Remstar auto /C-flex. Help Wanted

Have used my auto for 3 nights now. I can't afford the softwear right now but intend to get it as soon as possible. But that may be awhile. First 2 nites I felt so-so when I awakened. This morning I had that awful head full of cotton feeling, headache, what day is this?, can't I sleep another 3 hours? feeling. Pressure is set 6 - 20. 14 was my pressure on cpap. When I wake up pressure has been 11.5 , 12.5 and 10.

I would be greatful for any advice anyone has to give. I know that may be somewhat difficult without softwear info. But any and all help is appreciated.

I don't go back to MD. till late Sept. I know I may still be mouth breathing some. Have an appliance which keeps jaw forward and tongue in place, but I tend to puff air out cheeks. Also have chin strap which is no good whatsoever. My hair causes it to slip. Just won't stay in place. I told DME that the one used during my sleep study would not stay on. When I finally go to sleep, they kept waking me putting the chin strap back on. This one is the same as the one I had during the sleep study. They tried 3 different ones and none of them would stay on.

Thanks in advance for any help. You all have so many good ideas. And I have learned so much from you all. Wish I had opportunity to try 420E but had to get them to order Remstar Auto. They didn't know Remstar made Auto. I mentioned the 420E. And he knew nothing about Puritan Bennett but did say he could probably order it. If I had been sure I could do without the c-flex I would have asked for 420E.

Ellie, your autopap is set very close to "wide open". Wide open would be 4 - 20 cm H2O. Yours is set for 6 - 20.

Quite a few people have found they get better treatment on autopap with a narrower range than "wide open".

You said your prescribed pressure for straight cpap is 14.

If it were me (I'm not a doctor!) I think I'd set the autopap for 10 (or 11) as the low pressure and 16 as the high. I personally think it's a good idea to keep a leash on the higher pressure until one has the software to see just how a machine is behaving. I'd set C-flex on whatever felt most comfortable... 1 being the slightest relief on exhale, 3 being the most relief.

I'd see how it goes (in your case, how it "feels" since you don't have software) for a few nights with the lower pressure set up closer to the prescribed pressure.

No matter what experiments one does with pressure, though, mouth air leaks can completely wreck treatment if a person is not using a full face mask. If the air detours out through an uncovered mouth, it's not going where it's supposed to go -- to keep the throat open. No machine can help if mouth air leaks are a problem.

The surest ways I know of to deal with stopping mouth air leaks are:

1. tape over the lips (being sure to turn down the ends of the tape for "grab tabs".)

Mar 21, 2005 subject: New User = New Mouthbreather

2. frequenseeker's "DIY" cheap homemade mouth guard to make the tongue block the air.
mouth leak solution, cheap DIY oral appliance

Recently several people are using the "Nose Breathe" dental device to good effect.

Jul 24, 2005 subject: Review of dental appliance to stop mouth leaks

I haven't tried the Nose Breathe myself since the DIY (same principle, but takes being handy yourself to make it) works for me.

ellie, if you will send me a PM giving me your email address, I'd appreciate it.

Well, now I know I must have learned something on this site. Before I read Rested Gal's reply, I was going to suggest bumping up the bottom number so that there wasn't so wide a gap between 6-20. Especially if your titrated pressure was 14, why so wide? Usually it's 4-5 below and above. That would mean about 9/9-19/20. But 6-20, as RG said, is a huge gap in between.

Is this a new machine? Have you tried with and without Cflex? I personally found better results without it, although your pressure is higher than mine and it might be more difficult to exhale for you at that pressure than it is for me at 10.

One last thought would be to try straight 14 and see if you feel any better without the auto on. I'm hope someone can maybe step in and explain why auto is better than straight, but I use mine now as a straight CPAP because I do have the software and for some reason, my AHI is usually better on straight than auto. Weird, unless someone can explain the reason that may be so. I don't know.

Also, regarding the mouth puffs (which I had but have seem to quiet down, thank goodness), before I got Dr. Sue's device, RG recommened the Tegaderm patches which worked incredibly well for me. I used to use one and then cut another in half and would secure the vertical edges so I wouldn't "puff" through and make a hole. OR I'd use a large size one cut in half and that worked fine since it gave more area coverage.

I can't help but think how many of you Gals can make your husbands day by saying the words every husband dreams of..


Honey, Could you please come tape my mouth shut?



:::Runs From Room:::

But just think of how many you could thrill by allowing them to rip it off!!! Ah, revenge can be so sweet...By the way, there are many wives who would love to tape their HUSBAND'S mouths shut, too. It's not just women who can talk you to distraction, you know...

I would NEVER consider taping my wifes mouth shut.


thought for the day:

What are the three words you never want to hear when you are making love>??

"Honey," "I'm home"

Just what is price of software and card- whatever that is?

Any sources for getting it cheaper?

Can the softwware be shared or split?
Can another person with software interpret the data from the card?
can it be sent as file to another peron?

I would NEVER consider taping my wifes mouth shut.

But you didn't say you wouldn't consider "removing" the tape once it had already been placed on (ahem).

Very cute, "Honey, I'm home." You men...