Starting BiPAP treatment

Something is happening that's concerning me.

First of all, Oscar is not an option for me. My machine is not supported.

My recent daily SmartCode reports have all been looking like this. Note that my max pressure is 15 and minimum is 11.

https://imgur.com/a/E5crp8W

In the past, the 90 and 95 percentile numbers would be maybe 13 or so.

This is the guidance the app gives regarding the percentile numbers. See the part I emphasized.

https://imgur.com/a/a5pCS8L

When is the last time you had your machine unplugged from the electric source and then plugged it back in?
I would try that first and see what happens. Sometimes the forced reboot will clear out any cobwebs and machine will go back to reporting as normal.

Otherwise...something is weird. Shouldn't be having a 90/95 % pressure that is higher than the max....assuming the max hasn't changed.

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:36 am

zonker wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:50 pm

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:25 pm

I appreciate the warm welcome and will continue to post questions in this thread. I have added my equipment info.

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:25 pm

I did fairly well last night - maybe four hours total - with stomach sleeping using a small moldable bean-bag style pillow on top of a thicker neck pillow. Then I put my face in the crease created by these. I think at some point I moved my head to the side of the pillow, then used my arm as support. It's hard for me to go totally without a pillow unless I move in that position unconsciously during the night.

it's good that you're getting used to it. baby steps, and all that.

we each sleep differently, of course. i have a tiny buckwheat "pillow" that i use now and then. not really a pillow; my wife made it for me as a warming pad for sore back. stick it in the microwave and apply. i have tried using it as a pillow, but it's not really doing the job.

Right! What helped a lot yesterday was that I spent time with the mask on while sitting at my computer. I usually work from home. I got somewhat poor sleep the night before that and had that terrible, groggy feeling in my head so I had the mask on and also ran the BiPAP machine while awake to try to get more air into my system. I think it was helpful in getting me to feel better. Though there is of course no substitute for sleep!

I know that people sit with the mask during waking hours in order to get used to it but not am not sure if running the machine too is healthy or not.

I ran my machine while getting used to it. I also occasionally run it during the day if my allergies/asthma are bad. It seems to help.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Thu May 12, 2022 7:10 am

When is the last time you had your machine unplugged from the electric source and then plugged it back in?
I would try that first and see what happens. Sometimes the forced reboot will clear out any cobwebs and machine will go back to reporting as normal.

Otherwise...something is weird. Shouldn't be having a 90/95 % pressure that is higher than the max....assuming the max hasn't changed.

I just checked and I actually had the max pressure at 15.5. So the reading is a bit under. I am still worried about it being near the max based on the guidance from the machine.

I often shut off the CPAP by removing the plug in the rear. I did that again today for a bit.

babydinosnoreless wrote: ↑

Thu May 12, 2022 9:37 am

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:36 am

zonker wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:50 pm

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:25 pm

I appreciate the warm welcome and will continue to post questions in this thread. I have added my equipment info.

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:25 pm

I did fairly well last night - maybe four hours total - with stomach sleeping using a small moldable bean-bag style pillow on top of a thicker neck pillow. Then I put my face in the crease created by these. I think at some point I moved my head to the side of the pillow, then used my arm as support. It's hard for me to go totally without a pillow unless I move in that position unconsciously during the night.

it's good that you're getting used to it. baby steps, and all that.

we each sleep differently, of course. i have a tiny buckwheat "pillow" that i use now and then. not really a pillow; my wife made it for me as a warming pad for sore back. stick it in the microwave and apply. i have tried using it as a pillow, but it's not really doing the job.

Right! What helped a lot yesterday was that I spent time with the mask on while sitting at my computer. I usually work from home. I got somewhat poor sleep the night before that and had that terrible, groggy feeling in my head so I had the mask on and also ran the BiPAP machine while awake to try to get more air into my system. I think it was helpful in getting me to feel better. Though there is of course no substitute for sleep!

I know that people sit with the mask during waking hours in order to get used to it but not am not sure if running the machine too is healthy or not.

I ran my machine while getting used to it. I also occasionally run it during the day if my allergies/asthma are bad. It seems to help.

I agree. One time I was congested around bedtime and wondered if the bipap could be used. The air current powered through the congestion in my sinuses very well within a few minutes, getting me to swallow it down and then keep my sinuses clear enough for me to sleep. Come to think of it, maybe I should spend more time awake on the machine for the general benefits.

Well the 90/95% numbers just mean you were at or below that number for 90/95% of the night.
We don't know exactly how long you were at the 15.2 pressure or how much of the night you were at maybe 11 or 12 or whatever. This is where it would be nice if we could see the actual pressure graphs.
You do understand that these numbers aren't necessarily where you spend the bulk of the night.

The maximum is 20...so while you are nearing it...you do have a ways to go.
To get a bilevel machine that will go over 20 you will need a doctor to change the prescription and the doctor may have additional requirements to justify a change.

Coatimundi wrote: ↑

Thu May 12, 2022 3:47 pm

I agree. One time I was congested around bedtime and wondered if the bipap could be used. The air current powered through the congestion in my sinuses very well within a few minutes, getting me to swallow it down and then keep my sinuses clear enough for me to sleep. Come to think of it, maybe I should spend more time awake on the machine for the general benefits.

I don't know if its bad for the machine so I don't do it often but it is helpful when I feel like I'm struggling to breath due to air quality or illness. The bad thing is your then confined to the length of the tube and I usually am not good at staying confined for very long when I'm awake.

Kept other settings the same (humidity at a setting of 6, max at 15.5) but set my minimum pressure to 10.5 (down from 11). Here are recent readings.

https://imgur.com/a/3xoia6c

Been feeling kind of tired and hypoxic lately despite good AHI. Followed Nick (from YouTube) and decided to turn up my pressure a lot. Trying minimum 13.5 and maximum 18. Feeling better in the morning.

Now at 13.5 / 19. I think the pressure support is still just 5. I had less waking inertia (where you just want to lay in bed after waking up) than I have had in a long time.

90 and 95 percent pressures are at 18.7 so it's like my brain is still saying "Ok great, now even more air plz".