Newbie User

I'm brand new to this forum and two weeks into my sleep apnea mask. I have read through a lot of the posts - I am so happy to have found this group. I started with the nasal mask Airfit Nasal 20(?) and have to say I felt so much better on day 1. I can't really believe how much different I am during the day. For years I have been unable to get through a day without feeling like I needed to lie down, some days I was too tired to even sit up and read and yet I am not a great napper. I can nap for about 3 minutes before I jerk awake. So overall, I am very happy with the treatment.

Now that I'm a few weeks in, I have a few questions. Actually, a lot of questions

Reports - I'm curious as to what my daily reports are actually telling me. Before the mask, my rate was 19 per hour. Since I've been using it, I've varied from 2.1 to about 3.7. Is this a good range? Will it always vary? Will it ever get to 1? I'm due for my follow up visit in a few weeks so I'm sure I'll learn more there. I

Mask - Some nights I feel like I need to do a really deep inhale once in a while, usually before I fall asleep. Is this something the doctor will adjust based on my input? Is this normal? Also, my original mask was causing bruising and sores on the bridge of my nose so they suggested I try a Dreamwear Nasal Mask. I had it on last night and kept fooling with it during the night. It was hard to tell if I was getting air continuously or just once in a while. I'll try a few more nights but I may have to go back to my original.

Thanks for putting up with all of my questions!

Hi akirish40, and welcome to the forum. I've been on CPAP therapy for a year and a half, so my experience is limited. An AHI of 2.1 to 3.7 is good, considering that your untreated AHi was 19 and that you're only 2 weeks into treatment. Many CPAP users find that their AHI varies from one night to the next.

When I started treatment, the ramp feature for my machine was turned on. It started at 4, then increased over a 5 minute period to my prescribed pressure of 6. I often felt started for air when I started therapy each night, and took frequent large breaths until it got to the prescribed pressure. I read in this forum that turning off the ramp feature might help, so I tried it. It made a huge difference in my comfort. Others can give you better answers.

The more experienced members here can help you optimize your therapy, but they will need to know what CPAP machine you're using and what pressure your doctor prescribed. Best of luck to you!

akirish40 wrote:I'm brand new to this forum and two weeks into my sleep apnea mask. I have read through a lot of the posts - I am so happy to have found this group. I started with the nasal mask Airfit Nasal 20(?) and have to say I felt so much better on day 1. I can't really believe how much different I am during the day.

Congratulations on feeling so much better so quickly!

Reports - I'm curious as to what my daily reports are actually telling me. Before the mask, my rate was 19 per hour. Since I've been using it, I've varied from 2.1 to about 3.7. Is this a good range? Will it always vary? Will it ever get to 1? I'm due for my follow up visit in a few weeks so I'm sure I'll learn more there.

Yes a treated 2.1 to 3.7 is a good range. The treated AHI usually does vary. Sometimes we get more REM. Or spend more time on our backs. Or just have a "bad night."

My own AHI can be as low as 0.5 (which is rare) or as high as 4.5 or 5.0 on a really bad night (also rare). I tend to feel best when my AHI is between 1.5 and 2.5.

Whether you will ever get to 1.0 (or below) is an open question. Some people do have treated AHI's that are less than 1 every night. Sometimes a small tweak is all it takes. But many people seldom ever see an AHI of 1.0 or below. There are many reasons why, and it's important to understand that once your AHI is below 5.0, the goal is to make sure you feel good every day rather than chasing a super low AHI just to have a super low AHI.

Mask - Some nights I feel like I need to do a really deep inhale once in a while, usually before I fall asleep. Is this something the doctor will adjust based on my input? Is this normal?

Our breathing patterns naturally change just as we drop off to sleep. It sounds to me like your really deep inhales when you are trying to get to sleep are perfectly normal. As long as you are comfortable in the sense of having enough air coming in through the mask to take those deep inhalations, I would not worry about them at all. If you feel a bit air hungry---as in it feels like there's not quite enough air coming in through the mask to comfortably inhale as deeply as you want---then a small increase in pressure (or not using the ramp) should take care of the problem.

download sleepyhead and get some charts up
I would have the ramp on 6 and your treatment pressure on 6 as well for now, When you get some charts up, The forum can help you fine tune.

Prior to going to sleep, I take slow, deep breaths up to the point I fall asleep. I inhale for a count of three, then exhale for a count of three. By concentrating on my breathing, I forget about everything that went on during the day. I have found this to be very relaxing, and I can easily tell when I fall asleep when looking at sleepyhead because the breathing pattern changes. It makes it easy to tell which events are sleep/wake junk and which are true events.