Question

Hi folks. I am new to your forum but not to sleep apnea. I am a 55yo male first diagnosed in 2008 with OSA,via the self-administered home test. The machine I had was decent enough, but there was not a mask just the nasal pillows, and, it turned out I am a mouth breather when I sleep (may be a result of my nose being broken multiple times. NEVER by a fist though!). I was unable to get the DME company to swap me out a full face mask, so I quit using the machine except for a few times over the years.
I got new insurance last year and told my new doctor I had OSA but did not currently have a CPAP and he referred me to a sleep doctor. Told him all the same stuff and he got me an in lab sleep study. My original dx was 29 events per hour in 2008. Last spring it was around 45 events per hour if I remember correctly.
I have a RESMED AIRSENSE 10 AUTOSET CPAP that I have been using since last JUNE.
In December I went back to my Sleep Doctor for a 6 month follow-up. After reveiwing the downloaded data, he sent me back to the sleep lab for another Titration test. (3rd sleep lab visit) It turns out that I have COMPLEX SLEEP APNEA.
I am considering getting the "CONTOUR LIVING MAX 2 CPAP PILLOW" ( I know I did not get its name right, but you know the one I mean). Does anyone here have the same condition and use the pillow with any success? I have not received my bi-level pap machine as yet, it is on order.
BTW ...I AM also a type2 DIABETIC on meds only no insulin yet.

Hello. I lived most of my life in and around that zip code. As to cpap sleep pillows, my personal opinion is that any firm flat pillow will do the same. You can get a cheap one and countour it yourself or just sleep with your face hanging over the edge. The whole idea with these pillows is to not allow much movement which can displace the mask. As to it making a difference in your complex sleep apnea, unless you slept with your chin tucked thus affecting the airway, I doubt you'll see a difference in anything but leaks. Sorry to hear you've gone so long without fully effective treatment, but hopefully you are on the way to getting the treatment you need.

What's more important is which machine are you using?

I'm not sure what a pillow has to do with complex sleep apnea, but my test showed complex, (an almost even mix of OSA, CSA and HSA), and the machine and mask alone fixed it. Though milage may vary... CPAP makes some CSA worse I've heard (and they need to get ASV instead of CPAP)

The pillow can only help with comfort issues. What issues do you have that you think the pillow will fix?

Just experimenting with alternate head support to see if it may help. I tend to fall asleep while in a more "propped up" position , than a true sleeping position for my head.

45011ohio wrote:Just experimenting with alternate head support to see if it may help. I tend to fall asleep while in a more "propped up" position , than a true sleeping position for my head.

"See if it will help" what?

How are you propping yourself up?

Are you bending at the neck? Is your trunk bending? Both of these positions should be avoided.

kteague wrote:As to cpap sleep pillows, my personal opinion is that any firm flat pillow will do the same.

+1 When I started CPAP, Gramps already had a small collection of CPAP pillows in our bedding closet. I just had to try them all. In the end, both of us use thin, flat, cheap, ordinary pillows.