New member with questions!

[chriscoll1]

Hello everyone!

My name is Chris and I am a 44 year old guy with OSA. I was diagnosed about 1 1/2 years ago and have been using the equipment in my signature ever since. Everything went pretty well for about a year. Then I started having problems with my mouth opening and losing pressure and dry mouth. I tried some chinstraps and am now using RipVW's strap and it does pretty well but I still wake with dry mouth sometimes. About a month ago I got a Mirage Quattro and tried it out. It did help with leaking and was a bit more comfortable. But my dry mouth problem got unbearable and my quality of sleep dropped, my partner says I snore with it on. I dont stop breathing like without a mask but snore pretty well.

Now I am back to using my old mask. The dehumidifier setting is on 2, is this my problem? There are no adjustments on my machine that I can use to increase it. I read here about machines recording stats nightly. Is this something that is possible with my machine? Should I switch to better equipment? Any help or tips would be great!

Thanks,
Chris

[Julie]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Well, I hate to say it, but your machine is very basic, and won't give you any information to speak of apart from possible compliance, on the screen. I would want to know more about what happened with the Quattro, whether or not it was really fitted properly for you and whether or not. I'd also ask my MD, or preferably an ENT to take a look and make sure you don't have intrinsic problems like nasal polyps, etc. which could be contributing. BTW, do you sleep on your back? It's the 'worst' position for OSA, and if you can sleep on your side, you might be better off. Otherwise, look at something like this, on Cpap.com:-
https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... undle.html
OR, this one...
https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... undle.html
as they're pretty popular.
If you need a full face mask you should be using one, so I'd try others beside the Quattro.

[secret agent girl]

.

[cflame1]

It's possible (however there are other possibilities as well... including weight gain/loss, stress, sinus issues), but as was mentioned the machine that he has gives no usable information other than for possibly compliance (hours used), so there's no way of knowing for sure. Anything that we suggest is merely guessing.
That's why we try to suggest getting fully data capable machines from the beginning.

[chriscoll1]

Thanks for the replies. I sleep on my side always. My weight,allergies etc. have not changed. With the pillow mask I sleep well but it is very uncomfortable and I have leaking problems. With the Quattro it is more comfortable and no leaks so I believe it fits correctly. But the dry mouth is unbearable and my quality of sleep isnt the best. Would the pressure need to be higher for the Quattro?


I was given no options for equipment. The doctors just told me that Lincare would bring my CPAP and that was it. If only I was better educated on this stuff. I think its 4 years until my insurance buys me a new machine. I will pay out of my pocket if it will really help me sleep like I should.

[Slinky]

Well, I'd be inclined to go for another titration. But I'd also take advantage of the experience you've had so far and do some shopping for a sleep doctor and sleep lab that might be more enlightening, more likely to see things my way (i.e. explain things fully, give me some say in what equipment I get, etc.

I'd also be shopping for another local DME supplier. One w/a lenient mask exchange policy, with an RT I felt comfortable working with, one willing to share a little knowledge w/me, one will to educate and support me.

And I'd try like the devil to convince the sleep doctor to help me justify the NEED for a fully data capable auto PAP to my insurance company.

You've got the time now to do the shopping, to talk to your insurance company to find out what your options are for sleep doctors, sleep labs and local DME providers.

[Slinky]

Well, I'd be inclined to go for another titration. But I'd also take advantage of the experience you've had so far and do some shopping for a sleep doctor and sleep lab that might be more enlightening, more likely to see things my way (i.e. explain things fully, give me some say in what equipment I get, etc.

I'd also be shopping for another local DME supplier. One w/a lenient mask exchange policy, with an RT I felt comfortable working with, one willing to share a little knowledge w/me, one will to educate and support me.

And I'd try like the devil to convince the sleep doctor to help me justify the NEED for a fully data capable auto PAP to my insurance company.

You've got the time now to do the shopping, to talk to your insurance company to find out what your options are for sleep doctors, sleep labs and local DME providers.

I'd also request a copy of the doctor's dictated results and the full scored data summary report w/condensed graphs (also sometimes called the full disclosure report) from any and all of my in-lab sleep evaluation and CPAP titration studies as well as a copy of any equipment orders (scripts). They are part of your medical records and as such you have a legal right to them, assuming you are in the USA, under HIPAA.