My husband and I are on cpap. He has become very compliant at my nagging, Im glad because he has severe apnea and is a loud snorer. Thanks to this website, I tweaked his a little and now no snoring at all. I am having a problem getting used to is. I have the 431 when I used that it breaks my face out, but I am a mouth breather so I need it. Was given Activa and was to much of a mouth breather. Finally, more important,I had no apnea, my problem was all hypopneas, cannot remember but they said it was an alarming amount per hour. My question is how important is hypopneas in the scheme of things? When I was using the cpap, I really didn't feel much better, and my husband said I still snored. It seemed that if I raised the pressure to stop the snoring it wakes me up. Any suggestions?
Some problems with cpap if anyone has any suggestions?
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ready2sleep
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:24 pm
Hypopneas are not as severe as apnea, but they do cause a 50% reduction in air flow and a 3% drop to blood oxygen levels, so to your body they can be serious and effect your health.
They become serious because the number of them can get quite high. As for the 431 mask, sounds like you are allergic to the cushion material. The Activa cushion is made from silicone, I don't know what the cushion is made from on the 431 but you don't seem to be alone with breaking out from that cushion, I have read reports of the same.
You might consult the documentation that came with the mask and call F&P and ask about the cushion material. They have the newer 432, I don't know if it uses the same material or not.
Higher pressure wakes you up: Snoring is not always the best indicator for increasing pressure. It all depends on what your PSG reported, if you were at risk of CA or MA events, they could have selected a pressure which offered the best sleep and that avoided triggering central apnea. Central Apnea should be avoided if at all possible because it not only cuts off your oxygen like a full apnea it can arouse you back to a complete wake state. I would not exceed your PSG found pressure, they have monitoring equipment that can see these central events happening and lower your pressure to avoid them.
You could try a .5cm increase but if it continues to wake you, I would drop it back down to .5cm BELOW your PSG titration pressure and see what happens. Central apnea especially those triggered by too high pressure can leave you feeling like the walking dead, much worse than just obstructive apnea.
Sometimes snores are generated by the flabby tissue of the soft palate and/or if you have a large uvula, then increasing cpap pressure has no effect on reducing them and can actually make them worse.
They become serious because the number of them can get quite high. As for the 431 mask, sounds like you are allergic to the cushion material. The Activa cushion is made from silicone, I don't know what the cushion is made from on the 431 but you don't seem to be alone with breaking out from that cushion, I have read reports of the same.
You might consult the documentation that came with the mask and call F&P and ask about the cushion material. They have the newer 432, I don't know if it uses the same material or not.
Higher pressure wakes you up: Snoring is not always the best indicator for increasing pressure. It all depends on what your PSG reported, if you were at risk of CA or MA events, they could have selected a pressure which offered the best sleep and that avoided triggering central apnea. Central Apnea should be avoided if at all possible because it not only cuts off your oxygen like a full apnea it can arouse you back to a complete wake state. I would not exceed your PSG found pressure, they have monitoring equipment that can see these central events happening and lower your pressure to avoid them.
You could try a .5cm increase but if it continues to wake you, I would drop it back down to .5cm BELOW your PSG titration pressure and see what happens. Central apnea especially those triggered by too high pressure can leave you feeling like the walking dead, much worse than just obstructive apnea.
Sometimes snores are generated by the flabby tissue of the soft palate and/or if you have a large uvula, then increasing cpap pressure has no effect on reducing them and can actually make them worse.
2 posts
• Page 1 of 1