[CPAP] Freshly diagnosed

[gocujo2002]

Hi everyone,

Just joined here and I am recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and new to CPAP therapy.I received my gear 2 weeks ago and still trying to get my mask adjusted and working well. So far I have not felt much better in regards to fatigue but will persevere and keep with the therapy. Im having heavy allergies at the moment and the nasal pillows combined with both nostrils being clogged up make it difficult. I am considering purchasing a full face mask for times such as this and looking for insight.

[retired_guy]

Hi everyone,

Just joined here and I am recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and new to CPAP therapy.I received my gear 2 weeks ago and still trying to get my mask adjusted and working well. So far I have not felt much better in regards to fatigue but will persevere and keep with the therapy. Im having heavy allergies at the moment and the nasal pillows combined with both nostrils being clogged up make it difficult. I am considering purchasing a full face mask for times such as this and looking for insight.

Hi Cujo, welcome aboard.

You've got the right machine, so already you're in a good spot. I know about the allergy thing and I keep a ffm around just in case I can't breath through my nose. But interestingly enough, ever since I started using the P10 pillows mask I have not experienced that congestion at night. I think maybe the pressure keeps the nosy happy?

If you do get you a ffm, I would suggest you look at the new Resmed F10. That looks to me like it will be a very nice mask.

First up however, you need to download the Sleepyhead software so you can review your own stats as to ahi, leak, pressures ect. You can get the software here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...e-software

One thing to remember is when you take the SD card out of your Resmed and put it in your computer, slide the little switch to "lock" it first. Then unlock it when you put it back in the Resmed. That will keep the Resmed from deciding it needs to reformat and rewrite all the data on it. Which is no super biggy, but a bit of a biggy.

Welcome again, keep us posted as to your progress.

p.s..... If you're using the "medium" with the P10, give the "large" a try. They seal better for me and I really shouldn't have to use anything other than a medium.
p.s. p.s. I just reread your specs and see you're using the swift pillows mask rather than the p10. So ignore the p.s. above, unless of course you decide to get a p10 pillows mask to replace the swift. Which is what I did.

[trish6hundred]

Hi gocujo2002,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
It may take a while before you notice improveements but give it time, it does get better.
Hang in there for more answers to your questions and best of luck to you with your CPAP therapy.

[justMongo]

The type of mask needs to be changed in the machine settings if you go to a FF Mask.
I believe the only reason it needs to know that is the intrinsic leak rate through the vent holes differs by mask type.

And, Welcome!

[herbm]

Persevering is the right attitude.

Do find a mask that works.

Do TRY to get the pillow mask to work (by clearing you nose enough) because it will likely be MUCH MORE comfortable if it works, and it MIGHT even hold your nose open during the night.

Salt water irrigation can be a tremendous help; Flonase (which is now OTC) helped me. My sleep doc even said to use a decongestant if that is what it took to get good sleep.

On the issue of how you feel -- many people do NOT feel better for weeks, months or even longer even after getting consistently effective therapy.

After you get your therapy to an effective level, you MAY get lucky and feel better rapidly but plan to maintain that perseverance and hang in for the long term.

Good luck, and ask about any specific problems you have, no matter how minor they seem. People likely will commensurate and somebody has solve almost everything that can be solved.

[gocujo2002]

Thank you to everyone for the encouragement and advice. I never would have thought there would be this underground group of people that come together for apnea but i sure am happy there is. But hey i guess there is a forum for everything.

[ImaSurvivor]

Welcome to the forum gocujo2002. You have won half the battle already. You have a great machine and the right attitude. I use the Swift FX nasal pillows and like them. I don't really have allergy problems so that isn't an issue for me. I tried a generic full face mask and nasal mask during titration and they were a big fail for me. It may be because they were very generic and not meant to be full-time masks. I finally titrated with a Wisp nasal mask that the sleep lab had as sample. Nothing else was going to work for me to get to sleep at the lab. It was much more comfortable than the other two. Not so much all over my head and the material on straps much softer. It caused a little red mark on the bridge of my nose though. When I received my machine I was offered to try the Swift FX nasal pillows and liked them better than the Wisp. I keep the Wisp for a backup mask though. For me, the less on my face, the better. It took me several weeks fidgeting every night trying to get them on, air flowing freely into my nose and sealed. It is just something that comes with time and you will learn to recognize when the pillows are feeling right or wrong.

It is important to keep up on replacing your masks, filters, hoses as often as your insurance allows. Particularly with the pillows. I thought I had to wait 6 months to replace. I was told I could get a new mask in 6 months and to me the pillows are part of the mask and were packaged with it when I received everything. After using the same pillows for nearly 3 months and developing some sores, my AHI began to creep up, and I started feeling tired during the day, I did some reading and discovered the pillows should be replaced more often. My insurance allows me to get two/month. I can get by with changing just once a month. I can tell when they start to lose their edge and become less effective and know it is time to change them. I keep a journal making notations of my AHI, leaks, hours slept each night. Also when I change my equipment. That has helped me keep track of everything. I also make other notations if I have a particularly bad night. It helps me with referring to my journal to target troubled nights to look at on SleepyHead.

As for not feeling better right away, that is common among many of us. I can't actually say when I started realizing I was feeling more rested. Sometime along the way I realized I was not getting at all tired in work and I could once again stay awake in the evening to read or watch TV. What I noticed immediately was the nocturia was gone. Nocturia is a condition caused by OSA of having to go to the bathroom several times a night. That condition left me in the first week. Just not having to get up multiple times a night was such an improvement.

Keep asking questions. There are many here that have a lot of experience. Many offer advice, tips, encouragement and funny posts causing laughter.

[gocujo2002]

Wow, Thanks Survivor. You gave a lot of good info that will become useful, especially about the frequency of replacement of the consumable components. I had a very difficult time finding an in-network supplier for DME near me so between the bureaucracy of getting the insurance company to approve the machine and my desire to get on with the treatment without delay i did some research and determined that the S9 was the direction i was going to go so i just purchased it from an online supplier. After several phone calls with BC-BS, doctors office and sleep doctors the insurance company is now reviewing the documents for the approval of DME. Being that I already purchased my main machine I am considering getting a travel machine on the insurance dime. I do quite a bit of travel for work and the s9 is pretty large to be lugging around the world. Yesterday i finally found a DME supplier near me that is in-network and have started the process of working with them.