New Member, Have some Questions. Thanks! (had sleep study)

[SkinsFan]

Hello,

After messing with waking up tired and up all night for the last 5 years I finally went and had a sleep study. It really was no fun and I may gave drifted off for a few hours, but apparently was enough to determine that the test was postive for sleep apnea. I think the number of "stop breathing episodes" was 35/hour. I have done a little research and I guess this is enough to warrant a CPAP mask.

I have to go back to another study in the next week with the study using the mask.

Questions:
1. From the wife..how loud are these devices? Hopefully not enough to keep her awake.
2. Is the 35 number considered high, low, average?
3. Can I travel with this thing?
4. I am a side sleeper (by force of not wanting to be on my back), can you move around with the mask on?
5. Is it possible to get a mask that is not a full face or is that the safest bet?

Thanks for the input in advance. I am a litel apprensive getting this thing and just wanted to have some ideas on what to expect.

Thanks!

[DreamDiver]

Questions:
1. From the wife..how loud are these devices? Hopefully not enough to keep her awake.
2. Is the 35 number considered high, low, average?
3. Can I travel with this thing?
4. I am a side sleeper (by force of not wanting to be on my back), can you move around with the mask on?
5. Is it possible to get a mask that is not a full face or is that the safest bet?

Welcome, SkinsFan.
Once you get your settings, we can be a little more specific with suggestions.
For now, here are some general answers to above questions:

1. My wife does not object to the device's volume. The one I use is not loud. I'm using the S9 Autoset. Others using the PR System One series suggest it is also not loud. I used to have an M-Series pro that was loud. I had to wear ear-plugs.
2. Put the device on the nightstand below the level of your mattress if you can, to further reduce the sound. Don't put the device directly on the floor. It gets dusty/dirty faster.
3. Re AHI of 30, from Merck Manuals:

   An AHI > 5 is required for the diagnosis of OSA;
   a value > 15 indicates a moderate level of sleep apnea,
   and a value > 30 indicates a severe level of sleep apnea.
   Snoring loudly enough to be heard in the next room confers a 10-fold increase in the likelihood of having AHI > 5.

   My guess is you're at the severe side of moderate.
4. You can travel with a cpap. Many CPAP's even come with decent travel bags. Don't expect to go hiking the Appalachian trail for a week on CPAP. You can go camping if you bring a sufficiently-sized fully-charged deep-cycle marine battery and the correct adapters or have access to electrical current. Airlines make special allowance for CPAP so that it doesn't count against your regular luggage. Just don't try stuffing extra non-CPAP stuff in your CPAP bag.
5. Mask torque - when you move your head, but your mask doesn't move along with it. This can happen when you're asleep, causing leaks and "face farts". If your mask is properly seated and fits well, that can be reduced. Chin straps are fairly common in helping reduce this. I move around a lot. I have used a number of masks, straps and settings. Whatever works for you is best.
6. The need for full face depends partly on pressure. If it's very high, you may not be able to use a nasal mask easily. It also depends partly on whether you mouth leak. Leakage problems can hinder therapy. If you can keep your mouth from leaking while sleeping with a nasal mask, this may be the route for you. Otherwise, say hello to your little Full-Face "other spouse".
7. Try on more than one or two masks at the titration (second) sleep study. You'll likely rarely get another chance to try a variety of possibilities. Try both full and nasal. For the actual test, I'd go with a full face, because if you do end up mouth leaking, you're going to be woken up at 3 am and told to put on a full face. Others may have differing opinions. Regardless, it's time to start looking at what masks are available so you can ask for specific models to try during the titration study. This will also give you an idea of what sizes fit you before you have to go ordering them.
8. Get a copy of your test results including condensed graphs and full doctor's notes.
9. Get a copy of your prescription. Try to get the prescription with as much patient preference as possible. Ask to make sure you get your choice of mask and your choice of machine.
10. It may be a good time to start looking at what machines are available and what the differences are between machines. There are pros and cons with each. Don't let your DME (Durable Medical Equipment vendor) hand you a "new"-but-five-year-out-of-date model, like the M-Series Pro.
11. Don't let your doctor prescribe you a machine that is not fully data capable. Be gracious but firm about this.
12. Get a full-cost analysis of your machine rental cost if you go with a DME before you sign anything, and compare your out-of-pocket costs in a spreadsheet against just buying it outright from an online vendor like CPAP.com.

[Black Shampoo]

I'm fairly new (9 months now...has it been that long!?). The modern machines are way quieter than the one my dad had in the nineties, which sounded like a lawnmower. My model is a quiet whoosh, similar to an over-the-counter humidifier or small space heater's fan.

I recommend full-face mask over nasal pillows - though the pillows are smaller, the fact that they go IN your nose has always made me feel way more claustrophobic than having something over my entire nose and mouth. Between that, the potential for nose irritation, and that you're not sure if you'll have mouth leaks, I suggest going full-face until you're used to the whole CPAP thing and then experimenting.

[jdm2857]

[*]Get a copy of your prescription. Try to get the prescription with as much patient preference as possible. Ask to make sure you get your choice of mask and your choice of machine.

The best situation is to get two prescriptions. One for the exact make and model you want, with the words "dispense as written." This one will help you get what you want via your insurance company.

The second one should just specify a CPAP machine. This one will allow you free range when making a purchase on your own dime. You can even get an Auto (APAP) with a prescription for a CPAP. But not vice versa. (That's because an APAP can provide the prescribed CPAP functionality, while a CPAP can't perform the prescribed APAP functionality.)

Your doctor may or may not have reservations writing two prescriptions, because he may feel that the more restrictive one implies that the machine is medically necessary, and the second one contradicts the first.

[Stormynights]

I'm fairly new (9 months now...has it been that long!?). The modern machines are way quieter than the one my dad had in the nineties, which sounded like a lawnmower. My model is a quiet whoosh, similar to an over-the-counter humidifier or small space heater's fan.

I recommend full-face mask over nasal pillows - though the pillows are smaller, the fact that they go IN your nose has always made me feel way more claustrophobic than having something over my entire nose and mouth. Between that, the potential for nose irritation, and that you're not sure if you'll have mouth leaks, I suggest going full-face until you're used to the whole CPAP thing and then experimenting.

If the pillows go in your nose they are too small.

[cflame1]

I'm fairly new (9 months now...has it been that long!?). The modern machines are way quieter than the one my dad had in the nineties, which sounded like a lawnmower. My model is a quiet whoosh, similar to an over-the-counter humidifier or small space heater's fan.

I recommend full-face mask over nasal pillows - though the pillows are smaller, the fact that they go IN your nose has always made me feel way more claustrophobic than having something over my entire nose and mouth. Between that, the potential for nose irritation, and that you're not sure if you'll have mouth leaks, I suggest going full-face until you're used to the whole CPAP thing and then experimenting.

If the pillows go in your nose they are too small.

Unless you're talking prongs instead of pillows... (aka Nasalaire)

[BlackSpinner]

My cat purrs louder then my machine.

[Black Shampoo]

I just mean that they actually touch my nostrils. Makes me feel creeped.

[caffeinatedcfo]

Questions:
1. From the wife..how loud are these devices? Hopefully not enough to keep her awake.
2. Is the 35 number considered high, low, average?
3. Can I travel with this thing?
4. I am a side sleeper (by force of not wanting to be on my back), can you move around with the mask on?
5. Is it possible to get a mask that is not a full face or is that the safest bet?

WELCOME!
1) She will not notice it - quieter than a desk fan.
2) See above - moderate
3) Certainly, just remember to empty the humidifier before leaving. Mine came with a shoulder bag the size of an average laptop bag. NEVER check this at the airlines. Their is a thread you can find here relative to air travel rules.
4) No issues. Some people get a hose hanger to help if you toss and turn a lot.
5) Everyone is different. I started out on a full face mask but could not get leaks under control. Switched to nasal pillows and never looked back.

[RogerSC]

Machine noise is not an issue here, I hear that it is quieter than the snoring that I used to do *smile*. So my wife is sleeping better these days. Don't know if you snored, but if you did, your spouse will most likely be happier as well *smile*. As the CPAP user, I use earplugs, since the machine is about 6 inches from my head. But I was using earplugs before CPAP anyways, for other reasons.

[SkinsFan]

Thanks folks. I should hear from insurance this week. Hopefully they approve something that is a good and quiet product.

The full mask scares me a bit, but if I can get decent sleep..will be worth it. (I dread going ti sleep now..worrying about waking up, feel like crap when I get up..headache, chest hurts, just feel awful.

I look forward to learning from you folks and thanks again.

[sewsleepy]

When my husband got on cpap, I had to keep checking him during the night to make sure he was still alive at first, LOL! After all the noise he made snoring the cpap was so quiet!

[pootsie]

I have no problem with the nostril-touching thing

I use a swift FX nasal pillow and sleep on my side a lot. Sometimes I need to adjust it as I roll over but usually no big deal.

The machine (S9) is super quiet. Sometimes the tubing makes a faint whistling noise but it is very quiet and does not disturb me or my bedmate.

[Lambeau]

With respect to noise from the machine. I just got my first, brandy-new set-up with a machine yesterday and have just one night's sleep behind me now with CPAP. My observation is that the air from my home's forced air central air conditioner coming through the vents on the floor is ten times louder than the PR60 BiPAP unit I have. And that A/C air movement has never once kept me from sleeping. It's difficult for me to even hear a whisper from the PR60 even when I try to hear it just 3 feet away from me.

[SkinsFan]

Thanks all! Did you notice an improvement right away it did it take a couple weeks?

Have a great day!