Lotsa noobie questions

[John_Jason]

Diagnosed a couple weeks ago with severe sleep apnea. For the past week I have been using a REMStar Auto A-Flex (specified by the doc) with an Opus nasal pillow mask. I have a lot of questions that I cannot find answers to.

1) Everyone (various docs, technicians, and the equipment provider) said that I would feel an immediate improvement. So far I have gone from waking up 5-6 times during the night to only 5-6 times during the night. I feel no different than before (other than the pain, see below). When will this immediate improvement appear?

2) A couple of nights I had to take off the mask after 4-5 hours of sleep because of pain inside my nose. Even if I wear the mask all night the pain does not go away until about noon. The pain is inside the nose from the air pressure, not caused by the mask. Will I adapt to this and the pain go away?

3) I understand there is a CD card inside the REMStar device that I am to take to the doc after a bit (not yet scheduled). What kind of data is on the card? Can I download the data to my PC and e-mail it to the doc?

Thanks in advance for suggestions and responses.

[Papit]

I like your sense of humor, John. Keep it up. : ) Good news:

1. Most of us here are like you. No immediate eureka experience. Only a few have that. The rest of us generally find improvement is gradual and very real involving alertness, energy level, improved mood, quicker get-up in the morning, a growing sense of well-being. Sound good?

2.Your initial discomfort experience is typical and very likely will be fixed fairly quickly. There are an INCREDIBLY wide variety of masks out there now and an exchange library that enables you to try each for a week at a $14 price I understand. It's done by mail. But your equipment supplier can be expected at this, your early introductory period, to be forthcoming with freebee masks to help you settle in with one that is both COMFORTABLE and has a relatively LOW LEAK rate. At least that was my experience 4 months ago in Virginia and I have heard the same from others. Not all dealers are the same however. Understand that zero leakage is ideal, but not important so long as it does not exceed about 24 L/min according to one very large manufacturer. LOW leakage is quite ok.

3. I'll let others here who are more familiar with your make and model equipment fill you in on the specifics. Basically though, you'll be able to look on your computer screen each morning if you want and see statistics and even detailed graphs vs. hours and minutes of your sleep time. The stats and graphs will likely include CPAP pressure setting(s), OA obstructive apneas that occurred, central apneas, hypopneas, mask leakage, and AHI, an index that combines all the foregoing apneas. All that data should appear on the SD memory card and your PC probably already has a card reader for it. If not, you can pick one up at a computer store and plug it into a USB port. Yes, that's the card to take to the doc so he can review your progress and provide guidance. Some docs don't appreciate their patients having such access to their own data. Most of us here think, well, that's too bad if they feel that way. We look at our data. We even try to analyze it and try to make sure we understand what they mean and use it to raise appropriate questions for the docs to answer. There are many highly knowledgeable, long term experienced CPAP and xPAP users here who are happy to help new members get up to speed and understand their data and their xPAP therapy.

Please be sure you have entered accurate and complete identifying information about your CPAP equipment in your Profile for this forum. It's crucial to enable quicker responses to your questions.

Welcome. You're in the right place, buddy! All the best, --papit

[cflame1]

Are you using a humidifier with your APAP? Does your nose hurt because it's dry or does it hurt due to the force of the air?

[Puddy T]

It took me some time to get used to the air in my nose as well. Until last month I had an older Resmed S8 with a humidifier & while its a good machine, there just wasnt enough humidity for my comfort.
I even had 2 warm mist humidifiers running near my bed & all that really did was make a corner of my ceilings paint fall.
But my new machine, with a better humidifier & a product called "Ayr: Saline Nasal Gel" saved the day. I put just a touch on a q-tip & then moistened the nasal passages. If thats your issue then this may help.

[BasementDwellingGeek]

I ran the humidifier at 2 on the recommendation of the young lady that dispensed the machine for two nights. Your symptoms sound similar to mine. Then set it to 3 and still had problems. On the fourth night I set it to 5 and haven't looked back. I, too, would suggest investigating your humidifier setting and probably cranking it up a notch to two.

[BasementDwellingGeek]

If you have a PRS1 device you should have full diagnostic capabilities. You can monitor your AHI and its constituent components, as well as leakage and flow (breathing wave forms).

Check out these links http://sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhead/ and http://sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhead/files/

[Pugsy]

Check my signature line for software options available to PR System One machine users.
SleepyHead is a good choice...be sure to read the User Guide.

No mask should cause pain. If you feel that it is the air itself causing the nasal pain then I agree with the others....try more moisture.

[John_Jason]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

My first night was Wednesday and I slept with it all night without the humidifier. I had some pain in my nose, but I thought I might adjust to it, as it was not too bad. The next night I used the humidifier on a setting of 2. In the morning I had more pain in my nose, but not a lot more. Friday night I slept with it all night at the same settings. I spent all day Saturday with bad pain in my nose, plus I was sneezing constantly and even had a stuffed up runny nose. Last night I tried again, but just couldn't use the machine. As soon as I put the mask on the air pressure made too much pain in my nose. Instead of adapting to the air pressure in my nose it appears that the pain is increasing.

I should add that the sneezing yesterday may have been because it is spring here. I am not normally allergic to things, but I do occasionally have a few days of sneezing in the spring and fall. It's hard to say what caused the sneezing. I am still sneezing today, but not as much, although my nose still hurts some in spite of not using the machine last night.

I can't get away to see the equipment provider tomorrow (Monday), but I have Tuesday free. I plan to take everything with me and see what they say. In the meantime, based on suggestions here I will try again tonight, but I will increase the humidifier setting to 5.

[John_Jason]

Please be sure you have entered accurate and complete identifying information about your CPAP equipment in your Profile for this forum. It's crucial to enable quicker responses to your questions.

I tried to enter my machine in my profile, but the drop-down listed only "REMstar Auto C-Flex" and mine is an "A-Flex." I'm too new to this to know what the difference might be, but I decided that no information was better than wrong information.

[cflame1]

look under PR System One to find your machine and humidifer