1st time w/ CPAP + nasal pillows

[wongnog]

Hey everyone, complete newbie here. Had a sleep study a month ago and saw the doctor two days ago with the results, confirming I have moderate OSA. A total of 84 episodes of apnea + hypopneas in a 6 hr period, longest hypopnea was 70 sec. Bought a CPAP unit that day, I have a ResMed S8 Elite II with HumidAire 3i humidifier and the Swift LT Nasal Pillow system. The doc set the CPAP for a ramp setting of 7.0, and so far I`ve slept 2 nites on it. I`ve also been recording audio of myself during the night on my computer and analyzing the sounds myself. Before using CPAP, my snoring was VERY LOUD and I could easily tell the apneas on my computer, i.e. I would look at the sound waves and look for large gaps between my regular snores. With CPAP, I am still snoring but it is much quieter and not as often. I called the place that I bought the unit from because I remember them saying they have a 30 day exchange policy with the masks. They said it probably means the pressure needs to be adjusted, but that's why I'm having a second sleep test done in a month. However this test will be AFTER the 30 day mask exchange period, so how do I know if it's not my mask that's the problem? I did the leak test on the unit, and it says the mask fitting is excellent. My older brother is also an OSA sufferer and has been using CPAP for a few years. He recommended I get the full face mask as it's worked wonders for him. But this is all too new for me and I'm apprehensive right now to go "full force" to the face mask.

Appreciate any feedback you guys could provide. Thanks!

[Linus]

Go for an APAP machine. It Adjusts the pressure automatically as needed. I did and the results were much better.

[sleepydoll]

Getting used to any mask is quite the challenge in the beginning!
The nasal pillows are not always easy to get used to..or any type of mask, as a matter of fact!
Why don't you wait and giver it a week or two of trial? Just check that the 30 day trial isn't over, so that you can switch if you want to.
Just don't change it to have the same one as your brother..what works for one might not work for the other.
If you still snore, it's most certainly because the pressure isn't high enough..you probably need 9 or 10.
I'm sure you'll find how to ajust your own pressure if you do a search on this site...
Good luck to you. Keep us posted on your therapy.
Dolores

[DreamStalker]

It could be the wrong pressure setting or it could be you are leaking your treatment out your mouth.

What machine do you have?

As suggested, you should insist on a good APAP (Auto-adjusting CPAP) machine. Then get yourself the appropriate software. You can then determine what problems you are having rather than allowing the yahoos at the DME guess.

With this condition ... taking control of YOUR treatment is essential!

Good luck and welcome to the forum ... your new life

[wongnog]

Thanks for the replies guys! My machine is the ResMed S8 Elite II, and I'd have to check the manual to see if I can adjust the pressure on my own. The person who sold me the machine and mask said don't bother as I have another sleep test scheduled for a month, at that time the doc will determine if the pressure needs to be increased. But that appt is AFTER the 30 day mask exchange period! Plus the holidays are coming up and I'm going away for a week in Jan, so I've got a couple things against me here.

Anyway, 3 nights so far and the 3rd night felt better, getting used to the nasal pillows gradually. I could tell my level of alertness was increased today because we had a boring presentation/meeting at work, and normally I would've dozed off halfway between but this time I was actually wide eyed and listening! Something else complicating matters is I caught a cold the same day that I got the CPAP, but I actually think the machine is helping to speed my recovery period. I usually wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat, and this gets worse when I catch a cold, but with the humidified CPAP I feel that I'm not leaving my mouth open in the middle of the night so it's helping my dry/sore throat issues.

I also have no idea if I can get an APAP right now, because they said there's no returns/exchanges on the CPAP I bought!

[dlmad]

If remember right this ResMed unit will record any apnea events you are having, so if they haven't asked, take your unit to the doctor with you so the respiratory therapist can download the information from the machine. I have an older Resmed that only records usage.

From my 3 year experience it is easier to start with pillows, but now I switch between pillows and a nasal mask every few days. Also from my experience you should not be snoring at all. I was a LOUD snorer and I immediately stoped making any noise at night according to my wife, so something does not seem right and you need to talk to your doctor or respiratory therapist about this.

Good luck and hang in there. It does get better and easier over time.

[DreamStalker]

Thanks for the replies guys! My machine is the ResMed S8 Elite II, and I'd have to check the manual to see if I can adjust the pressure on my own. The person who sold me the machine and mask said don't bother as I have another sleep test scheduled for a month, at that time the doc will determine if the pressure needs to be increased. But that appt is AFTER the 30 day mask exchange period! Plus the holidays are coming up and I'm going away for a week in Jan, so I've got a couple things against me here.

Anyway, 3 nights so far and the 3rd night felt better, getting used to the nasal pillows gradually. I could tell my level of alertness was increased today because we had a boring presentation/meeting at work, and normally I would've dozed off halfway between but this time I was actually wide eyed and listening! Something else complicating matters is I caught a cold the same day that I got the CPAP, but I actually think the machine is helping to speed my recovery period. I usually wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat, and this gets worse when I catch a cold, but with the humidified CPAP I feel that I'm not leaving my mouth open in the middle of the night so it's helping my dry/sore throat issues.

I also have no idea if I can get an APAP right now, because they said there's no returns/exchanges on the CPAP I bought!

Is insurance involved? If yes, I would double check with your insurance to see if the machine you have isn't actually being rented .... rent to buy is usually the way insurance works. If it is still in rental term, you can take it back and get an APAP.

If you are having dry mouth with CPAP use, you are likely losing air pressure out your mouth ... that needs to be first priority to take care of.

[wongnog]

No I'm not renting, I purchased the unit and the Canadian Government/Private insurance through work is covering all of it. And about the dry mouth, I was trying to say that was a problem I would experience before CPAP, but even after 3 nights of it I don't think I'm having that problem anymore. I did tape myself during the night, and listening to the audio I am still snoring but a) not as frequently as before, b) not as loud as before, and c) no audible apneas that I can tell. Of course I'm not analyzing brain waves or anything, just my laymen's analysis of my progress thus far. But I wonder if the cold I'm fighting is complicating matters, I suppose there's no harm in sticking with it to see if things improve or not.

[wongnog]

Okay so it's been 5 nights with the machine now, and I just read a thread that showed how to get to the efficiency data on my Resmed Elite II machine. Can someone help interpret these numbers for me please?

• Leak = 0.34L/s
  AHI = 0.3
  AI = 0.0
  HI = 0.3

Oh wait, I'm not positive that these numbers come from an entire night's sleep because I did get up in the middle of the night a few times to use the bathroom. But this is the efficiency data from the last "Day" on the LCD screen. Really not sure how to tell how many hours it was from tho. So new to this!

edit: I know my machine has a data card slot, but is that at all useful for home use? i.e. can the data be transferred to my computer easily or do I need to buy additional hardware?