Feeling caught in a trap.....

[LeeRex]

Trying to use a CPAP is destroying my sleep! I sleep better without it but I'm told I'm risking a stroke or heart attack or God knows what else.

Like many of you, I hate the CPAP machine, though I try to use it most every night. And every night for two years now, I fail. I have never, not even once, made it through the night. By morning, the mask is on the floor while the machine continues to run. I have no idea when I toss it aside during the night.

But that scenario is very rare because mostly I don't fall asleep at all. Frustrated and angry, the mask is sent flying. It takes a while to calm down.

I have been through five different masks and hate them all. I've never been claustrophobic but I can imagine that the mask must be what it's like. They all conjure up that guy in Alien with that creature attached to his face.

I've spoken about all of this with several doctors, nurses and others and it always comes down to pep talks and scare tactics: "You have to keep trying!" or "You're risking death if you don't use the machine!".

Well, I'm not looking for any more pep talks. I want solutions! And so am open to anything practical that will get me a good nights sleep.

Thanks for listening to my whining.....Lee

[Sleeprider]

LeeRex, if you can post a chart in OSCAR that shows us a typical example of your therapy, we can probably quickly identify the problem. My signature has links to how to organize and attach charts to your posts so we can help you. OSCAR software is free, and all you need is to sleep with a SD card in your CPAP machine, import it to a PC, laptop or Mac computer, then take a screenshot of the results. If the problem is related to your therapy, we should be able to help. We don't have much information from your profile or post to help. What kind of mask are your using?

We use CPAP to treat sleep disordered breathing, and we don't know anything about how severe yours is, or its severity. A summary of your sleep test results would help. It's pretty clear you have rejected therapy, and this decision may be due to poor settings, high leaks, or many other factors. We can't undo your attitude towards using the therapy unless you're really trying to find a solution. FWIW many of our parents and grandparents lived with this condition and never were diagnosed or treated. It's better to treat a problem than not, but you also might live a normal life.

[LeeRex]

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I've downloaded Oscar and will get back to you after I get familiar it and read the manual more deeply.

[sauerkraut]

LeeRex;
     The folks here are very helpful and do have Your best interests at heart ..
Working with them can get You on the right track with Your treatment ..
      Best of Luck ..  Steve

[LeeRex]

It seems I've found the right place to come for help. Thanks for the encouraging words.

[LeeRex]

Trying to send you the data you requested but I have received this message: "I'm sorry, brand new members are not allowed to post links in this forum until they have 4 posts." How do I send the data?

[LeeRex]

   
Using OSCAR, I have attached my first screenshot. I hope this is the info you want but let me know if it is not.
My background: Since the early 2000's I have been considered to be in heart failure due to the placement of two stents in my heart. A third stent was placed in early 2022. In 2012 I developed a pulmonary embolism. While in the hospital it was discovered that I also had developed what was termed Interstitial Lung Disease, an umbrella term that encompasses a number of other more specific forms of the disease. Specifically, I don't know which one.

I currently spend most days being very tired and my thinking is quite foggy from time to time. Three weeks ago I was in the doctors office when the nurse spotted that I was drifting off and not responding to her questions properly. Thanks to her, I spent the night in the ICU where my pulse was as low as 28bpm. The doctors removed a med called Metaprolol from my pill regimen. I had been taking it for several years to control my pulse rate but now it had been working against me.

Due to my lung problems I was given a CPAP machine two years ago. It's been a fight ever since. The training was meager to say the least. Until a few days ago, I didn't know anything about the heater/humidifier. Nor did I know that I could remove the SD card to view the results myself. The doctors didn't say it but I got the impression that they didn't want me to do that. I don't know why.

I tried three sleep studies to see where my pressure should be set. I failed to fall asleep each time, and so, with no data, the doctors merely guessed that the pressure should be set at 13. That's where it remains today.

Let me know if you need more from me. Looking forward to your response.

Lee

[RayBee]

Hi Lee and welcome.

I’ll let the experts chime in on your OSCAR Screen Snapshot. But, on the other hand, can you provide brand and model of the various masks you have tried. Many good offerings exist, so perhaps you have not found the most compatible one for your needs and facial structure.

[LeeRex]

Phillips Airfit N20, nose only...least intrusive, SO FAR! But I've had to tape my mouth shut! (I've been told to keep
my mouth shut lots of times in my life!)
Phillips AirfitF20, claustrophobic!, hate it.
And a model I cannot identify by number but it's the kind where the nose lies on top with only the mouth covered.
Amazon calls it a Dreamwear full face mask, if that helps.

I want to try a nasal pillow. Seems like the least intrusive and the least amount of headgear.
AND, I don't want magnets! There MAY be a pacemaker in my future and am told that may interfere with my stats.

[Sleeprider]

Lee, you are apparently experiencing repeated obstructions as soon as you lay down and you never achieve sleep. This could also be a central apnea issue, and a closer zoom of 3-minutes of the data would help me to interpret exactly what is going on. Assuming this is obstructive, it is likely to be positional, and is caused by your airway collapsing due to the airway being bent or obstructed by tissue impingement. We call it positional apnea, and our wiki shows some examples of members that have dealt with this using a soft cervical collar. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...cal_Collar

Consider whether you are using tall pillows or sleeping in an inclined position which can force the chin to the chest and bend or obstruct the airway.. Even light pressure to the throat behind the jaw can instantly obstruct the airway, and a soft cervical collar can help avoid these issues. If you can post a zoom of the flow rate during any of these events I should be able to tell what is happening and explain it.