All of the data you are talking about

[sleepyleaf]

I was wondering what all this software is that you speak of on this site. I would like to get some understanding and see some data so I can tell if I am getting any results. First week on the CPAP I felt better. This week I feel awful. Can you tell from your machine that you have leaks and how many? Can you tell how many times you are waking up etc?
Last night I tightened the straps on my swift fx and I swear that thing didn't move at all when I rolled over, I didn't hear any hissing the whole night yet woke up feeling awful. Is it possible my pressure is too low at 8? I was told when they did my sleep study that they had trouble pinpointing the pressure I need because I didn't sleep well. I am going to do everything I can to make this work but I see how people get frustrated and quit. The nurse that showed me how to use my machine went through it so quick.

Someone should write a book "CPAP for Dummies"!!! I need it. I am really lost.

Thanks for listening.

Sue

[LSAT]

Check the top of this page...."CPAP Wiki"

[SleepyT]

Well...first of all...welcome. There is a bunch of info here....search around and read a lot of posts....and some of this will begin to make sense. It is difficult to absorb it all at first....remember...your brain is sleep deprived....so you may not be at your best! Be patient with yourself. Don't over-tighten your mask...and be aware that leaks can occur through your mouth too. Make sure you are keeping your mouth closed....otherwise your therapy is lost. There are many ways to do this. Some people tape their mouth shut...some use a chinstrap...some use a mouthguard....some use a full face mask. You will need to spend some time experimenting with what works for you.

Best of luck to you! Don't be discouraged....

[purple]

In the beginning getting the mask to seal and me not wake up like the mask was chewing on my face was hard for me. For me it took a bit of practice to get better with all this. I had benefits from the very beginning. I felt very motivated to try and not give it up.

What seemed like trying to sleep with a hurricane in my face, now seems like very little air flow. I feel much better than I did before.

I was speaking with the techs at my sleep clinic once and told them I personally knew several people who would surely benefit from treatment. What could I say to them that would convince them to try? Tech said, "In their experience, if an individual feels it might be too difficult (confining is what one of my friends said about using the mask) then no amount of encouragement from family, friends would get them to make an adequate effort to succeed. Those individuals would just stop." That is I might as well not try to convince them.

Now you face keeping yourself convinced that this will be useful, and getting through the misery of getting used to using the equipment. For me it is really worth it, now more than ever. I love my Sleep Apnea machine. My sleep treatment has given me back my energy and quality of life.

[sleepyleaf]

Thank you for the responses. I have started reading the stuff on the CPAP Wiki and it is without a doubt helpful.

Last night I woke up twice with my mouth open. So... given that do I go right out and buy a chin strap? I feel real crappy again today but would swear I slept good.

I am going to request copies of my sleep study and titration today. Apparently I need to anyway as my insurance didn't get a copy of the sleep study just the titration.

I would like to learn to track some of the data so that I can really manage this and "dial in" the best settings for me. Little overwhelmed by it all but will keep looking through all the information on here.

Thanks again.

Sue

[Slinky]

Before spending the money on a chin strap, try cutting the leg off a pair of opaque pantyhome and putting it under your chin and tying it atop your head - like the old cartoons of someone w/their jaw wrapped for a toothache.

[Pugsy]

Could you please verify your equipment? What you show has been discontinued a long time. Look at the picture of the machine you have chosen, does it look like your machine? Look at the equipment I have chosen in my profile.. does your equipment look like mine?

Software is available. The new PR S1 machines (like I have) use a regular SD card to transfer data to software. The older machine that you have showing in your profile use a Smart card, looks like a credit card, and a very special (and pricey) card reader.

EncoreViewer 2.0 available for $99 from cpap.com

Encore Pro 2.4xx available from the software good fairy. It shows wave form data that Viewer does not. This is the doctor office version of the software. Bulky and PITA sometimes.

Both are Windows based software so if Mac or other OS is used, must give it a Windows environment to work in.

Onkor online analyzer available for the SD card user (PR S1) developed by another forum member give all the details that Encore Pro does. Free to use.

We just need to determine which machine you are using. It would be very odd for DME to supply the older Remstar Auto that you have showing. It was discontinued many years ago.

[SleepyT]

.....Last night I woke up twice with my mouth open. So... given that do I go right out and buy a chin strap? I feel real crappy again today but would swear I slept good.

ISue

Well...if it were me....I would go the cheapy route first. Lately what has been working for me is a boil and bite mouth guard from Wal-Mart. It's in the sporting goods section (not the toothpaste isle)...and when I bought it a month or two ago the cost was just under $2. Works twofold for me....keeps my mouth shut and keeps me from grinding my teeth. I also have a PapCap chinstrap which works super well....costs a little more!

[SleepyT]

Well...if it were me....I would go the cheapy route first. Lately what has been working for me is a boil and bite mouth guard from Wal-Mart. It's in the sporting goods section (not the toothpaste isle)...and when I bought it a month or two ago the cost was just under $2. Works twofold for me....keeps my mouth shut and keeps me from grinding my teeth. I also have a PapCap chinstrap which works super well....costs a little more!

ok, I'm thinking that should be aisle...not isle.........sorry...

[sleepyleaf]

Pugsy you are right. I have the wrong equipment in there. My machine looks just like yours. I will fix that. Yes I have the SD card.

I am feeling awful. Terrible time staying awake today on my way into work, 45 minute drive. Slept fine but something isnt right. I sooo wanted this machine to help me right off the bat.

So are you saying there is software that I can put on my computer that will read my card? What information will it give me?

I am going to also try wearing my mouthguard that I have for bruxism even though last night I did not wake up with my mouth open.

I'm not sure I like the nasal pillows. Some nights I feel like I am going to suffocate before I can get into a good breathing rythm. Other nights I am just fine from the get go.

Sorry, I probably sound like I am whining.

Thanks for your help.

Sue

[Pugsy]

http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/2010/0 ... -tutorial/

Take a peek at the above link to member Janknitz blog where she goes through the EncoreViewer software.
Most of us just look at the daily detailed pages for ideas on what has gone on in one night. They are more helpful than the summary pages.

Onkor online analyzer gives us a report that looks like this. Same information just visually different.

Link on use Onkor here below. Instructions to use are there.
http://www.onkor.net/

If you are feeling "stifled" sometimes when masking up it could be the pillows are crimped a bit, it could be the pressures you start out with are low (if using ramp). It would help to know if you use ramp, what pressure ramp starts with and what pressure that you are using for therapy. I strongly urge you to at least to the Onkor analyzer and check to see what your AHI and leak graphs are showing. When I first started therapy my prescribed pressure wasn't quite enough to deal with the bulk of the events. It helped but it didn't help good enough. You are just starting out. Need to make sure that leaks aren't affecting things and check the AHI to see if it is good. It may be that other things affect how we feel the next day but you need to know for sure if the therapy is "optimal" at least on paper. Gotta start somewhere and that is the first spot to look at.. the reports to see if things need improvement there.

[sleepyleaf]

Thanks so much Pugsy.

So lets see if I am clear, instead of buying the Encore software I can go to the Enkor link you gave to read my SD card. Is that correct? This is wonderful. Hopefully this can help me get "dialed in" and feeling better. I know I probably sound computer illiterate but my husband isn't so I will get him to help me with it.

I started using the ramp feature but felt stifled so stopped using it. Its weird its not consistent. Some days I feel it some days I don't. My therapy is only at a pressure of 8. This is because the night they did my titration I didn't sleep well so they said they did the best they could but it may have to be adjusted. I am just really anxious to get this right because I feel like I am going to have to be taken out of work if I don't stop falling asleep on the drive in. And this would NOT be a good thing.

Sleepyleaf

[Pugsy]

Yes, you can use Onkor and not purchase the Encore Viewer software if you don't want to.
Visually it appears different but the main important parts of the software reports are available from Onkor.

Like you I had minimal sleep during the titration sleep study. I am worse in REM sleep and I just didn't get to REM much. My initial prescribed RX was 8 cm but with software I saw that while it was helping some, I was still having too many events. Eventually we increased that 8 cm to 10 cm minimum (I am using APAP) and I did much better. You may or may not need more pressure but you for sure need to see if there is anything that warrants work to optimize your therapy. It might be leaks, it might be simply hours of sleep, it might be fragmented sleep. Any number of things can affect how we feel the next day. We look at the reports first, if nothing there to blame then we take a hard look at other factors. Might just need more time to adjust. We just have to start somewhere though to try to figure out things.

[Lizistired]

... I'm not sure I like the nasal pillows. Some nights I feel like I am going to suffocate before I can get into a good breathing rythm. Other nights I am just fine from the get go....
Sue

I may have missed whether or not you are using the flex. I have EPR, same thing, and with it I felt that sense of trying to adapt my breathing to the machine, which can't work. Once I turned it off I didn't have that problem and my AHI dropped in half. Just something you might try. We are all wired a little different.

[sleepyleaf]

Sorry Lizistired, forgive my ignorance but not sure what you mean by flex and EPR and turning it off. Could you explain?

Thanks