new!!

syanne · Post by **syanne** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:22 pm

Just did the split sleep study this week, on Tuesday.. and got all set up with my CPAP by Wednesday. Still feeling overwhelmed.. wondering if I will ever get used to this!! I have Respironics.. C Flex, ramp from 4 to continuing pressure at 9 ( not even sure what those numbers are all about). Wednesday night.. seemed to go well.. felt rested on Thursday.. but last night not as well. I picked Resmed's full face Ultra Mirage.. mostly because that is what they used in the sleep study. It is o.k... but feels pretty snug on the cheeks.. and in the morning.. there are red marks. I did try to loosen the straps.. but don't know just how it should be adjusted. I guess it is just a matter of experimenting.. till it feels fine.

Do you leave your machines connected all the time? with the little blue lights showing? I unplugged.. but maybe they are supposed to stay on, like alarm clocks?

I am very glad to have found this site.. to learn from other "hoseheads".. I laughed out loud when I read this terminology:)

Thanks for being there! Sincerely, SyAnne

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:33 pm

Welcome to the forum! You had the right idea, loosen those straps. Just do NOT tolerate even a minor leak into or around the eyes w/ANY mask!

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:48 pm

Welcome Syanne! Yes, leave it plugged in all the time, like your alarm clock. The Blue Light Special is an ADDED BONUS FEATURE of the Remstar M Series. We all LOVE IT SO MUCH!

So far, the consensus is to throw a sock over the lights... Me, I prefer clean socks. YMMV.

I am rarely serious. Sometimes I'm outrageous. I'll help all I can, but you must always laugh at what I say or I'll throw a temper tantrum.

Search for the Mask Roulette topic when you decide you can't stand your current mask and want to swap it for something else:

viewtopic/t19546/Play-MASK-ROULETTE-Giv ... -mask.html

You'll have good days and bad days. Some of us have long "learning" curves when we start this therapy. Just let us know what we can help you with.

Cheers,
Babette aka Barbara

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:09 pm

Welcome, Syanne! It sounds as if you received all of your equipment quite soon, or sooner than many of us when we were newbies. Congratulations.

One thing that I would like to add--at this point, there is no reason why your DME provider (Durable Medical Equipment) should not exchange your mask.

Along that same line, many of us have found our Pad-a-Cheek strap covers to keep our faces "line free". They may be seen on http://www.padacheek.com

Best wishes, and glad that you have joined the forum.

Karen

drummergirl410 · Post by **drummergirl410** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:41 pm

Welcome! Congrats on the new equipment! Had my titration last Tuesday and still haven't gotten mine yet. You're on a roll!

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:24 pm

You might want to consider starting that ramp at 5 or even 6. Many of us can't breath well at 4. Up to you though.

Daddysaur · Post by **Daddysaur** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:41 pm

The nurse providing the equipment offered some advice for new users. She recommended not using the humidifier due to the potential for bacteria issues and recommended leaving the nasal pillows so they would leak a little to prevent skin issues on the nostrils. The air in Ca, is quite dry this time of year and my nose was sore after the first night but with some neosporin the second night I have adjusted to the dry air and now seem to be fine without any grease. Of course there may be major skin growth happening in there. The idea of getting the mask to barely not leak is probably the right setting. I'm pleased to be up and running without the humidifier, that is one less machine for me to service in our mechanized lives.
Slinky, you may want to try a kingsize bed for the karate nights. My wife marches when on Ambien and she was more of a hazard after surgery. She woke up to the nurses laughing and the doc ( a very nice guy) looking somewhat ill. She had kicked him in the crotch when coming out from the general anesthesia. We recently got a kingsize bed and I feel much safer.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:42 pm

You will have more problems with dry air then you will ever have using a humidifier. Read past posts on this forum for discussion of if bacteria can get in the water vapor. I think your nurse is all wet. I am willing to bet she has no experience breathing dry air through a CPAP.

I personally have been on cpap for well over a year, never wash the humidifier, and barely dump and rinse, and I have had a total of one mild could the whole time. I was sick all the time before CPAP, probably due to lack of sleep. Machine to service? What service? Throw some distilled water in it and turn it on, or leave it off and use as a passover.

Secondly, the leaking pillow advice? I would take exception with that too. Takes a few nights to get used to the nasal pillows and stop being a tiny bit sore. I agree that you don't want to make them really tight but leak? No. On top of the leakage they will squeel if they are slightly leaking. Some here with sensitive noses use some gel to seal them. I find that a week of pillow use and my nose doesn't even know that they are there.

I would find a new source of information or at least question what this nurse is telling you if she has any more advice.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, CPAP, seal, Nasal Pillows

tuna · Post by **tuna** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:25 pm

In my opinion it would also be a good idea to get a battery backup system, that was if the power fails while using it. It also will surge protect it..

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:31 pm

Ditto to everything snoregirl said. You're getting poor advice, imho, from the person who provided you your equipment, Daddysaur.

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:12 am

I have been on cpap for a little over two years now. When I got my Cpap equipment...the RT told me that I should try to use the machine with out using my humidifier. And that if I find I am having problems to use the humidifier heated. Well to make a long story short I have yet to need to use my humidifier. I am not saying that maybe someday I will need to use it. But for now I don't have to use it and it's still in the box. I use the Resmed Mirage nasal pillows I have tried several other masks and nasal pillow set ups but this one seems to do the trick for me. Welcome to the forum and the world of Hoseheads.

Don't ever fell that you are asking a stupid question, because the only stupid question is the question that is not asked.

There are a lot of people on this forum that have been a lot of help to me and others with issues about cpap.

So ask away...and again good luck and welcome to cpaptalk.com

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:17 am

Leave your machine plugged in all the time.
Go to HomeDepot or Lowes and buy a surge protector.
Also if tou want a battery back up buy one on Cpap.com
I use this onehttps://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html

syanne · Post by **syanne** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:17 am

Hi everyone! a quick update, on what is going on around here with my new machine... last night was perfect!! and I feel great... I adjusted the forehead contraption.. and the mask fitted much better when I put less of my face into it ..it didn't leak at all.. or leave any marks.. and I slept very nicely.

I agree that the ramp at 4 is hard to breathe with at first.. so today it is changed to 5.. will see how that is.. maybe go to 6 later.

One more dumb question ( at least to most of you..) if you leave the machine plugged in... and the blue lights are showing... the lights don't seem to change if you press any of the buttons..so if I just press the middle one.. to turn off the pressure...next time do I need to ask for ramp and c flex again? I wish it would tell if the c flex is on or off.

I am so very grateful to have my CPAC.. the sleep is doing wonders for me.. almost feel euphoric! I hope tonight does as well.. could get to like a few nights worth of sleep... it has been a very long time since I slept 6 hours straight!

Now I am going to a friend's birthday party..Baked bread this morning.. multi grain.. and worked with some music preps, for next Sunday.

Best wishes to each of you.. Sincerely, SyAnne

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:26 am

NOPE! You just turn the machine on and off with the middle button. If you want to change your ramp or cflex settings, you have to go into the menu. You get out of menu mode by hitting the "on/off" button, but you don't cancel the new settings at all.

I hate ramp. Try going without it some day. My cflex choice is 3 - I like the assist in exhalation. But the ramp doesn't give me full pressure to start with, so I feel like I'm suffocating and need to suck air.

Cheers,
B.

gasp · Post by **gasp** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:39 am

I can see you've gotten great advice already, so I'll just say welcome! Two...ah hem.... lots of heads are better than one. I've found the forum invaluable!!

Welcome.

Mask	Humidifier

Additional Comments: Pursleep, Padacheek, Regenesis™ Pillow, Neti Pot, Travel Buddy hose hanger