Rough Start - But advice on this site is helping!

[Modapa]

I just started using a cpap machine and had a few glitches, the first one being the DME gave me the wrong mask. I had to go back the next day and get the one I wanted. I do have a problem with opening my mouth at night but I hate having something big and bulky on my face. I am using a nasal pillow to start with because I thought it might be more comfortable. It is but I still breathe through my mouth. The first night I put the mask on and before I even lay down, I felt like I couldn't breathe in or exhale. A long time ago, I had panic attacks that I overcame by just telling myself that if I was going to die, then just do it and get it over with, lol. Haven't had a panic attack since. So after that first night, I did some investigating online and found this site. I've read a lot of stuff and kept trying. First night, I couldn't get comfortable with that darn hose everywhere. I lasted just shy of four hours and got about 2 hour of sleep. I kept taking the mask off to take a good breathe and put it back on. That might be why the readout on my phone showed that I had one event per hour? Last night I managed five hours and had a few issues but much better and no events. I woke up once with a mouth full of water and an open mouth. How in the heck can that happen, lol! I do seem to need to swallow at first but after that I slept better but woke up a couple of times and realized my mouth was open but I wasn't breathing with my mouth, it was just open. All in all it was a better score than the previous night I think because I used it longer. I could have used it longer because I managed to find a comfortable way to sleep but I had to use the bathroom and when I came back, I just said to heck with it. I still haven't figured out how to put it back on without a light on and I didn't want to turn my light on again. Lazy, I guess.

A couple of questions:
1. My machine tells me that I don't have a good seal and I'm wondering if it's the actual seal on the machine or due to my open mouth.
2. I'm not impressed with the readout from my ResMed Air Sense. It's just a readout of stats. I want to know if it's actually helping with my Oxygen levels. I have Afib and my doctor thinks it's due to Sleep Apnea. I've seen a few posts about Sleepyhead and wondered if that would help? I'm also considering getting an Oximeter that would give me a readout of what was happening at night. I don't necessarily want one that is considered a medical device but something that would be somewhat accurate. I've seen some on Amazon and wondered if anyone else has used one like that?

Thanks for all the advice so far!
Mo

[palerider]

2. I'm not impressed with the readout from my ResMed Air Sense. It's just a readout of stats. I want to know if it's actually helping with my Oxygen levels. I have Afib and my doctor thinks it's due to Sleep Apnea. I've seen a few posts about Sleepyhead and wondered if that would help? I'm also considering getting an Oximeter that would give me a readout of what was happening at night. I don't necessarily want one that is considered a medical device but something that would be somewhat accurate. I've seen some on Amazon and wondered if anyone else has used one like that?

Without an oximeter, there's no way to tell what your oxygen levels are doing.

All oximeters (unless you make one yourself at home) are 'medical devices'.

The CMS50F and I models are comfortable to wear, and can be imported into sleepyhead along with the data from the cpap machine.

[katestyles]

Welcome to the forum, Mo.

Sleepyhead will for sure give you more information, and there are many good people here who can understand all its squiggles and will help you understand them.

Follow the instructions at the top of the Forum for downloading Sleepyhead, and for formatting your posts.

Welcome to the zoo!

[Julie]

I have an unused oximeter (a good overnight one many use here) that I can sell you inexpensively if you PM me for more details... just 'found' it today while organizing stuff .

[zonker]

Welcome to the zoo!

HEY!!!

[Modapa]

Palerider, I only meant an oximeter from a Medical Device company. On Amazon, they have a disclaimer that these are for recreational use only.

[palerider]

Palerider, I only meant an oximeter from a Medical Device company. On Amazon, they have a disclaimer that these are for recreational use only.

Ah... well, don't believe everything you read in disclaimers...

The cheapie (relatively speaking, since the 'official for medical use' ones can cost hundreds of dollars) are perfectly fine, they are within a percentage point or two of the ridiculously expensive ones, simply because measuring SpO2 is pretty simple.

[Cardsfan]

A chinstrap helps with keeping your mouth shut. I use one with my Pillow mask.
The long hose can be route over your headboard to keep it under control. Also, they make things called Hose hangers that help. There's one called the Cozy Hose boss I use. www.cpap.com has them. The chinstrap is probably covered under your insurance if your dr. included it in his orders.
When you get up to go the the bathroom, you can unhook the long hose from the short hose and leave the mask on.

[zonker]

A chinstrap helps with keeping your mouth shut. I use one with my Pillow mask.
The long hose can be route over your headboard to keep it under control. Also, they make things called Hose hangers that help. There's one called the Cozy Hose boss I use. www.cpap.com has them. The chinstrap is probably covered under your insurance if your dr. included it in his orders.
When you get up to go the the bathroom, you can unhook the long hose from the short hose and leave the mask on.

thanks for posting about this. i just may try it out.

and here is a direct link to the product-

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pursle ... ent-system

want to keep those internet bots busy, donchya know.

[katestyles]

Welcome to the zoo!

HEY!!!

Sorry.

Welcome to Zonker's zoo!

[Modapa]

Thanks, Palerider. I will look into getting one soon.

Zonker, I have one but I will have to fiddle with it to get it right. I don't really want to resort to it because it isn't very comfortable. Am I right in assuming that the leaking mask is not really the mask itself but my big mouth being open?

Thanks!
Mo

[Julie]

If the mask doesn't cover your mouth and it opens, that's where all the 'therapy' air goes... out, not down.

[zonker]

Thanks, Palerider. I will look into getting one soon.

Zonker, I have one but I will have to fiddle with it to get it right. I don't really want to resort to it because it isn't very comfortable. Am I right in assuming that the leaking mask is not really the mask itself but my big mouth being open?

Thanks!
Mo

that's totally fine. you do you. we are each of us different in how we sleep and in how we approach our cpap journey.

we won't be able to determine where the leak is coming from without seeing some sleepyhead data from your machine.

good luck!

[Okie bipap]

Welcome to Zonker's zoo!

Maybe he should change his name from Zonker to Zoonker.

[Modapa]

So, I downloaded Sleepyhead to try it out and went to get the SD card from my machine and there wasn't one....?!!!

How does it transmit the information to the ResMed Air app without one? It kinda irks me a little. So I have to wait until I see the doctor in three months in order for THEM to tell me how I'm doing? How am I supposed to monitor (or why even bother) when I can't get the info without someone else's say so? So in three months someone can tell me, "nah, this isn't working, we have to change this"??

Not happy about this....
Mo