Oh...this is RICH rolleyes

Barb (Seattle) · Post by **Barb (Seattle)** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:40 pm

Just went to the sleep tech...

Pressure 12 has been unbearable becaause my FFace mask won't stay on at that pressure. So...he turns it down to 10. I say "but, the pressure won't cover all the apneas?" and he says "sometimes we have to put it at a pressure you can stand, something is better than nothing"

HUH??????? No mention of a mask change....

Oh well, I have an appointment with the sleep center doctor next week, and WILL get this straightened out *nods*

Colorado Jan · Post by **Colorado Jan** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 7:43 pm

Geez, loueez...that is one imaginative sleep tech! YIKES!

Jan in Colo.

mikemoran · Post by **mikemoran** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:35 pm

You know if you don't wear the mask at all you don't have to worry about leaks either or how about a pressure of zero LOL

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:21 pm

What I find especially amazing about this is...
1) We can't buy a CPAP machine without a prescription.
2) We patients are not considered competent to mess with our pressures, even when armed with an AutoPAP and software.

BUT, some tech in a sleep lab can prescribe a pressure which by his own admission is a bad idea and ineffective.

Anyone else see this as a bit ironic?

FairSpirit · Post by **FairSpirit** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:21 pm

Well that's just the craziest thing I've heard. I don't think that sleep tech has much sense.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:09 am

I'm losing faith...

gar729 · Post by **gar729** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:37 pm

I wonder how much this guy charged your insurance company for that wonderful bit of advise.
I too have lost faith, but with this whole medical system we have. My GP never even read my sleep study report. He just said Ok you need a cpap, setting 12, wrote me a script and that was that. For that matter, he never looked down my throat or suggest I see a ENT, or get my thyroid checked, or warn me not to take sleep meds. while not using a cpap. All of which were in my study. Competence right?
Anyway, I would try as many masks as you can before lowering the pressure. Maybe the Activa. Works very well for me @ 12.
Good Luck
Gary

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 1:06 am

Sorry guys, I feel compelled to reply. This reply is meant to be constructive so please don't anyone take it the wrong way. We suffer from sleep apnoea and this is a difficult condition to treat. However it is not rocket science.
Barb, you are using a ff mask so I am assuming that you have a problem with mouth breathing...now you tell a sleep tech that a pressure of 12 is unbearable b/c your mask won't stay on....if you lower the pressure it won't cover all the apnoea's....if you tighten the mask up too much it is uncomfortable....if you use a mask like an Activa which can be worn loose you will have a problem with leaks...are you starting to get the picture! There is nothing that this sleep tech or any other sleep tech could say to solve all your problems. We need to tweak and tweak until we find a happy medium. Unfortunately it seems that these so called health pros and sleep techs don't really seem to care too much.
I was having the same problem with masks, machines etc. and it wasn't until I got myself a Resmed Autospirit and a copy of the clinicians menu that I started to get some relief. I have been adjusting my own pressures and dowloading the data and trying to work out which pressure suits me best. I'm not quite there yet but I think that I am on the way.
Blaming sleep techs, doctors etc is a copout. It's your health TAKE CHARGE and good luck.

Barb (Seattle) · Post by **Barb (Seattle)** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:17 am

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing that this sleep tech or any other sleep tech could say to solve all your problems. We need to tweak and tweak until we find a happy medium. Unfortunately it seems that these so called health pros and sleep techs don't really seem to care too much.
I was having the same problem with masks, machines etc. and it wasn't until I got myself a Resmed Autospirit and a copy of the clinicians menu that I started to get some relief

I've been tweaking for eight years. EIGHT YEARS

I also have the Autospirt, which i've moved the pressure around with no real differences. A mask that stays PUT is the answer.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:26 am

Guest,

I hear what you're saying, but do you think it comes close to competence when you have a titration rate of 12 and a doctor tells you, because you're uncomfortable, to turn it down to 10? I'm not a doctor, but I can see that one from a mile away - if you need 12 cms. to keep your airways open so you won't have apnea episodes, especially at the high numbers Barb has them, turning it down to 10 could be akin to shutting it down, the machine and the airways. Why bother being titrated? I think the advice would be, perhaps try a different full face mask, try using a nasal mask with techniques for mouth-breathing, or, as a last resort, do whatever it takes to make the mask comfortable, whether it be mole skin or lab-ratting it with your own straps, etc. (which I know is not an easy task, but may be the only choice). If you have apnea, it really stinks. If you can't tolerate the treatment, that's a million times worse because now you can't correct the problem, and we all know what that can lead to. But to tell someone to do something that would cause their treatment to become ineffective? I don't relate to that at all, sorry.

Yes, auto is a choice where if Barb didn't need the higher pressure, it would stay lower. I don't know if that's what she's saying he told her to do or not. And I believe she has been there, done that, too. But if he told her to LOWER her CPAP pressure, not very learned. advice, IMHO.

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:32 am

I use a nasal mask not a full face mask, but the pressure is what makes mine stay put. My pressure for the bipap is 12/8. By the way, I should get the new bipap auto Monday...hope it works good.

RAMBLINMAN · Post by **RAMBLINMAN** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:17 pm

Talking about leaks.......

I just started my cpap therapy about a week ago....and I used a full face mask....and there's one thing I've notice that there can be nights were I'm constantly adjusting because of leaks occurring and it seems I'm doing this all night....especially when I roll my head to the side., But at the same time if I roll back on my back it goes away...which kinda forces me to sleep on my back.

I wonder how detrimental are leaks when it comes to this therapy...right now I use a remstar Auto , I have the software but not the reader yet.

But when I do get the reader and learn how to download my data how would I determine if my leaks are hurting me or not.....?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:23 pm

IMHO, most machines are made to "adjust" for leakage and still maintain the prescribed pressure. I usually sleep for 6 hours and then do the mask adjust thing. Sometimes, I just hold it in place.

RAMBLINMAN · Post by **RAMBLINMAN** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:50 pm

Forgive me for asking what does " IMHO" mean?

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:31 pm

RAMBLINMAN wrote:Forgive me for asking what does " IMHO" mean?

"In my humble opinion..."

Ramblinman,

All I can say is, welcome to the leak club. Last night had to be one of the worst nights I've ever had. I actually switched masks at like 4 in the morning because nothing was working for me, and it still didn't. So today I got them, cleaned them in vinegar and water and am hoping for a better night.

It doesn't matter if you've been on therapy two weeks or two decades, you will have those nights. Until they perfect this to an art, we are stuck with the imperfect masks and imperfect nights. As long as most of the nights are better than the type I had last night, I'll survive. You'll also need, probably, to kiss a few toads till you find the prince, or in your case, princess. What I mean is, you'll probably go through a few masks/types of masks before you settle on one or two that really works best for you. It's a long, long road, but it's not all bumpy.

Oh...this is RICH rolleyes