Frustrated - Lost

[alpha]

Alpha,

I'm not a doctor and I cannot presume to make a diagnosis over an internet forum, but it sure sounds like you have sleep apnea to me. First and foremost, I really hope you are having your heart irregularities treated by a cardiologist, no matter what kind of bad experiances you have had with docs up till now. The reason I think you have OSA is because you sound a lot like me before I got on CPAP. I never saw the end of a movie, I would be asleep a few minutes after sitting down and wake up when the lights came on. Like you I was tired all the time, to the point of almost driving off the road on a regular basis. I snored a LOT. I can happily report that the falling asleep at the drop of a hat went away immediately once I began getting successful treatment, so I hope it would be the same for you.

As I said, I'm not a Dr or licensed medical anything, but the treatment of simple obstructive sleep apnea isn't complicated. If you feel like you are suffocating, you probably need more air. If it were me, I would try bumping the pressure up a bit. 7 cm is pretty low. I would try 8 for a few nights and see if that helps at all, then perhaps adjust again.

Also, have you tried nasal rinses for congestion? I often have the same problem of one nostril closing up, but I am still able to get sufficient air through the other. If you haven't already, read some of the articles under the newbie/getting started and look for ones that address the problems you have been having.

Its great you want to make CPAP work for you. Keep at it, your determination coupled with information available here will get you treated successfully.

Thank you. I will re-read the manual play around with the settings and see how to increase the pressure. Honestly I've been paranoid of pushing buttons on the machine. When the technician came to our home to set it up (we've since moved), he gave me the impression I shouldn't mess around with it or touch any buttons (weird considering I own the equipment and should know how to use it...)

Anyhow, thanks again for the tips.

[Mikosiko]

Alpha,

Check your PM's

[DaveMunson]

I honestly believe that I would be dead by now without my machine. Me and the guy in the cube next to me swapped stories about falling asleep driving. Tired.

Learn how to program the machine. You can program it to give you 7-20 pressure rather than a fixed. That way if you need more, it will give you more. Use the machine as a sleep study. The bad news is that the machine is not perfect and is a bit timid on the pressure. If you feel better and find that the machine will run you up to a higher number, increase the lower limit. My machine would not increase the pressure enough for me to sleep without snoring. I had to increase the lower number up; the minimum pressure to the point where I quit snoring.

At the highest pressures, the pressure will clear your sinuses. Really. No more stuffed up. At higher pressures the heated humidifier is needed.

If you increase pressure you may "find comfort" with a different mask. Some are better at higher pressures. Others at low. You have a good machine.

--Almost 10,000 hours on my machine

[alpha]

Thanks for that.

I forgot how to use the ramp button. If I remember correctly, I was supposed to use it and start it at a higher pressure, then let it lower by itself as I fell asleep. The machine has been in the closet for so long that I forgot all about it. I need to read the manual again.

[Wulfman]

Personally, I think you have one of the best CPAP machines made. It was my first machine and is still my sentimental favorite.

If nobody has PM'd you with the Setup instructions, I'm posting them below. I would suggest copying them and saving to a file on your computer.

If you need any further information, please let me know.

Den



REMstar Pro 2 Setup

When in the Setup Menu, the humidifier ^ and ramp v buttons operate as up and down keys to change the settings, the left/right user buttons < > allow you to go to the previous/next question or setting, and the pressure start/stop button is used to exit the Setup Menu. Holding the humidifier or ramp buttons down will cause the values to change more quickly.

To enter the Therapy Setup Menu, hold the two top user buttons < > down while plugging in the power cord.
Continue holding the buttons down until the REMstar Pro 2 with C-Flex beeps twice.

Note: The word "setup" will appear on all of the screens indicating that you are in the Therapy Setup Menu.
If you press the Pressure start/stop button, you will exit the Setup Menu.

a. Compliance hours/nights: (recommend leaving alone, but CAN be cleared at this point)
Select next setting with >

b. Therapy mode: (CPAP or CFLE) select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

c. CPAP or CFLE pressure setting: Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

d. C-Flex mode (if you chose CFLE mode): Select setting 1, 2 or 3 with ^
Select next setting with >

e: Ramp time setting: Select with ^ or v
(ramp time will be turned off with a setting of 0:00)
Select next setting with >

f. Ramp pressure setting: Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

g. Patient disconnect setting: 1 = on 0 = off Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

h. Buttons lights setting: 1 = on 0 = off Select with ^ or v

(Last setting. Use On/Off button to exit Setup)

[rested gal]

Thank you both.

Well, the issue with my stuffy nose is regardless of whether I sleep with the machine or without it. I'm a side sleeper and regardless of the fact that I make sure my airways are clean and unobstructed before I go to bed, the lower nostril (right if I am laying on my right side and vice versa) gets blocked which means I have to breathe through a single nostril or mouth. Since I use a chinstrap to keep my jaw shut, I feel I suffocate by trying to breathe through a single nostril.

alpha, I noticed in your equipment list that you are using a passover humidifier rather than a humidifier that can heat.

Cool cpap air causes congestion and stuffiness for me. Passover humidification isn't enough for me. I don't need a LOT of heated humidification...I keep mine set on very low heat, but I do better that way than with no heat at all.

Everyone's different, and for some people heated humidification causes stuffiness. For others (like me) cool passover humidification or no humidification causes stuffiness. Have you ever tried heated humidification? Might make a difference.

[track]

For whatever it's worth it is perfectly normal to have one nostril plugged up at all times..typically they alternate during the night and day.. I read an article awhile back where it said one nostril open at a time is common to most people...nothing to be concerned about..you can get plenty of air through one nostril unless you are working out.

[lktnky]

I know you said $$$ is kind of an issue, but if you haven't had a titration in 3 years, you might want to look into having another one done as soon as you can afford it. IMHO

[alpha]

alpha, I noticed in your equipment list that you are using a passover humidifier rather than a humidifier that can heat.

Cool cpap air causes congestion and stuffiness for me. Passover humidification isn't enough for me. I don't need a LOT of heated humidification...I keep mine set on very low heat, but I do better that way than with no heat at all.

Everyone's different, and for some people heated humidification causes stuffiness. For others (like me) cool passover humidification or no humidification causes stuffiness. Have you ever tried heated humidification? Might make a difference.

That's my mistake, my humidifier is heated. I'll correct that in my profile.

[alpha]

Personally, I think you have one of the best CPAP machines made. It was my first machine and is still my sentimental favorite.

If nobody has PM'd you with the Setup instructions, I'm posting them below. I would suggest copying them and saving to a file on your computer.

If you need any further information, please let me know.

Den

Thank you Den, I'll save this for future reference!

[alpha]

For whatever it's worth it is perfectly normal to have one nostril plugged up at all times..typically they alternate during the night and day.. I read an article awhile back where it said one nostril open at a time is common to most people...nothing to be concerned about..you can get plenty of air through one nostril unless you are working out.

I thought so but wasn't sure. My wife is also a side sleeper and she needs to switch from left to right during the night for the same reason.

I know you said $$$ is kind of an issue, but if you haven't had a titration in 3 years, you might want to look into having another one done as soon as you can afford it. IMHO

I thought about it and I may do it down the line. First I want to exhaust my current setup and make sure it works. I don't think I've given it the chance it deserves as it is right now.

[OutaSync]

Thanks for that.

I forgot how to use the ramp button. If I remember correctly, I was supposed to use it and start it at a higher pressure, then let it lower by itself as I fell asleep. The machine has been in the closet for so long that I forgot all about it. I need to read the manual again.

The ramp feature will start you out at a lower pressure and gradually build up to your prescribed pressure. You may not need the ramp if your setting is at 7. Starting lower than that may make it feel like it's hard to breathe.

As you can see, you have tapped into a great resource of very caring, knowledgeable people. Welcome to our world. Get that machine out of the closet and let's work on getting your therapy comfortable for you. This will improve your life and your marriage.

Keep coming back and read, read, read.

Bev

[alpha]

Thank you, and you're right, I remember now. I was told to use ramp at first and it was easier than without it judging by the other night's experience. 7 seems like a pretty high pressure to me though... at least it feels like it. What makes it hard is to breathe against it consciously. At lower pressure I can breathe through the hose better as there's not nearly as much resistance, then one my breathing normalizes and I fall asleep, I got the full pressure. That's probably why it was so hard to fall asleep the other night.

[Wulfman]

Thank you, and you're right, I remember now. I was told to use ramp at first and it was easier than without it judging by the other night's experience. 7 seems like a pretty high pressure to me though... at least it feels like it. What makes it hard is to breathe against it consciously. At lower pressure I can breathe through the hose better as there's not nearly as much resistance, then one my breathing normalizes and I fall asleep, I got the full pressure. That's probably why it was so hard to fall asleep the other night.

That sorta sounds like C-Flex is not enabled on your machine. I like a setting of "2".

Den

[giantred]

test my other email didn't go through.