new to CPAP-need help

Hi Everybody,
Am new to using the CPAP;started in Oct. Have a few questions I was hoping maybe u could help me answer. Im a 30yo female, diagnosed in Sept with severe OSA. My pressure is set at 15 & I use nasal pillows.I also use a chin strap because I breath thru my mouth.Am very compliant b/c everything I have read about OSA has scared me to death. I wonder everyday if I'll wake up the next. I just wonder how you know if the CPAP is working for u.I really never had daytime sleepiness,just loud snoring & gasping. I also sleep alone so I cant ask anybody if my breathing is any better. I am most comfortable sleeping on my back with the pillows since sleeping any other way seems to cause leaks. I chose the pillows because of severe claustrophobia during my sleep study. I wonder if the therapy is working for me b/c at first, the pressure would take my breath away, and I couldnt talk with the pillows on.But just after a few nights, I got "used to" the feeling of the air being blown up my nose. I know the machine is working because I can feel the air hard when I take the pillows off & when I open my mouth I can feel the air come out. Im mainly concerned b/c it seems like im so used to it now when I figured it would take awhile and even then I would still know the feeling of the air coming thru so I would never feel completely unbothered by the pressure. But, I dont notice it at all now. Plus,since Im sleeping on my back, I wonder if the case is that the therapy is not working, I am just putting myself at an even bigger risk that something may happen. I am trying to lose weight to help lessen the severity of my OSA,plus to make me healthier again. Sorry such a long post. Appreciate any feedback though.

It would be easier to help if you would fill out your profile at the bottom of the page so we would know what kind of machine, mask etc, that you are using.

To answer your question as to how we know. You have to have a fully data capable machine and the software to read it. I will tell you how many apneas you have how ow your leaks are going and so much more information. When you are asleep you don't know how you are doing unless the machine records it so you can look at it and try to fix if you have a problem.

Jerry

Hi Brownie,
Don't worry too mucn about getting used to the pressured air - it happens to all of us - and you're lucky to have it happen so soon; Once we're used to the pressure, we really no longer feel it - sleep becomes a pleasant experience.

You'r right though to be concerned about not being able to track or monitor the effect of your therapy - like Jerry said, many of (certainly those who stick around...) have data capable machine - fully data capable. Some machines only record usage hours, which is worthless for us users.

It's very good that you find compliance so easy - any way of sleeping with the cpap is better for your health than without it.

Welcome to the forum - you may find lots of helpful info in the yellow light bulb and in the red balloon - and there are no stupid questions on this forum, so ask to your heart's content.

Good luck.


O.

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6PtStar wrote:It would be easier to help if you would fill out your profile at the bottom of the page so we would know what kind of machine, mask etc, that you are using.

To answer your question as to how we know. You have to have a fully data capable machine and the software to read it. I will tell you how many apneas you have how ow your leaks are going and so much more information. When you are asleep you don't know how you are doing unless the machine records it so you can look at it and try to fix if you have a problem.

Jerry

I updated the profile. Thanks for the info, Jerry.
O, thanks for the warm welcome.

Looks like your machine reports only basic compliance (hours used) and does not provide data regarding apnea events, hypopneas . . . Any chance you could upgrade your machine?

RipVW wrote:Looks like your machine reports only basic compliance (hours used) and does not provide data regarding apnea events, hypopneas . . . Any chance you could upgrade your machine?

Im not sure but I see my sleep doctor for my first followup next week. I will ask. Do you have any recommendations for questions I should ask on my first visit with him? I have a list of things to talk to him about and I want to make sure I ask all the necessary questions.

What Rip is saying is that all Respironics M Series xPAPs look alike and there are a couple of different Respironics M Series xPAPs w/C-Flex. You have indicated the Respironics M Series Plus w/C-Flex and the Plus is NOT fully data capable. It is only capable of providing compliance data, i.e. how faithfully you are using it.

Maybe you might ask your doctor how you're to know that your therapy is working without a data capable machine. Anxiety/Worry about whether or not our therapy is working can just make matters worse. I used CPAP for over a year before I found this forum and learned about data--my doc and RT told me that the data was not necessary (?!), and I trusted them. When I did purchase a card and card reader, I found that my AHI was in the 9-10 range for the previous six months of data available on my machine. I purchased an APAP machine which auto-titrated my pressure, now my average AHI is 2.3. So, from my experience, you just cannot rely on the sleep study to provide the correct pressure setting for CPAP therapy. Of course, I had to purchase my new machine out of pocket, insurance wouldn't buy it. But, it's been SO worth the investment.

Good luck!

ASK your doctor if he is aware that you were provided w/a bare-bones, compliance data only CPAP and

TELL him/her you are concerned about that because it can't provide him/her w/the necessary data to indicate what problems you may be having such as too high a mask leak rate and also won't have the data to determine what adjustments to your therapy might be needed.

TELL him you would be MUCH more comfortable knowing he had that data available and that you would be MUCH more comfortable and MUCH PREFER exchanging that bare-bones Plus xPAP for a Respironics M Series Pro w/C-Flex which DOES have full data capability.

ASK him to re-write your CPAP script explicitly for the Respironics M Series Pro w/C-Flex.

MENTION that the Pro and Plus are the same HCPCS code so your insurance WILL pay for the fully data capable Pro.

If necessary casually mention IF he/she is not willing to upgrade your script to the Pro in place of the Plus then casually mention that the Respironics M Series Auto w/C-Flex or Respironics M Series Auto w/A-Flex are also the same HCPCS code as the Plus and Pro so your insurance would pay for them as well AND it would then be possible to use it in auto mode to better ascertain your ideal xPAP pressure as well as provide the necessary data to determine what problems you might be having and what adjustments might be necessary AND Respironics now has patient software available so that YOU "could" check the data yourself IF NECESSARY.

In other words, diplomatically, but firmly pushing him into the corner of writing you an order for a fully data capable CPAP - or - you just might find it necessary to get a second opinion or another doctor more interested in your achieving success w/xPAP therapy.

OR, even have to purchase the fully data capable Respironics M Series Auto w/A-Flex thru an excellent and reputable ONLINE DME supplier you are aware of that specifically works w/insurances.

And, just to shake him/her up a little more, also ask for a copy of your equipment order (script). After all, you never know when you will be traveling w/your CPAP and forgot a your mask or piece of equipment, or you xPAP will stop or broken or get lost by the airlines or whatever and you would need that script to get assistance from a local DME supplier in that area.

What the hay, if he/she is really still dragging his/her feet, ask for a copy of his dictated report of your sleep evaluation AND titration results (about 1-2 pages) AND copies of your sleep evaluation AND titration full data summary reports (about 5-7 pages) w/graphs. You can, if necessary, casually mention that they are a part of your medical records and (assuming you are in the USA) you have a LEGAL RIGHT to copies of your medical records under HIPAA.

Hopefully, you won't have to go thru all these hoops to get what you want, but just in case .... be prepared to use all of the above. Good luck and God bless!

Yes to all Slinky said here! And, if all else fails, just ask for a copy of your prescription so you can purchase your own machine online through cpap.com. I doubt you'll have an option to get a new machine through your insurance, since you've had that one since October. But, it's worth a try!

[quote="Brownie"]Hi Everybody,
Am new to using the CPAP;started in Oct. Have a few questions I was hoping maybe u could help me answer. Im a 30yo female, diagnosed in Sept with severe OSA. My pressure is set at 15 & I use nasal pillows.I also use a chin strap because I breath thru my mouth.Am very compliant b/c everything I have read about OSA has scared me to death. I wonder everyday if I'll wake up the next. I just wonder how you know if the CPAP is working for u.I really never had daytime sleepiness,just loud snoring & gasping. I also sleep alone so I cant ask anybody if my breathing is any better. I am most comfortable sleeping on my back with the pillows since sleeping any other way seems to cause leaks. I chose the pillows because of severe claustrophobia during my sleep study. I wonder if the therapy is working for me b/c at first, the pressure would take my breath away, and I couldnt talk with the pillows on.But just after a few nights, I got "used to" the feeling of the air being blown up my nose. I know the machine is working because I can feel the air hard when I take the pillows off & when I open my mouth I can feel the air come out. Im mainly concerned b/c it seems like im so used to it now when I figured it would take awhile and even then I would still know the feeling of the air coming thru so I would never feel completely unbothered by the pressure. But, I dont notice it at all now. Plus,since Im sleeping on my back, I wonder if the case is that the therapy is not working, I am just putting myself at an even bigger risk that something may happen. I am trying to lose weight to help lessen the severity of my OSA,plus to make me healthier again. Sorry such a long post. Appreciate any feedback though.