Flailing About

Hi, I am new to xPAP and was wondering about some issues.

My sleep study was covered by insurance, but equipment was not (OK well after the first $1000 it would be covered 50%). So I went to Craigslist for my machine and found a cheap mask on Amazon. It was the mask I used in my study, which seemed to work well so I bought it. Since I bought this stuff outside the “system” I have to figure out how to set it up and use it myself.

I don’t have the software or even a smart card, (I am going through some financial difficulties at the moment) but I can read the info from the machine from the night before if I reset the data each night.

It seemed like it took forever to get the mask via mail order but it finally came. I first tried the machine in “auto” mode with AFLEX. The first night was rough (although it seemed to start out ok) and I only made it about 5 hours. The average pressure of the machine came out to 11.4, which I didn’t think was too bad since my Rx was for 11. My AHI came out at 4.5, which is a big improvement over the 110 of my study without CPAP. However my L/min was 45.8.

The next night I also only made it just over 4 hours and I thought before I gave up, I would see what the pressure was because I felt like I might have been a skydiver there was so much air blowing into the mask. Well it was up to 16, so I thought ah ha! It seemed like it was trying to blow the mask off my face!

The next night I set the machine for CPAP mode with a pressure of 11 and the CFLEX and RAMP listed on my Rx. That went a little better, I slept for 7.5 hours (woke up a few times, but left the mask on). The pressure was much more bearable. The readings said AHI 4.8 however the System Leak was still very high at 43.9 L/min! Now I am only assuming that when I reset the machine it clears the “average” data. The only readings I normally get are the 7 day average and the 30 day average. The manual says that if I reset the data on the Therapy usage screen, it will reset ALL the data.

So what could cause this high “System Leak” number? My mask has these small holes in it around the nose area that always seems to be releasing air. This is a design of the mask and there is no way to block this that I can see. Could that be an issue? Is the L/min number something I should be concerned with?

Thank you for reading this and any help with these questions. This board has been a wealth of information so far.

Regards,
Stacy

DO NOT block those holes!! They are the vent holes where the C02 escapes. You don't want to be rebreathing that!

The leak may be from the headgear being too loose or too tight or the wrong size.

The machine can compensate for a certain amount of leak at various pressures. Yours may not be too bad.

There is a graph/chart in the mask manual. It will tell you how much leak is compensated for at various pressures. For a full face mask that may not be too bad.

Hi Stacy!
Welcome to the forum! You are really doing great so far! First any AHI under 5 is considered normal. Many of us get lower after we tweak the mask and pressure, but being under 5 this early in is a good sign as is the hours you keep the mask on!
The leak for your mask at a pressure of 11 is about 39, so your leak is not way out of line(I wouldn't worry about it too much right now). There is a fix for the quattro mask, but I don't use that mask and am not sure what the fix is. I'm sure someone will pop in with it shortly. As Hawthorne said, those holes are there for a reason and should not be blocked.
Many of us find that we do better in cpap mode at one set pressure. I would leave the machine in cpap mode for now. Once you get used to it you can always play around with the settings to see what happens.


Brenda

Thank you for the responses and PM’s! I think this might clear up my main concern. I did check the manual for the mask and see that it says:

“Vent Flow Rate (L/min) at pressure 12 is 41 (+/- 6.0 L/min)”… So the numbers I am getting are about right? Well, I will not loose any more sleep over that.

So under 5 is good? Oh cool! Now I feel better!

So one more question and I apologize if it’s been answered a million times already. If I need to get up in the night for some reason, can I turn off the machine? Does it end that session, or does the session continue when I go back to bed? It’s quite noisy when it (mask) is not “on” and trying not to disturb my lovely wife.

Last night I woke up with my nose/throat feeling like shoe leather! I checked the humidifier and you guessed it, dry as a bone! Ah well, live and learn, there is a learning curve to all this eh?

Thanks for your help, you guys are great!

Regards,
Stacy

Getting up briefly and turning off the machine will not end the session. It will just show as a break in your graph line.

Keep it up! You're doing great!

Bev

Since you don't have the software, you will not know if you were up in the night and have turned off your machine. With the software, the data would show a break.

When I get up in the night, I turn the machine off and make my bathroom trip and, when I "hook up " again, the machine starts automatically.

If you were up more than an hour or more in the night, I think it is, then the machine will start a new session.

Hi. Is your thread title "Flailing About" a description of your sleep or of how you feel about being in the middle of this sea of information? It does sound as if you are off to a good start, and yes, there is a learning curve. In the beginning I didn't even know to ask questions, much less what questions to ask. I had been on cpap for several months, but when I found my way here it was like reading a foreign language - had to ask what AHI meant.

My learning is still pretty much on a need-to-know basis, but I can always count on some cpap astute members to help enlighten me when needed. Hope you master those things pertinent to your treatment in a timely manner.

Kathy

Hi. Is your thread title "Flailing About" a description of your sleep or of how you feel about being in the middle of this sea of information?

A little of both!

However, thanks to the kind people here, I have renewed confidence that for all my “flailing” I have indeed made some progress. I am going to save up for a card reader and card, and see if I can find a good deal on the software. I am curious about what mysteries may be revealed.

There are other approaches I guess. I have a co-worker who has been on CPAP for many years. CPAP only with humidifier, no bells and whistles. Burned out a machine and is on his second now. Never touches the controls or looks at any data and has not seen the sleep doc for years. He swears by the thing and is happy to recite a long list of benefits. To each his own. I am of the more curious variety.

Thanks again for all the help.

Regards,
Stacy

sleepypp wrote:Thank you for the responses and PM’s! I think this might clear up my main concern. I did check the manual for the mask and see that it says:

“Vent Flow Rate (L/min) at pressure 12 is 41 (+/- 6.0 L/min)”… So the numbers I am getting are about right? Well, I will not loose any more sleep over that.

So under 5 is good? Oh cool! Now I feel better!

So one more question and I apologize if it’s been answered a million times already. If I need to get up in the night for some reason, can I turn off the machine? Does it end that session, or does the session continue when I go back to bed? It’s quite noisy when it (mask) is not “on” and trying not to disturb my lovely wife.

Last night I woke up with my nose/throat feeling like shoe leather! I checked the humidifier and you guessed it, dry as a bone! Ah well, live and learn, there is a learning curve to all this eh?

Thanks for your help, you guys are great!

Regards,
Stacy

You have every right to feel pleased as you are doing very well both in the therapy numbers (AHI) and how you have approached this. You will get lots of support here

Good work.

DSM

Well, last night did not go so well. Could barely sleep. Drove the wife out of the room with my tossing and turning and I am dog-tired today. It seemed like the machine was really loud for some reason too!

I did get in about 4 hours total sleep, not all at once. L/min went up to 60 something and AHI 8.4.
I think it was more about anxiety and general restlessness than CPAP though. I'll get back on the horse tonight.

I sense that long peaceful sleep is coming soon!

Thank you all for your support.

Regards,
Stacy

I guess at some point you get so tired you could sleep with a 400-pound gorilla strapped to your face.

I stayed up late but got 6.1 hours on the tube. 39.7 L/min with an AHI of 1.3.

I actually felt "rested" on 6.1 hours of sleep. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Before I went to bed, I cleaned my mask (and my face) very well, trimmed my beard and filled the humidifier with distilled water instead of just filtered. Put on my favorite giant t-shirt and off to dreamland I went.

Thanks for all the tips and info, I think I'm on the right track.

Regards,
Stacy

Well I feel like I am talking to myself, but that is not really that unusual for me.

It isn't?

No, not really. Sleep deprivation can play tricks on your mind.

If you are still reading this you may be eavesdropping.

7.4 hours last night, L/min 38.9 and AHI 1.3 [celebration emoticon goes here]

One issue I have is dry mouth wake up. I have humidifier set to 4, Guess I'll crank it up to max (5) and see what happens?

Dying to get that software. The cheapest I have found it is $139 for the reader/software package, plus $10 for a card.

Thanks for your support!

You're welcome!

Congratulations on the great numbers and feeling better to go along with the numbers. You sound much more chipper.

I sent you a private message if you haven't seen it.

Brenda