One month compliance - that was fast...

[Daydream Believer]

Apparently my insurance requires only one month compliance period. Got my " congratulations" call a couple weeks ago. Took a couple conversations with the DME to convince them, but the modem is now returned.

My doc ordered an overnight pulse-ox this past weekend. I should find out the results today.

I think I've discovered something that makes me sad. When I use aromatherapy (few drops on a cotton ball.... Think that was Pugsy's good advice) I tend to cough more at night. I LOVE the aroma, so it makes me sad to think I can't use it.

My current settings are pressures 7-12, a-flex 2, humidity 2. I'm getting AHI between 3-6. I'm not sure what else to do to improve that. I'm not maxing out with pressures... My OA's aren't terrible. I have more good mornings now, but still nap for 2-3 hours every day. And I still make stupid, forgetful mistakes.

Should I expect this to be as good as it gets?

[Tino2You]

Have you tried to move the cotton ball farther away from the air inlet? Maybe it is too strong.

[Pugsy]

Have you thought about increasing that minimum pressure? Like from 7.0 to 7.5?

[Daydream Believer]

Have you tried to move the cotton ball farther away from the air inlet? Maybe it is too strong.

I did try moving it.... But I find that it's in a different place in the morning. Either the ceiling fan or my cat is moving it overnight. Lol Maybe if I could find some kind of container that is cat proof ... Is there such a thing?

[Daydream Believer]

Have you thought about increasing that minimum pressure? Like from 7.0 to 7.5?

I'll give that a shot tonight. I've been at 7 for over a week... Slowly tightening up the pressure range. I've thought about experimenting with the pressure relief but I'm not sure if it would be better to set it for more relief or less.

[Pugsy]

If you want to experiment with pressure relief with your machine....don't dwell on the number of the relief setting....focus on which setting feels the best for your breathing. Try them all. Pick the one that feels the best.
When I was using APAP I found CFlex fairly useless at any setting but I really liked AFlex. Liked a setting of 2 the best YMMV of course. It's not so much the amount of reduction with AFlex as it is when the reduction gets timed into the breath. Think rhythm more than a reduction. Try it. There's a demo mode available if you turn on patient access to Flex and then you can try all settings without having to change anything in the setup menu.

[Redonthehead]

Did your insurance specifically say you were done with meeting compliance requirements? Or just met it for that month.

I got "congratulations" letters from Cigna for each of the first three months it took to meet the overall requirement, after which the DME sent me a box to mail the modem back.

[Pugsy]

Did your insurance specifically say you were done with meeting compliance requirements? Or just met it for that month.

It depends on the insurance company as to what they need. Some insurance is just 30 days period and if that is satisfied during the first 30 days they are happy.

[BlackSpinner]

I think I've discovered something that makes me sad. When I use aromatherapy (few drops on a cotton ball.... Think that was Pugsy's good advice) I tend to cough more at night. I LOVE the aroma, so it makes me sad to think I can't use it.

For some people asthma presents in the form of coughing. Technically it is called bronchial spasms, or at least that is what it says on my little card I now carry after ending up in ER. Scent is a form of "Volatile Organic Compounds" or VOCs and certain VOCs will trigger asthma attacks. You may want to discuss this with your doctor at some point.

[Daydream Believer]

For some people asthma presents in the form of coughing. Technically it is called bronchial spasms, or at least that is what it says on my little card I now carry after ending up in ER. Scent is a form of "Volatile Organic Compounds" or VOCs and certain VOCs will trigger asthma attacks. You may want to discuss this with your doctor at some point.

I have an appointment with my doc today. I'll bring this up with her. With all the issues with my breathing it's sure worth investigating.

BTW I looked through your website a few days ago and your dolls are fascinating! You're very talented. And imaginative.

Amy

[Daydream Believer]

My doc ordered an overnight pulse-ox this past weekend. I should find out the results today.

I called my doc for the results yesterday and maybe not too surprising ... The DME reported to my doc that the results show that I need cpap. My doc was confused by their report and simply replied back "she's already on cpap."

No one has asked me to bring my SD card in to see if therapy is effective. It's a good thing you all have helped me understand how to manage this myself because it doesn't look like anyone else is paying much attention.

Happy Friday all!
Amy

[chunkyfrog]

Some aromatics cause irritation for me--but not all of them.
Perhaps one is out there that will not make you cough.

[BlackSpinner]

For some people asthma presents in the form of coughing. Technically it is called bronchial spasms, or at least that is what it says on my little card I now carry after ending up in ER. Scent is a form of "Volatile Organic Compounds" or VOCs and certain VOCs will trigger asthma attacks. You may want to discuss this with your doctor at some point.

I have an appointment with my doc today. I'll bring this up with her. With all the issues with my breathing it's sure worth investigating.

BTW I looked through your website a few days ago and your dolls are fascinating! You're very talented. And imaginative.

Amy

Thank you.

With me it is mostly flowery perfumes, I can handle eucalyptus. Some seem to trigger the cough reaction while others are a sinus reaction.

And don't get me started on cleaning products and that Febreze crap.

[Daydream Believer]

Well... Had my doc appointment and they put me on supplemental oxygen at night along with my cpap. She said I was going below 88% saturation through much of the night.

What I don't understand.... Is how they decided I needed oxygen when no one has looked at my data since starting cpap. I would think it counter productive to throw more oxygen at me if I'm still not BREATHING well enough at night to incorporate it...? I'm not going to argue with them but I'm obviously alone in my quest for reducing my apnea. Which - by the way - was not at all improved by the addition of oxygen last night.

I feel like I've become someone's gravy train.

[palerider]

What I don't understand.... Is how they decided I needed oxygen when no one has looked at my data since starting cpap. I would think it counter productive to throw more oxygen at me if I'm still not BREATHING well enough at night to incorporate it...? I'm not going to argue with them but I'm obviously alone in my quest for reducing my apnea. Which - by the way - was not at all improved by the addition of oxygen last night.

they decided you needed oxygen because your spo2 was too low for too much of the night, and you were already on cpap, it happens. got a friend who's 39 that's the same way... of course, he does have congestive heart failure as a complication, but, still, it happens.

suppox will not improve your ahi, it just gets more o2 into you while you're breathing, has nothing to do with your ahi.

there are inexpensive (50-100$) pulseox meters you can buy and record yourself overnight and keep an eye on things,