CPAP just isn't working. Need advice

LSAT wrote:xxyzx aka idiot

LSAT wrote:xxyzx reminds me of Trump.....Always has to have the last word.....(watch).

Cpapian wrote:Have you always used a full face mask?

The reason I ask is I just recently went from a nasal mask to nasal pillows. It felt more refreshing with the pillows, stronger force from the air. So I turned the pressure down from 10.5 to 9.5 and results are basically the same so far.

What I am thinking is the larger the mask, the more undirected air floating around. The mask being kind of like the plemun of a furnace. So what blows into the mask and doesn't go into your lungs is a lot and you swallow it.

If you tried a smaller mask type and lowered your maximum pressure ( a lot) you might get the same amount of amount of air in your lungs but less in your stomach.

Just something to think about.

xxyzx wrote:

Longwalksonthe wrote:Hello everyone,

I've posted here before asking for advice and most everyone said i should raise my min pressure, so i did. If i raise it higher than 6.2ish i get really bad Aerophagia, even sometimes at 6.2 or lower i will get it as well, but not nearly as much.

So i've left it at 6.2 min and 20 max for a few weeks and i also have been using max liners because i drool really bad and will always wake up because of the drool and have to wipe off my mask. The mask liners have helped with that, but i think they are also causing large leaks, as you will be able to see in my data.

I've been using CPAP for almost a year, and it's been a nightmare since the beginning. I can remember maybe a handful of times where i've really noticed it helped me but 85% of the time i'm still feeling drowsy all day, especially while driving which is why i got this in the first place.

I did an at home study in the beginning and was determined to have about 15 events per hour. I'm 23, not overweight at all, go to the gym every week and have a good diet. I cannot deal with this my whole life and i've been thinking about trying to get an in lab sleep study to really pinpoint what my issues are and then try to get surgery to fix this. CPAP obviously isn't working and my sleep doctor doesn't seem to know crap so this is why i'm coming here again.

Here is some of my data:
https://imgur.com/a/4dtDp

You will notice i usually use it 3-5 times a night, sometimes longer than other times because i literally can't stand the machine, sometimes i'll wake up with really bad aerophagia and just take the mask off because my stomach is absolutely killing me. Whats the point in using it if it hasn't helped me for a year.

So any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

surgery should be the last gasp desperation fix

i dont like sleep labs but to pinpoint other sleep issues they may be useful
an IHT will definitively id OA

Why would surgery be your last option? I'm 23 years old and absolutely do not want to sleep with a mask on for the rest of my life.