New Here -- Have Questions

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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latskogkatt
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Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by latskogkatt » Tue Jul 26, 2022 4:32 am

--Regarding Heart Rate and SpO2--

I'm wanting to monitor these because they were all over the place during my sleep study. The printout of the graphs they gave me isn't exactly high quality, but it was pretty clear even so that my heart rate was not normal. Add to that, my O2 dropped into the 80s often enough that my diagnosis includes hypoxemia. So... any recommendations on SpO2 monitors? I've gathered that the ones like fitbit and garmin aren't up to par (ie: not as accurate as medical grade).

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Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: I switch between 4 different masks, as needed Settings: 11-20, no ramp, epr 3

GrumpyHere
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Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by GrumpyHere » Wed Jul 27, 2022 3:24 am

I used Wellue O2Ring to confirm CPAP was working for me.

O2Ring stores readings once every 4 seconds with sampling rate of 150hz.

https://www.viatomtech.com/pulse-oximeter

After about a month I stopped importing the Heart Rate and SpO2 data into OSCAR because I didn't gain any new insights, YMMV.

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latskogkatt
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Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by latskogkatt » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:14 am

I figure it's high time for an update...

I got a box o' masks from Pugsy on Saturday, and took the time to have a look at each of them and try some on, then had a nap. With the machine on. I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with a mask on right away, and I didn't think I'd be able to sleep a full night with one (considering how many stories I hear about people pulling them off in their sleep). I've used one mask or another every night and every nap since.

I started out with the settings my sleep doctor listed on the prescription (5-20, epr 2), and noted after two nights that when I'd wake up, the machine was usually registering a pressure around 7 or a bit more, so I bumped the minimum up to that. I also moved the epr to 3.

I have an SD card in the machine, and have OSCAR downloaded and installed. I'm waiting on a card reader right now, though. It should arrive within the week.

Thoughts on the masks I got, so far:

n30i - really comfortable for the most part. The weight of the hose on top of my head feels weird when I'm not laying down yet. (The way my room is set up, I have to turn the machine on before I lay down, or I may have never noticed this.) It does put a bit much pressure on my cheekbones at the point where the hard plastic touches... this part isn't covered by the standard cheek pads, so I'll need to look into something to pad them with.

n20 - both cushion types (silicone and memory foam) feel pretty nice, and the headgear isn't annoying. I do get red marks all the way around my nose from it. Not sure if it's too loose, too tight, or if it moves just enough to rub the skin. I'm glad I have a variety of masks that touch in different ways/places, so I can switch between them and avoid any bad irritated spots.

brevida - this one feels so odd, but not in a bad way. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand anything in the way of nasal pillows, but while they feel weird, they don't feel "Oh my god, get it off, get it off right NOW!"

amara view - I don't know if it would help if it were a bigger size, but the sides dig into my cheeks, since they're mostly hard plastic. I think this exact issue was commented on by LankyLefty in a review of this type of mask, though it may have been a different one. It feels decent otherwise, but I'll be looking into getting a different full-face mask for when I'm congested, and will then send this one back.

dreamwear - I haven't worn this one yet. It smells like it was exposed to cigarette smoke at one time, so it needs a bath, and I haven't gotten that far.

p10 - this one was sent to me in a completely unopened package, absolutely pristine, and I have yet to open it and end its newness.


There's a reason I was worried about how this would all work out. I got my original diagnosis back in 2006, and went in for a titration study where they tried out 4 different masks, I slept less than an hour, and I gave up and went home around 1am. The masks back then were incredibly uncomfortable, all hard plastic except for a thin layer of gel (like insoles) or foam. The nasal mask felt like it was pushing my upper lip into my teeth and gums. The second mask they tried went in my nostrils and I had them remove it immediately. It felt terrible. I thought for a long time it was a nasal pillow mask... but it wasn't. I found pictures of it on google somewhat recently, and it was probably a nasalaire, which has cannula-type prongs. The third mask they tried was a full-face, also very rigid, and the one I fell asleep with for a bit. Then there was a full-face that actually had a soft silicone seal, and I thought it might work, but there was a loud whistling leak at the elbow joint when they turned the machine on, and there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep with that sound. That was when I gave up, because they told me that was pretty much all the options. Interestingly enough, I got a copy of the doctor's write-up on that titration study a few weeks ago, and apparently the sleep tech reported that they'd tried 8 different masks. Not sure why they'd exaggerate/lie on their write-up for the doctor, but they did.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: I switch between 4 different masks, as needed Settings: 11-20, no ramp, epr 3

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Pugsy
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Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by Pugsy » Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:15 am

latskogkatt wrote:
Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:14 am
amara view - I don't know if it would help if it were a bigger size, but the sides dig into my cheeks, since they're mostly hard plastic. I think this exact issue was commented on by LankyLefty in a review of this type of mask, though it may have been a different one. It feels decent otherwise, but I'll be looking into getting a different full-face mask for when I'm congested, and will then send this one back.
The Amara View was Respironics first attempt at a sort of hybrid type of full face mask. At the time of its release it was "okay" and probably not horrible but it did leave a lot to be desired. The follow up attempt was the DreamWear model line which does include a full face version which ended up being a lower profile and generally more comfortable type of hybrid.
While it is possible it might work for you in a different size.....I am not holding my breath. :lol:
My personal opinion of it is that it is a barely "okay" mask. I can't wear anything that touches or puts any sort of pressure on my nasal bridge area of my nose so when the Amara View was released I did opt to try it just for grins. I could use it if I just absolutely had to but the sun, moon and stars would really have to line up just right and in over 13 years on cpap I haven't had the need for a full face mask or those items line up. I just have always managed to get my nose clear enough to use the nasal pillows when I have had any sort of upper respiratory infection and never had a situation where I just had to use a full face mask.

The DreamWear full face mask version is essentially the Amara View but improved in several ways. Sizing options are more versatile for one thing and the overall imprint on the face is smaller and more comfortable in general.

I don't really want the Amara View (and it's a size small if I remember right) back. I can't find a home for it. Most people seem to need the medium size anyway. If you can't find a home for it by offering it here on the forum for someone to try...I don't care what you do with it. It's getting long in the tooth anyway and as the silicone ages it isn't as pliable or comfortable as it would be brand new. I sent it mainly for you to have at least a full face mask to try and it was the only one I had that would even remotely fit a woman. My supply of full face masks in the donations box has been essentially exhausted. Since cpap.com instituted the free return insurance policy people aren't donating unwanted masks anymore. They are returned their failed experiments for a refund or exchange.

I hope you can get the smoke odor removed from the DreamWear package at least enough so you can try it for overall size and fit and comfort to give you an idea if that mask would work for you if it didn't stink. :lol:
When I get donations I don't question where they came from and my nose isn't so great when it comes to odor detection so I never know myself.
Besides the idea with the donations box trial is simply to try to see if the size fits and the mask in general is workable.
The donations box trial is a cheap way to do a lot of experiments. They are used masks though and while they still have some life left in them...they aren't going to be as nice as brand new.

The only mask that I sent you that I might want returned if you hate it is the new P10 package. The rest of them you can offer here on the forum if you wish. I used to make a lot of those kind of offers but I just haven't had the time lately what with some personal issues that I have going on in my life right now.
Like I have some AmaraView brand new still in package cushions in the medium size. I have offered them before but no takers. No one wants them.
latskogkatt wrote:
Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:14 am
apparently the sleep tech reported that they'd tried 8 different masks. Not sure why they'd exaggerate/lie on their write-up for the doctor, but they did.
Sounds like they tried one mask in each of the mask categories and most likely all were one brand. There are 4 categories..
Nasal pillow
Nasal cushion (can be under the nose or over the nose)
Nasal prong
Full face mask and probably not the hybrid variety since there weren't very many way back when you had that sleep study.

The nasal prong...actually it can be quite comfortable but sounds like they tried a too large size prong with you.
I have tried this mask myself. The sizing is absolutely critical with this one...no in betweens at all. It must be fitted so that when it inflates with air that it totally seals the inside of the nostril but not to the point of inflation causing pain.
There is a fine line here for a lot of people. When I tried it I ended up being an in between size where one size didn't quite seal enough and the next size larger was too big and it hurt like hell when it inflated.
The prong mask isn't a hugely popular mask and what is out there has been available for years. There hasn't been a new model prong mask since I started cpap therapy 13 years ago. What little that is out there is very old school and was available in 2009 when I started therapy.

As to why they lied...to make it out like they tried harder to find you a suitable mask than they really tried.
They probably didn't have other brand models of the 4 types of masks.
It was like the titration sleep study I had....they only offered one brand of masks and that was Respironics.
I don't do well with Respironics masks...ResMed brand masks have always ended up being what works better for me in general. With each new model nasal pillow mask that ResMed has released since I first started cpap it's been an improvement and caused a change in my primary mask used.
At least until the release of the Bleep which caused a new primary mask for me.
Interesting to note that a glue on type of nasal mask is or was on the ResMed agenda. They actually have a patent pending for one but it's under secrecy and I don't know if it will ever be released. They have thought about it.

For the stinky DreamWear...try washing and soaking in a soap solution that has some fragrance if you tolerate fragrances.
Or set it outside in the fresh air and attach it to the machine and just let it run for hours and hours to try to air out the odor.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
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I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
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Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by lynninnj » Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:33 am

latskogkatt wrote:
Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:14 am
I figure it's high time for an update...

I got a box o' masks from Pugsy on Saturday, and took the time to have a look at each of them and try some on, then had a nap. With the machine on. I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with a mask on right away, and I didn't think I'd be able to sleep a full night with one (considering how many stories I hear about people pulling them off in their sleep). I've used one mask or another every night and every nap since.

I started out with the settings my sleep doctor listed on the prescription (5-20, epr 2), and noted after two nights that when I'd wake up, the machine was usually registering a pressure around 7 or a bit more, so I bumped the minimum up to that. I also moved the epr to 3.

I have an SD card in the machine, and have OSCAR downloaded and installed. I'm waiting on a card reader right now, though. It should arrive within the week.

Thoughts on the masks I got, so far:

n30i - really comfortable for the most part. The weight of the hose on top of my head feels weird when I'm not laying down yet. (The way my room is set up, I have to turn the machine on before I lay down, or I may have never noticed this.) It does put a bit much pressure on my cheekbones at the point where the hard plastic touches... this part isn't covered by the standard cheek pads, so I'll need to look into something to pad them with.

n20 - both cushion types (silicone and memory foam) feel pretty nice, and the headgear isn't annoying. I do get red marks all the way around my nose from it. Not sure if it's too loose, too tight, or if it moves just enough to rub the skin. I'm glad I have a variety of masks that touch in different ways/places, so I can switch between them and avoid any bad irritated spots.

brevida - this one feels so odd, but not in a bad way. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand anything in the way of nasal pillows, but while they feel weird, they don't feel "Oh my god, get it off, get it off right NOW!"

amara view - I don't know if it would help if it were a bigger size, but the sides dig into my cheeks, since they're mostly hard plastic. I think this exact issue was commented on by LankyLefty in a review of this type of mask, though it may have been a different one. It feels decent otherwise, but I'll be looking into getting a different full-face mask for when I'm congested, and will then send this one back.

dreamwear - I haven't worn this one yet. It smells like it was exposed to cigarette smoke at one time, so it needs a bath, and I haven't gotten that far.

p10 - this one was sent to me in a completely unopened package, absolutely pristine, and I have yet to open it and end its newness.


There's a reason I was worried about how this would all work out. I got my original diagnosis back in 2006, and went in for a titration study where they tried out 4 different masks, I slept less than an hour, and I gave up and went home around 1am. The masks back then were incredibly uncomfortable, all hard plastic except for a thin layer of gel (like insoles) or foam. The nasal mask felt like it was pushing my upper lip into my teeth and gums. The second mask they tried went in my nostrils and I had them remove it immediately. It felt terrible. I thought for a long time it was a nasal pillow mask... but it wasn't. I found pictures of it on google somewhat recently, and it was probably a nasalaire, which has cannula-type prongs. The third mask they tried was a full-face, also very rigid, and the one I fell asleep with for a bit. Then there was a full-face that actually had a soft silicone seal, and I thought it might work, but there was a loud whistling leak at the elbow joint when they turned the machine on, and there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep with that sound. That was when I gave up, because they told me that was pretty much all the options. Interestingly enough, I got a copy of the doctor's write-up on that titration study a few weeks ago, and apparently the sleep tech reported that they'd tried 8 different masks. Not sure why they'd exaggerate/lie on their write-up for the doctor, but they did.
Hows it going Katt? (is it ok if i call you Katt?)

If you like the cushion on the N30i and headgear on P10, look at the N30 that I use and see if you can get one thru insurance at some point?

(unless you love one of the others)

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

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latskogkatt
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Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by latskogkatt » Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:30 am

Hows it going Katt? (is it ok if i call you Katt?)
Sure, you can call me Katt. As for how it's going... Pretty well in terms of tolerating the machine/masks, though I keep getting a sore patch on the right, just away from my nostril, along the naso-labial fold, and I can't figure out why. I just end up switching between masks if/when one starts to feel uncomfortable.
If you like the cushion on the N30i and headgear on P10, look at the N30 that I use and see if you can get one thru insurance at some point?
That's definitely one I'm interested in trying. At some point, I also want to get a full-face one so that when the inevitable happens and I catch a massive head-cold, I'll be able to breathe and sleep.

I don't know if it's the "adrenaline withdrawal" thing or what, but even though I'm sleeping well, (and my OSCAR charts for the past week, which I just looked at, are really good), my brain is really, really wanting sleep. I was up for less than 4 hours yesterday before I took a nap... which is something I was already doing quite a bit prior to getting the machine.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: I switch between 4 different masks, as needed Settings: 11-20, no ramp, epr 3

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by lynninnj » Sun Aug 07, 2022 7:54 pm

latskogkatt wrote:
Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:30 am
Hows it going Katt? (is it ok if i call you Katt?)
Sure, you can call me Katt. As for how it's going... Pretty well in terms of tolerating the machine/masks, though I keep getting a sore patch on the right, just away from my nostril, along the naso-labial fold, and I can't figure out why. I just end up switching between masks if/when one starts to feel uncomfortable.
If you like the cushion on the N30i and headgear on P10, look at the N30 that I use and see if you can get one thru insurance at some point?
That's definitely one I'm interested in trying. At some point, I also want to get a full-face one so that when the inevitable happens and I catch a massive head-cold, I'll be able to breathe and sleep.

I don't know if it's the "adrenaline withdrawal" thing or what, but even though I'm sleeping well, (and my OSCAR charts for the past week, which I just looked at, are really good), my brain is really, really wanting sleep. I was up for less than 4 hours yesterday before I took a nap... which is something I was already doing quite a bit prior to getting the machine.
Somewhere on the newbie threads was mention of Ayrs nasal saline gel for in the nose and nipple cream which is pure lanolin. (lanisoh I think its called)

Ive been using the teeniest bit of lanolin on my nose every morning and it seems to be working.

I keep hoping I don’t need a full face. They say the humidity setting helps with congestion but who knows.

Sounds like you are coming along.

Good luck!

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

Iamstumped
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Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by Iamstumped » Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:32 pm

Pugsy,
I have the Amara View, Large, which does not fit, I would love to try that Medium that you have. If I cannot use this Amara View, I will send both sizes back to you. Do you still have my address?

Like I have some AmaraView brand new still in package cushions in the medium size. I have offered them before but no takers. No one wants them.

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latskogkatt
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Re: New Here -- Have Questions

Post by latskogkatt » Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:23 pm

--Update: OSCAR observations and sleeping at home vs elsewhere--

I had another peek at my OSCAR data (originally looked on August 5th, with data from July 30th on) today. A few interesting (to me) notes:

AHI consistently under 1, except for the first night, when I used the prescription settings I was given (5-20, 2 epr)

AHI typically under 0.5 (NICE!)

I did cat-sitting last weekend, and for the two nights I spent at the owners' house, my AHI was almost 0.7, which I find interesting because I've always felt, subjectively, that I sleep much better at home than at other peoples' houses. This gives me objective data that seem consistent with what I'd felt.

I'm still playing around with the 3 different masks (as listed in my profile), because sometimes one will start to bug me, but I can easily switch. They all have slightly different contact points/pressure points on my face, which is nice, because if one starts to irritate my skin, the others still work just fine, while giving the irritated area a break.

I'm still overall amazed this has been so easy for me to adapt to, since I do have high sensory sensitivity to some things, and since I generally don't like things touching my face, at all.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: I switch between 4 different masks, as needed Settings: 11-20, no ramp, epr 3