Does anyone have these symptoms?

It's hotter than the gates of hell here. I'm lucky to be working inside where it is cool. Hopefully, there won't be a power outage like there was 2 years ago.

By the way, you can buy disposable filters online for all of the different machines. Also, you can buy the Respironics in-line hepa filter from cpap.com for $7.99. Problem with this is that it would be filtering humidified air as this device attaches at the air output point of the machine. Humid air is not overly good for the filter and, there is the possibility that it could throw off the sensing mechanism of an auto machine (although it would NOT throw off the 420E due to the in-line sensor tube).

You can, however, cut the plastic device open and get the filter media out of it, then cut this to fit the air inlet port on your CPAP/APAP.

I've just switched to an APAP and am sleeping much, much better than with my CPAP. However, I still notice that I occassionaly awake during the night and feel my heart racing. I don't think it's panic attacks since I don't have this symptom during waking hours.

I had this heart pounding problem even worse before I started using CPAP/APAP. My heart would pound so hard, it would wake me up completely.

My new APAP is set at 5cm - 15cm. Could it be that I'm having apneac epsoides that need pressure greater than 15cm and that is why my heart is racing?

The 5 - 15 setting is basically a starter guess by my sleep doc since they could not titrate me during my second sleep study. My first sleep study said I was "responding well" at 20cm. The only problem was I couldn't exhale.

SnoreNoMore2005

I'm not a doctor, snorenomore, but I'd think it could be either end of the range (or both ends!) that's set for you now that could be the problem.

You might need a lot more than 5 to be set as the low. Or you might need more than 15. Hard to get much idea without having the software to look at the detailed data each morning.

Many people do best if an autopap is set for a fairly narrow range around their prescribed pressure. In your case, if there is doubt from the sleep study just what the "prescribed pressure" really should be, I'd still start using some narrower ranges.

Probably if it were me, I'd start by bringing the lower pressure up as high as I could use it comfortably...just short of causing aerophagia or mask leak problems. Then I'd look at the data to see if I was "bumping" whatever upper pressure I set it for (perhaps 4 or 5 cm's above the low pressure.) If I wasn't bumping the upper pressure, then I'd start tweaking around with the lower pressure, moving it back down a little every few nights to see how low it could be and still give me good treatment.

If the autopap is a REMstar Auto with C-flex, you might also experimentally try the C-flex at different reduction settings (1,2,3) or even turn it "off".

The software is a "must" for me for doing such tweaking.

I noticed for the first 3 months or so that I was still feeling tired, but also feeling rested (does that make sense???). I put that down to sleep debt getting paid off. After about 4 months, energy levels rose dramatically.

I'm feeling no more energetic after 2 weeks, so thanks for posting about how long it can take.

Have heard that part of the delay in feeling better may be due to how long it takes to sort of relearn how to sleep. Some people, for example, get no stage 4 sleep before CPAP, and it takes time for their bodies/minds to learn how to get there again.