guessed that.

Wait a few nights and see what the overall trend is...I wouldn't have guessed that either. My experience has been just the opposite: my 95% pressure is down, as is the top pressure--I have yet to reach my max set pressure using the pillows. BUT I switched from a Hybrid mask to the pillows which is a much different switch than going from a nasal mask to nasal pillows.

Glad the larger size seems to work! I also occasionally get tiny little leaks, but have discovered that sometimes I just need to pull the pillows away a bit to let them inflate more.

And remember...if you like pillows in general, but can't seem to get your perfect fit with the FX, there are other pillow masks to try and they all seem to have slightly different configurations. I love my FX, but it is the first and only pillows/nasal mask I've used so I'm still trying others.

Weezy

[gurp13]

Well, my good fortune seems to be running low. The last two nights have been plagued by awakenings. I just can't seem to sleep the night through. Last night, in fact, at 4 am I woke with a start and practically ripped my mask off. I don't know why. Maybe I felt like I wasn't getting enough air? I just don't know. I laid there for a minute and put the mask back and and fell asleep after a few minutes of tossing and turning.

I recognize that for some people what I just described would be considered a "good night". I always remind myself when I start to complain about things that there are guys in jail dreaming of having my problems. So, I probably ought to just shut up now.

But, the thing is, I believe I can sleep all night with a mask on. I believe I will feel rested in the morning. I believe I can go a whole day without feeling like a nap would be nice.

I am considering going back to the Comfort Gel. I had been adjusting to it and don't recall feeling suffocated by it. I will stick with the Swift FX for a couple more nights to see if things get better or worse.

By the way, Doc, my 90% pressure is still up over 10, which is higher than it was with the nasal mask. My AHI continues to inch downward though. But, now I think I need an oximeter to see if i'm getting enough air. Oy. What have I gotten myself into? I am geeking out on my sleep now!!

[DocWeezy]

Welcome to the geeky sleep club! I never would have thought it possible to become obsessed by numbers and things that occur while I'm sleeping but I can't really start my day until I see my graphs. I also never imagined that I would spend so much time obsessing over cpap masks and how to hack them to fit better/more comfortably.

Re the FX--sounds like it may not be the mask for you. One of the most annoying things about all of this is the seemingly never-ending search for the PERFECT mask. But if we don't keep up the search and find the most comfortable, then it is much more difficult to put that mask on every night.

Don't give up the search, and if your other mask is seeming to be a better/more comfortable fit, then go back to it tonight.

And remember that you haven't been doing this for very long yet (neither have I!), and that waking up and ripping off the mask is completely normal. At least you're not doing it multiple times a night/every night and screaming loudly while you do it! It does subside after a while, once your subconscious gets the idea that having air blowing in your face/nose all night through a chunk of plastic and silicone is a good thing and not some evil entity trying to suck the life force out of you.

Weezy

[NancyAZ]

gurp13, I have the same mask and there are times when I first wake up that I think that I can't breathe. I think that it is the pressure of the air blowing straight into your nose and having to keep your mouth closed. I am just not used to keeping my mouth shut (ever!). Sometimes in the morning when I first jump out of bed (ok, still crawling out of bed at this point) and turn off the CPAP machine, I think that I am suffocating. I need to learn to take off the mask first and THEN turn off the machine. I think that this is all very new to us but if the old mask worked, go back to that one, then maybe you can try the FX later.

Like you, I am also tired of waking up at night and want to just go to bed and sleep all night long. We're new at this and I just know that it will come one of these days. We'll get used to all of this yet!
Good luck.
Nancy

[Guest]

I am also new to the CPAP machine, which I obained from APRIA. I tried using the nose pillows but it made one nostril sore, and I couldn't stand the feel of the thing poking my nose! The past two nights I have tried a mask called Easy life Respironics. The first night my nose felt too warm! If you have the same CPAP machine you should be able to turn that round knob which show 1 to 5 and adjusts the heat of the humidifier. If you do not have a humidifier, then I suggest you call Apria to get one. Then you will no longer have a cold nose! I am also waking up after about three hours and tossing the mask and going back to sleep without it, but I am determined to eventually use it all night. Good luck with using it. May son has been using one for 5 months and feels so much better during the day, so it encourages me to persevere! Susan

[gurp13]

The last two nights have not been very good at all. I've had many awakenings and in the morning I feel tired and groggy. I'm not sure what the problem is. My neck is also sore on the left, back side. As much as I want to like the Swift, I'm very much starting to believe I need to go back to the Comfort Gel. I recall waking feeling much better. The Swift FX seems so much more comfortable, though! Is it possible the mask is fine but something else is bothering me?

[Pugsy]

The last two nights have not been very good at all. I've had many awakenings and in the morning I feel tired and groggy. I'm not sure what the problem is. My neck is also sore on the left, back side. As much as I want to like the Swift, I'm very much starting to believe I need to go back to the Comfort Gel. I recall waking feeling much better. The Swift FX seems so much more comfortable, though! Is it possible the mask is fine but something else is bothering me?

You know it might be something else and it might be that the FX isn't for you. You can always go back to the Comfort Gel for a while and see. Maybe later revisit the FX after you get more adjusted to all this stuff.
It might seem better then, it might not. Some people go back to a different mask later and find it works better, sometimes not.

There are just so many variables in this cpap and sleep and various aches and pains that mess with our sleep. It is hard sometimes to see which causes what. Lots of people have more than one mask that they use or can use. Some find one mask that finally suits there needs and stick with it. During my first 6 months I tried at least 6 different masks. There were a couple that did a decent job and there were some that were torture.. The Comfort Gel would be torture for me. Other people absolutely love it.

What is important is what you think and feel about it.

[DocWeezy]

About the mask thing....I'm one of those who is going through a LOT of masks. One thing I've learned is to really listen to my gut instinct, because I seem to be able to tell within a fairly short period of time if a mask is going to work for me.

I've developed some "new mask rules" that so far are working (of course, YMMV):

1. If I can't get a good seal fairly easily after doing all the appropriate headgear adjustments and following available fitting tips, it isn't going to work for me. Period. I have found some masks that just won't seal on my face no matter what.

2. If I get a good seal, but wake up constantly because the seal breaks, I'll take it off for that night, go back to my tried and true mask for the rest of the night, and try some modifications the next night (if I like it well enough). If some modifications don't work, I quit torturing myself.

3. If some part hurts after the first night, the mask gets one more try with some modifications and adjustments. If it still hurts, that's it, unless there is something pretty special about it that makes me want to try more things.

My sleep is too important to torture myself with masks that don't work well for me, so I've learned to move on and quickly go back to whatever mask is working best at the time (right now it's the Swift FX). I have gone back to other masks after a week or so and tried them again, but have found that the first night or two is usually a pretty accurate test of whether or not it will work. I knew immediately on the two masks that work well for me, and then I spent some time fine tuning with modifications (i.e., velcro hooks on the Swfit headgear, elastic bands on the hybrid, etc.).

A mask must fit comfortably and be leak free. If it fails in either one of those areas, don't torture yourself because you think it "should" work for you--move on or go back to the mask that works for YOU. There is a reason there are so many styles, shapes, and sizes of masks available!

Weezy

[robysue]

The last two nights have not been very good at all. I've had many awakenings and in the morning I feel tired and groggy. I'm not sure what the problem is. My neck is also sore on the left, back side. As much as I want to like the Swift, I'm very much starting to believe I need to go back to the Comfort Gel. I recall waking feeling much better. The Swift FX seems so much more comfortable, though! Is it possible the mask is fine but something else is bothering me?

Several suggestions to try:

1) As others have said, is the Swift FX is not working out but you want a nasal pillows mask, try some others. The Swift LT or the Opus 360 come to mind. They are both very lightweight iike the FX, but many people find these masks are more stable and less prone to moving around and causing leaks. When I was picking my first mask, it was close to a toss up between the Opus and the FX. It was clear as soon as I put the LT on that that mask was not for me because of my facial structure. But for the folks whose who don't have problems with the L-shaped part of the frame digging into their cheeks, the LT is a comfortable mask that is more stable than the FX and the pillows' angle can be adjusted as well. I think too that with the LT you can switch the direction of the pillows \ / by choosing to put the pillows on the mask in the other direction to get the pillows "vee" to look like this / \ instead. (You can't do this on the FX.) And that might make a difference.

2) As for the awakenings: Monitor this carefully. You might want to jot down each morning roughly how many wakenings you had and some brief impression of what triggered them. The time of the night of the wakening is not really all that important. Just keep track of how many awakenings and any identifiable cause. If the number of them goes up, or if a change in mask doesn't seem to fix the problem and the current number starts to seriously affect your daytime functioning, then it may be time to call the sleep doctor's office and let them know you're having trouble staying asleep and that it's affecting how you feel during the day. And ask to speak to a nurse or PA about ideas on what you might do to minimize the number of awakenings at night. And, of course, keep an eye on the sleep hygiene so that you don't develop a bad case of insomnia.

3) Sore neck and side problems: Most likely these are caused by you sleeping in a position that is not quite comfortable OR you are simply not moving around as much at night. The not quite comfortable position problem might be caused by your working too hard to minimize leaking with the FX. A change in mask might help. Or re-read the fitting guidelines on the FX and make sure you don't have the mask too tight.

Good luck

[Cindy Lou Who]

gurp13,
Sure hope things are doing better for you... you've gotten your awakenings resolved, and the mask situation figured out. I don't know the tech stuff on your machine, but the S9 has a spot in the clinicians menu to choose between "mask" and "pillows". It may have to do with how it applies pressure. You mentioned your pressure went up when you switched from mask to pillows. Just wondering if you have to let your machine know which one you are using so it can respond appropriately.
Best Wishes and good Dreams ,
Cindy

[gurp13]

No, not really resolved much, CLW. I switched back to the nasal gel mask a few nights ago. My kids both came down with a fever and it was my weekend (shared custody) so I was up several times a night taking temperatures, administering fever reducers, and such. On top of that, I'm getting the worst pinched nerves in my neck and back. I don't know if that's really what they are, but that's the closest I've gotten to it. Work has been very stressful and a doctor once told me that could be exacerbated by stress. It's a combination between a "stiff neck" that I lose the range of motion in turning my head, or a stinging, pinching feeling, or just a throb, somewhere in the vicinity of my shoulder blades, spine or neck. That's been going on since Friday.

So, not sleeping well at all. I ordered a Contour pillow for CPAP use to see if it helps me position my head. I'm theorizing that my head is getting into a weird position in my attempts to keep my mask in place. I have a memory foam pillow and I thought that would be okay but something is definitely not right.

I also am trying to exercise again. Getting on the elliptical some more. Hopefully some of these other issues will get under control and I can see about sleeping all night.

Last night I got so damn irritated with the mask that I took it off at 4am and slept on my right side for the next 1.5 hours. Sigh. So, the honeymoon is over.

Thanks for asking. I was holding off posting to see if I could get something more positive to say.

I'm going to check my clinicians menu and see what it says. Good tip!

[Pugsy]

It's a combination between a "stiff neck" that I lose the range of motion in turning my head, or a stinging, pinching feeling, or just a throb, somewhere in the vicinity of my shoulder blades, spine or neck. That's been going on since Friday.

Bummer. Speaking from someone with lots of neck pain experience.. have you tried heat? I found that heat applied to the area helped some. I used to have a little pillow that I could heat in the microwave and I would just sit around with it on my neck and shoulders. Also speaking from someone with a long history of bad neck, don't suffer too long before going to the doctor about it. If it has bothered you this long get some help. There is a medical term for what you describe but I can say it but not spell it.. Torticollis. below is copied in part from Wiki, there is tons more information out there. Most likely you would fall into the first explanation unless you have had an injury recently.

It may or may not be related to sleeping "funny" with the mask. Don't know your age but you speak of kids so I assume not an oldster like me but arthritis can do it too. Also can come on from an injury long ago. Hurts like a hot poker in the neck sometimes.

Below from Wiki in part but not total.

Acquired torticollis occurs because of another problem and usually presents in previously normal children and adults.

* A self-limiting spontaneously occurring form of torticollis with one or more painful neck muscles is by far the most common ('stiff neck') and will pass spontaneously in 1–4 weeks. Usually the sternocleidomastoid muscle or the trapezius muscle is involved. Sometimes draughts, colds or unusual postures are implicated; however in many cases no clear cause is found. These episodes are rarely seen by doctors other than a family physician.
* Trauma to the neck can cause atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation, in which the two vertebrae closest to the skull slide with respect to each other, tearing stabilizing ligaments; this condition is treated with traction to reduce the subluxation, followed by bracing or casting until the ligamentous injury heals.

[a_gunslinger]

Wondering how the pillow worked out ;^)