Good numbers....I think

[Geminidream]

Being only 2 weeks into cpap therapy, I realize I have a lot to learn. I just learned how to get info from my machine this morning. Although my mask had some rainout issues when I woke up and my bed partner said I snored a tiny bit, these are the numbers I got this morning. I feel quite refreshed.

Hours of operation: 7.5
Leak: .24
AHI: 1.1
AI: None
HI: 1.1

Any advice/guidance would be appreciated

[Gerryk]

Those numbers aren't bad. If you can work on getting rid of the rain out that could be causing a slight leak by your face getting a little wet. Sometimes it only takes a little bit of a leak to make a difference in your therapy. I wouldn't worry about much now except trying to eliminate or reduce that rain out.

You said something very important at the end of your post. You said you feel quit refreshed. That is very important, now you know cpap is working for you. Two weeks in your doing very good.

Gerry

[ozij]

Great numbers. Wish I had them...
O.

[aavenger]

Yes your numbers are super,I too had a difficult time in fact I gave up ....only to find I was tired and feeling very down.Stick to it things will get better In time you will not even notice the mask....Good Luck

[PST]

Your AI couldn't be better and the Hi is really good too. There is a rough rule of thumb some people use that anything under 5 is okay. ResMed machines are known to be liberal in the way they count hypopneas, so 1.1 is especially good on one of those. I use the same blower and I'd love to average that.

Your leak rate isn't so good, but it's important to know that the number in the window on an Elite II is the 95th percentile figure, not an average for all night long. All it tells you is that 5 percent of the time you leaked at .24 L/sec or higher. So you may only be having a moderate leakage problem for a small part of the night.

Moderate leakage doesn't affect therapy much. The machine has enough oomph to push air fast enough to make up for that. If leaking air squirts out into your eyes, though, it can make them dry and sore, and if it leaks through your mouth it can leave your mouth feeling parched. Solutions for mouth leaks and mask cushion leaks are very different, so the next step is to figure out what you have. You'll find lots of suggestions here for either one.

[Hawthorne]

Those are great numbers!! The fact that you wake feeling refreshed is even better!

What do you have your humidifier set at? it could be that it is too high for you and is causing some rainout.

[rested gal]

Excellent numbers, Gemini. I wouldn't worry about the leak number, which is not bad at all, imho.

Your refreshed feeling in the morning is a strong indication that your therapy is doing what it's supposed to be doing, and doing it very effectively. Those nice low numbers are icing on the cake.

[DreamOn]

FANTASTIC results, Gemini!!! Good to hear you're feeling refreshed! And it'll get better and better....

[Geminidream]

Those are great numbers!! The fact that you wake feeling refreshed is even better!

What do you have your humidifier set at? it could be that it is too high for you and is causing some rainout.

I had my humidifier set at 2, but my bedroom is very cool and dry because I cut the furnace back at night and have extra blankets. I have a hose snuggie and the hose was relatively dry this morning....just the mask was rainy. I set it back about half way between 1 and 2. We will see how it does for tonight.

[Hawthorne]

That slight adjustment may make all the difference for you but when I hear about your night time temperature, etc, the humidifier may not be causing the rainout. Lowering it slightly is certainly worth a try though.

Do you have a hose cover? That's another thing that can help with rainout.

[DreamOn]

Geminidream,

I see that you already use a hose cover. Hopefully, turning the humidifier down will help.

I have a thick, knitted hose cover and a hose stand that raises the hose up and then brings it down to the mask. Some people get the Aussie heated hose, which is apparently a sure fix for rainout. I have the same humidifier as you do, and I usually run my humidifier at 1.5. At 2.0 I don't get any condensation inside the hose itself, but because my bedroom is pretty cold (don't use heat in the house usually) I do get some moisture in my mask. Sometimes I get mask moisture at 1.5, but very little. I think it's from the temperature difference between the warmer, humid air inside the mask (from both the humidifier and exhaled air) and the cooler room air. That's my theory, anyway.

I have a feeling that if I had the room temperature warmer that I wouldn't have the mask condensation. But it isn't a big deal for me, since there isn't a lot of water in it -- not enough to get in my nose. I have the Activa LT mask, and the droplets get caught in the silicone "well" on the sides. With other masks it may be more of a problem though. And, of course, everyone's room temperature and climate are different, so humidifer settings do vary.

~ DreamOn

[Geminidream]

I am planning on trying the Swift nasal pillow mask next. The Comfort Gel mask is cumbersome feeling to me and leaves red marks on my face....which I am not too fond of waiting for 2 hrs to disappear. It just feels heavy on my face, but I am making it work for now. I am committed to keeping on track with the therapy. I felt so awful before, not to mention the health problems OSA can cause.

[DreamOn]

I am planning on trying the Swift nasal pillow mask next. The Comfort Gel mask is cumbersome feeling to me and leaves red marks on my face....which I am not too fond of waiting for 2 hrs to disappear. It just feels heavy on my face, but I am making it work for now. I am committed to keeping on track with the therapy. I felt so awful before, not to mention the health problems OSA can cause.

A lot of people use the Swift nasal pillows mask. My favorite (so far) is the AEIOMed Headrest nasal pillows mask. I really like it. It vents upward, rather than outward, which is great. It's comfortable too. Unfortunately, most brick and mortar DMEs don't carry it, though.

If you want to try another nasal mask sometime, look at the ResMed Mirage Activa LT mask. It's pretty light and it kind of "floats" on your face. You don't have to wear the straps tight.

Masks are definitely one of the biggest challenges! In addition to getting the right style, the proper size is very important.

[Geminidream]

Last night was even better. No rain out in the mask with the humidifier turned down to between 1 and 2. Thanks everyone for the advice and sharing your experience. Its truly been a big help.

Hours of operation: 5.34
Leak rate: .14
AHI: .1
AI: None
HI: .1

I see the weekly average is hanging at .6 for AHI....not bad at all.

[kteague]

From one Buckeye to another, congrats on doing so well so soon. The best mask really is personal preference. I went thru a couple I couldn't tolerate then a couple that were quite tolerable the first year. Sometimes interchanged headgear and nasal pillows to get a more customized setup. Have used the Headrest for a couple years. Love the pillows and vent, but hate the headgear, so I took it off and use homemade straps. Hope you soon settle on one that feels comfortable (or that you can make feel comfortable), then you ought to be one happy camper.
Kathy