Please help, CPAP problems 5 months in

eudofair wrote:Hi,

Yes, I've noticed problems with the Mirage Quatro FF with higher pressure. I've the Respironics Mstar CPAP Auto with Cflex. I found the setup sheet on the Internet and set the machine, temporarily, to just CPAP at 15 Cm H2o with no ramp, fit the mask at that pressure! Then set the machine back to it's CPAP Auto setting with 15 Cm max and a Cflex of 2. It is somewhat tight and uncomfortable, but it didn't leak for 4 nights in a row! The fifth night it leaked like a bandit, squealing like a tribe of Banshees. I found that an undiagnosed problem with flesh swelling and getting hard as wood and then loosing the tone, becoming flabby was also affecting my face and the tape measure length around my head where the head gear goes. It was varying over an inch and a half. Sometimes getting tighter at night, some times getting looser. Once it gets looser, the softer silicone layer gets inverted, that is the curve curves to the outside rather than inside under higher pressure. No amount of tightening makes it stop. Turning the machine off and readjusting the mask would work if it came on blowing at 15 Cm, but it doesn't, so, when it revs up to high pressure again, it leaks and screams again. In fact, my first Quatro, a small size, actually blew up like a balloon and exploded, tearing the silicone all the way up the piece over my nose. I'm using a medium one now and have myself trained to wake up and shut down before the leak screaming gets too bad. Also, I've noticed, that some of the rev up seems to be caused by bedclothes being up over the exhaust, in fact I'm sure of it after last night as I was breathing well, but pulled up the sheet over the exhaust and held it, sure enough, it reved up again. Does anyone else have this last problem? What can I do about it? I sleep in a cool room with the head of the bed by a window, so, the bedding comes up by habit.
I tried another FF mask by Sleepnet, the Mojo, and it worked a while but failed due to the fit changing with my face swelling.
Thanks, Eudofair

BlueSky72 wrote:

-SWS wrote: I'd recommend first attempting to optimize CPAP treatment the way you are. If for some reason things don't seem right after that, then I'd suggest revisiting whether central dysregulation perhaps plays a more prominent if not episodic role. Good luck!

Thanks for your help, SWS. The centrals were about 8.0p/h in my sleep study, all clustered at the start and end of the night. They are medication-induced, so I've always assumed they are fairly constant from night to night (as the medication does is always the same). I had a 3-night home oximetry study as well, to see if taking minimal or increased meds on different nights made a difference. Sure enough, the best night was the one with minimal meds. What is central dysregulation?