Progress report

[SleeplessInVirginia]

I just completed my 4th night on CPAP, and I'm really feeling encouraged that this might work. I love my Resmed S8 Elite and all of the features on it! My machine shows 29 hours of usage after 4 nights, other statistics show that my Leak level has ranged from .02 (lowest) to .22 (highest). My AHI has ranged from 1.1 to 5.7. I'm pretty happy with my Swift mask, only minor complaints are being sore under my nose and a little bit of a dry nose. I have my humidifier set at 3 and have had no rain out. I still wish the air wasn't so cold, would a heated hose help with this? I do wake up a few times during the night when I change sleeping positions (and have to readjust the hose), but have been able to fall back to sleep pretty quickly without have to re-ramp. One of the greatest things is that I haven't snored at all since I've been using it! I don't think I've been breathing out of my mouth either; would that be showing up in my Leak report in the morning?
Two minor drawbacks are that I still have a little bit of a headache in the morning, and I'm still whipped when I go to bed at night but I'm figuring that I have several years of sleep deprivation that need to be paid back and it will be a gradual process. I do seem to have a little bit more energy during the day and I'm optimistic that things will continue to improve and I'll be eligible soon for the Olympics! LOL
Even though I am very new to this whole process, I already find that I can't imagine not going to sleep without what my daughter has named "my new best friend".

[birdiebaby]

Congrats on the good news! My sleep tech said that extended mouth breathing while on a nasal mask can show up as an apnea or hypo on my machine, but minor ones would factor in as a leak.

I think you are right to be patient about your improvement. I have been noticing gradual changes. More energy... more mental clarity... not feeling exhausted right after lunch and having to pump myself with caffeine and sugar to say awake, etc. Like you, I have faith that I will continue to improve.

You might want to find a way to hang your hose over your head. I have a cup hook in the wall with a ponytail holder around my hose to hang it. I find that that not only makes changing positions almost not noticeable, and my leak rates are much better with my hose in that position.

[GoofyUT]

Congrats on your great start and your splendid atitude!

Yes, your leak stats would reflect mouth breathing/leaks and your stats say that you're not. A leak stat of 0.22L/s, while higher than you'd like, is perfectly acceptable.

Re: the cool air, if you turn up your humidifier, the air will get warmer. I'd experiment with it till you get rain-out and then try a hose cover. ResMed makes a neat one, and Offerrocker here, makes a SUPER one, I'm told. I had a heated hose on my first CPAP, a Fisher&Paykel HC608, and I found that it made the air stuffy. Others have had good success with the Aussie heated hose.

Hope this helps.

Chuck

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, hose, CPAP

[rested gal]

I just completed my 4th night on CPAP, and I'm really feeling encouraged that this might work.

You have good reason to feel encouraged! Looks like you're doing extremely well. You like your mask (as well as any of us can like having to mask-up to go to sleep! lol ) your numbers are good, and the nice low leak rate means you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't have mouth air leak problems.

I still wish the air wasn't so cold, would a heated hose help with this?

Yup. It would. Last year when a friend and I swapped machines for a week (I was trying his BiPAP Pro; he was trying my REMstar Auto/C-flex) the BiPAP didn't have an integrated humidifier with it. I had loaned my F&P HC150 separate heated humidifier to someone else for awhile. Since I don't need a LOT of humidification, I thought I could get by ok without any humidification for the week or so that I was going to use the BiPAP Pro.

About halfway into the first night, the cold air was becoming uncomfortable enough to wake me up. I switched to my heated hose and was very pleased with the way it warmed the incoming air slightly. Knocked enough of the chill off to make the week sans humidification go comfortably enough to keep using the BiPAP until time to swap back.

I do wake up a few times during the night when I change sleeping positions (and have to readjust the hose), but have been able to fall back to sleep pretty quickly without have to re-ramp.

birdiebaby had a super suggestion -- about hanging the hose up so it won't pull on the headgear or the mask when you turn over.
LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose

I don't think I've been breathing out of my mouth either; would that be showing up in my Leak report in the morning?

Yeah, leaks do show up in the report, but there's no way to know for sure whether they are mask leaks or mouth leaks. Since you're getting such a nice low leak rate and you are aware of adjusting your mask sometimes during the night, it's probably just an occasional mask leak.

I'm figuring that I have several years of sleep deprivation that need to be paid back and it will be a gradual process. I do seem to have a little bit more energy during the day and I'm optimistic that things will continue to improve and I'll be eligible soon for the Olympics! LOL

You're right! Every small improvement is a big step forward toward healing what years of untreated sleep apnea have been doing to ya. I echo what the others have said about your good attitude about this crazy new way of trying to sleep. WTG!!

[vicinsb]

Hi...we are at about the same place in our treatment. I just finished 1 week with APAP and my numbers are very similar to yours! I'm afraid to even say that I think I'm feeling some improvement...I'm afraid it will go away again! I look forward to each night of real sleep...because it gets me closer to feeling like myself again! Wishing you the best and keep in touch!
Vicky