Can I have my own thread?

[SleepingUgly]

Thanks for the support, Robysue, and for checking in, Bright Choice. The last couple of nights I have had relatively less awakenings than I had been having. I changed several things at once: Went to the chin strap, switched to Swift FX for Her, turned the humidifier up, and set up the hose management system. The Hoze Boss is not set up properly because my headboard is in the way, so I had to adhere it to the headboard, which is too low. So it's not really retracting at all, and frankly, if it did, I think there's too much tension and it would yank my mask around and cause leaks. But it is holding the hose up a little, so I don't have to wake up so much to reorganize the hose while I sleep. Some of the nights I've had some puffs of air leaking out of my mouth, disturbing my sleep, and some I haven't. I turned the humidifier up and my mouth seems less dry so far.

[SleepingUgly]

Hi SU - just wanted to touch base with you to see how you are doing with the mouthguard.

I only used the over the top teeth nightguard one night and the double channel nightguard one other night. That second night my mouth was dry (may have been unrelated) despite being closed, my jaw was somewhat sore, and I missed my custom nightguard and didn't want to use these (for now).

I thought mine was fine ... then I started drooling a lot... then I started swallowing more to take care of the drooling... then guess what else I swallowed? I had really bad aerophagia yesterday that would not move either up or down. Ouchee! So, last night I tried with nothing in my mouth, just the chin strap - ended up with a leak of 6 or so. I'm hoping my tongue will get "trained".

Your 95% leak was 6? On the leak graph, did you go over the red line? Supposedly that's when therapy is affected, although I feel unhappy when I see many "mountains" on that leak line anyway. If I slept soundly but there was some variability and some leaks, but not above the red line, I might accept it better. But I think the tendency is for leaks to disturb me even without being graphed as much of anything. Maybe someone here with more experience can speak to whether the only concern is whether it goes over the red line, or a mountainous landscape is still a problem....

I did read your description of your "history" with OSA. Interesting and frustrating for you. I think we really have some similarities. I also posted to my thread viewtopic/t62947/Help-Clueless-about-Fl ... tions.html per your suggestion - a bit of my history, goals and a chart from Rescan. Couldn't have done it without your help with photobucket. Thanks!

I got those instructions from Rested Gal, so I'm passing your thanks on to her!

I'm doing home sleep study tonight - that should be interesting.

You're going to be able to do a home sleep study and one with Dr. Krakow?

Let us know what happens!

[rested gal]

I think the tendency is for leaks to disturb me even without being graphed as much of anything. Maybe someone here with more experience can speak to whether the only concern is whether it goes over the red line, or a mountainous landscape is still a problem....

I do think that for some sleepers a mountainous landscape on the leak graph can be a problem. For the very reason you mentioned, SU... the noise, or feel, or both, of leaks certainly could disturb some "sensitive" sleepers, imho. Or sleepers who drift in and out of sleep a lot for other reasons. The noise or feel of a leak (or even of the normal mask exhaust vent hitting something) could disturb some sensitive sleepers especially if they were drifting into stage one, I'd think.

If leaks (or the mask vent) waked them up, they might not even realize why they woke up. The leak might be over and gone by then. Mouth air leaks could be especially problematic for a sensitive sleeper. By the time they wake, they might have closed their mouth.

Or course, the person doesn't have to wake up all the way enough to be aware of "waking." The sleep can be very disturbed and fragmented simply by "arousals" that don't hit "wake" at all. Disturbed by too many stage shifts and possibly greatly reduced time in REM.

On the other hand, there are those who are not sensitive at all to leaks...or anything short of an atomic bomb when they are asleep! I think I'm one of those.

[Bright Choice]

Your 95% leak was 6? On the leak graph, did you go over the red line?

You're going to be able to do a home sleep study and one with Dr. Krakow?

Let us know what happens!

No, the median leak rate was 6, the 95% (red line) looks like it would be about 22 or so.

Taking the sleep study thing one stage at a time. Tonight I do the home sleep study, then I'll decide what else to do.

[Axollajeake]

gucci sunglasses

[tiredintenn]

SU and Bright Choice, you guys are in the same boat as me. Have you tried Bi-Level?

[Bright Choice]

SU and Bright Choice, you guys are in the same boat as me. Have you tried Bi-Level?

I have not. Have you SU? Have you tiredintenn? I don't want to jump in on this great thread of SU's but I would like to hear your of your situation. Do you have another thread going?

I think I am headed straight for "VPAP Camp" in Albequerque. Probable appt with Dr Krakow in May.

[tiredintenn]

No, I have not. I have only tried APAP and CPAP with no relief. In fact, I feel better when I don't use the machine. I have nothing but RERAs (UARS). I was never titrated in the lab.

[M.D.Hosehead]

I'm thinking that if I post publicly, it will be harder for me to weasel out of sticking with it, especially with support.

Based upon that statement, I don't think your friends are doing you a favor letting this thread lapse.

Last we heard, you were:
waking up fewer times at night
dealing with sore nostrils
still having leaks and mask discomfort.

But that was days ago. How about giving us an update? Or tell us you want to bury your "own" thread.

[robysue]

Seconding MDHosehead's request: SleepyUgly can you update?

[SleepingUgly]

Yes, I will! Just got back to town--buried in muddy laundry! Update forthcoming!

[SleepingUgly]

Thanks for keeping me honest, M.D.

I went away for a couple of days, right at the time that my nostrils got really sore and developed sores. I didn't have any other mask with me, so I took two nights off. I still see sores, but they are less tender. I guess I will try to hook up tonight and see how painful it is. Hopefully it won't require more days off than this. I'm not particularly motivated to switch to another mask because I'm not in urgent nightly need of my sub-therapeutic CPAP therapy, so I don't see a lot of point to battling it out with another mask when I won't be using it for the long haul... I hope--I'd really like to be able to use pillows. I have been down this sores in the nostrils path before, I just don't remember the details of how I got through it, other than I let it get too bad and it took a long time to heal. I'll try some of the suggestions from the "sore nostrils" thread and hopefully can get back to this quickly.

P.S. I have not used bilevel. The most bilevel I've gotten is an EPR of 3!

[-SWS]

Thanks for keeping me honest, M.D.

I'm so glad to hear you appreciated M.D.Hosehead keeping you honest, SU. Because I'm going to endeavor the same supportive spirit below.

I didn't have any other mask with me, so I took two nights off.

That sounds reasonable. There's no point risking an infection at the nares. Next time you travel I bet you'll remember to take an alternative mask. A good number of our posters trade off interface types to give tender spots a rest.

I'm not particularly motivated to switch to another mask because I'm not in urgent nightly need of my sub-therapeutic CPAP therapy, so I don't see a lot of point to battling it out with...

Well, this line of rationale seems to negate the above rationale. You now have other masks with you... So I have to ask if there's any chance you are rationalizing not getting back on CPAP at this point? Because that's an awfully slippery slope, my friend----especially since your CPAP acclimation challenge entails more than just settling in with your favorite nasal pillows.

Alright, SU... You wanted this thread to maximize your accountability regarding CPAP use. You wanted this thread to minimize your chances of "weaseling out" in your own words. Above you have some tough love. I would like you to read that escalating pair of rationale above---rationale that might well be your subconscious finding yet another excuse not to use CPAP tonight.



2x4 Translations: get back on the hose dammit!

[SleepingUgly]

I think there is something psychologically to be said for me not missing a night of CPAP (the slippery slope thing), but now I've missed two. I am not sure if there is any utility to wrestling with the Activa LT all night, adjusting leaks, etc. given that I'm at a sub-therapeutic pressure. If it goes OK and there aren't many leaks, then at best I'll break even and be no worse off for having using CPAP. If it goes worse, then I'll trash my sleep, be more of a wreck tomorrow, and in the end what will I have accomplished? At least if I trash my sleep wrestling with a mask I hope to use, I might end up with straps that are adjusted better for leaks for the next night. An investment of sorts.

[SleepingUgly]

Well, this line of rationale seems to negate the above rationale. You now have other masks with you... So I have to ask if there's any chance you are rationalizing not getting back on CPAP at this point? Because that's an awfully slippery slope, my friend----especially since your CPAP acclimation challenge entails more than just settling in with your favorite nasal pillows

Yes, initially I was upset at the idea of taking a night of CPAP because my doing it every night was keeping me doing it every night. So if I'd had another mask, I probably would have used it. Now having stopped using it temporarily, I'm not going to beat myself up for taking another night if that's what my nostrils seem to need. But feel free to beat me if I take many more nights...