Ok, so I was wrong...

ChrisSaw · Post by **ChrisSaw** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:15 pm

Been doing this whole CPAP thing for better than a year now. Over the past month or three, I've been convinced there's something wrong with my RemStar w/CFlex - it just doesn't "feel" right. It used to take my breath away for a second every night when I turned it on, and now it doesn't. It doesn't seem as "oppressive" as it used to be. I even snuck up the pressure a bit, and it still doesn't feel like it used to.

Understand, I seem to be sleeping well (as a middle-aged man, I gauge the depth of my sleep by the number of times I arise to use the rest room ;) but the machine just doesn't "feel" right. I was prepared to spend the money to contact the DME to go over it (some of us have truly crappy insurance, with really high deductables), when I decided to see if I could buy a cheap manometer and check it myself.

That lead to the realization that a manometer is about the simplest scientific device possible, so...I made one. Coil of tubing, scrap wood, old NasalAire tubing as a connector to the RemStar, and *poof* - instant pressure check.

Turns out the machine is just slightly high of settings, so even if I wasn't perfectly level the machine is still in the setting range. There's nothing wrong with it, clearly, so the "problem" must be that I'm just used to the darned thing.

Whaddya know?

mattman · Post by **mattman** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 5:32 pm

Heh. I've been amazed at how quickly I adapted to the pressure and even found myself pulling the mask away from my face a bit to make sure there was air blowing. Even at 14cm I still find myself wondering if the thing is on! lol

Anyways, your DME should also be able to do a PM check on the machine at no charge. Just give them a call and ask them if they can double check your homemade rig.

mattman

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:51 pm

I too sometimes wake up wondering if my mask is working. We have a fan in our bedroom for background noise and it's sometimes hard to hear the machine over it, especially when I'm half asleep. It depends a lot on which mask I'm using -- some are a lot quieter than others -- but the sudden whoosh of air rushing out when I pull it away from my face reassures me that everything's as it should be.

OCO

whatrdreamsmadeof · Post by **whatrdreamsmadeof** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:03 pm

Thanks for posting this thread, i just received my remstar auto w/cflex and it is so quiet, compared to the resmed i too have to check to see if it is on. I love this machine................

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:29 pm

You mention that you gauge your sleep quality by the number of trips to the potty.

This is a big hint that something is not working properly.

One of the biggest things most notice is the LACK of trips to the potty.

This tells me it is not working properly since a great decrease in trips is the most dramatic evidence of success.

The next most common thing is the greatly improved reflux.
You simply do not have heartburn or reflux any more or at least it is greatly decreased.

This may not happen if you are on the purple pill since the rebound effect of the PPP's will actually cause more reflux than it controls.
This is a big secret for the purple pill people and other PPI folks because they do not want anyone to know their pills cause more reflux than they control.

You need to go back to square one and figure out what is wrong. A big help would be the data from your machine if you can get it.

If not, you will be forever guessing about your problem.

ChrisSaw · Post by **ChrisSaw** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:01 pm

tomjax wrote:You mention that you gauge your sleep quality by the number of trips to the potty.

<snip>

This tells me it is not working properly since a great decrease in trips is the most dramatic evidence of success.

You are making assumptions about what I meant. I typed:

ChrisSaw wrote:Understand, I seem to be sleeping well (as a middle-aged man, I gauge the depth of my sleep by the number of times I arise to use the rest room ;)

...what I did not say was how many trips I was currently making. I only noted that I can easily gauge the depth of my sleep by the number of trips; obviously the less REM, the less concentrated the urine, the more frequent the urniation. By saying I seem to be sleeping well followed by the admittedly low-end joke, I never meant to imply I was rising frequently; indeed, my intention was to imply the exact opposite. This was meant to contrast with my idea that something was "wrong with the machine" even when indications are it's working just fine.

Apologies for the lack of clarity. The only "problem" I have is no longer recoiling from the mask when the machine turns on. Ok, that and being an old man with an eight-year-old daughter, which accounts for getting to bed late and the occasional bout of heartburn. (Just a joke, honest.)

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:08 am

Whaddya know?

Its just like weight lifting - your muscles get used to it.

O.

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:53 am

Tomjax,
While we are on the subject of male trips to the potty, can you tell me why Flomax and the big three ED pills all cause horrible nasal congestion in the male population?

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:13 am

oldgearhead wrote:Tomjax,
While we are on the subject of male trips to the potty, can you tell me why Flomax and the big three ED pills all cause horrible nasal congestion in the male population?

Oldgearhead, all I can tell you is that a couple of shots of Afrin nasal spray clears it up almost immediately.

OCO

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:42 am

Owlcreek asked why the ED drugs cause nasal congestion.

I seem to remember something about this and the explanation was that the tissue in the nose is similar to the erectile tissue and the process is similar.

The drugs cause engorgement of the nasal tissue, hence the congestion similarly to the engorgement involved in an erection.

Maybe a google on this will help.

BTW, my doc called me and asked if I was interested in participating in a study to determine if Crestor and Lipitor affects or improves the leaking of protein in the urine which I have.

He told me to go to his other office he uses to participate in these studies.

I did not realize this other office was for his second type of practice. I asked him to write we a script dor another BP med ia was out of, Avapro.

Lo and behold, I had a lot of explaining to do to my wife when I brought the script home. It was written on his pad from his IMPOTENCE clinic.

HMMMM- Cant wait for my second visit

Ok, so I was wrong...

Ok, so I was wrong...

greatful for this strand

cpap

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owlcreek