Hope is fading fast.......

shinyhaid · Post by **shinyhaid** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:34 am

This is probably addressed elsewhere but I'm too tired to look for it. Sorry. I've been on cpap for 3 months: a week after having gastric plication surgery to stop acid reflux disease (which itself can cause apnea). I use a resmed elite 8, pressure 11, AHI from 3 to 6 average; leakage about .1 to .2. The original sleep study showed 10 episodes per hour. I started with a ffm but now use the nasal pillows (swift) and a chin strap. It is really comfortable as long as I stay on my back. I think I am sleeping a little better (no trips to the bathroom all night for a change) but the cpap itself wakes me up sometimes.

The problem? I AM SO SLEEPY ALL DAY! I am now taking 100 mg provigil every day but you'd think it was a sedative because I am still so sleepy! Bloodwork, including thyroid is normal. Besides provigil, I take one baby aspirin a day.

Anyone else in this boat? What happens when the treatment doesn't help? I tells ya, I think I'd rather croak than to continue living like this. I can't think, can't remember....

skjansen · Post by **skjansen** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:45 am

What kind of mask are you using? Could you be losing therapy because you are mouth breathing. An AHI of 10 does not seem that bad compared to a lot of people on here. Just an observation.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI

OKAY, LET ME EDIT THIS. YOU ARE NOT USING A FULL FACE MASK. I WOULD THINK THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE YOUR THERAPY I NOT OPTIMAL BECAUSE YOU ARE MOUTH BREATHING> TRY A CHIN STRAP OR GO BACK TO A FF MASK. ALSO, IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIMIT THE TIME ON YOUR BACK? I FOUND THAT MY AHI OR MUCH BETTER AND I AM MUCH MORE RESTED IF I AVOID SLEEPING ON MY BACK ALTOGETHER. JUST A THOUGHT.

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:48 am

Sounds like mouth breathing to me. Until you get your mouth sealed you will NOT have therapy that works. Use polident strips or tape and see if that changes things.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:02 am

Formally, an average AHI of 5 is considered good enough by insurance to keep them from paying for your therapy.

Factually, if my AHI is anywhere near 3 or more I feel miserable - and I am not the only one of this forum who has found the optimum to be lower than 3. The formal AHI numbers are not everything.

Assuming you get enough hours of sleep, your therapy can probably be made better.

Mask:
It doesn't sound like your using the optimal mask for you "It is really comfortable as long as I stay on my back". That sentence sounds almost like you're spending your night semi-awake, taking care not to move from your back and jog the mask. You need to find a mask that is comfortable in all positions, and lets sink into deep sleep. Hose management (e.g. dangling from above your head) and a different head pillow both make a big difference.

Pressure:
Many of us monitor our therapy using the companies' software - not necessarily cheap, but worth it. And many of us use the info we gather to make careful changes in our pressure - it is all the better if you can get your doc. to agree to this,

Could you be more specific about "the cpap itself" waking you up? It shouldn't - and if you tell us more specifically, we may be able to give you tips about that too.

We've all been in the beginners boat - some of us let loose by our therapist to sink or swim.

Comfort is very important in this therapy - because we can't sleep deeply when we're not comfortable, and deep sleep is the aim.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck!
O.

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:10 am

The original poster is using a chinstrap.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:19 am

Some people mouth leak despite using a chine strap

O.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:58 pm

All a chin strap does is hold your teeth together. IMHO and experance!

Jerry

deerslayer · Post by **deerslayer** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:17 pm

thats right Jerry, i have 2 of them & don't use either . now that i have trained my tongue to stay up,the pie hole stays shut -no need to wear the uncomfortable straps....ZZZZZzzzzz

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:24 pm

ozij wrote:Some people mouth leak despite using a chine strap

O.

That was not a recommendation, it was in response to a poster who said "get a chinstrap".

new-to-BiPAP · Post by **new-to-BiPAP** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:41 am

I'm new so I don't know much yet. But did you get your settings set before surgery? Just wondering if that surgery could have changed your ideal settings. I have no idea how...just a thought...

Mask

Additional Comments: Equipment isn't correct, S9 ASV w/H5i

Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: straight cpap 12.20 AHI avg.0.79