new user

freddieg · Post by **freddieg** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:30 pm

Hi! I wonder if someone would answer a question or two. I was diagnosed after a sleep study. My total AHI was 5.2 but my non-rem level was .9 and my Rem average was 24/hr. My o2 level was good never dropping below 92%. My heart rate spiked wildly during rem sleep. I assume this is the danger.Is that so? My daytime sleepiness score was off the scale which was why I started this process but I sleep less now as the adjustment(only 4 days so far) has been very tough. I would rather be tired than do this every night but fear the health hazards. I appreciate this forum as there is very little other good info out there.
Thanks.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:42 pm

Welcome to the forum freddieg! You will find that everyone here is more than willing to help you with any problems you're having.
You really need to fill in your profile; what machine,mask,software. It also helps if you give us your titrated pressure and sleep study results.
The health risks are real. You have only been on cpap for 4 nights, It can take months before you see results or even get used to this new way of sleeping. It is very easy for some and very difficult for others.
If you tell us what your problems are with your machine or mask we will try to help you get more comfortable with this whole process. It does get easier. I can no longer fall asleep without my mask!
Don't forget to click on the yellow light bulb at the top of the page. Lot's of good info there.

Brenda

freddieg · Post by **freddieg** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 8:58 pm

Where do I start? It is simply so alien to sleep like this. Sometimes I feel like I am unable to exhale. Obviously I need to adapt re:sleeping position.I tried attaching the hose with velcro to bedpost but it shortened it so much it pulled off machine in middle of the night. Without, it pulls my head sideways. Very difficult to adjust so it's not too tight but also doesn't leak.Always leaks when I turn on my side. Very dizzy some mornings. I am 58 (today!) and this is going to be very hard to adapt to.
Thanks for your concern.

bairdbeth · Post by **bairdbeth** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:15 pm

First, happy birthday! I've only been at this for about 2 months, but do feel alot less sleepy during the day! I am on my 4th mask and think I finally found the right one. It can be frustrating at first, but keep at it! Do you have your c-flex turned on? If so start it at 3. That will make it easier to exhale.You may also want to try a different mask. The mask is the key to a good night's sleep. Keep at it, you will feel better!

Moogy · Post by **Moogy** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:20 pm

freddieg wrote:Where do I start? It is simply so alien to sleep like this. Sometimes I feel like I am unable to exhale. Obviously I need to adapt re:sleeping position.I tried attaching the hose with velcro to bedpost but it shortened it so much it pulled off machine in middle of the night. Without, it pulls my head sideways. Very difficult to adjust so it's not too tight but also doesn't leak.Always leaks when I turn on my side. Very dizzy some mornings. I am 58 (today!) and this is going to be very hard to adapt to.
Thanks for your concern.

Freddieg,

You said you are having trouble exhaling. Can you tell us what pressure you are using? Is the Cflex setting enabled on your unit? That will make exhaling easier.

If you must use very high pressure, over 14 or so, of if you simply cannot adjust to exhaling, you might need a bilevel machine.

Don't worry that it is taking a while to adjust. This therapy is trial and error for most of us, and with some adjustments, most of us learn to live with it.

Best Wishes for you,

Moogy

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:09 am

Did you know you can get hoses (very inexpensive) in different lengths from 2 to 10 feet long?

freddieg · Post by **freddieg** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:59 am

I was instructed to start the c-flex at 5 and it maxs out at 13. I actually go to sleep easily but wake up frequently. I suppose it will get easier.I think part of my problem is believing that this will help as much as people say it will: just a skeptical old fart I guess. I have battled depression/anxiety most of my life; managed to survive the many years of "self medication", if you know what I mean.Gave that up years ago and can't really handle any of the Serotonin, dopamine,mood altering,tranquilizing.....IT REALLY HELPS TO KNOW THAT THESE PROBLEMS ARE SO TYPICAL!!! Thanks for everyone's replies...........

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): C-FLEX

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:00 am

freddieg wrote:I was instructed to start the c-flex at 5 and it maxs out at 13.

Hi freddie,
I'm very confused by this statement. CFlex (exhalation relief) has only three settings: 1 (least relief) 2 (medium relief) and 3 (most relief). It doesn't have any sort of 5-13 range.

You also don't have an auto (at least, you've indicated in your profile that you have a plus), so that can't be a pressure range.

The only thing I can think of that you could mean is that 5 is the ramp pressure, and 13 is your prescribed pressure.

What this would mean is that when you turn the unit on and hit the ramp button (looks like a little triangle) the pressure goes to 5cms. When it's been the set amount of minutes (20, 30, something like that) it changes to your prescribed pressure of 13. Is that what's happening?

If so, if you're still having problems with exhaling, it could be that CFlex was either not enabled by the DME you bought from, or not set high enough for you. To check that, press the "CFlex" button on the top of your machine. Tell us what it says. If it says it's not enabled, we can help you fix that. If it lets you change it, try setting it to 3 if it's not already, and see if that helps.

Good luck.

CG

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:12 am

Also, I should add:
You should not have to adjust your sleeping position because of the interface you have. Make IT work for YOU. If this particular mask isn't working for you, there are always others out there. What's your preferred sleeping position? You can get other posters to chime in by asking people who sleep the same way (for example, side sleepers) what their favorite mask is. Of course, every mask works for some people but not for others - but look for patterns in the responses you get.

For nasal masks, one that many people love is the Resmed Mirage Activa. For full face masks (which you may want to look into if you mouth-breathe) there's the Resmed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask and the Fisher & Paykel HC 431 (and now the 432 as well, though there hasn't been enough feedback on the 432 yet for me to give it "popular" status). As far as nasal pillows go, the Breeze, the Swift, the ComfortLite2 and the TwilightNP (my own personal favorite) are the most popular. And then there's the Hybrid, which is also relatively new, but has a big following out there. It's a half-and-half mask (full face and nasal pillows). About half the posters here love it, and the other half hate it. So the jury's still out on that one.

But anyway, don't settle. Keep trying interfaces til you find the one that's perfect for you. And if you're stuck with the one you have, or if you think one you try would be perfect if you could just fix one small thing, search the boards here or ask. Many people have developed little "fixes" that make the masks much more comfortable, or make them fit better. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

And welcome.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:08 am

I also am confused by your cflex comment. As CollegeGirl said cflex is 1, 2, or 3. You sound like you are talking about ramp.

The machine you picked for your profile does not show CFLEX. Do you have it? Is it turned on?

On the hose issue. You can get a longer hose 10 ft I think other than the standard 6 foot. I tend to just use the 6 foot and put it on top of me or next to me under the covers. This holds it down as well as helps keep rainout from happening. I also put a piece of tape around the hose (cloth tape) and then use a safety pin and pin the tape to the bottom bedsheet. This take some of the pressure off the hose (gravity).

If you are starting your ramp at 5 and going up into the teens on pressure, that may also be waking you. If possible try your ramp closer to your titrated pressure.

You are showing a plus machine I believe and unfortunately you can't get any data on that machine to see if it is actually dealing with your apneas. But the humidifier you show doesn't match the M series machine you have so I am not really sure what you have.

You don't say if you snore. My sleep data was similar to yours. My 02 level was in the 92% range min, and my apnea was mild. My issues were some apnea and really loud snoring that kept waking me up so that I rarely reached stage 3 or 4 or REM sleep. I think that while the apnea contributed, the snoring was a major contributor to my daytime tiredenss.

Do you snore?

Keep working on the equipment and it will start getting better.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, cflex, rainout, Ramp

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:40 am

My heart rate spiked wildly during rem sleep.

I think it would be a good idea to obtain a copy of your sleep study, and ask if they have any more detail on your heart function. Then I would make an appointment with a good cardiologist. There is a possible connection between A-Fib (Goggle it) and sleep apnea.

Since your PSG data indicates very mild OSA and normal SAO2, I think the dysrhythmia is the main concern.

But then what do I know, I'm not a medical professional. My sleep studies indicate SAO2 as low as 78%, mild apnea, and before returning to xPAP, several nocturnal A-Fib events.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:37 am

SORRY, lots of misinformation...Yes I have cflex and it is set to 3. I guess I profiled the wrong machine. Ramp is set at 5. Ido snore but had plenty of rem sleep on my study:it's just that is where my hypopnias occurred. I have a follow up with the sleep study folks as Im really concerned about the heart rate fluctuations.
Thanks again .

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 9:58 am

http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/New ... geId=3.2.1

This is interesting..

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:29 pm

I second the advice to work with your doc's and maybe a cardiologist.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:03 pm

[quote="snoregirl"]I also am confused by your cflex comment. As CollegeGirl said cflex is 1, 2, or 3. You sound like you are talking about ramp.

The machine you picked for your profile does not show CFLEX. Do you have it? Is it turned on?

On the hose issue. You can get a longer hose 10 ft I think other than the standard 6 foot. I tend to just use the 6 foot and put it on top of me or next to me under the covers. This holds it down as well as helps keep rainout from happening. I also put a piece of tape around the hose (cloth tape) and then use a safety pin and pin the tape to the bottom bedsheet. This take some of the pressure off the hose (gravity).

If you are starting your ramp at 5 and going up into the teens on pressure, that may also be waking you. If possible try your ramp closer to your titrated pressure.

You are showing a plus machine I believe and unfortunately you can't get any data on that machine to see if it is actually dealing with your apneas. But the humidifier you show doesn't match the M series machine you have so I am not really sure what you have.

You don't say if you snore. My sleep data was similar to yours. My 02 level was in the 92% range min, and my apnea was mild. My issues were some apnea and really loud snoring that kept waking me up so that I rarely reached stage 3 or 4 or REM sleep. I think that while the apnea contributed, the snoring was a major contributor to my daytime tiredenss.

Do you snore?

Keep working on the equipment and it will start getting better.