So tired, ready to give up... help?

[snuginarug]

you might want to give a nasal pillows mask a try even if you do have to pay for

Well, unfortunately, i have no money for a new mask out of pocket. I really mean, I have no money, as food will be a problem this month and next month due to car repairs. I'm just going to have to tough this out until my insurance covers a new mask. Then I will get FFmask.

are you open to trying something different to work on being anxious?

Yes, I am definitely open to new things, and I checked out the link you posted. It is definitely interesting, and I will look into it. But reading that reminds me I used to meditate and balance my chakras, and I should get back to that. That and yoga. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

the pressure problem where the mask hits you I think is a very big problem, and might be making it just to unbearable for you
to sleep thru that discomfort.. is there a way you can put some mole skin there? or a piece of cotton t shirt?

I have a nice old soft tshirt in the rag bag and will try it out tonight.

Snug,I think you may have properly diagnosed one of your problems, "the flex thing". We found out pretty quickly that the Cflex and Aflex feature did not match my hubby's breathing pattern. He has a short inhale but a long exhale and in his own way he was able to explain and I finally understood that the machine was "rushing" him to inhale again before he finished his exhale. We turned it off and it solved that problem.

I am really waffling whether it is me or the machine that is the problem. If i think about something else hard enough, get really involved in another thought, my breathing evens out and is no problem. It's really hard, though, to think about something else on command. I am accustomed to using my breath to calm me in relaxation techniques. But in this case, I need to do anything BUT focus on my breath. Very difficult for me. Maybe the point is moot? Me, machine, whatever the problem the solution may be just turning the flex off. I will contemplate this,a nd I will try turning the flex off.

I'm going to offer what are probably some unpopular suggestions.....

I can't stand for my face/nose to be warm. My humidity setting is 0. It blows cool air but no humidity. I live in a very humid area.

I had to take Ambien to learn to sleep through the night on my mask. I'd wake up about 2 am and the mask would come off after 2 hours of watching the clock. I was certain it was an emotional thing. It was - after a month of Ambien I could sleep through the night on my own. Wake up and fall asleep with the mask on on my own. I just needed a little help. - Kim

I can take Ativan as needed, and my psychiatrist most recently had me on it for insomnia. I discontinued it as it seemed to be of no help. But maybe a little anxiety reduction at bedtime may make things easier. I will talk to my psychiatrist on Monday to see about re-starting Ativan at night. As for the humidity setting... mine is set at 0 and the reservoir is empty. I tried it just in passover mode, and that was too damp.

C-Flex and A-Flex are what your Respironics machine has. They are very different from Resmed's EPR.

Intolerance of C-Flex or A-Flex, and a feeling it rushes their breathing happens to some people, and is not a psychological problem. It's a machine problem that occurs because Respironics' "digital autotrak" cant' track their breathing pattern properly.

The solution is either stop the C-Flex (or A-Flex) or try a ResMed.

I am one of those who can't tolerate Respionics' Flex, and simply love ResMed's EasyBreathe with EPR.

O.

I am definitely going to try turning of the c-flex. Tomorrow's project is to take a good look at the manual and figure out how to do so.

what is it that bothers you? I prefer nasal pillows, but if I tried to put them on after turning the machine on I'd be in trouble. When ready to mask up I open my mouth and begin mouth breathing, then put mask in place, then turn machine on, then close my mouth. It helps me avoid those few seconds of panic that can come at different points in masking up if I don't sync it as described.

AH! Yes, this sounds like where my problem with pillows is... the woman helping me turned the machine on first and then tried to fit the pillows to my nostrils. Next time I am in to get a new mask, I will try the pillows using your method of putting them on.

Have you tried a "starting over" technique instead of giving up for the night?

My pattern is this: finally get to sleep, sleep 1,2 or 3 hours, wake up, go into living room, relax, just sit there until tired, return to bed, put mask on again, sleep less than an hour usually, and then give up. It's like my tolerance is two tries, I am too tired an unhappy to try a third time.

You guys have given me a lot to think about and try. I will report back my success with all the different ideas and suggestions.

Thank you all!

[Muse-Inc]

...The solution is either stop the C-Flex (or A-Flex) or try a ResMed...

Ditto, ditto, ditto. One machine's breathform technology will feel more like your own breathing amongst all the mfgs...shame we can't trial them all to find the best one for us before we buy one. Because my 95thcentile pressures are ranging higher (hafta sleep on back until shoulders heal) and my lungs don't like these higher pressures, I had to increase the EPR to 2 which feels odd to me as I've been using a setting of 1 since last Nov. Many of us are pretty durned sensitive to these slight changes.

[snuginarug]

Well guys, I have not enacted any of the good suggestions you made, and things seem to be improving anyway. I credit that to you guys thinking positive thoughts and sending good energy my way. If things take a dip again, I will brush off all these good suggestions and try them out. But at the moment I don't want to mess with things as they appear to be improving. One thing that is different is that the weather has changed, and it is warm enough to have the fan in the window again. i think that really helps, the white noise covering up the darth vader sounds of the machine, making me less conscious of the flex and less conscious of my breathing. So when it cools off again, I will take the fan out of the window, but keep it on to create the noise I seem to need.

Thank you again for all of the support!

[DoriC]

So glad you're doing better now, but for the future if necessary, just keep in mind that the Flex is just a comfort feature. We also found when we turned it off that the machine was quieter. Keep us posted.

[Tired Linda]

Hey Snug,

I was out of town last weekend and didn't see your post until today....did you get the Flex turned off? It didn't take me long to get rid of it once Wulfman told me it looked like I was having problems handling the changing pressures. I shut the damn thing down and haven't looked back. My pressure is now at 10, no Flex, no ramp, just straight blast but it's made a BIG difference.

I'm at work so I can't write much, but I'm gonna look over your posts tonite and will PM you again.

Hope things are getting better. If it's not, there's gotta be somethin' we can do to help.

Linda

[sister]

Snug, let me add that I really think you should give the swift fx a chance. I have thought for so long that there was absolutely nothing that I could use, but thank goodness for the people who made this mask!
I have been trying everything,have I think just about every mask there is, and then I tried the swift fx! What a different world it was!!!!
At first I had to get used to them but after only a few weeks I don't even notice them,they are so tiny.
If you by chance wear false teeth or glasses then you know that you have to give them a little time to get used to them.Same way with the pillows. I really did not think i could use them either but they are entirely different from the heavy masks. You do not even have to tighten the straps at all,the little pillows just seal so good.
I look forward to going to bed at night now for the first time since 2006! because I know i'm going to rest.
So sorry that you are having such a hard time, I know how you feel,I was there for so long.
May GOD BLESS YOU and you'll soon be getting a good nights sleep.