Absolutely wrecked by OSA - need some morale

After lots of issues with removing my mask, I finally was able to get 1 compliant week - ~6hrs/night. Goddamn was it amazing. I just felt *good*. I had energy, was super productive.


Then the night before last and last night I removed my mask again. Back in the prison that everyone tells me is just “stress”. Back in this depressive malaise. The worst feeling was waking up in the middle of the night with the mask in my hand. I was crushed. Reached out to Jason from freecpapsolutions to go over my SleepyHead data w me, looking fwd to that tonight.


What helped was tape on my mouth. The one shred of suspicion I have is that when I woke up, the tape’s seal was broken. Jason has a video online where he used two strips instead of one so maybe that’ll work.


I’m afraid to try a full face mask because my mouth got a terrible rash (have very sensitive skin, since childhood) due to mouth leaks - there’s a chance it might come back if theres air blowing in my face.


Not really sure what else to do other than hope.

Hello, pretysmitty! I, too, am a newbie to this whole CPAP stuff - I'm now in my full 2nd month of really using it. The 1st month, I just couldn't deal with it b/c I couldn't handle the nasal pillows. Left the States for the summer with machine and nasal pillows... nope, not working. Found a respiratory specialist where I am for the summer and he suggested I try a nasal mask for a week. It's a ResMed N20. I love it! (Well, as much as I can love a CPAP thing.) I, too, have extremely sensitive skin, but here's what has worked for me - both with the pillows and with the nasal mask. I use one long piece of 3M tape for sensitive skin (it's kind of a light blue color) and have it extend about an inch on either side of my mouth. Then, I add a vertical piece of tape that extends from about 3/4" above and believe the center of my mouth. Perhaps this is what you've already tried?? Best.

Pretysmitty, A postscript to my message: I still have too many nights of less than good sleep, despite wearing the mask for 6+ hours. There's always insomnia, getting comfy, etc... Didn't want you to think that the mouth taping has taken care of all of my sleep problems. Best.

Is the mask uncomfortable? Maybe look to see if you take the mask off when the pressure increases to a certain level etc.

Fetou wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:36 pm

Is the mask uncomfortable? Maybe look to see if you take the mask off when the pressure increases to a certain level etc.

No. When I take the mask off, there is no data suggesting a leak or increase in pressure. What I do see is that when an apnea hits after 2-3 hours, I will immediately take off the mask.

pretysmitty wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 7:32 am

Fetou wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:36 pm

Is the mask uncomfortable? Maybe look to see if you take the mask off when the pressure increases to a certain level etc.

No. When I take the mask off, there is no data suggesting a leak or increase in pressure. What I do see is that when an apnea hits after 2-3 hours, I will immediately take off the mask.

Post a sleepyhead if you could please. It's possible that those apneas are actually just the machine flagging the change in breathing pattern after an arousal. It would make sense that you take your mask off immediately after an arousal.

Sleepyhead data at this link. One is the entire night and the other is zoomed in at mask removal

https://imgur.com/a/6WqgR2Z

Fetou wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:12 am

Post a sleepyhead if you could please. It's possible that those apneas are actually just the machine flagging the change in breathing pattern after an arousal. It would make sense that you take your mask off immediately after an arousal.

tagging you in case you weren't alerted of my response

Yes, try a nasal mask instead of nasal pillows. It's whatever works best for you. However, you have to try that to know if it works better. You seem to have pressure going up as high as 18. The best mask at 11 might not be the bast mask at 18.

BTW, your SleepyHead report says that you have the autoset, but your profile says you have the fixed pressure CPAP. Since it's pretty obvious that SleepyHead is correct, please change your profile.

pretysmitty wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:36 am

Sleepyhead data at this link. One is the entire night and the other is zoomed in at mask removal

https://imgur.com/a/6WqgR2Z

Unfortunately the resolution on your image is too low for me to see anything zoomed in.

Fetou wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:04 pm

pretysmitty wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:36 am

Sleepyhead data at this link. One is the entire night and the other is zoomed in at mask removal

https://imgur.com/a/6WqgR2Z

Unfortunately the resolution on your image is too low for me to see anything zoomed in.

Image size is fine, you just need to right click on the imsge and select "view image".

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:46 pm

Fetou wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:04 pm

pretysmitty wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:36 am

Sleepyhead data at this link. One is the entire night and the other is zoomed in at mask removal

https://imgur.com/a/6WqgR2Z

Unfortunately the resolution on your image is too low for me to see anything zoomed in.

Image size is fine, you just need to right click on the imsge and select "view image".

I'm on mobile and even downloading it isn't doing me any good. Perhaps imgur is "optimizing" my experience for mobile lol. Can you confirm if his apnea flags prior to the large leak/removal is right after an arousal?

Fetou wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:27 pm

I'm on mobile and even downloading it isn't doing me any good. Perhaps imgur is "optimizing" my experience for mobile lol. Can you confirm if his apnea flags prior to the large leak/removal is right after an arousal?

I took a screen shot and maybe you can see it well enough here..
See attachment below.
Looks like everything happened after an arousal to me.

Thanks, that allowed me to download the full size so that zoom doesn't just blur it into nothing.

I agree with your conclusion. I'm not sure there is much value to that stretch other than "the mask was taken off" and sleep with a good seal did not resume.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 2:13 pm

Fetou wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 03, 2018 1:27 pm

I'm on mobile and even downloading it isn't doing me any good. Perhaps imgur is "optimizing" my experience for mobile lol. Can you confirm if his apnea flags prior to the large leak/removal is right after an arousal?

I took a screen shot and maybe you can see it well enough here..
See attachment below.
Looks like everything happened after an arousal to me.

I don't know what happened... But I agree that it looks post arousal.