Please help me (newbie)

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Fri May 20, 2022 5:56 pm

Hello everyone I stumbled across this forum in one of my many google searches so I’m hoping someone here can be of help.

I’ve been on cpap for about a year now using a full face mask
And still to this day I struggle to wake up, my mouth and throat feel dryer than a desert and my partner informs me that I still snore.

I’ve tried adjusting the humidity and tube temp settings but it hasn’t helped at all, I’ve also tried the “automatic” setting.

I’ve tried dry mouth gel and spray which also doesn’t help.

I’ve tried adjusting the pressure.

According to my data my pressure is usually 14 once I’m asleep

I’m using the resmed air sense 10.

My doctor has been absolutely no help and reckons i just need to keep sticking it out. It’s been a year how much longer before it actually works???

I’m at my wits end I honestly feel like I’ve been hit by two trucks since starting sleep therapy. If anyone has any suggestions I would be so great full for the help.

Thankyou everyone.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Fri May 20, 2022 6:19 pm

viewtopic/t172378/Sticky--Newbies-PLEAS ... STING.html

zonker · Post by **zonker** » Fri May 20, 2022 6:52 pm

farmer1995 wrote: ↑
Fri May 20, 2022 5:56 pm

According to my data my pressure is usually 14 once I’m asleep

where are you getting this data?

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Fri May 20, 2022 7:18 pm

From the cpap machine and from my doctor at my last visit

zonker · Post by **zonker** » Fri May 20, 2022 8:27 pm

farmer1995 wrote: ↑
Fri May 20, 2022 7:18 pm
From the cpap machine and from my doctor at my last visit

then i invite you to click on the link that pugsy provided. this will enable you to collect some data from the free software program called oscar. you'll then be able to post screenshots here for peer review.

without this data, all anyone can do is guess at your therapy. and we don't want to guess when we can see the data and see what jumps out at us.

good luck!

Miss Emerita · Post by **Miss Emerita** » Fri May 20, 2022 11:13 pm

I second what Zonker says! It’d be great to be able to try to help you, but we need more information first. Let us know if you have trouble getting started with Oscar. We’re happy to help with that too.

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Sat May 21, 2022 6:18 am

Sorry for such a late reply, ive been at work.

Iv'e downloaded OSCAR and put my sd card in it.

What data do i need to take screen shots of for you guys to be able to help? Iv'e attached one photo of what i think you guys might need?

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:03 am

I'll just upload everything lol.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:11 am

So what exactly are your complaints or symptoms that you have but wish you didn't have?

Do you take any medications of any kind? Even OTC? If so, what?

Any other physical or mental health issues going on?

Lots of fragmented sleep sessions are seen? Why?

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:20 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Sat May 21, 2022 7:11 am
So what exactly are your complaints or symptoms that you have but wish you didn't have?

Do you take any medications of any kind? Even OTC? If so, what?

Any other physical or mental health issues going on?

Lots of fragmented sleep sessions are seen? Why?

My Complaints are that i wake up feeling like I've been hit by a bus. My mouth and throat are so dry it feels like my mouth and throat have cracks in them. I'm still tired through the day i can easily sit on the couch after work and fall asleep ( which i actually did a couple of nights ago, it was 6:30pm and i was asleep on the couch. I struggle getting out of bed, like majorly struggle because i feel as though i haven't slept long enough.

No medications only the occasional panadol for a headache.

I have a fatty liver, but is under control. I am Obese ( 120KG) (180cm) Other than that, no health issues.

I am also a smoker ( 10 - 15 per day )

I have a 1 year old so had to wake up for bottles through the night but most nights my partner gets up due to me having to get up early for work. Plus our daughter has slept through most nights for approx the last 2months.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:31 am

What humidity setting do you use on your humidifier?

Do you find yourself waking often during the night for unknown reasons?

You show a big leak....do leaks wake you up?

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:42 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Sat May 21, 2022 7:31 am
What humidity setting do you use on your humidifier?

Do you find yourself waking often during the night for unknown reasons?

You show a big leak....do leaks wake you up?

I've been using the auto setting on the Humidifier

I have only woken maybe a handful of times since I've been on cpap for unknown reasons

no big leaks don't wake me but they wake my partner lol she has complained that i sound like a very powerful fan lol

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat May 21, 2022 7:56 am

Dry mouth is a common complaint among cpap users ...even the ones using a full face mask.
The cold hard facts of life are that sometimes some people just get dry mouth a lot easier than others and sometimes even maximum humidity isn't enough to hydrate the oral cavity well enough to be comfortable.

The "auto" setting for humidity on the AirSense 10 machines equals around 4 ish setting if looking at a manual setting.
The machine will go to 8 humidity setting.
I don't know if more moisture in the air will help relieve your dry mouth symptoms or not but you have some room to at least try it and see if it helps or not.

For some people using more moisture will help but for others it simply doesn't give the relief they need and those people have opted to add some sort of oral moisturizing agent to their bedtime routine.

You might first try increasing the humidity level....that involves taking it off auto mode and the manually selecting the humidity level.
The reason we use a full face mask is because we tend to mouth breathe and the act of mouth breathing itself can worsen dry mouth symptoms.

As for the unwanted generalized feeling like you have been hit by a bus....I don't see anything on your reports that is just standing up screaming "fix me and you will feel better".
What was your diagnostic AHI numbers when you were first diagnosed with OSA?
The leaks....might be enough to cause low level sleep disruptions so I would suggest continued work on leak management.

Are you male? If so....Do you have facial hair?

Miss Emerita · Post by **Miss Emerita** » Sat May 21, 2022 11:48 am

Given how fragmented your sleep is, I'm not too surprised you are sleepy during the day. Your total sleep time also looks to be on the low side.

You don't show your flow limitation graph, but from the numbers in the side panel and the behavior of your pressure line, I would guess you have a fair amount of FL. This bother some people and doesn't bother other people. The best way to tell whether it bothers you is to try some EPR (expiratory pressure relief). This drops your pressure when you exhale, and by the same token, it increases your pressure as you inhale, which give you a bit of an assist that can help to overcome FL (though not if the FL is due to limitations in the nose). You could start with EPR of 1, and then if that felt OK, increase it to 2 and then to 3. For many people, EPR is attractive simply as a comfort feature.

For the dry mouth, you might try Xylimelts, which are small disks that stick to your teeth or gums and stimulate the production of saliva throughout the night.

From your Summary page, it looks like you usually have a lot less time in large-leak territory than is showing the the daily chart you posted. Do you know what causes the large leaks? Knocking your mask around when you turn over? Or ... ?

farmer1995 · Post by **farmer1995** » Sat May 21, 2022 2:16 pm

Here is my flow limitation.

Yes i do have facial hair.

I can't remember my AHI when i was first diagnosed, we moved houses around the same time and iv'e misplaced the paperwork, all i can remember is the doctor told me i was classed as severe.

How are you finding out i have fragmented sleeping? Is that the session times chart?

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