Another newbie with issues

[jweeks]

I have rather severe breathing problems. No amount of pressure helps if I sleep on my back. On my sides, I was titrated at 13/19 on bipap. I sometimes breathe through my mouth, so I need a full face solution.

The first night on the machine was like a miracle. I was able to stay awake during the daytime for the first time in years. I have had dreams that I remember, I sleep through the night (perhaps with only one wake up to roll over about 4AM), I don't seem to snore any more, and I no longer get up to go to the bathroom at all (was doing this every 90 minutes). The sleep tech tells me that the machine cured my central events, too.

The biggest issue is that I cannot seem to get the Quattro FF mask to seal very well. The slightest change in head position can cause it to leak. It either leaks at the bottom (I have a deep indent above my chin), or near my eyes (my eyes are set close to my nose). The only way to totally cure the problem is to really crank down the tightness, but not only does that leave marks, but it results in my jaw hurting. I backed off of that tightness quite a bit, but now sometimes wake up with massive leaks at the bottom of the mask.

I tried the Telex hybrid. It fits very well around my mouth (especially after cutting off the chin support), and is far more comfortable to wear. But, once the ramp starts to expire, the higher pressure causes the pillows to disconnect from my nose, resulting in a total loss of pressure. I tried to tape the pillows to my nose, but it still managed to leak. Also, if I try to wear the mask for the whole night, I wake up feeling like I was hit in the nose--it really hurts.

So, are there other masks that I should try? Are there other hybrid mask types that I should look at? Anyone have any suggestions to work through these issues?

Other issues that I would like to solve are:

- now that I am not getting up every 90 minutes, and I stay in one position for hours on end, I find that I am waking up stiff and with some muscle soreness. I have heard folks talking about memory foam beds. Are they worth trying for this reason?

- while I felt pretty good the first few days, now that a few weeks have passed, I am not feeling as good as I would expect during the day. I do feel far better than before, but still a bit groggy sometimes. The only data I have from the M Series Auto Bipap machine are an AHI reading (7 to 8 average) and leak rate (around 40 average). Will data from the data card help figure this out? I really cannot afford another sleep study. It took 3 to get this far, and I am just about tapped out financially.

- I had a 4 day streak last week where I felt like I was back to being sleepy all day. I wasn't doing anything different. Any ideas on why something like that can happen?

- the sleep tech was concerned during the first two sleep studies about low blood oxygen, and actually started extra oxygen for me. This didn't happen during the 3rd study. Would it be valuable for me to get an oximeter?

This treatment has to work for me since I cannot function the way I was. I am happy that things are much better, but I hope that this is not as good as it gets for me.

-john-

[ozij]

Welcome to the forum, -john-'
Take a look at this thread viewtopic/t38735/gluing-the-mask-on.html.
There area other Full Face Masks around, and one of the may fit you better.

O.

[Georgio]

If you're not already doing it, collect your nightly data and create reports. You can learn a lot from those to fine tune your therapy. Get the software if you don't have it.

[rested gal]

john, the name of your machine (as written on the top of the machine)...

Which of these does it say:

Respironics BiPAP Auto
or
Respironics BiPAP Auto SV

Just wondering because of the comment you mentioned that the sleep tech made:
"The sleep tech tells me that the machine cured my central events, too."

On another note--

I find that I am waking up stiff and with some muscle soreness. I have heard folks talking about memory foam beds. Are they worth trying for this reason?

I bought a Tempur-Pedic bed several years ago. I loved it, but as the months went by, I began to start getting lower back and hip pain. I refused to think it could be the memory foam doing it, but the pain got worse and worse. Finally, one night I went back to an old bed that had a very firm regular mattress. Woke up in the morning with no pain at all. Back felt great.

For several weeks I alternated every so many nights between the two, stubbornly refusing to believe that that wonderful (and expensive!) Tempur-Pedic mattress that felt SO GOOD to lie down on was wrecking my back during the night. Each time I slept on the firm mattress, fine. Each time I slept on the Tempur-Pedic, back/hip pain during the night and worse in the morning.

So -- who knows. Many people with back pain have reported on this board that they finally got relief by switching to memory foam. My experience went the other way, unfortunately, and that beautiful "deluxe" memory foam is leaned up against a wall now.

[tuna]

I bought me a Select Comfort Sleep Number bed (not cheap either!), I will let you know how well I sleep with it, that's when it finally arrives!