Discouraged...

I got my new Remstar Auto on Wednesday (but I didn't get home from traveling until last night).

I don't know why I was expecting anything different, but I was once again unable to sleep with the mask on. I need to install the Encore software and see what it has to tell me about last night.

But I'm not feeling particularly hopeful.

Liam, sad.

Was there a specific problem you were hoping the REMstar auto would solve?

Yes, what where you expecting different?

Liam,

Don't get discouraged just yet. What interface you are using is very important. I think the aura may give you a level of comfort that you have not found so far. It avoids that feeling you get when you have a mask strapped to your face.

Ditto with the Swift... Hang in there buddy; wish you all the best!

Jim

I'm USING the swift.

I also seem to have had some runaway pressures last night. If I'm reading this report right, it spent most of the night at the max pressure I set (12.5).

I decided to put 6-12.5 as the range, since my sleep study pressure was 9.

I don't know what I was hoping would be different. I was sort of hoping that a month or so without a machine, getting acclimated to the idea of being on one again, would bring me the ability to sleep with it on.

Last night, no such luck. And since I hadn't slept the night before, and had been traveling all day to get home from Florida, I was really hopeful that exhaustion would kick in and I'd get there.

Maybe the Aura will help. I hope so.

Liam, tired, cranky, and just not funny.

We're pulling for you, Liam.

Once again, I'm crossing all my fingers, arms, toes, legs and assorted other parts. (this will be OK until I actually have to WALK or something!)

Wishing you all the best, kiddo.


Linda,
who needs to see Liam get healthy, wealthy and wise.......

Liam, if you're looking at 12.5 as being the "90%" number, that doesn't necessarily mean that the machine spent most of the night at that pressure. The 90% figure is counting that pressure and pressures below it.

Look on the table chart that is below the graph (on the same page as the graph - probably page 4.)

The table graph has the amount of time (or maybe it's percentage of time) that was spent at each pressure.

Even if your "90%" pressure is 12.5, when you look on the chart to see how much time was actually spent at "12.5", it could be a miniscule amount of time, compared to the amounts of time spent at lower pressures.

For example, one of my recent nights said my 90% pressure was "9", but I spent only 91 minutes at 9. Most of the night was at the low I have set for my auto... "8" for 229 minutes. 10 and 11 were also used, for very brief times.

If you really are spending most of the night bumping the pressure ceiling of 12.5 that you've set, then it's quite possible the sleep study titrated you incorrectly at "9" and that you've needed more pressure all along.

You know I'm not a doctor, but I'd raise the upper pressure to 14 just to see if you start bumping that too, before I'd start considering that it might be a runaway pressure. A true "runaway" pressure will bump the top a LOT, no matter what top you set, imho.

Also, take a close look at your leak rate when you do the download. No excessive leaks, I hope...as they often indicate leaking treatment air out of the mouth.

At least your post is mature: Discouraged.
My post is not: I hate this, hate this, HATE THIS!!!!

Well, if you read my post, you know I know how you feel. It is very discouraging. I also suffer from depression, which makes it even a harder fate to accept.

Don't give up. If you give up, then I might as well give up, and as much I hate this &%#*#@* thing, I'm still desperate for it to work.

We need to sleep. That's the only reason to keep trying. Rumor has it, eventually we'll adjust to our masks, and we WILL sleep. Apparently it takes some longer than others--- and doesn't it just figure it would be ME (substitute the word YOU) that has the greatest difficulty.

Good luck. I want you to find peaceful sleep. Keep trying!!!

Hi Liam,

Please don't give up. We all know that it it hard and frustrating, but it will help!

I had hoped for a miracle. I didn't get it. What I got is a very gradual increase in energy and being able to stay awake at work! While that is a wonderful thing, I was led to believe that this would make it easier to lose weight (NOT! I have gained on APAP ) I still feel slow -- just not up to speed yet. I have also been sick a significant percentage of the time that I have been on APAP. I am finding that an increasingly annoying and frustrating occurance.

Would I quit -- absolutely not. Is it a hassle -- for sure! Has it improved my life --YES! Has it been easy -- NO!

Liam, I know that you have struggled hard. I know that it is expensive to keep trying different combinations. (I just knuckled down and ordered an Aura.) But please keep trying. When I think back, I really do feel much better now than before APAP. You will find something that will help!

We all miss your humor!

Good luck and peace be with you, friend. Hang in there, even if it is by your fingernails.

Hi Liam:
does your apap give you a series of nights' data, or is it one night only? can you keep track of how you did w/the data? The swift does take some getting used to. Are you finding the nasal pillows uncomfortable? I was using a medium (because none of us think we should need a large, anyhow)...and I was getting that lovely hssssssssss sound, waking me up, ticking me off, etc etc etc. Swapped it out for the large, and it's much better. I use the chin strap which is a bigger pain in the --- than the swift. Only problem with the swift is hair yanking (is your pic current?) mainly from the chin strap velcro straps, pc of garbage, that is. Anyhow, one thing I did find that works for me, IMHO, is leaving the straps set where you find the most comfortable, if possible, then in the morning, I just yank it over my head and off. I found pulling this strap, that strap, so annoying, hair yanking, that by the time I'd put my da-- head on the pillow I was aggravating myself. So conducive to falling asleep.

Now is it that the swift bothers you, machine and it's assorted noises, both, one over the other? I can't speak for your apap, as I have the 420e. Which has the smallest green light on the H20 htd humidifier, I need a magnifying glass to see if the da-- thing is turned on or off.

So let me know what's going on with you...we're all glad you're back, and keep trying. Maybe you can get Lunesta, it's helped me to fall asleep faster than that ambien, and feel less dragged out next morning. It does NOT NOT NOT last the full ''8 hours" they hype for sleep duration, but if I get 6 hours on the beast/swifty and sleep, I'm contented.

With my 420E, I download it daily to see where/what I've done. It's a very strange thing, but nights that I think I slept deeper, sounder, stayed on the beast without tossing it off onto the floor, I have more ap's, nights I get 4-5 hrs out of the ''thing'' I have less episodes, go figure.

Also, I've never been able to find out, do we count the ap's with cardiac oscillations as total for the night, or not? I count all the numbers, as I think that would be a truer pic of what the heck I did when sleeping....

Are allergies bothering you, tree pollen here in Northeast is wicked right now?

quote="Liam1965"]I'm USING the swift.

I also seem to have had some runaway pressures last night. If I'm reading this report right, it spent most of the night at the max pressure I set (12.5).

I decided to put 6-12.5 as the range, since my sleep study pressure was 9.

I don't know what I was hoping would be different. I was sort of hoping that a month or so without a machine, getting acclimated to the idea of being on one again, would bring me the ability to sleep with it on.

Last night, no such luck. And since I hadn't slept the night before, and had been traveling all day to get home from Florida, I was really hopeful that exhaustion would kick in and I'd get there.

Maybe the Aura will help. I hope so.

Liam, tired, cranky, and just not funny.[/quote]

Hey Liam-
I have had the Aura for about 7 weeks now, and wouldn't give it back for any reason. With the two straps on the top and the one in the back, I find that the mask stays in place without putting marks on my melon. With the adjustments on the front, I would find it difficult to imagine you couldn't find a real comfortable/effective position for the Aura. I think it is a great interface and hope you do too.
Best of luck! Here's hoping you adapt well to the Aura and actually get some rest.
Dan

PS-If that doesn't work, you can always make up a copy of my favorite T-Shirt- "Just because I'm moody, doesn't mean you're not irritating."

Liam:

I look to you as one of my guiding spirits on this board, don't give up yet! We all know it takes time, and that being so tired makes time really hard to give. You're worth every bit of the struggle, dude!

Forget inventing a better mouse trap, someone still needs to come up with a mask we can sleep in on the first try.

Tina

Liam,

I am relatively new also. 2 months in. I can tell you what helped for me the first few nights.

After the sleep study titration, I knew that I was going to have problems the first few nights. I asked my dr for Ambien for the first few nights - I only needed for the first 3-4 nights and then benadryl for the next 2. Once I got over the hump of the first week, I have been able to sleep without any med and with 100% compliance since day 1.

Give it a shot! you never know.
Jen