Amara View user // 1st year of cpap

Hello everyone I'm new to this forum but I don't consider myself a cpap newbie at this point. I have severe sleep apnea and I'm very thankful to be on cpap. For the first 8 months atleast I used the ResMed Airfit F20 Medium that I started with as a new cpap patient. Thankfully I finally started looking into upgrading my mask and found the will to spend the $170 on a new full face mask and head gear. Primarily driven by the fact that my "starter" Airfit F20 kept giving me pimples on the bridge of my nose and it did finally leave a scar.

I am very happy with my Amara View but I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a new cpap user as I remember those first couple of weeks waking up in the middle of the night with my mask in pieces in my hands, cushion here, frame there, hose pressure blowing off somewhere, but it worked because it was so easy to assemble / disassemble with the magnetic straps and quick release hose.

I like my Amara View very much but I have kinda been looking into the Dreamwear...I'm not sure how I feel about the hose at the top of the head, it seems like that would be distracting. The pain in the nose some of you mention I do tend to get sometimes with the View, at which point I loosen and re-adjust the upper straps and the top head gear strap, just ease up on it a bit. Another thing I've done is use a magic marker to put "hatch" marks on the straps so you can accurately adjust them evenly and have a point of reference on where they're set, especially if you hit the sweet spot where it is comfortable without leaking.

I have had to learn that I have to shave regularly and wash the mask every night with either hand soap or better yet liquid dish soap to cut the facial skin oils from the previous night.

leak wise I've kinda learned to tolerate the initial teeny tiny little rolling bubble leaks that come when the pressure first hits but then seem to eventually dissipate once the mask settles in for the night.

Another interesting thing I've learned is it takes about 5 to 8 minutes of pressure and focusing on being very relaxed and then I hit my cpap Zen or Center to where my awareness of the mask on my face just about disappears completely.

So after a year of being on therapy I'm happy to have not died from sleep apnea and my wife is totally happy that I don't snore anymore. Oh and not dozing off at the wheel anymore while I'm driving is also a plus. I went from going to bed late, getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep and waking up early to now going to bed at a more appropriate time, getting atleast 6.5 to 7 hours of sleep now, my sleep schedule naturally adjusted itself.

Oh yeah I do remember that when I first started therapy I realized how horrible my bed was and started waking up with a terrible back pain, you know because now I'm no longer tossing and turning all night.

It's been a great year!

Greg

Auto PAP Dreamstation 20 psi max 17 avg

I'm using a Philips Respironics Dreamstation Auto which only gives me max pressure reached, and hours of therapy from last night and avg hours of therapy from the last 3 nights.

I don't know my ahi and the only thing I can change setting wise is my level of flex, adaptive or fixed humidification, and the level of humidification. Doc has my max set at 20, whatever that is 20 psi? I don't know, I'm usually around 17....

Welcome to the forum.

There is more information available on your machine by using software if you want to see what it is.

https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

Okay I've download and installed SleepyHead for my machine, imported the data and have taken a screenshot, lets see if I can figure out how to post....

Ok, there you go...so, how am I doing?

I'd say, a little more minimum pressure, though what's there is acceptable.

second chart's not needed.

how do you feel?

Can I adjust the minimum pressure on my machine? I feel fine. I don't let a night go by without my mask, I shave, I clean my mask every night, I adjust straps so I don't get leaks. I like wearing my mask to sleep, sounds weird I know....I used to think I was narcoleptic I couldn't stay awake sometimes, would fall asleep while talking to people, doing paperwork....sitting in my truck about to get out and pump gas, I think I'll just close my eyes and rest a bit....wake up 2 or 3 minutes later.... I had no idea it was because of my apnea. That's all over with.

gv280z wrote: ↑

Thu May 03, 2018 10:30 pm

Can I adjust the minimum pressure on my machine? I feel fine.

Yes, you can. There's a link at the top of the page on apneaboard.com, that directs you on how to request the *clinical* manual for the machine, by email.

Get that, it's got the instructions on how to get into the hidden menus, as well as what all the things in them mean.

Some people will tell you to look on youtube, I don't recommend that... I feel it's better to get the manual, and the extra information, instead of finding a new menu and wondering what all the settings are...