Highest pressure ever

[Jaylee]

Mine is 18 and it doesn't seem that bad to me. But I am one of those annoying people who took to therapy pretty quickly and without many issues. I know, I will sit in the corner now.

[jdm2857]

You say you're going to sit in the corner but you won't stay there very long.

[Jaylee]

You say you're going to sit in the corner but you won't stay there very long.

No, I am a teacher so I appreciate time outs. I will sit for the entire 32 minutes.

[Jaylee]

Besides, the corners around here get pretty crowded.

[profoundapena]

Goodness, how you digress! Anyway, I continue to wake up with chest pain, which quickly dissipates. I called to verify that my Rx is 21/17 but the machine I use displays 17-21. The machine will not let you set the one pressure over the other, so it can't be set up so your expiration is higher than inspiration. I really hate all the acronyms. Anyway, I like the panty hose idea. I don't like the comment that 18 is child's play--but since this is America I respect your right to voice your opinion. To the man who is almost as high as me--right on! You must be a former banker throwing money around like it's nothing. My health care pays for these $2000 machines, so I have no intention of just buying extra stuff. Nor do I have the means to do so. My technican gave me a free set of cheek pads. I also got a free Quattro. I have called the doctor about my congestion and chest pain. I know he will tell me I have a cold and go to the ER, but I'm smarter than to accept that tripe. I'm not having a heart attack every morning only when I breathe in.
I'm so grateful for my 39 years without the bipap! I was told that children are being put on these. So it could be worse.

Maybe my machine is set wrong. It would explain the chest pain.... We'll see once I talk to the Physician's Assistant.

Thanks again for all your good and bad comments.

[CynConn]

My initial AHI was 84. My high pressure has been right around 15. Never found a full face mask that worked, the pressure kept pushing it away from my face. Same with nasal pillows alone. Started using a Hybrid a few weeks ago and love it, it has the nasal pillows and the mouth part and a chin rest that keeps it all positioned correctly on my face. It is similar to the Liberty except that the Liberty doesn't have the chin rest. Feel like a Hybrid evangelist today, I have mentioned it in every post! I have been on CPAP since 1996 and the Hybrid is the FIRST mask that didn't leak. The other option that my clinician recommended was the Oracle. It fits into your mouth only, the best way I can think to explain it is that it kinda looks like a football players mouthguard. It didn't work for me, I didn't have enough clearance inside my mouth for the unit so it hurt but it DID stay in place with a high pressure.

Cynthia

[WillCunningham]

I think my setting is 22/19 right now. I had lots of difficulty finding a mask that I liked, I also have an egg shaped head which makes the straps want to slide off and not stay on. I tried the ComfortGel masks first and they worked for me, but were not very comfortable and seemed to wear out and start leaking after a month or so. I also went the "make the mask way to tight" route for a long time so I could make SURE I finally got some sleep. I eventually backed away from that a bit after I started using the mirage activa (and am now using the activa LT). Finding a mask that works for me was the key. I will echo the advice to try skipping the ramp time feature, I found it distracting and felt like I didn't have enough air till it ramped up.

I have the sore lungs in the morning issue as well. I am a heavy set guy and assume since your doc mentioned loosing weight as your only option (hate how that is always the goto answer for anything medical on a large person) you might be as well. I think that for us the weight of our chest makes breathing out use no muscle, we breathe in then relax and our chest kinda automatically breathes out. My theory is that since we are now breathing out against pressure, we have to actually use breathing muscles to force the exhale to happen. I suspect that is why we end up with sore muscles from breathing out against the pressure, but I don't actually know. I have also noticed the symptom that you mentioned where if you change position for a while, sit up, lay on your side, it takes the 'pressure' off those sore muscles and you recover fairly quickly and the discomfort/pain goes away. I still have the issue occasionally, but over time it got quite a bit better and much easier to take. I still wake up a bit sore once in a while, but overall it is much better...I do think it took a while to achieve that though.

I also very remember one incident that went a long way to helping me come to my theory. I had a hose crack at the rubber attachment end and didn't notice it for who knows how long. I did notice that I was starting to feel sleep deprived eventually, but it took a while because the symptoms creep up on you slowly. I discovered the leak and after getting over my eureka moment, replaced the hose. I found that the next little while my chest soreness was back in spades and I had to get re-used to the whole thing. That is why I assume it is a muscle type thing, though it is possible that I just eventually got used to it.

It seems very tied to the position you sleep in too, I slept a night on a memory foam bed and the way I sunk into it made it difficult to change position. When I woke up that morning my "lung muscles" which seem to be in the middle of my back towards the back more than the front, were extra bad. That makes me a bit nervous that I am not just getting stronger breathing muscles, but rather have learned to toss and turn more at night to better prevent it. I wish I had more scientific data about the subject, my experience with this is too wishy washy. I can say that it is worth the tired lungs to finally feel alive again thanks to the wonders of cpap...It is totally worth hanging in there. When you finally discover that you are not sleep deprived anymore...it is awesome. I still remember the first day I skipped caffeine as a test and was shocked that I didn't pass out at my desk at work.

[ifrimmel]

Goodness, how you digress! Anyway, I continue to wake up with chest pain, which quickly dissipates. I called to verify that my Rx is 21/17 but the machine I use displays 17-21. The machine will not let you set the one pressure over the other, so it can't be set up so your expiration is higher than inspiration. I really hate all the acronyms. Anyway, I like the panty hose idea. I don't like the comment that 18 is child's play--but since this is America I respect your right to voice your opinion. To the man who is almost as high as me--right on! You must be a former banker throwing money around like it's nothing. My health care pays for these $2000 machines, so I have no intention of just buying extra stuff. Nor do I have the means to do so. My technican gave me a free set of cheek pads. I also got a free Quattro. I have called the doctor about my congestion and chest pain. I know he will tell me I have a cold and go to the ER, but I'm smarter than to accept that tripe. I'm not having a heart attack every morning only when I breathe in.
I'm so grateful for my 39 years without the bipap! I was told that children are being put on these. So it could be worse.

Maybe my machine is set wrong. It would explain the chest pain.... We'll see once I talk to the Physician's Assistant.

Thanks again for all your good and bad comments.

Very little time to construct a meaningful reply .. I quickly checked in to see how you doing ..

Former banker .. for sure : Bernie's my cousin .. I'm hiding all the CASH for him - the interest hardly pays for my Bentley's tires and gas - nevermind THAT good for nothing pilot that sits on his ass and doesn't even polish up the Gulfstream when I need to nip over and buy some bread - I can hear them laughing at me when I land at the private airstrip in front of my "cottage" in Nice .. seriously... unemployed for 2 years - recently employed for a few months now - I took all my spare money and threw it at THIS problem. It is a very steep learning curve and @ +$100 per mask made out of plastic it is NO JOKE! Hence my advise to stay well clear of ANYTHING that promises comfort etc..

wrt your chest pain - I had that - some pain on the sides too for weeks and lots of nausea in the mornings .. went down from 21/17 to 20/16 and that helped ALOT! Important to be able to get your AI/AHI data from the machine so you can see if you REALLY need those pressures. If you can hover under 5AHI that is considered "success".

Leaks are BAD NEWS when it comes to stuffiness and congestion - when you look at your leak data you will know what I am talking about when I say the Quatro is SH!T.

You do have a humidifier right ?! 21 without a humidifier is hell on wheels dude..

Gotta go ..

I'll check on this post over the weekend..

[torontoCPAPguy]

the nose only respironics comfort gell mask can be reshaped to suit your face and may leak less

Really?? How?

By whacking yourself in the nose with a brick... go give it a try and report back.

I can't believe I said that. I apologize. Even in jest that comes out bad. Mind you if you stick your head in the microwave and warm up your cheeks that plastic will shape to your face better and reduce leakage.


The mask thingy is one part of the equation and it needs to be addressed in order for you to really get a feel for what pressures are at work. I consider myself fortunate having whacked myself in the nose with a brick and warmed up my head in the oven already to get a pretty decent fit of the nosebag.... my leakage is such that it is an irritation more than a 'masking' (pardon the pun) of my true numbers at play.

This whole thing strikes me as being a juggling act of issues that need to be addressed in order to arrive at a good night of sleep and a healthy night of sleep. Sleep hygiene - very important! Bladder control, don't eat gassy foods, or any foods that are going to put your stomache and intestines to work while you attempt to sleep. Comfy room temperature, comfy mattress and blankets and sheets, darkness, a secure environment that you are most comfortable in, no noise during sleep, etc.

The mask thingy. Blower pressures and humidification. Clear sinuses. And the list goes on. Each has its own effect on the overall efficacy of treatment and sleep and health and interactions and so on.

So, one must stick it out and be prepared to be one's own advocate. If you feel that your pressures are too high there is probably a reason for that and you need to discuss things with your doctors and be prepared to play around on your own, gently, slowly. Like I said on another thread, a difference of one measly cm of pressure made all the difference in the world for me. For me, there was a 'sweet spot' in pressures where everything seems to fall into place. Lower and everything falls apart; higher and it is uncomfortable for me and everything falls apart. It is through the hints and kinks on this forum that I wound up with my pressure range and there was nothing scientific about it although I monitored it closely as to blood oxygen, heart rate and BP. I wish I could have an EEG to see what my sleep was truly like.