Newbie trying again

[Dano9258]

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea back in August of 2019. I am a 35 year old male, 6'4", 210 lbs (slightly overweight, doctor says I should be around 200 ideally). The results showed my O2 averaging around 92% with a minimum of 80%, and a AHI of 39.4.

I received a Airsense 10 Autoset with climate lined tubing along with numerous different masks to try to include full face, nasal pillows, full face that sit under your nose, tubing at top, etc. I was able to fall asleep once with it the first week and then never could fall asleep any other night, eventually ripping the mask off and going to sleep. I never had serious tiredness issues (brain fog, severe headaches, etc) until recently, so I just stopped using it.

In Oct of 2020 I went to a Dentist who recommended the Vivos appliance to help reshape my upper jaw to help solve the apnea. So I finished that treatment in Dec 2020, and thought I was good. However, just this past month, I have woken up several times with a racing heart, and never seem to get good sleep. I know the racing heart is worrisome as your heart is making up for your sleep issues. Furthermore, I have a Samsung Watch 4 which is showing my O2 levels as night dipping down to 78 and 79% at times within the past month or so. So now im freaking out and back to trying the CPAP.

I just tried it for the third night this week since starting up again and was finally able to get to sleep with it. The first night I had the full mask on for 1 hour before taking it off and going to sleep. The second night was slightly over 1 hour. Both nights used same settings of auto ramp, EDR only on during awake, and humidity at auto. I also have min setting at 6 and max at 12. Then for last night I switched the humidity to 7, and EDR full time. I don't know if those changes helped me fall asleep but I was able to get 2.5 hours of sleep with it. I fell asleep and just woke up startled at 1230am thinking something was on my face to realize it was just the mask. I'm marking it up as a win since its the first time Ive really been able to fall asleep using it and get some sleep.

I'm looking for any help anyone can give and realize everyone is different. My everyday brain fog and frequent headaches are getting tiresome and need advice to make this better. The Vivos therapy appears to have done nothing and Im back at trying the CPAP.

1) Any suggestions for changing settings?
2) Any cons of having EDR on full time?
3) Any cons of having humidity so high?

Thanks guys!

[SleepGeek]

You are to be commended for trying again.

Hopefully, you learned that dentists and surgeons are not in this to help but to make your wallet lighter plus what they have done normally can't be undone. The sleep business can be a rough one.

It would help if you started at the top of this page reading the "Announcements" - the one that may help us help you the most is the second one down https://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t889 ... Hints.html

btw - welcome to the zoo
Help is on the way!

[zonker]

btw - welcome to the zoo

[Julie]

Download Oscar (2nd stickie top of the forum) and post results according to directions - in this thread please - and experts will make any suggestions to readjust settings etc. if necessary.. don't post the calendar or pie chart tho'.

[Dano9258]

Thanks guys. I'm aware of Oscar and downloaded it tonight. I had to put a new SD card in the machine so I'll have to start recording data from tonight forward. And we leave town Saturday so I'll get 2 nights of data and then have to restart on Tuesday night.

[Julie]

Post the two nights and we'll see what's what.

[chunkyfrog]

Thanks guys. I'm aware of Oscar and downloaded it tonight. I had to put a new SD card in the machine so I'll have to start recording data from tonight forward. And we leave town Saturday so I'll get 2 nights of data and then have to restart on Tuesday night.

Why are you not taking the cpap with you?
I took mine along to a professional symposium the FIRST WEEK I had it.
Challenging myself to always use it--in 12 years I only lost one night.

[SJ-Paddler]

Challenging myself to always use it--in 12 years I only lost one night.

I know, I am just entering my third month and it is like I am addicted to it now. My step father told me he and my mom left on vacation and they had to drive 3 hours back to the house because he forgot to pack the hose. I thought he was joking when he said he "Could Not Sleep Without It."

The other night I fell asleep while waiting for my wife to come to bed and she woke me up saying I was snoring. My throat hurt so bad after only a few minutes snoring. That used to be normal for me but I don't think I could ever go back to not using it.