I hate using CPAP yet afraid to go to bed

[Cindy Lou Who]

Anybody else out there afraid to go to sleep? I stay up late not wanting to go to sleep, not realizing it might be because of sleep apnea.

Mindy, Welcome to the forum. I totally relate to your above statement. I lived like that for over a year... finding just one more thing to do before going to bed. And then another. Folding cloths from laundry at 1AM. Not understanding what drove me!
With short-term memory fading and forced to leave notes to myself at work so I could remember what to do the next morning, I was terrified of being fired for making another huge mistake. I was out of control emotionally, mentally and physically. Thought I had early onset Alzheimers. Beginning to understand why some commit suicide. If I was fired who would hire a 59 year old woman with a 2 year collage degree that was over 30 years old? Could I go back to school and survive? I didn't think so! All because I had moderate OSA.

Do I love my machine? Not really.
But after three months of 100% compliance I got my life back! I could remember again, Multi-task again without losing track of different tasks. In comparison to my condition prior to April 2010, I feel great.
I had to make the machine work for me. The alternative was too frightening.
Mindy, there are many people here willing to give you ideas to try... you've already read a few. Remember... they've been there. Have already walked the same ground..... successfully! They won....and you can too!
Wishing you all the best!
Cindy

[stage0]

GM mindy, I get to perform those nasty tests for cpap. Also remember that you should be able to change out masks on about a 6 month interval. Get with your supplier to try different types, makes and sizes of masks. Keep trying.

[mindy60]

So my memory problems I have are related to OSA?? One of my doctors lowered a dose of a med I am taking because of a side effect related to memory. He asked me today how I was doing on the new dose. I asked him why the change, said it had to do with memory! Ha! I had forgotten why we changed the dose! It was funny. So the memory will come back. This is good.

And yes, it is almost 3 in the morning and I am JUST fine. My housekeeper will wake me up at 10.

[archangle]

When I had my pressure set to low and was having apneas, I was afraid to go to sleep. It got a lot better when I set my machine up correctly.

[mindy60]

When I had my pressure set to low and was having apneas, I was afraid to go to sleep. It got a lot better when I set my machine up correctly.

Am I understanding correctly that there is a "prescribed" setting by your doctor? Back when I was first using my machine, it felt like it wasn't blowing much air not realizing that the pressure would increase as I slept. Do I need to contact my doctor about setting it up correctly?

[Pugsy]

? Back when I was first using my machine, it felt like it wasn't blowing much air not realizing that the pressure would increase as I slept. Do I need to contact my doctor about setting it up correctly?

You can evaluate your therapy with the aid of software. Have I told you about what software you can use? I can't remember.
Your machine was probably set up per the doctor's recommendation.
Archangle messed up when he changed the pressure himself and didn't pay attention to setting and the software reports and ended up with a pressure that was too low. Like he bought a machine and set the pressure to what he thought he was using on another machine but it wasn't and he didn't verify anything by looking at his software reports. He set it too low if I remember right.

If you haven't changed the pressure then your machine should still be what the doctor prescribed and the DME set up.
How effective that might be.....need to evaluate the software reports.
Your machine is a full data machine but you need Encore software (I can help with that) and a Smart card reader called the Infineer DT3500 smart card reader. Do you have one or were you aware of that?

[mindy60]

If you haven't changed the pressure then your machine should still be what the doctor prescribed and the DME set up. How effective that might be.....need to evaluate the software reports. Your machine is a full data machine but you need Encore software (I can help with that) and a Smart card reader called the Infineer DT3500 smart card reader. Do you have one or were you aware of that?

I remember changing the setting but can't remember how, but I don't think it is the same as what the doctor set them at. How much is the software and the reader? I am on SSDI and can't afford much. I will look into it, thanks!

[Pugsy]

Please check your private messages.

In the meantime do you know how to get the 7/30 day AHI averages off the machine's LCD screen?

[mindy60]

In the meantime do you know how to get the 7/30 day AHI averages off the machine's LCD screen?

That screen does not show up but it is in the manual. is there something I need to do? In the manual it says "(if enabled by your home care provider)" Is there a way I can set it myself?

[Pugsy]

That screen does not show up but it is in the manual. is there something I need to do? In the manual it says "(if enabled by your home care provider)" Is there a way I can set it myself?

Yes, you need to enable it in the clinical menu.
Normally all you need to do is go to the clinical menu and change a setting which allows for patient viewing of data.
I don't know what choices you might see in the clinical menu but it is usually something fairly simple.

All you do is act like the home care provider and enable it yourself.

[mindy60]

Yes, you need to enable it in the clinical menu.
Normally all you need to do is go to the clinical menu and change a setting which allows for patient viewing of data.
I don't know what choices you might see in the clinical menu but it is usually something fairly simple.

All you do is act like the home care provider and enable it yourself.

Well there is nothing obvious on the machine or in the instruction booklet that states how to enable it. I found a page on ASAA's site stating it was against their forum rules to post how to use the clinical menus. So perhaps it is not meant to be obvious! If anyone out there knows how to do it, please advise! Thanks!

[Wulfman...]

Yes, you need to enable it in the clinical menu.
Normally all you need to do is go to the clinical menu and change a setting which allows for patient viewing of data.
I don't know what choices you might see in the clinical menu but it is usually something fairly simple.

All you do is act like the home care provider and enable it yourself.

Well there is nothing obvious on the machine or in the instruction booklet that states how to enable it. I found a page on ASAA's site stating it was against their forum rules to post how to use the clinical menus. So perhaps it is not meant to be obvious! If anyone out there knows how to do it, please advise! Thanks!

Here you go.

Den


Menu for M Series Auto

1. Hold down the <- -> buttons while plugging in the power on the back, wait for 2 beeps, release buttons.
2. Press the + key. <- -> buttons move to next field, -/+ keys decrement/increment
3. Check the following field(s):

-Therapy Mode = (CPAP/Auto)

-Auto:Max = (default=20.0cm)

-Auto:Min = (default=4.0cm)

-C-Flex Setting = 2 (options are off, 1, 2 or 3)

-AutoRamp Time = (options are 05 to 45 min)

-AutoRamp Pressure = cm (4cm->AutoMin)

-Mask Alert Feature = On (On/Off)

-Auto Off Feature = Off (On/off)

-Split Night Time = Off (off, 120, 180, 240)

-Show AHI/Leak Feature = On (On/Off)

Press On/Off button to exit.




==========Resetting LCD Display Data====================

To reset LCD Therapy data (does NOT erase any data from SmartCard):

1. Hold down the (<-) (->) buttons while plugging in the power on the back,
wait for 2 beeps or 5 seconds, release buttons.
2. Press the (->) key and navigate to Therapy screen.
3. Press and HOLD down the (-) minus key for 5 seconds and/or until therapy data is reset to Zero.
4. Press the (->) key to scroll back to main menu, press (+) key to enter Setup or
On/Off button to exit.

.

[Pugsy]

Thanks Den...where was my mind? For some reason I thought Mindy was someone else using a different machine or I would have saved you the trouble.
Totally lost my mind.
She has software and now awaiting card reader for the Smart card.

[mindy60]

Thanks Den! That did it!

[archangle]

When I had my pressure set to low and was having apneas, I was afraid to go to sleep. It got a lot better when I set my machine up correctly.

Am I understanding correctly that there is a "prescribed" setting by your doctor? Back when I was first using my machine, it felt like it wasn't blowing much air not realizing that the pressure would increase as I slept. Do I need to contact my doctor about setting it up correctly?

When a CPAP machine is dispensed, the doctor should specify a pressure. For some of the more complicated machines, such as auto CPAP machines, it may specify a pressure range or some other parameters. Even if you have an Auto CPAP machine, it may be set to blow a single pressure or a limited range of pressures.