Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

Hoping it gets better Tom! Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

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Thanks M.J....kinda sucks that the first night using something that I thought might improve my life made the following day so miserable.

I am not giving up, I need to speak to the doc. I understand that sleeping with CPAP itself will take some getting used to....but I am not going to even try to get used to the aerophagia.

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

Damn Tom, that sucks. You using a full face mask? Is that something the doc said you needed? I've been using my CPAP for about 3 1/2 years now and I've never had that problem.

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

First couple nights are rough Tom. I thought to myself "I will NEVER get used to this." A week later, it became part of my routine. I used a "nose only" mask the first night...opened my mouth and damn near suffocated. The next day I had a "full face" mask and haven't had an issue since (2 1/2 years later). Stick with it brother!! :D

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

I have the nose only mask....kept waking up snoring because my mouth would open. This was apparently when I was swallowing all the air, Pete.

I am going to inquire about the "full face" mask today, Mac.

Thanks for the support guys. :)

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I hope you can get in to see your doc soon Tom!

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It really does make a difference.

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I have been using mine for about 2 years and notice a big difference.

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All I notice so far is a big difference in my bloated stomach. :td

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I've been prodding my BIL to get his apnea checked out. He stops breating for over a minute at times. He's probably 5-10 & 260 lbs, so weight is obviously a factor.

Anyway, I'll keep you in my prayers Tom. My step-dad is also a big benefactor of the CPAP machines. I hope you find what configuration works best for you.

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

Got a full face mask from my doc today....tried it with a CPAP in the office and it feels much better for me than the nose mask....but I will wait to see how it works at home.

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Not gonna tell you that you're gonna love it...easier to tolerate...but HUGE difference from the one that doesn't cover your mouth. Sweet dreams!! :D :D

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Anything that keeps my intestines from inflating and making me look 6 months pregnant will be an improvement Mac! :)

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Best of luck, Tom.
I started with the full face mask and it's worked fine for me.

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Hi,

Sorry for asking but did you get this information some where or you are guessing its air in your stomach?
The reason I'm asking is, I didnt sleep with my machinre for a while becuase I need to go for a new test. I think the Inhale is to strong, 20.0 (the Exhale is 16.0 ) And its waking me all night. This past week I decided to go back on the machine becuase I feel very week and have a had a bad cold. So i decided I'll try it, it didnt help much, the cold is almost gone but the upset stomach symtoms got even worse. I feel like somethings wrong with my stomach. Not sure if its constipation, viral, who knows what. I eat regular and use the bathroom. But I feel very gasy. I feel like something is really going on. Could it be inhaling air? havnt used the machine for three days.

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

With me it was definitely from inhaling air. My CPAP is set at 14, but I am a mouth breather at night and swallowed air all night long.

Switched to a full face mask and the problem got better and better, to the point where after 3 weeks I don't seem to be swallowing much air at all. Do you use the nasal mask or a full face?

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Its a medium face mask

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Ever try one of those slings to keep your mouth closed while you sleep, or do you think the machine is just too forceful?

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I went to a full face mask as I couldn't bring myself to wear a sling. (I'm ugly enough as it is. )

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I have seen myself in both the sling and the mask, and neither is very sexy, AL. ;) :r

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:r

With the mask I have Alina convinced I'm a fighter pilot! :D

Whatever works!

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I am asking my doc for a Darth Vader CPAP Mask. ;)

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Welcome to the club, Tom. Hope it's getting better for you.

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Thanks Ricky...it was hard to tell if there was any improvement until I had to sleep w/o the mask one night. I think it is starting to make a difference.

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Takes a little while to get used to. Wait a few months and then try to sleep without it. ;)

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That's really good news Tom!

And, you gotta admit -- when you are wearing that mask, that's a real look, isn't it! Really attracts the ladies :)

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No, it's the fact that everytime you fart in bed at night you mumble "FOX TWO!"

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Especially ones that have a thing for Hannibal Lector, Michael. ;)

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That must be it! My wife is turned on my by Hannibal Lector look! (At least she's still turned on :D)

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How about a Pee Wee Herman mask..



Not a thread jack, I'm scheduled for a sleep study soon, going back to reading this thread.
Peace out.

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I know you are but what am I? :)


Good luck with it, Jeff....let us know how it goes.

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My sleep study was last night. The Sleep lab tech said he did not know what they were going to recommend for me because I had very few obstructive events. But he said there was some respiratory rhythm slow downs where oxygen stats changed 4 or 5%. Four or less he said was OK, 4 or above might cause the doctor to look a litter closer for some form of treatment.

With other borderline health concerns, all that can be helped with more exercise and some weight loss, I guess its time to get off my azz and join a gym....:sl

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Sounds like relatively good news Jeff...glad you don't have the full-blown apnea.

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I got a hold of a copy of my new sleep study report. I finally went for the study a week ago. It seems like I'm going to switch over from bipap to cpap. I really don't understand much of this report. Maybe some here could explain it better. Doctor's don't have time for these thing :)

My bipap was set for 16 Exhale 20 Inhale , Im waiting for the doc to writ the Rx but it says here 13cm H20 Cpap on the remarks.

sleep Efficiency:88 percent
Time in bed 416.5 minutes
sleep period time 397.0
Total sleep Time 365.5
Sleep onset 11.5 Minutes


Sleep disruption events Count index
Arousals 47 7.7
Awakenings 18 3.0
Arousals + Awakening 65 10.7

There is more here, if anyone can explain or has more question please ask.

Thanks

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

In simple terms, I believe it means that your normal sleep pattern is disturbed 65 times an hour, or more than once every minute. This is right about were mine was when I had my sleep studies, and it is fairly severe sleep apnea.

20 is a real high setting for inhalation, you have the BiPAP (which I do not) which differentiates between inhale and exhale pressure. Mine is a straight CPAP, set at 14. Do you know if your BiPAP will have "ramp time" (starting out at a lower pressure and slowly increasing), or will it start right at 20?

Are you getting a nasal mask or full face mask?

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

I believe the 65 is actually the total number of disturbances for the night, with an average of 10.7 an hour, which is not severe. If I remember correctly, and it has been a few years now since my test, they do not even treat you if it is 5 or less. So I think you're better off than most. Given that number, I'm really surprised you're set at 20. It's possible I'm reading it wrong, but just so you know how I got there:

365.5 minutes of sleep time divided by 60 min/hr = 6.09
65 arousals/awakenings divided by 6.09 = 10.7

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

You definitely could be right, Colin. I am no expert at reading the results. I do know that they told me I have 63 disturbances per hour, and set my CPAP at 14...so 20 would seem off the charts for someone with 10-11 per hour.

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I am reasonably certain Colin is correct. The whole numbers represent the events over the full night of sleep. The total average of 10.7 is significant. This number is often referred to as the AHI or Apnea/Hypopnea Index. The AHI is a measure of the number of events per hour. It was explained to me that an event was either a cessation of breathing or blood oxygenation level dipping below 90%.

When I did my sleep study a little over a year ago, my hourly was 29. It was explained to me that anything over 5 is considered moderate sleep apnea and anything over 15 is considered severe. What is interesting to me is that my CPAP is set for 4 and that my AHI is now steady around 0.7-1.1.

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Right...doesn't 20 sound off the chart?

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Yep.
I can't imagine that setting.
Hell, even your setting of 14 seems awfully high.

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63 an hour ain't chicken feed. :r

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Glad you guys are doing well!

I need to schedule a new test and soon.

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My AHI was in the seventies when I had my test and I was prescribed a setting of 9. My machine monitors my results, or did until I knocked it off the nightstand one night after getting home from a bachelor party, and I adjusted it myself to a 10 to get my AHI down to the .5 range. 20 seems nuts.

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

Interesting that you can adjust the airflow setting. On mine, the DME provider has to do that on orders from my doctor.

My dme left the instructions for adjusting the machine settings when he set me up. I don't know if he was supposed to, but I figured the fine tuning couldn't hurt.
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Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

I can change the settings myself

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I'm sorry if I didn't make my self clear before. The one I have now is Bipap but it dose not help me. So I went to for another sleep study at a different center after, over a year of trying.

The new center suggested I change to cpap and the setting should be 13.

So today, The Company got the RX for my cpap machine set at 13, and new mask the Resmed quattro full face mask Large.

Now I have the Comfortfull2 mask Medium and a bipap setting of 16E 20I wow what a change and difference this is. I hope it will make a difference in my nights sleep because I'm falling apart lol.

I should hear from them some time next week. I hope it dosn't take any longer then that.

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Well, after over a year of being off my machine I am firing it up tonight. If I don't get through the night I'm going to have to schedule a new study.

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I'm still unconvinced. I sleep one or two nights w/o the machine, and don't find a difference. My machine doesn't tell me anything, I can't control anything except the amount of humidity and the amount of time it takes for the unit to fully blast the air. I imagine if the machine told me I had "x" number of episodes it might make me feel better about the damn thing. Oh, well- I'm glad that it appears to be helping many of you!

Re: Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread
 

I've been on a CPAP for about 6 years now. Apparently, I've had sleep apnea since high school. I found out the hard way when I became in involuntary member of the "zipper club" The first night I used the CPAP was the first time I slept for 8 hours straight! My setting is at 15.