Got study results..help with machine/mask

Hello CPAP'ers,

I just got my home study results back. Probably like many you, I am surprised it is not a just a mild case. A little background, I am 38yo guy, medium build, fairly fit. My wife convinced me to tell my Dr. about her noticing me sometimes choking while I sleep. That's how I ended up with a sleep study. Here are the results. It was a home study. Two nights of wire monitors and two nights with and Auto CPAP.

Axis A: Obstrustive sleep apnea (severe) 327.23
AHI 33
Total desaturations per hour 38
lowest O2 89%
All of them appear to be Hypopneas

The CPAP readings:
Average pressure 7.1
Average Device pressure 7.9
Average AHI 1.6
This was on some sort of Respironics ACPAP

So here is where I could use some help. The sleep Dr recommended a CPAP pressure of 8cm and C-Flex of 3. The machine he recommends is "a CPAP machine with C-Flex and Data collection such as the Respironics "Pro" model". I don't know what C-Flex of 3 means.

I am waiting for the insurance referral to go through and the DME provider to call me.

Is there any particular model I should be after
Does the pressure of 8cm influence the choice of mask? Any mask style recommendations? The trial mask was a ComfortGel size Petite. I don't sleep with my mouth open, so just a nose one would work. The only thing is, after the second night of the mask, my nose and face began to break out. I almost always sleep on my side, and I found that mask was a bit difficult to do that with.

Any help would be appreciated!

I am brand spanking new, so I don't have any wisdom to pass on. But i have a lot of the same questions as you. I am a side sleeper almost entirely. I found this thread while cruising around using the search function.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54199&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

It covers the side-sleeper topic pretty thoroughly. I found it really helpful and plan on trying out some of the ideas suggested.

EDIT made the link actually link to something

Thanks Snug. I will take a look at that thread.

Welcome, Fogster! I'm glad that you found us early in your CPAP Journey.

C-Flex is Respironics' name for their exhalation pressure relief feature. Setting choices are 1, 2 or 3, with 3 being the highest relief. This just means that you won't have to exhale against your full pressure of 8. It can make therapy easier, especially when starting out. Over time, you may decide that you don't need that anymore.

I assume that the "Respironics Pro" model that you referred to is the PR System One REMstar Pro with "C-Flex Plus,", which is a very good CPAP machine. It is capable of reporting full data, such as AHI and System Leak (therapy air that's lost through an open mouth or mash cushion leak), as 7- or 30-day averages. This information will help you and your doctor track that your therapy is effective. There is software that can be purchased for that machine at cpap.com, which many find to be very useful. Just be sure that they don't give you the PR System One Plus model of machine, as that machine can only report the hours that the machine was used.

A pressure of 8 is relatively low. You should be able to use any type of mask that's comfortable for you. You mentioned that you don't mouth breathe. Some people never have a problem with that, but others (myself included) begin to leak therapy air from their mouths after they begin sleeping more deeply. Just watch for that in your results numbers because you could sleep right through the leaks. If you get a nasal or nasal pillows mask and you find that mouth-leaking is a problem, you can try a chin strap or mouth-taping to see if that helps.

I find that the nasal pillows masks are the most comfortable for me. My favorite masks are in my profile below. The Swift FX is also a good nasal pillows mask. I like the Activa LT nasal mask too. I'm also a side sleeper most of the time. I often hang my mask over the edge of the pillow, and that helps. I know that the mask is awkward at first, but you'll get used to that over time. Just make sure that you're fit carefully for that, as getting the correct size is very important. Try masks on under full pressure, preferably lying down, and move around to test for leaks. There are lots of different bed pillows that you can try too -- special CPAP pillows with cutouts, buckwheat hull, memory foam, latex foam, etc. I'm using a $10 shapeable fiberfill pillow from Wal-Mart that works great for me.

Be sure to search past threads and check out the CPAP Wiki at the top of your screen. And if you can't find the answers to any questions you may have, just ask. There are lots of very helpful people here who are happy to help!

Welcome to the forum! You're fortunate that your doctor has recommended an excellent machine. As DreamOn said, you MUST have the Pro model, not the plus. Regarding the mask, that choice is very individual, and lots of folks have to try several to find which works best. The problem with breaking out is probably a sensitivity to the stuff used to clean the masks at the sleep center, and there are tricks to deal with sensitive skin concerns if they continue. Read all you can here because there's plenty to learn. We'll do everything we can to help you.

Thanks guys for the great information. The difference between the PRO and the PLUS is exactly the type of information that I wanted to know before I get mine. I will make sure I get the PRO. As for the mask, it does sound like it is individual. I got to keep my ComfortGel mask from my home study. I washed it with liquid hand soap, which sounds like it could have been part of the break out problem. I assume I will get to try a few masks on before I pick one.

I will post what I get and how it works out in case someone else can benefit from the information. I am sure I will be posting more in the future!