Newbie (still in the bargaining stage) with typical newbie q

oregondiver wrote:POssibly last question (from a newbie perspective?)....
What does second tritation mean? I have only had the sleep study (10 days ago). I will get to see/hear/read my results early October. So I have no idea what my "report" even says about me at this point....

Yes only one for you because you tripped the alarm and they masked you up the same night. Which means they were scared you might die on them. You would only need a second titration study if your AHI was consistently above 5, to find out why the issues existed.

You have the right to a copy of your sleep study under US law. You might have to pay for it.

oregondiver wrote:POssibly last question (from a newbie perspective?)....
What does second titration mean?

For the newbies out there: Titration simply means 'add a little bit'. In the chemistry lab you might titrate an acid solution by slowly adding an alkaline solution to it, thus achieving a neutral PH level. In a sleep lab it simply means upping your therapy pressure little by little until the sleep technician achieves an 'air splint' pressure that will keep your airway open while you sleep.

I was in a similar boat as the OP. I slept all night, could always take a nap, but didn't feel like I was sleeping poorly. My wife hated sleeping in the same room as me because of the snoring. The only sign I had was occasionally waking myself up when on my back or waking up with a soggy pillow.

I first tried CPAP a few years ago with a partial face mask (aka: baby fighter pilot mask) and I HATED it. I'm a stomach sleeper and I'd put the mask on, get leaks everywhere, lay in bed for 45 minutes before falling asleep. I'd then wake up about 3 hours later with intense itching on the outside of my nose due to condensation. The CPAP ended up in a tote in the garage.

Earlier this year, I tried again. I got a modern Auto-CPAP machine with humidification and a nasal pillow headgear. My DME suggested the Opus 360 because it seemed to be the best for stomach sleepers since the strap can attached up the center line of the face. Hooked myself up the first night, went right to sleep, and slept through the night. Since then? 116 days with 99% days >4 and an average daily use of 7 hours 14 minutes.

I put all of this to a combination of the modern humification system in the Series 60 system along with the comfort of the Opus 360 mask. My doctor said "CPAP has made tremendous leaps in the technology realm in the past 3 years" and I thought he was just being energetic.

I guess the point of this story for the OP is "give it a chance. Find the right mask and it'll make the world of difference." Nasal pillows concerned me because I thought I'd hate the idea of something in my nose. I can't hardly tell it's there.

Oregondiver - If you haven't already gotten this information, the equipment manufacturers allow you to swap masks during first 30 days of treatment to find one that works for you.

Also, your profile shows you have the Phillips-Respironics DS450 CPAP machine which has Semi-Automatic, but not full automatic capabilities. If you're still within the first 90-day window (which I assume you are) - request an Auto-PAP (APAP) unit. like the DS550 or the DS560.

Insurance pays the same amount for a "brick" CPAP unit as it does for a full-data APAP with on-board PulseOX. It's not fair, but it is what it is.

Think of the difference between an APAP unit and CPAP as the difference between having a Nitrox-capable computer vs an Air-only computer. You can set a Nitrox-capable computer to any mixture from EAN 40 down to EAN 21 (straight air), but you can't set an air-only computer to an EAN 36 mix without shelling out for a new computer.

And on an unrelated note, don't be surprised if you get cotton-mouth even with the humidifier cranked to 5.

Actually the Auto IQ machine works just like a model 550 or 560 when in APAP mode. Exactly like it....not semi like it.
The thing is that it is designed for only 30 days in APAP mode...can be scattered here and there nights or all in one chunk.
As with most things on the internet...there are ways to get around things and that 30 day limitation for APAP can be got around to essentially make work like a full time APAP machine from now till whenever.
It involves resetting the therapy data to zero. Not something someone wants to do when they still have the DME needing compliance data to satisfy insurance requirements because it erases all previous data but once compliance issues are met (if there are any) then a person can use the APAP mode indefinitely if they want to.

Several forum members here are doing this very thing...resetting the therapy hours to zero and merrily going along in APAP mode just like they would if they had the 550 or 560 model.

oregondiver wrote:
Next newbie question: why does my nose stay dry (drynose?) even though I have my humidifyer on? Is it just "getting used to" or? I ran the humidifyer up high one night...but all it did was leave my hose dripping water with my nose "dry"....

I'm another newbie - I'm on week 4- I always have had a dry nose, with nosebleeds. What I do is use a bit of salve in my nose. I switch between 2, one has beeswax,sunflower oil and shea butter. The other has coconut oil, tea tree oil and a couple of other things in it. I put a dab up my nose and keep everything good.

Oregondiver:
As a young lady, you may also appreciate this bit of information:
A developing fetus needs all the oxygen he/she can get.
A shortage can result in all kinds of bad effects--some of which may be permanent.
If you are planning to have a baby, using a cpap is essential for the OSA mom-to-be.

Welcome to the forum. I've been working up on catching up beginning 9 pages behind so sorry for the late welcome. I to am a heavy snorer and the fact that your sleep study verified OA is very important to your health and knocking down the snoring. You and the ones your are closest to will both benefit greatly! Best wishes!

Just a wild question. Sometimes those who are very good athletes develop heart arrhythmia problems. One of which would be heart palpatations, as if your heart is, for a few seconds, like a washing machine with an unbalanced load. I wonder if what excited the folks at the sleep lab might be more like an arrhythmia, and there are several types which the sleep lab might not recognize, than just a simple Apnea.

Hi Newbie:
I read this and was sort of ashamed of how upset I am about the whole thing. I can't help it, but I am still really upset. It sounds like that after the positive answers you got, you felt even better. I used to be a happy person, but now struggle with depressed mood due to a tragic loss. I have and continue to do all I can about the loss, (counseling, groups, exercise, eating right, church, friends, volunteering, working, etc. I just think this cpap thing is the final straw. I have had a heck of a time accepting that this is my life now, sleeping with a rubber hose up my nose. My husband also is very wonderful and supportive. I don't know why I can't get to the acceptance stage. I was diagnosed in April with severe sleep apnea, I have been struggling to comply, pretty much hating every minute of it. I keep feeling like someone somewhere is making mountains of money off these air compressors and my life feels like it is over, or I secretly want it to be over, because I feel it is the last straw. I posted this entry on the other page after that wonderful fellow wrote the thing about accepting change.



Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change
by Reenee on Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:49 pm

Thank you for this lovely entry. It was beautiful, and well said. What I would like to know is does anyone ever question this? Does anyone ever wonder why so many people on Craigs list are selling their Cpap machines? Does anyone else ever question who is making all the money out of scaring everyone to death stating that if they did not use this machine they were going to have a heart attack or stroke? I have been struggling with this mess since April. I loved the references to Elizabeth Kubler Ross in your posting, but and this diagnosis is similar to a death, I have read a lot of Ross in the past year and a half since the death of my only son. I was put on anti depressants which I think led to the pushing me over the apnea abyss. Before I was diagnosed I did not think anything would ever bother me again, but this mess has. My mother is 92, and probably has sleep apnea. She is just starting to lose her memory in the past 6 months. She does not have high blood pressure, no heart attacks, no strokes, no cancer, no diabetes, she drove a car till 6 months ago. We are not thin, but not too far over the lowest bmi indicating obesity. (it is pretty low now, have other people checked this?) I have extreme trouble sleeping, wake up about 3 - 5 times each night to use the bathroom, and each time I get back into bed to try to get back to sleep I need to put that stupid cold nasty reptile that blows on my like a rabid cat. It takes forever to get back to sleep, and in the beginning I cried. I thought the promise of cpap was supposed to decrease bathroom trips in the night, (mine has increased since only being able to sleep on my back) help you to lose weight (not hardly despite exercise and low calorie diet) and help with daytime sleepiness and headaches. The only improvement I have found is a reduction in headaches. My ahi is 85. yeah, I know high, severe. You would think that I would be so dang happy now. I am almost as angry as I was when I was diagnosed in April. I have seen a couple of surgeons who both said that my tonsils are not big enough to bother removing. I saw a specialist last Wed who said that the reason why I have such bad sleep apnea is because I had several teeth removed when I was young and my mouth is small I guess and my airways are also small. He also said that after menopause women's throat muscles slack. Do any other women get angry that whenever they refer to women with sleep apnea they depict young pretty women with no mask on peacefully sleeping on a white pillow case?? I also had no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no sign of heart attack or stroke. I actually was so depressed that I resent that they told me that I had this stupid thing and wish that they would have let nature take it 's course. I am also a believer, but if God is our reward for living by his laws, why does everyone want to extend it? The two biggest reasons I use the machine are to not snore, and the idea of having a stroke and surviving does not sound like a good thing. I am sorry this is so cranky. I just can't get enough sleep. I know I sound very depressed, and probably am, but does anyone know of any anti depressants that don't exacerbate sleep apnea?? Or that don't have any side effects? Peace. I am hoping to have someone find the ironies that I have. Maybe some day I will get used to it, but it feels like a life sentence, and that I am being punished. I really hate it.
No one in my family is sick. I am overweight and continue to try to lose. Any other happy words? Reenee

kteague wrote:I think you said it yourself - this bargaining behavior is just a phase. This too shall pass. Maybe when you get tired of going through the hassle with only partial benefits you'll jump in with both feet. haha - Excuse the swimming illustration. Wasn't intentional, but hey it works so I'll leave it. As a swimmer and diver, I bet you roll your eyes at people who tip their toes in the water and take forever to commit to the experience. Can you find that aspect of your personality and apply to this experience? Oh, your hubby sounds like a jewel. I'm sure you in a mask is more attractive than you shaking the walls with your snoring. Do the guy a favor and just do it. And get on with living a less grouchy life.

Oregondiver, I really like the way kteague said this -- including the humor. As you have probably figured out by now, the benefits far outweigh the embarrassment and aggravation of getting used to CPAP. I have been reading and reading and reading for a couple weeks now. I've read the good, the bad and the ugly about CPAP. Yet, I've not found a single reason not to dive in head first as I, too, join the adventure of learning to mask up and sleep at night.

Personally, I'm excited about the prospect of sleeping all night, not snoring and waking more refreshed. I've spent the last 9 years waking every single night, feeling like crap most days and having little or no energy to enjoy my family, friends and life in general. The "bargain" for me is that I get my life back. The cost -- a bit of aggravation, some expense and a dry nose/mouth from time to time. If you're still bargaining with yourself over this, think about the risks of not using CPAP. Think of the worst case scenario. After all, they didn't stop your sleep study and stick you in a mask because they're demented masochists. You NEED the therapy for your body, for your husband, for your family.

If it helps, think of it as a continual night dive -- just don't end up wetting the bed, so you can get the full effect.
[OK, I'm not a comedian. I know. ]