New Member, Questions About Respironics System One

Pachyderm's Nose wrote:Ok Duckdog, if you're done ranting for the moment how about following up with the model of your machine and the type of mask you use. Maybe we can suggest an alternative mask that we find more comfortable or, ways we've found to make the whole process a little less awful.

I will do that when I get home from work this afternoon.

The mask I have is a Resmed Quattro??? I think.

I have a Comfort Gel full face mask coming, and I hope that I fight with it less.

I will just throw my 2 cents to hang in there DuckDog. It took me 13 years to realize that I really needed this CPAP to live and 3 years ago, just made up my mind to make it work. I tried masks until I found the one that worked for me (Swift LT - which are nasal pillows). I am in the process now of figuring out what machine I can get to monitor my own stats as I still feel tired. I do notice if I fall asleep without my mask, I am wrecked the next day, so while it hasn't completely solved my issues, it DOES make a huge difference in my life.
Hang in there and let everyone help you through it. I wish I had stayed the course 13 years ago but at least I'm back on track which you can be too with the right mindset and support!

Duckdog wrote:Seriously folks, thanks for showing you want to support me. No, this is not a prank. What it is is me throwing my rage out on an online forum so that I don't vent it on my family.

I can honestly say that this is not a prank. I am not setting this up to be one, I just got carried away with frustration and rage, and in my experience with forums, this type of venting is better than taking it out on my wife and adult son.

I'm really going to make this work. Too much of my insurance company's money (and mine) are wrapped up in the sleep study ($2300), and the machine. I haven't been billed yet, I'm sure that will be substantial as well. I will make this work. I just need to get to where I'm feeling like I'm getting some positive ground, and that hasn't happened yet and it is so frustrating. The last two weeks have been nothing but one flub after another.

I really get the frustration and rage. This forum can handle it. Most if not all of us have been there. You're going to get the tough love if you use it as an excuse to quit.

You may have a "mask fit" warranty, so if your first mask(s) don't work, you need to keep going. For example, some people find the FFM oppressive and want to use the minimalist nasal pillows instead. I had terrible problems with skin irritation at first (I felt it was pretty disfiguring) and ended up using the nasal pillows.

Unfortunately, it will take more than two weeks to see real improvement. But your untreated AHI is high enough that it will be dangerous for you to just quit.

Well, spent the day walking around in a fog, and then had the worst narcoleptic episode of my life while working one on one with a student today. That was after what I thought was a pretty good night with the machine. That HAS to stop or I will lose a very good job. One more time, and I'm done and no more trying. This whole feeling worse than before the cpap machine is really trying. I know that I'm not into this far enough, but I am NOT putting a $40/hour job on the line. Period. I have to eat and my medical situation, where I live, will provide no excuse when I am dismissed.

Duckdog, please post your machine model (the exact model, not just "Respironics" or "System One"), found on the bottom of your machine, and the make of the mask you are using. Forum members cannot offer concrete suggestions without that info.

I'm a newbie too, and if I may, I'd like to ask how thoroughly did the sleep machine tech work with you to find suitable facemask? Mine was pretty brusque, and after quickly walking me through my machine (also a Respironics -- sorry, didn't get a chance yet to add my stats to my signature line) he looked at me at me and asked what sort of a mask I wanted. He didn't describe what kinds were available, and which ones would suit certain habits. I was like "What? You asking ME? Isn't that a bit like the doctor asking the patient how they thought he ought to treat their broken leg?" Fortunately, I remembered that my brother, who has been through this already, had texted me what he uses, which are the Swift nasal pillows, so I asked for those. Also fortunately, I was well aware that I'm a nose-breather, so I had an inkling that nasal pillows might be a good starting point.

Now, I'm not saying my sleep machine tech was mean or anything, and he assured me that I have 30 days to try other masks, and that I can call him at anytime if I have questions, etc. But I don't think he did any kind of a job of presenting pros and cons of face masks. If this is at all like how it went with you, and you were asked to pick something without the benefit of much advice, then that may also cause difficulty in getting used to that cyborg alien feeling of having a machine glued to your face.

My Rem star is set to auto, with a range of 5 to 20, and after a week of use it hasn't bothered me the way it does you, but as several here have pointed out, we haven't found out how your machine is set up. My daytime drowsiness, which like you, had me falling asleep in my cubicle, and nearly dozing off while driving a car, has stopped. You will get there, too.

Bookbear wrote:Duckdog, please post your machine model (the exact model, not just "Respironics" or "System One"), found on the bottom of your machine, and the make of the mask you are using. Forum members cannot offer concrete suggestions without that info.

The model is 560 P, and it is set at 11.0 constant. I need a full face mask as I alternate between mouth and nose breathing. I have a Quattro mask, and have a gel flex on order (which USPS seems to have lost). The beauty of Amazon is that you can buy anything off there.

I sent you a private message with some information about the software that you can use to see your reports.
Let's make sure that nothing is glaringly needing improvement.

Be careful. There may be an insurance "compliance" requirement that you use the machine for 4 hours a night for 70% of the nights or some such. If you don't do that, insurance may refuse to pay.

Good luck with your treatment. See if you can catch up on sleep this weekend.

Oh, and the PRS1 Auto is an excellent machine.

Good news, last night was not so bad. Was woken once to run DD service for my son and his drunken friends, and then early morning. Then slept another three hours after that.

I must become one with the mask.

Dear Duck,

How about using a sleeping pill in the short run until you adjust to it? I've got the exact same machine you do and i haven't really had any problem with the machine ( the masks are a different story). I'm also a big mouth breather and I've found that running the machine as cpap at 11.0 seems to work the best for me in bringing down my asi. The only mask that works for me so far is the fx nasal pillow. In order to avoid mouth breathing, i need to use a chin strap, tape my mouth shut and use a mouth guard over my teeth to prevent jaw pain. It's been rough but i think i'm making progress. One reason i stick to it without considering giving it up is I saw a close friend of the family suffer severe brain damage ( and her death a couple of years later) from untreated sleep apnea and she was in her 40s with four kids.

I just tried the software. It is the shiznitz. The Respironics machine gives you almost completely useless statistics, but that report from the software really gave me a good idea of what is going on. (WHY oh WHY can't we be TOLD this stuff by our machine!)

I must become one with the mask.

HAHAHAHA! Just about what I tell myself too, each night as I don my gear.

I am finally one with my mask; it took over 2 years, over 20 candidates.
From day one, I knew that I had to do this; and it has improved my health, my life,
and has changed my disposition from mean and nasty to quite mellow.
I know you're not a quitter. You've got spunk. Welcome. I think we'll be friends here.

chunkyfrog wrote:I am finally one with my mask; it took over 2 years, over 20 candidates.
From day one, I knew that I had to do this; and it has improved my health, my life,
and has changed my disposition from mean and nasty to quite mellow.
I know you're not a quitter. You've got spunk. Welcome. I think we'll be friends here.

I cannot tell you how much I hope and pray that you are correct.

Hey man! I saw your post over in my thread. I read this whole thread. So, you got thru last night? That's better than I've ever done. Can someone here please look at my set-up and give me some suggested starting settings? I never got to meet with anyone (a tech) and am flying blind until this Thursday (when I do see the sleep doctor). I'm taking my machine in with me and printing all the posts over in my thread. But Duckdog has inspired me! Last night's sleep was utter crap! Tonight I'm going in--this time with my mask on.