CPAPtalk.com

sleepy711 wrote:Why are you using a full face mask? Have you tried other masks such as nasal pillows (Swift FX is great or Opus) depending on your nares (nose holes) or a nasal mask (Eson or Wisp are small and light. Is your machine an auto starting at a low pressure and working its way up as you need it and down when you don't? There are so many variables and it sounds like you and your DME have not been able to work through them. Did you know that if you have a straight pressure machine you can take it back (within the first three months of renting), switch out the blower for an auto and talk to your doctor's MA about changing the settings to 5-20 or 4-20 for nasal pillows?

There is a book called "My Little CPAP Book" sold on Kindle, iTunes and Nook for around $3. It is full of information, things to try and answers to loads of questions, some you have now others that come later. Do you even know what to look for to know if it is working? There is a huge list for many and the book helps you make your own list. I think it would be a great help for telling you your options.

Stop trying to sell your book with stupid ads here. This forum is way better than your book, and it is FREE. If you want to be helpful, join the forum, quit with the ads, and actively answer questions with real help.

Also, without a doctor's prescription for an auto machine, you can't just get a DME to switch out the machine. You make it sound a lot easier than it is.

And why would anybody want their machine set wide open? Most people feel starved for air at 4 or 5, and unless they have low pressure needs, it will take too long for the pressure to get where it is needed. The pressure range should be much narrower than wide open.

I haven't read all the threads here but my story is I have been using Swift Nasal Pillows for years and Taping my mouth , give that a try

zoocrewphoto wrote:

sleepy711 wrote:Why are you using a full face mask? Have you tried other masks such as nasal pillows (Swift FX is great or Opus) depending on your nares (nose holes) or a nasal mask (Eson or Wisp are small and light. Is your machine an auto starting at a low pressure and working its way up as you need it and down when you don't? There are so many variables and it sounds like you and your DME have not been able to work through them. Did you know that if you have a straight pressure machine you can take it back (within the first three months of renting), switch out the blower for an auto and talk to your doctor's MA about changing the settings to 5-20 or 4-20 for nasal pillows?

There is a book called "My Little CPAP Book" sold on Kindle, iTunes and Nook for around $3. It is full of information, things to try and answers to loads of questions, some you have now others that come later. Do you even know what to look for to know if it is working? There is a huge list for many and the book helps you make your own list. I think it would be a great help for telling you your options.

Stop trying to sell your book with stupid ads here. This forum is way better than your book, and it is FREE. If you want to be helpful, join the forum, quit with the ads, and actively answer questions with real help.

Also, without a doctor's prescription for an auto machine, you can't just get a DME to switch out the machine. You make it sound a lot easier than it is.

And why would anybody want their machine set wide open? Most people feel starved for air at 4 or 5, and unless they have low pressure needs, it will take too long for the pressure to get where it is needed. The pressure range should be much narrower than wide open.

Great post zoocrewphoto.

Sleepy711, you have been told repeatedly to stop spamming this forum and you refuse to listen. Did you really think you could get away with posting after an absence and no one would say anything? How arrogant can you be.

STAY THE BLEEP WAY FROM THIS FORUM!

49er

Oh, please hang on to that bucking bronco of therapy. As many have suggested already, try and get off the meds - each time they wear off a little sooner and you're left a little stuffier, a cycle that just makes you worse for the long haul. You may want to work up a plan with your doctor; first few nights of cold turkey will make your sinuses feel like they're filled with concrete.

In any event, you probably need to simplify what's going on with your sinuses. From a nasal allergy perspective, *PAP is great - HEPA-filtered air all night long.

By the way, my pressure sore is about 10 weeks old - healed over, but quite visible. Once you're past the scab part of healing, I've found peaberry oil helps.

Good luck!

As a PA/health care provider you should probably already know the trap of alcohol. Yes, it might help you fall asleep but will then mess up the rest of your sleep, disturbing your sleep architecture.

A net loss, bad idea. Stop the beer.

Absolutely.... I do know.... I just needed a little mental break. I do not normally drink at all, and especially before bed. I just was starting to feel like I was going to explode and needed to chill a little.

BTW... my new nasal pillow mask is being delivered today and I am excited to use it tonight!! Last night I got a terrible lead with my hybrid (I think one of the nasal pillows came out) but was too sleepy to mess with it to fix it. I think I wore it until about 3:00 this morning (which was much improved from the night before). I did not have time to look at my data this morning to see how I did.

I feel much calmer now. I realize that sleeping without the cpap is not a good option but I think I physically and menally needed a break. I told myself that I would not feel guilty about taking the mask off in the middle of the night if it bothered me. Tonight I will be trying the nasal pillow mask and I have a positive attitude and am very hopeful that this will be exactly what I needed.

I am working on trying to get in with another sleep physician, have not heard the final decision, however, it is a sleep physician that I refer many of my patients to so hopefully that will improve my chances of transfering my care from a physician (that I have never seen) to this physician. the reason why I did not chose him initially was simply the location of his office, however at this point, I think I would travel to alaska if needed to get some help (I am in Oklahoma)!

FYI - if any of you live in Oklahoma, it was the sleep center at a "major hospital that has very nice, loving, concerning commercials featuring the sleep physician at the clinic", that was very rude to me and flat out said that they would not see me as a patient. the receptionist was very short and almost hateful. she even hung up the phone before I could say "thank you for the information and have a good day". One thing for certain, I will not be sending patients to that clinic.

We should all just use sleepy711 incorrect posts as reminders to go add a truthful but negative review to those locations where it sells that atrocious 'book' with so much incorrect info.

Those who use iTune can review there and those of us who use Kindle or Nook can add them to those sites.

Just be truthful and make it pay for the stupid posts.

I just don't understand. I called asking to set up care with a sleep physician at 2 different centers. They asked my history and once I told them that I had completed a sleep study at another clinic but had yet to see a provider and that my PCP was no help at all - they both told me they would not take me as a patient. I could not believe it! I understand competition, but what if I had come from out of state and needed to establish care?

Sleep centers make their money on the testing. There is little or no money to be made on the follow-up treatment, the actual CARE. Your first sleep center wrung all the profit out of you already. Very few doctors affiliated with these centers have a passion for sleep medicine. That's why you never see them in person. They have a passion for making money and living well.

Are you a physician??? If you are going to stop referring to a particular clinic tell them why. As a physician who makes referrals, they might actually care about why you will not refer to them anymore.

Your best bet is to stay the heck away from sleep centers. If you truly want care and medical support, a pulmonary or neuro doc in private practice who does have a passion for sleep med, or a good functional or integrative medicine MD are your best options.

Oh my goodness!!!!!

I was extremely tired today. Was a difficult drive home. When I arrived home my new AirFit P10 was waiting for me and I immediately tried it out.

So small, so silent, so comfortable!

Took a 1.5 hour nap and woke up wide awake and feeling great. Leak rate: zero. AHI: 0.9. I am actually looking forward to going to sleep tonight! Did have LOTS of aerophagia but I am not complaining (too much)

I have an appointment with a sleep physician on Tuesday.

It is a very good day!

That sounds GREAT!

How are you doing now?

SUCCESS

OMG! The nasal pillows (with chin strap) are about the greatest thing ever!! I have the airfit (need to change that on my settings). The straps were a bit long (even moving them the way the manual suggested) so I just cut a small amount of each side and sewed it back together. Voila - no more leaks.... AT ALL!!

My ANI has been below 3 each night (except last night it was 10 with no leaks, not sure what is up with that) and I have only been getting up once at night to go to the bathroom. Until I fixed teh straps, I would wake up to adjust the mask but last night the mask did not move at all and did not wake me up.

I switched doctors and am seeing a sleep doctor today for the first time! I am a bit dissapointed that I do not feel refreshed and full of energy. Am still feeling like I barely make it through the day and having to take naps. not sure if that just improves with time but I do not feel any different despite sleeping well. I thought about asking for a trial of nuvigil (there is a one month free coupon online) just to see if that would make a difference. I am drining 2 energy drinks per day (yes, I do know how terrible they are for you but I have to be able to concentrate and focus every minute while at work). We will see what he says. I have never taken it and do not know how I will react to it.

So anyway - thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support and encouraging words. I finally found a mask that I can live with!

YAY! THIS IS SO GOOD TO HEAR! Excellent news! Congrats!

Naps are insidious, reducing your night time sleep sessions, which then creates a "need" for a nap.
Vicious circle, kids. Healthy people may not need a nap at all, in fact they can be detrimental to health.
If you MUST nap after a meal, check your blood sugar!

Where are you getting your info from, chunkyfrog? Everything I've ever read in scientific journals has hailed the nap for its restorative qualities, provided that you don't nap for too long. In fact, many progressive F5 companies permit daytime napping at 20-30 min intervals, and a few even provide napping quarters in their building precisely because it increases productivity.