New CPAP user... My experience so far

[gurp13]

I had a sleep study done a few months ago and it was determined that I have an apnea, that my blood oxygen level drops to 85% during REM sleep. My Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) thought maybe Flonase and Claritin D would help. But, I have been seeing a certified sleep therapist who feels that my troubles concentrating and such were sleep related and who suggested the sleep study in the first place. He looked at the sleep study results and pointed out that the conclusions said I should have a second test with CPAP and titration study. So, my PCP was kind of enough to take his advice and so ordered for me. The HMO opted instead to set me up with a CPAP machine with auto titration. Not the best solution, according to the sleep therapist, but acceptable.

So, here I am with a new machine and some sexy headgear! In all honesty, I feel very fortunate. Apria got me good equipment and the rep was very thorough in showing me how to use it. I guess my prescription warranted the equipment. The rep even called me the day after to check how the first night went. I told him that the A Flex option was disabled on my machine and, since the auto titration was part of my prescription, I had wanted to use that. He apologized and mentioned I could bring it in or that sometimes there's information on the Internet on how to adjust such settings. A google search got me that info and I changed it last night.

Two nights in, I don't notice a huge difference. Both nights I have woken at about 1am with the mask feeling uncomfortable. The first night I readjusted the mask and went back to sleep and took it off about 5am. Last night I took it off at 1 and slept on my side. The mask makes me very conscious of my breathing and it makes it hard to fall asleep. Listening to music with earphones helps but I already had removed them last night. Besides, I had been told that in the beginning I didn't have to use the mask the whole night.

I am going to push myself to use it longer, though. I just wish I wasn't waking up in the middle of the night. Last night my nose was cold and I felt, momentarily, as if I couldn't breathe.

My settings are a 30 minute ramp that starts at 5.0. The auto feature is set to range from 5.0 to 20. I looked at the info and it said my AHI was 2.0. Not sure what that means, exactly but I noticed people referencing it in other posts. I would love any feedback or advice. Thanks!

[bap40]

Welcome, my best advice is to read, read and read this forum. You can also search for topics and pull up lots of information that way. Your AHI is a combined number of how many apneas and how many almost apneas you have had during the time the machine was running. Under 5 is supposedly normal so your 2 is pretty good for the first try. Most people try to keep down at 1 or below. The key to this is to have the mask that is the most comfortable and works the best for you. That is only done by trial and error. Trying different masks. Most places have a 30 day exchange policy so if you are very uncomfortable try another one or 2 or 3 if you have to in the time frame. I was pretty lucky in being able to go all night right off the bat. The mask thing took a little longer. About 18 months ago I found the perfect mask for me and that is what I get every 6 months. Mask leaking dose affect those AHI numbers because the air is just going out of those leaks and not providing the pressure you need, although having said that many of the newer machines do compensate for that these days. I am pretty much only familiar with my machine's properties and not any others. There are many people on this board who will be very happy to help you out.
Good luck

[Janknitz]

You're off to a good start. Click on the Light Bulb in the mast head for more than you ever wanted to know about CPAP therapy--that will help you understand everything we are talking about and help you learn to monitor your own therapy so that you can begin to sleep all night and get the benefit of it.

During this titration period the settings on your machine are a little "wide open" and that can be the cause of some of your discomfort. As they get your pressure needs dialed in , that range should be tightend up, and that will probably help you sleep a little better. Hang in there during this transition period.

It's not unusual for sleep to be disturbed at first, but over time you will become more comfortable with everything and eventually get to the point where you can put your mask on and go to sleep, sleep all night, and wake up refreshed.

If the mask is uncomfortable, talk to your DME about other options. Sounds like you have a good one, despite the fact that his employer is what many of us refer to here as "Crapria"

Sleep well!

[islandboy5150]

Hi Gurp13,
Welcome to the forum! You'll find lots of very useful info here and many very nice people here that are eager to help. Many people I have read about here, have disabled the ramp on their machine. It can be a distraction and depending on what mask you are using will just end up leaking when the ramp gets up to pressure. I don't use the ramp either. I rather like just turning on the machine at full pressure setting and get on with sleeping. Another thing to consider, and many people find it helps is to use, some aroma therapy to take your mind off of everything. I use PUR-SLEEP Clear and Rosa mostly, though any essential oil you buy at a regular store will do just as good. Clear has a menthol kind of aroma that keeps my sinuses clear all night. If I don't have a clogged shnoz though, I like to use the rosa aroma. I can lay there and imagine I'm lying in the grass in a rose garden out in the sun beside a beautiful Victorian house. I love Victorian, so that's just my imagination running wild. But, I completely forget about the mask and headgear or anything else, and it relaxes me and before I know it I'm asleep and there's enough aroma through the night to take my mind back to that place and fall right back asleep if I wake up for any reason. That's just one idea, another is to use one of those alarm clocks that plays different sounds like waves crashing, rainfall, rainforest, waterfall, birds singing, etc. You would think it would just be something else to keep you awake, but I have found that anything pleasant (sounds, aromas) that would take my mind off of CPAP helped. I used to get "wrapped around the axle" thinking about CPAP all night. The way it felt on my face, the not knowing or understanding everything about OSA or the machine, the hose touching me, leaks, whatever. It didn't matter, I couldn't get my mind off of it and I couldn't get used to it enough to use it all night every night.

[pap4life]

Welcome to the world of CPAP..Sounds like you have received very good service from Apria , your DME (Durable Medical Equipment) folks. Not all DMEs are that considerate. I agree with you. Your are very fortunate. You also, have a "Top of the Line" medical device in the Remstar auto Cpap. My best advice for you at this time is to offer "encouragement". Success with the CPAP doesn't happen overnight. The key words to me are "Persistence" and "compliance". Use it every night for as long as you can. The "gel mask" is a sort of generic "first offer" type of device that most sleep studies offer. It can be a wonderful mask if it "fits". Most often, after some period of use, most will try and find other masks, or pillow type headgear that "feels" better and doesn't appear to leak as much. The mask, is the hardest thing to deal with in CPAP therapy, in my opinion. I went through about 4 until I found the Resmed Swift LT nasal pillows. It is very lightweight and seems to be leak free for me. This is my first post but I have been a CPAP user for 6 years, and want to offer lots of encouragement.

[robysue]

Your AHI is a combined number of how many apneas and how many almost apneas you have had during the time the machine was running. Under 5 is supposedly normal so your 2 is pretty good for the first try. Most people try to keep down at 1 or below.

Math correction alert by brought to you by your friendly resident math professor

AHI is the Apnea-Hypopnea Index. AHI is the AVERAGE number of apneas and hypopneas the you had per hour the machine was on---it is not the combined number of apneas and hypopneas you had during the time the machine was running.

To both gurp13 (the OP) and bap40:

The AHI is computed as follows:

Add the number of apneas the machine records and the number of hypopneas the machine records during a given time frame. And then divide by the time the machine was running in hours. So if the machine records a total of 15 apneas and hypopneas when it has been running for 6.2 hours, the AHI for those 6.2 hours would be AHI = (15 apneas and hypopneas)/(6.2 hours) = 2.4.

Now gurp13, the PR S1 you use only shows the 7-day and 30-day averages. And all the data from the last seven nights is used for the 7-day average. In your original post, you indicate that you've used the PR S1 for two nights. The data from those two nights is combined in the LCD's data. In reading your post, you took the mask off at 5 am one night and 1 am the other night. So that AHI = 2.0 means that on BOTH nights during the time the S1 was running, the S1 recorded an AVERAGE of TWO apneas or hypopneas per hour.

How many apneas and hypopneas did the S1 actually record during the two nights? Well, that depends on how long the S1 actually ran. In re-reading your post, you say you took the mask off at around 5 am one night and around 1 am the other night. The missing information needed to figure out how many apneas and hypopneas the S1 recorded during the two nights is when you turned the machine on. Tell me that and I can tell you approximately how many apneas the S1 recorded during the time you used it.

robysue, the friendly math prof

[Guest]

As Far as Im concerned You all all being "scamed" who in thier right mind can sleep with this contraption on their face, And it deffinately comes at a cost$$$$$$ . The first sleep study i took , I was in a room that was 100 degrees stairing at pipes on the sieling,, in a twin bed,,, and 10,000 wires attached to me ,,The second study i was in a room with A Fan , a ajustable vibrateing bed and the sound of a jentle stream with a cpap strapped to my face ,, and sublimatle messages frome the instructor/tech,, So Get a grip on reality People Lose wieght, add fibre to your diet, pee before and cut down on smoking,, All the things You should do to solve the problem ,, But Nothing they tell you to do .. All the best

[jmelby]

As Far as Im concerned You all all being "scamed" who in thier right mind can sleep with this contraption on their face, And it deffinately comes at a cost$$$$$$ . The first sleep study i took , I was in a room that was 100 degrees stairing at pipes on the sieling,, in a twin bed,,, and 10,000 wires attached to me ,,The second study i was in a room with A Fan , a ajustable vibrateing bed and the sound of a jentle stream with a cpap strapped to my face ,, and sublimatle messages frome the instructor/tech,, So Get a grip on reality People Lose wieght, add fibre to your diet, pee before and cut down on smoking,, All the things You should do to solve the problem ,, But Nothing they tell you to do .. All the best

Then why are you even reading and responding on this forum? Clearly, you are very misinformed if you think apnea is always related to weight, diet, and smoking. Hmm... where did I just read about someone else who thinks this? Methinks I smell a troll...

viewtopic/t59014/Is-there-hope-to-do-it ... -CPAP.html

[gurp13]

Wow, good advice and encouragement! Thank you!

Professor: I go to bed at about 11:30pm each night. Thank you for doing that math for me. I'm and English teacher and strongly feel that math is better left to those who can handle it. Plus, math is witchcraft.

Can you buy the scented oils in any brick and mortar stores?

I actually like my mask right now, in as much as I have never tried on any others. The headgear bothers me more than the mask itself.

Don't feed trolls. Especially when they spell phonetically. You have to LOL when someone so obviously undereducated "knows" more than doctors. :eyeroll: I don't have to work tomorrow so i'll try being more patient with the therapy.

[cflame1]

make sure that whatever you use for a scent, it doesn't go in the humidifier.

Where it goes is by the intake for your machine.

[gurp13]

make sure that whatever you use for a scent, it doesn't go in the humidifier.

Where it goes is by the intake for your machine.

Oh, wow, I was going to put it in the humidifier. So, do you apply it to the filter or how does that work?

[Pugsy]

make sure that whatever you use for a scent, it doesn't go in the humidifier.

Where it goes is by the intake for your machine.

Oh, wow, I was going to put it in the humidifier. So, do you apply it to the filter or how does that work?

I would put it on something and let it sit right outside the filter. I wouldn't put any oils on the filter because oils might block the air through the filter and if too much is put there could make for an awfully strong aroma. Some discussion a long time ago about why and why not but I don't remember exactly what it was all about. End result was a suggestion to put the aromatic oils onto something and let it sit next to the air intake and not in the machine in any form, just as a precaution.....

[rested gal]

Welcome to the forum, gurp.

I am going to push myself to use it longer

Good idea. You have the right attitude to become a "cpap success!"

In the meantime, keep digging into this message board looking for every tip and hint that can make the whole thing easier and more comfortable for you.

Do keep letting us know how it's going.

[mayondair]

Thank you for doing that math for me. I'm and English teacher and strongly feel that math is better left to those who can handle it. Plus, math is witchcraft.


Thank goodness we have Robysue to sort some numbers out, math scares me too, nice to have a professional on board now if we can just find an exorcist for the trolls

[robysue]

Wow, good advice and encouragement! Thank you!

Professor: I go to bed at about 11:30pm each night. Thank you for doing that math for me. I'm and English teacher and strongly feel that math is better left to those who can handle it. Plus, math is witchcraft.

SInce you say in an earlier post that you took the mask off at about 5 AM one night and 1 AM the other night, we now know that for the first two nights, your PR S1 ran for approximately 5.5 + 1.5 = 7 total hours. The S1's 7-day average AHI on the LCD for those first two nights was 2.0. So ...

During the 7 hours of time the machine was running on those first two nights, it recorded about:

(2 apneas and hypopneas per hour) * (7 hours of run-time) = 14 total apneas and hypopneas

Note that there is no mathematically valid way to figure out how many of these apneas and hypopneas occurred during which night however. To do that, you'd need to get Encore Viewer and download the data and look at the detailed data for each day.

I don't have to work tomorrow so i'll try being more patient with the therapy.

It's important to NOT beat yourself up for taking the mask off. The important thing is to try to establish the pattern of using the mask every single night when you go to bed. Eventually you'll start to sleep longer periods with it.