So Close ...

[vkseid]

Hi-
I'm a newbie and I want to thank all of you for your advice (although it's advice from lurking ). I always knew I had something. I know I've been snoring heavily for more than 11 years. My father also had classic symptoms, but never diagnosed till recently. I had a sleep study done about 7 years ago but I think because I slept so poorly there, it registered that I didn't have a problem. But finally, I've revisited a different sleep center who listened to me, I wasn't just a super tired overcommited mom, I really did have sleep apnea. They had me do a home study and that definitely put me more at ease for a better measurement for the initial diagnosis.

Anyway, I've been lurking for about 3 weeks now, I got a month loaner from the sleep center last week to see how it works out for me. Of course, there's been some issues, but by gleaning from all of your advice, I'm very close to better sleeping. For the past week I have been awakening at between 2-3 am every day, which is about 4-5 hours after I went to sleep. I actually feel better with those hours of sleep than I did when I "slept the whole night" without a cpap, so I know it's working.

Around that time, I had 1 stuffy nostril one morning (solved by getting a humidifier), but otherwise, I apparently get a "whoosing" sound from somewhere around me, my husband tells me. I actually don't hear it and can't reproduce it. He says like it sounds like when I take off the mask when the cpap is on. It doesn't happen earlier in the night. I actually really like the mask besides this one problem. I think it might be after I turned my head or going my side, after I've been flat on back before that. I talked to the cpap lady at the sleep center and she wanted me to tighten my mask. I've tightened the mask so tight now, this morning I actually have a blister above my nostril. The cpap lady will also be out until next monday. Yikes! So I'm asking you, oh wise ones, what are your suggestions?

-Virginia

[KevinMWHM]

Hello,

I had the same mask till a couple weeks ago. Ask your husband if your mouth is open when he hears the sound. My wife noticed it with me and it came from my mouth being open which just negates the therapy. I had to switch to a full face mask from the pillows. If you don't / can't try another mask, there are a million things you can try to keep your mouth closed (if that is in fact the case). Also, everyone I've talked to, and from my experience with the nose pillows, loosen it up, not tighten. The pinching pain would actually wake me if I had the mask too tight.


Good Luck

[vkseid]

I've tried both the chin strap and tape ( 1 piece vertical, so not the entire mouth).
-Virginia

[Julie]

Too tight can actually cause worse leaks and other problems (plus the DME lady is not likely to wear a mask herself .

[hose head]

You don't want to tighten mask. Mine fits so I hardly feel it. If you cover the vents, it will make noise. Maybe the covers or pillows are too close to the vent. It will also make weird noise if water from rain-out gets in vent holes. This is one of the ways having a data capable machine is nice, because you could look at your leak rate and see if the mask is leaking.(The vent noise won't show up as a leak.) More info, means you control your therapy better.
Good Luck