Newly diagnosed, newly on CPAP, need some support

[chuckybones]

Hello, I'm Chuck and I'm from Houston, TX. I was diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea about a month ago, and got my machine a week ago.

I'm still playing with the settings; my sinuses are inflamed every morning. Using distilled water in the chamber. Have been adjusting the humidity settings to see if that fixes the problem, but am getting annoyed feeling like I have a cold in Spring.

Also, I know this is my first week, but it seems like I can only sleep about 4-5 hours a night. I wake up very early, and can't get back to sleep. So I'm not noticing a lot of "improvement" in my waking hours. Over the weekend, when this happened, I took off the mask, turned off the machine, rolled over and was able to go back to sleep, which made things better. But then last night I slept about 2 1/2 hours on the machine, took off the mask and slept the rest of the night without it. And that showed up on my data this morning.

I'm trying to get feedback from folks who have been through what I am going through. Does this sound like normal "getting adjusted" blues? Or am I doing something wrong?


(Machine: Icon Premo from Fisher & Paykel, with humidifier & Thermosmart. Mask: Swift FX Nasal Pillow mask w/headgear)

[NightMonkey]

Do you need the humidifier at all? My experience was that the air in Houston is very humid. I don't use my humidier. Too much humidity will sometimes cause swelling in the nasal passages.

[chuckybones]

NightMonkey, good point. When I first got it, the tech at the dr's office set it to low, and I still had inflamed sinuses. So I've been bumping it up. I might try all the way DOWN tonight, instead. Thanks.

[Sheriff Buford]

Chucky: I live in Kingwood.... 1st question: how is the nasal mask doing for you? Know that mask-shopping is normal. Most DME's will allow you to return a mask and exchange it within 30 days. If you like the nasal mask, there are several different kinds.

At first, most folks do struggle with keeping the cpap therapy on all night. you can set so machines to alarm when the mask is removed. Some folks tape the mask to the face, so they'll awaken when they remove the mask.

Sheriff

[motherall]

Do you need the humidifier at all? My experience was that the air in Houston is very humid. I don't use my humidier. Too much humidity will sometimes cause swelling in the nasal passages.

I live in Florida where it is also quite humid. However, we do use our AC nearly 11 months of the year which really lowers that humidity. And when on CPAP you're not breathing room air, you're getting your air flow from the machine. My humidifier worked sporadically on my old machine and I had terrible "cemented" mouth and aching sinuses in the mornings. The new machine has stopped all that. I have a temp of 73 degrees and humidity at 3 and I'm doing nicely. I'd suggest playing with different settings, each for a few nights, to see what makes you feel best.

[NightMonkey]

And when on CPAP you're not breathing room air, you're getting your air flow from the machine.

Sorry that is room air that has been run through a filter or two and a little fan.

I am in a climate where it is very hot in July and August and the air conditioning runs almost continuously some nights but the indoor humidity stays in the healthy range of 40 to 50% all summer long.

But by all means use the humidity setting that works for you not the one that works for me.

[chuckybones]

Sheriff Buford: Well hello up there in the "livable forest!" I find that I fiddle a lot with the mask and the headgear, adjusting the fit. And keeping my mouth closed is a pain. My wife had been out-of-town during most of my first week on the machine; she got home last night, and I had the mask on while we were in bed watching TV, and she kept wanting to talk to me. After hearing my weird, nasal, "breathy" responses, she stopped, but it was an odd moment. I do find that the base of my nose, that bony bit right above my front teeth, between the nostrils, is usually red & sore first thing in the morning, but it goes away and I assumed I'd get used to it. And you are D__N RIGHT there are different kinds of masks, I've been surprised at how many there are! I'm going over the site now, trying to get some information, but I'm a little overwhelmed at the variety.

motherall, you make good points. It's only April, and we've had the a/c running since early March. But I do find that, even with the a/c, the air in the house is pretty moist. Don't know how much of that gets knocked out during the filtering process, but I'm willing to try the machine on its lowest setting tonight, just for comparison. Thanks for your feedback.

[lloydjason]

Hi Chuck,

I feel your pain. Just got my machine on Friday and in the same boat.

[LoneStar]

Howdy Chuck,

Sometimes you only need passover humidity. You have water in your humidifier, but you don't turn on the heat. I found that heated humidity clogged up my sinuses terribly.

Another thing, NEVER SLEEP WITHOUT YOUR MASK! Another way to put it is don't stay in bed without your mask. Part of the learning curve is training and convincing your conscious and subconscious mind that when you're in bed, you MUST wear your mask. No exceptions.

What you're doing by taking off the mask and going back to sleep is a very bad habit to get into.

Once in a blue moon when I have a "bad mask night" and just absolutely cannot battle through it, I get up and "sleep" on the couch which is lumpy and narrow and not conducive to sleeping well. Never sleep in bed without your mask!

Lisa (fellow Texan in Aggieland)

[Janknitz]

I do find that the base of my nose, that bony bit right above my front teeth, between the nostrils, is usually red & sore first thing in the morning, but it goes away and I assumed I'd get used to it.

That right there tells me your mask is not fit properly, and could be a factor in your sinus irritation! There should be no pressure there. If you have things scrunched up too tightly, that can irritate the nasal passages. Do you have the nasal pillows crammed into your nose, by any chance? (They belong against the outer edge, NOT inside your nose).

Take a gander at my Swift FX fitting techniques in my signature below. That may help. And try your humidifier in "passover" mode--that means there should be water in there but the humidifier is turned off. Or try removing the humidifier altogether.

[mnfe]

I've had my machine for about 2 months now. It does get better/easier!

I agree that your mask isn't fitting right. The question is whether this one will work and it just needs headgear adjustment or if you need another mask completely. It definitely shouldn't be tight enough to be causing irritation. You should have gotten different sizes of nasal pillows too, you can try going up or down a size. You are also within your 30 day mark, and you can exchange your mask within that period. That's something from the mask providers, so your DME should help you with that. Go and try on different ones and see what fits you better.

I have gotten a LOT better at talking with my mask on. It just took a little bit of adjustment. I wouldn't want to have a super long conversation that way, but chit chat with my husband before bed is OK.

[chuckybones]

Thanks so much to all of you. I have the humidifier set to zero, and that has ended my swollen sinuses.

I've been playing with the fit of my mask, also with how the mask rests, and I don't notice irritation anymore.

RE: the nasal pillows, no, they do not go up inside my nostrils. Ow! They're kind of large for that. The holes are smaller than my nostrils, and I'm learning that I need to adjust how they sit so that I get the most airflow.

The past few days since I joined the board and started taking the advice you all have given me, I have had *much* better results. I'm still not sleeping a full 8 hours, but I don't take the mask off until it's time to wake up. If I nap, I nap (no mask). But when I go to bed at night, I wear the mask, and things seem to be working much better.

mnfe, I don't know how you can talk with your cpap on! But knowing that it's possible, I'm going to give it a shot. So thank you!

[Maxie]

There is a small device that is sold by our hosts that will allow you to talk while your machine is on. Search for it on their site.