barely working

[enery quest]

I've had CPAP for 12 months. It is a Phillips Respironics REMStar Systom One. I am diligent about going to sleep at night with the CPAP. However, at least half the nights are restless, and/or I take it off in my sleep. The other 50% of nights I can sleep through till morning without even noticing that I have it on. The following days are curiously inconsistent. After a night of constant use, I often am still sluggish and need naps. Every day I need caffeine to keep me going.
Question 1: What do users do to keep the hose out of their way while sleeping?
Question 2: I use a nasal plugs. How do I know if they fit? A respiratory therapist brought the CPAP to my house and helped me set it up.
Question 3: What is standard or normal cleaning like? I have been washing everything with baby shampoo every day.
Question 4: I now have some sort of rash where the strap goes around the back of my head and where the back strap and forehead strap meet above my ears. It is very itchy and I don't know how to treat it. What is that all about?

[Tigger]

Hello Enery quest, like you I have been on CPAP for a little over a year and have had my trials different methods for success. Refering to:
Question 1. I use Cozy Hose BOSS Hose Management System, it does help tremndously with managing the hose.
Question 2. The way I know they fit is by feeling for leaking air around my nostrals and listening for air leaks that are not ordinary. ( I also use nasal plugs)
Question 3. I clean the nasal plug portion of the mask every day when I shower, I keep a small bottle of dish washing liquid in the shower stall. I then clean the rest of the parts every other weekend (hose, humidifier chamber,)
Question 4. Not sure about the rash, maybe the straps are too tight.

I hope some of this helps,

[chunkyfrog]

1: Hose management, some of us hang it up, others let it hang off the bed.
Hose boss, hose-buddy, Hozer are some commercial products.
2: Nasal pillows--never should be crammed up into your nose--if you're comfy and getting enough air: good.
The silicone parts need to be replaced periodically, sometimes once or twice a month.
3: Clean as often as you feel comfortable with. Daily, weekly, (monthly may be a bit long)
Baby shampoo is ok for anything but a cloth mask.
4: The rash: How old is the headgear? does it get rinsed thoroughly when washed?
Cushioning the "owie" may help, but your doctor may be able to give you an appropriate medication for it.

[herefishy]

I use a "command" hook on the wall, with a piece of panty hose knotted around the tube and fastened to the hook to keep my hose out of my way.

[cosmo]

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[Bons]

When I lay down at night, I lay on my back and pull the hose up from under my right arm, along my side (ASV is on my right side). When I roll over, it moves with me.

[jencat824]

As for the hose, I keep it next to me, kind of cuddling it. It gives me better control of the hose that way. Everyone is different regarding how they manage the hose. My hubby likes to sleep on his stomach & put his hose over his shoulder, across his neck. There is no right or wrong way, just what feels right to you. Looks like Cosmo has a very well thought out & sophisticated system.
Jen

[jweeks]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the struggles. Here are a few comments:

1) hose management - I keep my machine below the level of my bed to keep water from running into my nose. I route the hose up behind my pillows, then over top of my pillows. That leaves about 20 inches of hose, just enough to move around, but not enough to get tangled up in.

2) nasal plug sizes - the key is if you can wiggle the mask a bit and it doesn't start leaking. Sometimes adjusting the angle works, as well as adjusting how the hose is clipped into the head gear. Finally, using Lansinoh grease (a very thin layer) on your nose or the contact points on the plugs can really help.

3) I generally don't clean anything. I tend to keep things clean to start with because I am really lazy. I replace the hose every 6 months or so, the mask every 6 months or so, and the nasal pillows every 6 weeks or so. I also rinse the water tray every few days.

4) rash - I have no clue on that. I wrap my head gear in felt to make it more comfortable. If this is due to irritation, then felt might help. If it is an organic rash, then you might want to see a doctor about it.

Please keep the faith. Sometimes it is just a few small things that makes this go from a big struggle to being something that you can thrive on over the long haul. The trick is sorting out the problems.

-john-