New Machine-New Attitude: Now What?

[tdus1]

Hi All. After a two-month failed attempt last year I let my CPAP go back due to lack of compliance. I struggled as I am a stomach sleeper and also woke up many times throughout the night. I also wake up many times throughout the night without CPAP but can usually get back to sleep relatively easy. With CPAP I couldn't get back to sleep. Looking back, I didn't give as good and long enough effort as I should have. I've also been trying a mouthpiece.

Exhausted, now I'm back with a Respironics 550 a-flex & determination to succeed. The unit has a humidifier and was a year old (but only had a week of use on it). I purchased for $150 on CL. My S9 (first machine) would have cost me $500 out of pocket. Unfortunately I am flying solo without a doc this time around. I know that going this without a doc is not prudent but finances dictate this decision.

The questions I have are for those that struggled with CPAP like I do but eventually were successful. Did you simply gut it out all night & every night for a few weeks/months until you got used to it? Or did you simply take mask off after 1/2 AM to get a few hours of sleep before work? I can see myself having many nights of only 1-3 hours of sleep for quite a while if I use without removing each night.

Thanks for reading and any input you have.

[Let me sleep]

I have only been doing this 6 weeks. And I
am still struggling with it. There are a bunch
of very nice people on this site with very
good information. As you we'll see. If you go
to YouTube it will show you a lot tho...

Good Luck ....

[hyperlexis]

Hi All. After a two-month failed attempt last year I let my CPAP go back due to lack of compliance. I struggled as I am a stomach sleeper and also woke up many times throughout the night. I also wake up many times throughout the night without CPAP but can usually get back to sleep relatively easy. With CPAP I couldn't get back to sleep. Looking back, I didn't give as good and long enough effort as I should have. I've also been trying a mouthpiece.

Exhausted, now I'm back with a Respironics 550 a-flex & determination to succeed. The unit has a humidifier and was a year old (but only had a week of use on it). I purchased for $150 on CL. My S9 (first machine) would have cost me $500 out of pocket. Unfortunately I am flying solo without a doc this time around. I know that going this without a doc is not prudent but finances dictate this decision.

The questions I have are for those that struggled with CPAP like I do but eventually were successful. Did you simply gut it out all night & every night for a few weeks/months until you got used to it? Or did you simply take mask off after 1/2 AM to get a few hours of sleep before work? I can see myself having many nights of only 1-3 hours of sleep for quite a while if I use without removing each night.

Thanks for reading and any input you have.

Put the mask on and just keep it on. A tranquilizer would be helpful to get you past the initial phase of getting accustomed to it. Once you get used to it, things will become much easier.

[chunkyfrog]

Is the Quattro the only mask you have had?
It is a very common mask, but is not the right mask for many of us.
Many people have had to try a handful of masks before finding the right one.
--a few of us even more. (weird little face)
The right mask is the key to successful treatment, and we need to be persistent in finding it.

[bwexler]

First if you will change your profile to display text instead of pictures it will be much easier to determine what you have and provide answers that better address your situation.

The most important thing and most difficult is to get a mask that fits and works for you. There are hundreds of masks to choose from and we each eventually find our favorites it took me about a year. If I am home I use my mask every night. If away I take it with except for a half dozen nights over the last 3 years. Fro day one I made it a point to keep it on for at least 4 hours every night. There were times I got up for a bathroom break at 4 or5 AM and went back to bed without it. That seldom happens any more.

If the doctor told you you had diabetes and had to inject insulin several times a day you would learn to do it. CPAP is just as important.
Get the Sleepyhead software and learn to use it so you can dial in your therapy with the help of the very knowledgeable folks here. One day I hope to be one of them. It will tell you how much your mask is leaking so you will know you have to fix it. Weather your machine is set to adequately treat your Apnea and in time. And with perseverance you will master your OSA.

[tdus1]

Thanks for all of the feedback and advice.

I have a Quattro, nose-only, and pillows for mask selection. I tried the Quattro for the first night and it seemed glib. I used the nose-only on my first go-around. I tried the pillows the last two nights. Too tight the first night. Last night I kept pillows on for seven hours; Feel good today so far; Skin burns a bit from the pillows but manageable.

The SD card shows 100% full so I am not sure if the machine is writing to it... I've only used three days. This will be a project for one of these next few evenings. I'll get the Sleepyhead software once confirmed (admittedly, I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of using this software but will get through it).

The machine shows a 7-day average of 6.3 APIs (not good but I am not sure if it is accurate) and a 9 for 90% average. From my first CPAP attempt the doc had me at a static 11... I have this new auto machine set to 7-14 I believe.

[LSAT]

Thanks for all of the feedback and advice.

I have a Quattro, nose-only, and pillows for mask selection. I tried the Quattro for the first night and it seemed glib. I used the nose-only on my first go-around. I tried the pillows the last two nights. Too tight the first night. Last night I kept pillows on for seven hours; Feel good today so far; Skin burns a bit from the pillows but manageable.

The SD card shows 100% full so I am not sure if the machine is writing to it... I've only used three days. This will be a project for one of these next few evenings. I'll get the Sleepyhead software once confirmed (admittedly, I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of using this software but will get through it).

The machine shows a 7-day average of 6.3 APIs (not good but I am not sure if it is accurate) and a 9 for 90% average. From my first CPAP attempt the doc had me at a static 11... I have this new auto machine set to 7-14 I believe.

Don't understand this.......The SD card holds over a years data.

[Pugsy]

The SD card shows 100% full so I am not sure if the machine is writing to it... I've only used three days.

Did you mean 100% available? That's normal. The file sizes that get written to the SD card are very small in relation to the size of the SD card's available storage space.

My SD card shows 1.74 GB available out of 1.75 GM size and I have data on it dating from Aug 1, 2013 every night..7 to 8 hours each night.

[old dude]

Hi All. After a two-month failed attempt last year I let my CPAP go back due to lack of compliance. I struggled as I am a stomach sleeper and also woke up many times throughout the night. I also wake up many times throughout the night without CPAP but can usually get back to sleep relatively easy. With CPAP I couldn't get back to sleep. Looking back, I didn't give as good and long enough effort as I should have. I've also been trying a mouthpiece.

Exhausted, now I'm back with a Respironics 550 a-flex & determination to succeed. The unit has a humidifier and was a year old (but only had a week of use on it). I purchased for $150 on CL. My S9 (first machine) would have cost me $500 out of pocket. Unfortunately I am flying solo without a doc this time around. I know that going this without a doc is not prudent but finances dictate this decision.

The questions I have are for those that struggled with CPAP like I do but eventually were successful. Did you simply gut it out all night & every night for a few weeks/months until you got used to it? Or did you simply take mask off after 1/2 AM to get a few hours of sleep before work? I can see myself having many nights of only 1-3 hours of sleep for quite a while if I use without removing each night.

Thanks for reading and any input you have.

This is just my opinion and it may sound a little harsh, but yes, you just have to gut it out. Period. I'm not a particularly strong-willed person, so I figure if I did it anyone can. But here's the deal: it has to become like a job to you, much more even than just a hobby. You can't just think about it before masking up each night. And chunkyfrog is 100% spot on about the mask-it is the key to success or failure.

Oh, and while I'm doing pretty well now, I fully recognize that things could change for me if for instance my mask of choice were no longer available. And when my back problems resolve at some point and I'm back to sleeping in bed instead of the recliner, I expect a spate of new difficulties. But I will face them head on and eventually prevail with the help of many folks here.

There's no reason you cannot do the same.

[jdr999]

This is just my opinion and it may sound a little harsh, but yes, you just have to gut it out. Period. I'm not a particularly strong-willed person, so I figure if I did it anyone can. But here's the deal: it has to become like a job to you, much more even than just a hobby. You can't just think about it before masking up each night. And chunkyfrog is 100% spot on about the mask-it is the key to success or failure.

No, you're 100% correct. This is a job (especially in the beginning) -- but there is much more at stake than just your financial future. Untreated apnea will lead you down a very miserable, life threatening path. We need to do whatever it takes to make this work. Doesn't matter what, but it has to work.

It may take 6+ months to get all the kinks worked out -- that's perfectly fine. Don't expect instant results, that doesn't happen very often. Everyone is different and we each must figure this out on our own. There is plenty of help here on the forums, and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help.

Hell, even when you think you have it all figured out other issues crop up from time to time. Just shrug it off and keep adapting..

And yes, the mask is the most important part of the equation. Find a mask that you can work with, make sure you get a handle on leaks, find a sleeping position that works, and keep at it. Some of us have also used medication to help relax and adapt to wearing a mask. You'll get the hang of it.

Try to find a way to keep the mask on all night long -- don't take it off. Wear it while reading a book or watching TV to get used to it. Make it part of your routine. If it isn't comfortable or you can't keep it on figure out why and do what you can to fix it before bedtime.

It's basically a battle -- you vs. OSA. Who do you want to win?

[old dude]

^^^ Very well put, jdr.

[tdus1]

Hi All,

Note: I do not have the benefit of professional assistance and realize that I should. A new, high-deductible medical plan has made this difficult for me.

Over the past 40 nights I have used 36 nights with >4 hrs on all but three of those nights. I've downloaded the sleepyhead software but don't understand what I am looking at beyond the Overview tab. My AHI down to 3.3 from the 60 reported in sleep study over a year ago.

The problem I am having is that I am waking up a ton, sometimes after 5 AM I feel an incident such as a nasal snore upon wake up. My 'Total Leaks' is high around 35 average; this likely due to me being a stomach sleeper.

I read that APAP may miss some apnea events so I am wondering is it is advisable to switch to CPAP setting? Can anyone share experiences when considering APAP vs CPAP?

[MitzyG]

Honestly, with the first machine I had, I struggled and the pressure woke me up. I was at 11 CPAP. Once I switched to a quieter machine and APAP, I started to get lots more sleep. Have you tried to sleep on your side? It might be easier with the mask and all. I also got a cpap pillow with the cut out for the mask. And I attached the hose to the headband of the mask to keep it out of the way and avoid pulling/fighting with it throughout the night. That reduced my leak.

You really need to get the card situation fixed so that you can see which pressure your machine is using and can adjust accordingly.