Taking the plunge

Hello everyone, new user here. Just got my first CPAP machine today. I know that I'm in for some adjustment, but I've really been looking forward to this. The only decent night sleep I've had in a LOOONG time was the other night at my study with the CPAP. This seems like a great place for information, so I'm sure that I'll be coming back here quite a bit.

Welcome!

I am wondering if you have selected the right machine. You selected the PR System 1 humdifier. I would expect it goes with the PR System 1 machine

Just checking. The right machine and mask selection makes it easier to help you!

Wow, now that's a fast catch! Yes, I did have the wrong machine selected. What I brought home was the PR REMstar Auto A-flex. I was told that this machine was very new, and I couldn't find an exact match in the list of machine options here on the site. I think what I've got selected now is the closest (at least it looks pretty much like my new machine).

jkindoll,

I will soon be joining you in this plunge on Thursday I am set to get my equipment and the best night's rest I had in a looong time was at the sleep clinic with the cpap last week. I am aware we will need to make adjustments, but it will be worth the health benefits. This forum looks like an excellent place to start our journey. Good luck to you!

Welcome a board! I wish you much luck with your CPAP therapy

Welcome! Do lots of reading and ask lots of questions here and you'll be on your way! Good luck.

That's the one that goes with your humidifier so you have it right now!

It is a very new machine. Only a few people on the forum have it but they seem very satisfied with the therapy they get with it!

Hope your therapy is going well.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum, jkindoll and Geminidream! It's great to hear that you both slept well during the titration sleep study!

There is a lot of information via the CPAP Wiki (top of the page), as well as through searching past posts. If you have any questions or problems, don't hesitate to ask. There are a lot of very helpful people around here. Sometimes it takes a while to work things out, but the rewards are so worth it!!!

~ DreamOn

Welcome to the forum, jkindoll and Geminidream.

Here's a link you might find to be interesting reading. It's the best I know of to get you up to speed on all things "cpap."

LINK to Mile High Sleeper's great information resource for cpap users.
http://www.smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com

And here are links with a lot of definitions you might wonder about:

Types of machines:
viewtopic.php?p=56836
"Whats the differences in BIPAP, XPAP, APAP, CFLEX"

Common abbreviations and definitions:
viewtopic.php?t=14902
"Learning lexicon of cpap terms"

Another very comprehensive glossary:
http://www.sandmansleep.com/resources/glossary.cfm

Welcome aboard, You will find lots of helpfull people on here. Good luck with your OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) therapy, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Gerry

Well, my first two nights with the CPAP have been very good. I was surprised at how quick and easy it was for me to get used to sleeping with all that gear. However, I had to ditch the chin strap pretty quickly. It just kept causing a panicky feeling that I couldn't quite shake.

My machine has a button that drops the pressure down initially and ramps it up slowly over time. I'm curious how many people use such a function. Personally, the lower pressure just makes me feel like I have to struggle to breathe, so I prefer to jump right in at my normal setting right from the beginning.

jkindoll wrote:... Well, my first two nights with the CPAP have been very good. I was surprised at how quick and easy it was for me to get used to sleeping with all that gear. ...

Good for you. Many people find it hard to become accustomed to all of the differences with the CPAP. But if you sleep so soundly with it you will probably continue to use it. You will regain your energy and start to reclaim your life.

jkindoll wrote:... However, I had to ditch the chin strap pretty quickly. It just kept causing a panicky feeling that I couldn't quite shake....

I still sometimes (18 years later) fight with claustrophobia. But I just get up and let my nerves calm down for a bit. I know that I will sleep with it and won't sleep without it. Glad you only had to ditch the chin strap to avoid the panicky feeling!

jkindoll wrote:... My machine has a button that drops the pressure down initially and ramps it up slowly over time. I'm curious how many people use such a function. Personally, the lower pressure just makes me feel like I have to struggle to breathe, so I prefer to jump right in at my normal setting right from the beginning. ...

Many people (at first) also experience the need to have a lower pressure. I also found it annoying and never really used the ramp feature. In fact that's one thing I might change on my current settings on my machine. The initial pressure is too low and it takes a while to build up to a higher pressure.

So, congratulations on finding something that works so well for you. Hope you have many more nights of restful sleep!

jkindoll wrote:Well, my first two nights with the CPAP have been very good. I was surprised at how quick and easy it was for me to get used to sleeping with all that gear. However, I had to ditch the chin strap pretty quickly. It just kept causing a panicky feeling that I couldn't quite shake.

My machine has a button that drops the pressure down initially and ramps it up slowly over time. I'm curious how many people use such a function. Personally, the lower pressure just makes me feel like I have to struggle to breathe, so I prefer to jump right in at my normal setting right from the beginning.

Great to hear that your first few nights went well! It really is amazing how quickly we can adapt.

I used the ramp feature, starting at the lowest pressure (4) when I first started. Like so many people, I discovered that it was too difficult to breathe at that low pressure, so I stopped using ramp after about a week or so. If you're comfortable without it, then there's no need to use it.

If you aren't already, at some point you'll probably want to learn how to check your AHI and leak numbers on the machine. If it shows excessive leak rates, then you may be losing therapy air from either the mask leaking or through an open mouth while you're sleeping. There are many different types of chin straps, so another type may work better for you if it is needed. I use a PAPCap chin strap, and I really like it: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pursle ... otton.html. It's a bit pricier than some, but I find the cotton to be quite comfortable and I like the way the cap/chin strap are designed.

It sounds like you're off to a great start, and I hope you're feeling better during the day too!


~ DreamOn