Still falling asleep at the wheel.....

Goofproof wrote:That's a lot of people driving on your roads to dodge.

Just within the last few days, I've read two different (online newspaper) stories where people had fallen asleep behind the wheels of their vehicles. Fortunately, nobody died, but the first thing that came to my mind was wondering if they had apnea. (imagine that)

Den

Goofproof wrote:As Den says, Most people mouthbreath, chin straps help some people but not many, and some people can control mouthbreathing without devices, I am one. But if you don't have the software and reader, and or don't know how to use it, you had better error on the ways that provide successful treatment. Close that hole under your nose, or cover all three holes, with a well fitting FF Mask.

It doesn't matter how deep DeNile is, if you don't hold the necessary pressure in your airway, you aren't getting treatment. Every day here we see posts from people that say their treatment isn't doing them any good, only to find that they are using Nasal interfaces, and are mouthbreathing.

A few out of a hundred can get by without taping that third hole shut, but that leaves the rest untreated, unless someone gets the word out. That's a lot of people driving on your roads to dodge. Jim

yep that is true and I thought I could control my mouth breathing also, but the reports say otherwise.

But for me, I just don't get as good a therapy with a Full Face as I do with a nasal mask even with all the leaks.

I am basing that result on how I feel alone, not what the report says or dry mouth or any other aspect, only by how I feel the next day. I actually find the full face mask much more comfortable to wear, so it is not a comfort factor.

Like last night, 420e shows I had more leak than usual, but I feel much better today after wearing the nasal mask than the night before with the FF mask.

comparatively, leaks were seen worse using the nasal mask over the FF mask, since it was the Soyala I was using, I have to conclude it was mouth breathing. While the possibility exists that leak could have come from the Soyala's elbow being pushed in and leaking, that usually wakes me up from the noise, that didn't happen last night.

i just know this is going to sound stupid to the veterans, but i will ask anyway ...if you don't wake with a dry mouth and you haven't burned through all the water in your humidifer, can you assume you aren't mouth breathing, allowing for the fact that you're a dumb ass who didn't find this forum before getting set up with bare bones equipment, so there's no way to check for leaks etc.?

after 4 months on cpap (with one month off for surgery), i don't feel any better...i am quite sure i don't mouth breathe but i tried taping anyway and still didn't feel any better...i mainly sleep alone due to hubby working mids, so i have no way to measure how it's going other than how i feel, but i never wake with a dry mouth...full face mask is NOT an option, btw

?????

thanks
sharon1965

sharon1965 wrote:i just know this is going to sound stupid to the veterans, but i will ask anyway ...if you don't wake with a dry mouth and you haven't burned through all the water in your humidifer, can you assume you aren't mouth breathing, allowing for the fact that you're a dumb ass who didn't find this forum before getting set up with bare bones equipment, so there's no way to check for leaks etc.?

after 4 months on cpap (with one month off for surgery), i don't feel any better...i am quite sure i don't mouth breathe but i tried taping anyway and still didn't feel any better...i mainly sleep alone due to hubby working mids, so i have no way to measure how it's going other than how i feel, but i never wake with a dry mouth...full face mask is NOT an option, btw

?????

thanks
sharon1965

Hi Sharon.

I guess you can "assume" a lot of things......but to be absolutely sure, you'd have to either use a full face mask or tape/Polident strip your mouth shut.

Did you (before) and do you still have daytime drowsiness?
When you say you don't feel "better".....what are you referring to?

Hey.....everybody has their own "poison".....my last, last, last resort would be having to use a nasal mask (prongs, pillows or whatever). To me, having to seal my lips on top of wearing a nasal "something" would be much worse than a full face mask. And then having to wear panty hose on top of that would be the LAST straw!!!

Den

Sharon,

If you can't monitor your therapy with software, another "unknown" would be whether your pressure is correct and treating you properly.
The recovery process can definitely take some time......and varies from person to person.
I forget how long ago your surgery was, but taking a break off of therapy and then restarting can be like starting all over from the beginning.

Den

Did you (before) and do you still have daytime drowsiness?
When you say you don't feel "better".....what are you referring to?

i guess i just mean the overall crappy feeling i've had for years and years...i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 12 years ago and haven't really felt well since then, but in the last 3 years i've gotten worse, sleeping every chance i get, muscle weakness, rapid weight gain (40lbs in 6 mos.) etc....since cpap the only difference i've noticed is that i can choose whether or not i nap everyday, whereas before i fell asleep as soon as i stopped moving; i was hoping to feel more rested and get back some energy, as the only way i can successfully manage the chronic pain of fms is exercise, and i haven't felt able to do much of anything for so long; my sleep doc did say that it can take as long as a year to really feel the benefits of cpap, but i'm still disappointed to find that even with cpap, iron supp's and requip for plmd, i'm still draggin my butt...so, to make a short story long, lol, i feel more of an overall tiredness and fatigue than actual drowsiness for the most part, although i'm still a champ at falling asleep when i want to

Hey.....everybody has their own "poison".....my last, last, last resort would be having to use a nasal mask (prongs, pillows or whatever). To me, having to seal my lips on top of wearing a nasal "something" would be much worse than a full face mask. And then having to wear panty hose on top of that would be the LAST straw!!!

it's not just a choice for me, i have rosacea--it's very well controlled but it's a real balancing act, and i can't tolerate anything touching my face or i'll have a bad flare up; also it seems that my skin is so sensitive that i got pressure sores almost right away no matter what kind of nasal mask i tried, so i ended up with nasal pillows, which i do find quite comfortable anyway

I forget how long ago your surgery was, but taking a break off of therapy and then restarting can be like starting all over from the beginning.

my surgery was april 3rd, and i was off cpap for a full month so i've just been back on for a month since then, so you may have a point there...i did try polident strips and didn't find it so bad, but when i didn't notice any change in how i was feeling after about 2 weeks, i thought it was perhaps unnecessary...maybe i jumped the gun on that one...so do you think i should give the polident strips more time?

another "unknown" would be whether your pressure is correct and treating you properly.

i have an appointment with the sleep doc in the middle of july but i'm thinking about moving it up if i can--my pressure is only 6 which seems particularly low compared to the folks on these boards, so i've been thinking that that is a real possibility

thanks so much for your input, den!...i guess it's still a matter of time and trial and error...

sharon1965

A year???? NOT ACCEPTABLE!! Closer monitoring of therapy to make needed adjustments more often makes more sense! More freedom and educated experience in finding and selecting "the" right mask makes more sense. Trial and error for a year???? Stuff it in your ear. NOT ACCEPTABLE!

Have you tried the breeze? It doesnt touch my face except at the nose. I find it very comfortable after a few changes here and there. Mainly a hose cover, it does tend to rain. It has made a HUGE difference in my treatment, and I dont get those face marks as it fits like a cap.

Goofproof wrote:As Den says, Most people mouthbreath, chin straps help some people but not many, and some people can control mouthbreathing without devices, I am one. But if you don't have the software and reader, and or don't know how to use it, you had better error on the ways that provide successful treatment. Close that hole under your nose, or cover all three holes, with a well fitting FF Mask.

It doesn't matter how deep DeNile is, if you don't hold the necessary pressure in your airway, you aren't getting treatment. Every day here we see posts from people that say their treatment isn't doing them any good, only to find that they are using Nasal interfaces, and are mouthbreathing.

A few out of a hundred can get by without taping that third hole shut, but that leaves the rest untreated, unless someone gets the word out. That's a lot of people driving on your roads to dodge. Jim

I too am one of the lucky ones that others hate because I can contol my mouth leaks without alternative methods such as chinstraping, taping, gluing, clamping, sewing, or bolting my mouth shut ... but I also have the software to be sure that I am truely not leaking. Generally dry mouth in the morning is indeed an indicator of mouth leaks but not waking with dry mouth does not mean you are not leaking ... you really need to see the leak data to be sure.

you really need to see the leak data to be sure.

wahhhh! that is not an option for me, sadly

I too am one of the lucky ones that others hate because I can contol my mouth leaks without alternative methods

dreamstalker
i don't hate you because you're beautiful... i mean, because you don't have to use alternative methods (sewing? bolting? very funny )...i'm happy to hear that your therapy is successful...it gives me hope

anyway, the journey continues...thanks for the responses

sharon1965