New Member

[Mxboost]

Hey all,

I am a new member to this sight, although I have been looking at it since the beginning of the year. I started using my Remstar Pro the 2nd of February. I may have been expecting way too much, as I have two good friends, and my mother-in-law all using. All of which said they have never slept better. I have yet to see those results. I'll start off by saying I did my sleep study with the mask I use now, and felt pretty good the next day. I was excited, and looking forward to getting my equipment. It took a month before I received it. The first couple of days sucked, but I did get used to the mask. After a month of using it, I still had not slept a full night, and feel no benefits from it yet. I did a follow up with the Doc, who decided I needed a heated humidifier. He also dropped my pressure from 7 to 6. Why a drop, I don't know. He then told me to come back in two months. After a month, I was given a humidifier, but not heated. They had to order one. I went two more weeks with the humidifier which did nothing to help. I was feeling even worse in the morning, so I started using it less. I wasn't even wearing it 2 to 3 hours a night. I went to see the Doc again, to tell him things are still not better. He is just puzzled. He took a look at my card, and had a fit because I wasn't using the CPAP. I told him if it is going to make me worse, I'm not going to wear it. He then said I suggested the change to the lower pressure, when it was his suggestion. That really ticked me off. I suggested raising the pressure to 8, and he suggested 9 which is where it is now. Since my apnea is more prominent on my back, he wants me to sew tennis balls in a shirt, and wear it when I sleep. I told him I don't ever sleep on my back, but he insisted. Since then, the pressure adjusted and adding the heated humidifier, still no relief. I feel more and more exhausted everyday.

I apologize for the long rant.

[Wulfman]

MxBoost,

Welcome to the forum.

What kind (make/model) of mask do you use?

If you're using a nasal mask, you may be mouth breathing.
If you're using a full face mask, it's possible that your pressure still isn't high enough.

Are you using the REMstar Pro or the Pro 2?

If you're using the Pro 2, the downloaded data could tell more information about what's going on at night.

Best wishes,

Den

[tooly125]

MxBoost,

I wouldn't argue with your doctor.
Sew a tennis ball on a shirt?
I would sew one on his then find a new doctor.
Don't give up!

[k.c.snorzalot]

Hi MX
Welcome.
I think I'd be looking for a new doctor who might be more familiar with sleep apnea. If your mask is fitting right, there shouldn't be any reason to sew anything in your jammies to keep you from sleeping on your back. That is the whole purpose of CPAP- consistant pressure to keep the airway open. That's just my 2 cents.

[Mxboost]

MxBoost,

What kind (make/model) of mask do you use?

If you're using a nasal mask, you may be mouth breathing.
If you're using a full face mask, it's possible that your pressure still isn't high enough.

Are you using the REMstar Pro or the Pro 2?

If you're using the Pro 2, the downloaded data could tell more information about what's going on at night.

Den

Wulf, I am using an Ultra Mirage II nasal mask. It fits pretty good and I am comfortable with it. I don't think I mouth breath. Every once in a while, I will wake up with my mouth open, but very seldom. I am using the RemStar Pro 2. How do I get data from it? Do I need a reader?

I think the whole problem stems from my study with the CPAP. The Doc is hung on the fact that everything was fine then. I have allergy problems that keep me stuffy 24 hours a day. The night I tested, I was successful in clearing out my sinuses. That is a very rare occurence. I suggested switching to a full face mask, but he ignored me. I did however get my hands on a full face mask, but in my mind a cheap one. I fought with it all night long trying to get it to seal. It also fell apart on me three times in one night. I think I used it 3 nights, and gave up on it. I think it is too small also.

KC, My wife says I don't snore anymore. I'm thinking I just have a restricted airway through my clogged nasal passages, and more pressure might fix it.

Tooly, I feel like sewing some tennis balls and dumping him.

Thanks for the replies guy's.

[rested gal]

I have allergy problems that keep me stuffy 24 hours a day. The night I tested, I was successful in clearing out my sinuses. That is a very rare occurence.

----

I'm thinking I just have a restricted airway through my clogged nasal passages, and more pressure might fix it.

Mxboost, a poster on this message board nicknamed snork1 did not get good results for a year with cpap or any masks until he got his sinuses and nasal passages attended to surgically. Chronic stuffiness probably interferes greatly with cpap therapy. You might want to find a really good ENT/allergist to take a thorough look at your congestion issues. Just don't let any ENT suggest UPPP surgery to you.

[RHinNC]

Hi,

Welcome to this great group.

I have only been a CPAP'er for a little over a month now. While I had great expectations after reading about all the people who have had epiphanies, I measure my successes with CPAP in tiny amounts.

While I feel a little better than before the best thing is I have not had a single headache since using CPAP so I know it is doing me good.

I am committed to making this work. Like an earlier poster said, see a good ENT Doctor. Years ago I had sinus surgery and after using CPAP I gave my ENT Doctor a chance to check me out to make sure all my sinus plumbing was in good order.

Don't give up, read lots of posts and good luck!

[Wulfman]

Wulf, I am using an Ultra Mirage II nasal mask. It fits pretty good and I am comfortable with it. I don't think I mouth breath. Every once in a while, I will wake up with my mouth open, but very seldom. I am using the RemStar Pro 2. How do I get data from it? Do I need a reader?

Tooly, I feel like sewing some tennis balls and dumping him.

Thanks for the replies guy's.

Mxboost,

One way to check your mouth-breathing is to tape your mouth shut at night. Many people that use nasal masks do.
Another option would be to get another full face mask. Preferrably better than the last one you had....and the right size.
Your air pressure might be a little low, too.....but if you're mouth-breathing, you might be losing much/most of your air anyway.
I'm a firm believer in using the software to monitor therapy.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... eader.html

The thing about the tennis balls..... This is an OLD "remedy" to train people to not sleep on their backs.....since it is known that a person snores more on their back. I've run across it a number of times while researching sleep apnea.

Best wishes,

Den

[Mxboost]

Well ya'll, unfortunately, I had the UPPP surgery a year ago last January. I thought it helped tremendously, until I had another sleep study, and the results were worse.

Can the card reader be purchased without a prescription?

[Wulfman]

Can the card reader be purchased without a prescription?

Definitely!!! In fact, the ONLY thing that needs a prescription is the machine itself.


Den

[brasshopper]

This is something I "discovered" and have suggested to others. It has been adopted by some of them with good results.

I also have consistent nasal stuffiness - sometimes I can't breathe through my nose at all when I breathe in.

When I first put on my mask, I allow a certain amount of air to intentionally escape from my mouth. This air flows over the sinuses and drys them and sort of blows them open.

If the congestion is bad enough to wake me up, I just repeat this procedure when I wake in the middle of the night. Generally, though, the pressure just keeps me closed. I don't tend to open my mouth when I sleep.

When I originally asked, back in the 1980's, about using CPAP and mouth breathing, I was told that it would not matter whether my mouth was open or not other than to my comfort, as the air should still stop my OSA - but it is my observation that the early machines were able to deliver a bunch of air, and newer machines might not deliver so much air - in any case, it is clear that with all the emphasis on leaks and taping mouths and such that the conventional wisdom on this has changed and that it is considered an issue if you exhale through your mouth while sleeping.

In any case, I am not talking about that, I am talking about a few seconds or a minute of intentional passage to dry and condition the nasal passages followed by a night of closed mouth breathing. See how it works for you.

Finally, one thing about the doctor you have. He sounds like he is trying to do the right thing. When you have a patient who is not complying, the first thing you think (conventionally) is that the pressure is too high and that it is making them uncomfortable.

If you told your doctor what you told us, it should be clear to him that the problem is not that you have issue with the machine - it is that you are not getting relief from the process - which might suggest a higher pressure is needed. I see that they have made small changes.

At some point, you might want to see about renting a machine that does detailed recording and APAP, or even another sleep study. You might want to have the eeg channels from the sleep study looked at by someone who is familiar with sleep to see exactly what is happening and for how long. You might want to start using a sleeping pill nightly. There are a bunch of things you can do - but we are learning more and more about damage from apnea, and it is clear to me that you don't want to spend a bunch of time suffering from apnea.

[DME_Guy]

It sounds like you may do better with an auto-titrating CPAP and a better full face mask. The Resmed Ultra Mirage full face mask works well for me when I'm congested.

When I use a nasal mask, my pressure is around 7. When I use a full face mask because of congestion, the machine ups the pressure to about 11. You may not be getting enough pressure. If not, that's why you're not feeling better. Probably worse, if anything. You may still have sleep apnea but are now also bother by wearing a mask.

I'm not a big fan of CPAP without heated humidification. Especially for people with congestion.

[ozij]

I have allergy problems that keep me stuffy 24 hours a day. The night I tested, I was successful in clearing out my sinuses. That is a very rare occurence.

If your congestion is a mechanichal, plumbing problem, an ENT's involvement will help. We're not talking UPPP, the surgery masquerading as apnea therapy, we're talking of surgery to fix nasal plumbing problems, which won't necessarily do anything for apneas caused by soft tissue collapse, but will clear the way for cpap to do is job.

But your congestion may also be a result of purely reacting to allergens in the air (or even years of snoring). Add the thin (disposable) filter to your machine, if you haven't done so, wash and change filters as instructed. Make sure you try the heated humidification. Spending all those hours of sleep breathing humidified, filtered air makes a tremendous difference.

You might also want to consider adding a HEPA filterto your CPAP, if your allergies are that bad.


O.

[Mxboost]

First off, thanks for all of the replies, and concern.

I do use the white filter under the foam ones. When I first used it though, I couldn't figure which way the filter went in. I ended up putting the soft side facing the air stream cause it makes sense to me that way.

I did finally get my heated humidifier, and am using it. I can't say I notice a difference, but I will still use it. The more moisture the better I would think.

As for opening the mouth at the beginning of the night, I do that but with different reasoning. I do it to try and get the mucus to move. It works a little, but not to the degree I would like.

I know the Doc is trying to help me. I guess I'm just a little frustrated. I did not have a sleep study done because I was tired. I was and am having concentration focusing issues. For example, when I am driving, it is like I am becoming less aware of situations around me, almost like a tunnel vision. The reason I stopped complying, was because I felt my situation was becoming worse.

I think, daily I am feeling a little better. I'll see what the next couple of weeks brings.

[ozij]

You might also want to try a nasal rinse with saline solution.
I make my own solution, about 1/4 teaspoon salt to a cup of warm water, use a rubber bulb squirter and I use the technique shown here:

http://www.sinucleanse.com/why_video.htm.

O.