4th week - questions

I'm just finishing my 4th week on cpap therapy, and would like some opinions:

1 - I'm thinking about purchasing a second mask. It sounds like nearly everyone on this forum has more than one mask in their arsenal, so the question is - do you find switching between two masks helpful? I currently use the swift nasal pillow and have done fine with it and I'm exclusively a side sleeper (toss and turn between sides). What would you recommend to try first for a second mask? If anything I think the swift is a little noisy...

2 - I've read in many places on the forum that cpap therapy helps you lose weight. It's been 4 weeks and if anything my weight has gone up a few pounds. Opinions on that?

3 - My AHI is around 1.5 average, pretty low leak rate.

4 - I'm thinking about a new pillow - mine seems to shift the mask when I rollover. Any suggestions there?

I've learned so much from this forum - you guys have helped this to be a much smoother transition for me - Thanks!

I have been on for just about a year now and I have the "Comfort select" I started with, a Swift, comfort lite 2, another Swift. I am considering the Opus or Optilife for the next one. So far I haven't found a review of the Opus.

I am using the CL2 at the moment with the best luck with leaks. I also use Denture strips to keep my lips shut, a chin strap and lastly ear plugs. I found that if I push just right into my pillow I add a little to the seal and then go back to sleep.

Good luck,
TerryB

I lost three pounds in the month of January and I just got my CPAP Dec 28th '06
Still trying to deal with pie hole leak at night!
Maybe I would lose more and have even more energy if I could correct my leak problem. There is wonderful hope you may start to drip a few pounds off as your cortisol levels and sugar levels go back down. Good luck***
-Bev

onecoknower wrote:I'm just finishing my 4th week on cpap therapy, and would like some opinions:

1 - I'm thinking about purchasing a second mask. It sounds like nearly everyone on this forum has more than one mask in their arsenal, so the question is - do you find switching between two masks helpful? I currently use the swift nasal pillow and have done fine with it and I'm exclusively a side sleeper (toss and turn between sides). What would you recommend to try first for a second mask? If anything I think the swift is a little noisy...

You might want to consider adding a full face mask (covers nose and mouth) for the "just in case" times when you might have a cold and absolutely can't get air in through a congested snout. Hopefully those times will be few and far between, but a FF mask is handy for those occasions.

If you like the Swift, you might also like either of these nasal pillows interfaces -- the ComfortLite 2 that TerryB mentioned (I like the CL2, too...with the elbow on top cut off, though), or my favorite -- the Twilight NP (formerly called the "Aura" or "Headrest") again with my own modifications to it. I'm primarily a side sleeper - a toss'n'turner. Helps (imho) to have the hose hung overhead for easy turning over.
LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640


How each mask suits each person can be very different. Here's a link to topics about a lot of different masks:
LINKS to MASKS - nasal mask, nasal pillows, nasal prongs
viewtopic.php?p=35286

onecoknower wrote:2 - I've read in many places on the forum that cpap therapy helps you lose weight. It's been 4 weeks and if anything my weight has gone up a few pounds. Opinions on that?

There have been studies indicating that lack of proper sleep get the grehlin/leptin homones out of whack. Hormones which control feelings of "I'm hungry" and "I'm not hungry" (I never can remember which does which...lol)

But more than anything, I think the way cpap therapy helps people lose weight is by giving them more energy so they can exercise more. Feeling better in general might also give a person the incentive to start working on better nutritional habits. Truly restful sleep might help a person avoid sugar boosts to keep going during the day. (Doesn't make me stop craving chocolate, though!)

onecoknower wrote:3 - My AHI is around 1.5 average, pretty low leak rate.

Very good!!

onecoknower wrote:4 - I'm thinking about a new pillow - mine seems to shift the mask when I rollover. Any suggestions there?

I personally like the double edge PAPillow. Some people have also written good things about the "Shapeable" pillow from Target.

onecoknower wrote:I've learned so much from this forum - you guys have helped this to be a much smoother transition for me - Thanks!

My thanks to the message board posters too. I wouldn't be getting such good, comfy treatment either, without the help of so many people who were (and still are) willing to share what's worked for them.

Continued good luck to you, onecoknower!