New CPAP'r with software and mask Q's

[GeoMG]

Hi All,

I've greatly enjoyed reading over the board for about the past month. I discovered it originally searching for information about air leaking out my mouth while using a nasal mask. My girlfriend tells me that I'm still snoring and last night was the first time she felt she needed to leave the room because of it. It definitely seems worse when my nose is stuffed up and I find myself mouth breathing. I'm at 14cm of pressure. Can I safely raise that, and by how much? I'm interested in getting software to see how I'm doing, but wondering if there is anything Mac compatible? Lastly, the mask I'm using is generally OK, but I found I definitely had to snug it down tighter than the tech recommended to keep it from shifting and leaking when I lay on my side. I still get woken up with leaks sometimes, so I'm wonder if there's something better that I could try. I do keep my pillow folded up under my head and away from the mask.

[Pugsy]

Please confirm the machine model you have listed in your Profile. If it is the Plus, you have no data other than hours of use to obtain. It is not fully data capable in the sense to get any meaningful data.

The software is designed to work in Windows environment. Some Mac users have been able to use it if they set up a virtual world of Windows. Other ideas will have to come from Mac users. Old XP computer laying around somewhere?

If you do have the Plus as listed in your profile and you have just started therapy the time is NOW to get it swapped out for a data capable machine.

[Janknitz]

It's great that you're interested in data, but if you do have the Respironics CPAP Plus, software will do you no good.

And you should NOT go changing the pressures when you don't really understand what's going on. You have no data to tell you what's happening and you don't really understand the effect of raising the pressures because increased pressure will NOT stop mouth breathing or nasal congestion.

I would tackle the nasal congestion first, eliminating that may stop the mouth breathing. First step is to change your humidifier settings. Although it seems counterintuitive, often if the humidifier is set too high, nasal congestion occurs. Try turning it down. And try to do some "nasal hygiene" to tackle the congestion as well--neti pot or saline rinses, and medications (oral antihistamines and/or nasal steroid spray) if necessary. Once you get the congestion under control, the mouth breathing may stop.

Mouth breathing is counter-productive, so if you cannot get the nasal congestion under control quickly you might consider a FF mask, at least until the congestion decreases.

[ww]

Hi All,

I've greatly enjoyed reading over the board for about the past month. I discovered it originally searching for information about air leaking out my mouth while using a nasal mask. My girlfriend tells me that I'm still snoring and last night was the first time she felt she needed to leave the room because of it. It definitely seems worse when my nose is stuffed up and I find myself mouth breathing. I'm at 14cm of pressure. Can I safely raise that, and by how much? I'm interested in getting software to see how I'm doing, but wondering if there is anything Mac compatible? Lastly, the mask I'm using is generally OK, but I found I definitely had to snug it down tighter than the tech recommended to keep it from shifting and leaking when I lay on my side. I still get woken up with leaks sometimes, so I'm wonder if there's something better that I could try. I do keep my pillow folded up under my head and away from the mask.

Hi GeoMG. I set up Windows XP on the bootcamp partition and can run the software by booting Windows on my iMac. See if they will exchange your unit for one that is data capable (ie. will record leaks, apneas, hypopneas, pressure, etc. Look up all the models similar to yours and research them carefully on cpap.com, then get your unit exchanged. Now that you have a Quattro full faced mask, be sure it fits and does not leak!!!!! You will not have snoring at a pressure of 14cm. I have to shave every night and then scrub my face where the mask fits, then snug it down where it doesn't leak. It takes time to figure all this out, but it is worth the trouble.

[GeoMG]

Thank you so much for the helpful replies! I finally got through to the doc, after talking to the nurse who "wasn't aware of any more data capable machines" than the one I had, and said that the doc would probably just increase my pressure or bring me in for a retitration if that failed. When I spoke with the doc, he said that data capability was "an option, but maybe not a necessary one" for me at the present. He assured me that some snoring even with CPAP was common, and that if I feel rested and it isn't too bothersome to myself or my partner, that we would leave things alone, otherwise try increasing pressures. I can't say that CPAP has changed my life the way it does for some people, but then I was only having 3 full obstructions per hour, with about 25 hypopnea per hour. I can say that now I'm caring for a baby full time, and not using caffeine regularly, and I feel about the same, maybe a little better versus before treatment.

[robysue]

My girlfriend tells me that I'm still snoring and last night was the first time she felt she needed to leave the room because of it. It definitely seems worse when my nose is stuffed up and I find myself mouth breathing. ... Lastly, the mask I'm using is generally OK, but I found I definitely had to snug it down tighter than the tech recommended to keep it from shifting and leaking when I lay on my side. I still get woken up with leaks sometimes, so I'm wonder if there's something better that I could try.

and

When I spoke with the doc, he said that data capability was "an option, but maybe not a necessary one" for me at the present. He assured me that some snoring even with CPAP was common, and that if I feel rested and it isn't too bothersome to myself or my partner, that we would leave things alone, otherwise try increasing pressures.

Seems to me that when you put these two quotes together, the snoring is an issue and you might not be as rested as you should be, given the mask problems, but your doc hasn't put that together yet.

Unfortunately, you doc is also not interested in providing you with a machine that could help you (1) track down the leaks and figure out what to do about them and (2) find out if there's more than just snoring going on before raising your pressure.

Thank you so much for the helpful replies! I finally got through to the doc, after talking to the nurse who "wasn't aware of any more data capable machines" than the one I had, and said that the doc would probably just increase my pressure or bring me in for a retitration if that failed.

This level of ignorance on the part of the nurse is truly frightening.

My humble opinion: You need to push the doc a bit stronger on the issue of providing a full data machine. You can't really fight the leaks without seeing the leak graph. And you need to see the AHI data before blindly adjusting the pressure up or letting the doctor blindly adjust the pressure up.

And don't over tighten the mask.

Best of luck with the baby.