Newbie Questions

[tombiowami]

Was diagnosed with OSA, had an RDI of 36, oxygen levels stayed Ok. I have purchased the PB420e with the Mirage Swift. The machine is working fine and the mask is not too bad.

The problem is I don't feel any more rested. My wife says I am still snoring some.

Does it take a while to kick in?

I have the software and it recommended a level of 6cm. Any thoughts on a first step of just hard setting a 6cm level and using the ramp?

The software said I was getting about 1 apnea and 1 hypopnea per hour, using data from the past 6 nights.

Tommy

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): mirage, swift, CPAP, RDI, auto

[kikisue]

Tommy,

I have a different machine and mask - but - couple thoughts.

First, it does take some awhile to feel the effects - for me, it was probably a month or so before I really noticed a significant difference. Others feel better right away, so it just varies.

However, another thought I have since your wife has noticed snoring is that you may be mouth breathing. When you use nasal masks or pillows, such as your Swift, if air is going in your mouth it is negating the therapy you're getting. There are several ways around it - some use a chinstrap -works for some and not for others. Some have been successful in simply retraining themselves to only breathe through their nose and keeping their tongue in a certain place, to block air going down the throat. And, the more dramatic option - taping your mouth shut. You can do a search on mouth breathing, as well as on taping, and find a wealth of info. I'm not adept at pasting in search results - but I know there are several others that are and they may post some in the thread for you.

Are you feeling congested or having trouble breathing through your nose? For some, they rinse their sinuses daily, and that helps being able to breathe better through the nose.

I'm sure others will chime in soon - in the meantime, hang in there - this forum is a great place to get help and support!

Karen

[yardbird]

interesting thing this mention of snoring "some". My wife and I were talking this morning.... (thankfully she's as interested in my success with this as I am) .... and I had asked her if there were any "noises" last night. I was actually referring to a bout of aerophagia I had had the night before and so I had adjusted my machine a little. She said, "Well I heard you snore lightly a couple of times".

I thought about that for just a second and then said, "yeah, well... I've heard you snore occasionally too." and she doesn't HAVE apnea.

So here's my thoughts on snoring...
I'm not going to panick and start changing things if someone hears a little bit of light snoring because a LOT of people who do NOT have apnea occasionally get into a position or have some OTHER contributing factor that causes them to snore lightly a LITTLE BIT. And once in a while. Now I'm not talking about constant snoring that's loud. She described it as.."like a big cat purring".

The analytical part of me is clicking things off...
ok... purring... slight airway obstruction... duration? ... just a few moments .... ok how long does it take the APAP to increase pressure to compensate? ... give it a couple breaths to compensate... emergency? ... no

I may pick up a couple snores but my AHI is remaining in decent shape at around 5 or less. So unless you're talking about the bone jarring SNORT I used to do... followed by the gasping for air as I started breathing again.... or unless you're talking about the wall shaking snoring that would drown out the TV that the kids were watching DOWNSTAIRS in the family room... a little light snore here and there is not something I think I'd worry about.

Make sense? Let's face it... we have issues to deal with and we're taking control of our treatment. That's why we're here! but we also have to keep in perspective that our goal is health, and that even "normal" people have a certain number of certain kinds of events while sleeping.

tombiowami-

My initial reaction to your original question is that yeah, it takes a little while to get used to this for most people. 6cm is pretty low and I envy your 1apnea and hypopnea per hour. If the snoring is loud and she notices you still stopping breathing... then it's time to get your doctor involved again or change your pressure setting up a little. But don't chase numbers. Give yourself a solid month to get used to the mask, the machine, the routine, the new FEELING of wearing something on your face to bed... things like that. And it really can take a while to notice changes. If you've been sleep deprived for a long time, it can take a while to feel "caught up".

[Goofproof]

I find that when my snore rate is high 15 to 25, I don't feel as rested. I run FF at 14, I upped the pressure to 15 and the snores dropped down, I feel better and the AHI dropped to under 2.0

Some machines may react to snores (APAP) maybe My CPAP doesn't seem to. I do fell better at the higher pressure. I sleep a lot 8 to 10 hours compliant nightly.

EDIT: I have found that dragging the hose over the headboard makes the machine think you are snoring and maybe the mask whistles are counted too.

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