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I have requested a copy of my sleep study from my doctor. Checking my info from the supplier, I have a Resp. Dreamstation DSX 500 s11 (?)
also a Resp. Dreamstation DSXH heated humidifier. My mask is Dreamstation UnderNose small -1116700 - does that help?

I have no idea how to find or interpret data. Honestly, if I have to wear a mask for apnea during the day, I think will walk away from the whole package. I am trying to get used to this as gently and fully as I can. My troubles exhaling were helped by lowering the pressure, but I know I will eventually have to return that to full force. I am thinking that if within 3-4 weeks I have not fully accepted the CPAP, I may be done.

Hope I don't sound negative - just being honest. Thanks for your help!

bonmac wrote:I have requested a copy of my sleep study from my doctor. Checking my info from the supplier, I have a Resp. Dreamstation DSX 500 s11 (?)
also a Resp. Dreamstation DSXH heated humidifier. My mask is Dreamstation UnderNose small -1116700 - does that help?

I have no idea how to find or interpret data. Honestly, if I have to wear a mask for apnea during the day, I think will walk away from the whole package. I am trying to get used to this as gently and fully as I can. My troubles exhaling were helped by lowering the pressure, but I know I will eventually have to return that to full force. I am thinking that if within 3-4 weeks I have not fully accepted the CPAP, I may be done.

Hope I don't sound negative - just being honest. Thanks for your help!

Everyone will tell you to absolutely not take the mask off, as though it was written in the bible or such I absolutely had to get some sleep and couldn't tolerate the mask for anywhere near a full night, and still had to function at work the next day. I know I would have given up if I kept getting told to wear it the full night. So, I wore it as much as I could, prob. 3-4 hrs. in the beginning and just kept working up my time in the mask till I was eventually able to wear for a full night. It's not what others on here will tell you, but it worked for me. Wearing it as much as you can each night is better than not wearing at all and giving up. Don't set your expectations so high that you will fail, that's my feeling. Eventually you will feel the benefits. Within 3 weeks I was definitely wearing for a full 8 hrs. a night. Do anything that helps you to leave it on, for me that meant using my sleep machine to block out new cpap sounds, putting essential oils on a cotton ball and placing behind my filter....draws in the good smells and blocks out new cpap smells. I used lavender and sweet orange because they smell good and are calming. You can use any scent you like. If you like to sleep to music, a tv, etc. try that. Anything you can think of to take your mind off the mask. Good luck, don't give up!

bonmac wrote:I have requested a copy of my sleep study from my doctor. Checking my info from the supplier, I have a Resp. Dreamstation DSX 500 s11 (?)
also a Resp. Dreamstation DSXH heated humidifier. My mask is Dreamstation UnderNose small -1116700 - does that help?

I have no idea how to find or interpret data. Honestly, if I have to wear a mask for apnea during the day, I think will walk away from the whole package. I am trying to get used to this as gently and fully as I can. My troubles exhaling were helped by lowering the pressure, but I know I will eventually have to return that to full force. I am thinking that if within 3-4 weeks I have not fully accepted the CPAP, I may be done.

Hope I don't sound negative - just being honest. Thanks for your help!

You have the DreamStation Auto CPAP which means it is a full data auto machine. Since Sleepyhead isn't quite ready for your machine there is another program called Encore Pro that isn't as easy to use but works to read your machine data.
Looks like you are using the Dreamwear mask. Wearing the mask during the day isn't for apnea since you will be awake but to desensitize your face and help your brain accept the mask and pressure.

If you would list your machine and mask in your Equipment Profile it will show up in each of your posts. Here is a link to help. wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

You stated your machine had a setting of 6 with a ramp beginning at 4 and you decreased the 6 to 4 due to exhale difficulty. Is your auto machine in Auto mode or CPAP mode? I'm try to understand these settings? They sound like CPAP mode. AN APAP mode would have a minimum and maximum pressure.
Did you ever try out the different FLEX settings?

We will help you work out the problems but the commitment has to be yours.

bonmac wrote: My troubles exhaling were helped by lowering the pressure, but I know I will eventually have to return that to full force. I am thinking that if within 3-4 weeks I have not fully accepted the CPAP, I may be done.

it's entirely up to you, and how much you care about your health.

what I will tell you though is that it's very, very, VERY common for people who've used the machine for a while to not notice the pressure *at all* after a while. to the extent of having to wave their hands in front of the mask, or pull the mask away from their face a little bit just to make sure the machine's still running. VERY common. if you read enough here on the forum, you'll find that feeling expressed over and over.

also, it might help by realizing that there really is VERY little pressure... take a straw, put it in a glass of water, if it's a tall glass, 8 inches tall, and you can blow bubbles through the straw, you've just blown against 20cm/h2o of pressure.

part of the problem people have comes when they psych themselves out, the machine blows so much air when the mask is off, because it's trying to build up pressure at the end of the hose, which it can't do when it's off your face... but as soon as the mask is on, the blower slows WAY down and just delivers a gentle pressure (see above, with the glass of water)...

try thinking of it as life sustaining gentle pressure, and it may help.

OK... I am back with some good news, I think! I have gotten my sleep hours w/CPAP up to 6 - 7 a night. I was able to do this by lowering my pressure to 4 however, using some guidance from this site on how to alter your pressure on your machine yourself. So easy!

I am now ready to up that pressure, hoping to get back to where I started. BUT, the ramp option is now locked, and I cannot change it. Auggh! What did I do?? Will I have to call a rep from the provider to unlock this?? That would be embarrassing, since I did this "illegally"...

One other concern. I have been getting what I believe are some serious sinus headaches, which I believe are from the CPAP. Is this common? Will they subside???

Thank you all for your amazing help!!

bonmac wrote: I am now ready to up that pressure, hoping to get back to where I started. BUT, the ramp option is now locked, and I cannot change it. Auggh! What did I do?? Will I have to call a rep from the provider to unlock this?? That would be embarrassing, since I did this "illegally"...

Are you using your machine in Auto mode with min pressure = 4?

If so, that's why the ramp feature is locked: The ramp typically starts the pressure out at 4 and "ramps" up to the min pressure setting over a fixed amount of time. If the min pressure equals 4, there's no where to ramp up to. Hence you can't turn the ramp on.

One other concern. I have been getting what I believe are some serious sinus headaches, which I believe are from the CPAP. Is this common? Will they subside???

Describe the headaches. How bad do they hurt on a scale of 0-10 where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain you can imagine. Where do they hurt? How do they hurt? When do they hurt? How long do they last?

Thanks so much for your help!

Per my rep, I had to call my doctor about the pressure issue. Evidentially this is like a prescription, and she has to approve. I see her in two weeks, so maybe she'll let me coast at a 4 pressure until then. LOL... I am probably in the CPAP dog house at this point.

The headaches seem a little better today. I increased the humidification a bit, and maybe that has made some difference. They can be pretty uncomfortable, maybe a 6-7 on the pain scale. It starts in the back of my head and seems to go through my eyes - right eye especially. They are almost constant. Maybe I am being a big crybaby!?

Thanks again for your concern!!

A month has passed since my last post and I think I have done well - met the compliance requirements, saw my prescribing doctor (cardiologist), and sent my modem in to the supplier. For all practical purposes, I have completed my cpap responsibility. I am sleeping well, an avg. 7 hrs. a night. I have not experienced the new energy which I had hoped for, but maybe that is coming.

BUT, my concern remains that I am still having headaches. This seems to have started when I started my cpap. My supplier suggested I raise the humidification to avoid dryness, which I did. I have seen my PC doctor (not the prescribing dr.) about the headaches. We decided it must be a form of sinus infection with headache, even though I have no discharge. I went on antibiotic and Medrol for 2 weeks. He even ordered a CT scan which showed nothing . The headaches remain. In many ways they mimic sinus headaches.

I am wondering if my mask - a Philips DreamWear under the nose nasal mask - is causing this?? It can push against my face near my sinuses when I sleep. This morning the pain/pressure was horrible. Should I try a couple of nights without the mask???

Any suggestions?

BlackSpinner wrote:Get some good movies, put the thing on and watch the movies. Just like everything else sometimes we need to practice to get in shape. Exhaling against pressure is one of those things, you chest muscles and diaphragm need to get in shape, your mind needs to believe it is safe.

This is one of the best advices that I've read for a begginer.

If I knew this when I started, I've not suffered that much.

Have good sleep you all.