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I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about two years ago. I've had problems with compliance since day one which has prevented me from seeing any benefits. Unfortunately, the doctor/clinic I'm working with hasn't been very helpful and my DME is only interested in my wallet. Long story short, I haven't kept up with it and for about a year hadn't used the machine at all. I've recently committed to taking this seriously as I know the long-term health effects can be quite bad.
My main roadblocks are mask comfort and (possibly related) ripping the mask off after about an hour of sleep. I usually don't remember taking the mask off, I just wake up and see it's on the floor and I've only had an hour registered in the machine.
I have the following masks:
Resmed Airfit P10 - this is the most comfortable for me and what I try to use most often. However, I need to use a chin strap otherwise my mouth frequently opens and lets all the pressure out. The last time I remember consciously taking this off, it was because the air pressure in my nostrils caused a painful/burning sensation. The best way to describe it was it felt like it was too much air.
Phillips Dreamwear Full Face mask - very uncomfortable with my beard and it's hard to fall asleep with it due to the irritation it causes. I assume I'm taking this off due to irritation and claustrophobic feeling.
Resmed AirTouch F20 - better than the Dreamwear in comfort but since the hose is attached to the mask I feel like it dislodges too much and leaks as I'm moving during sleep. The last time I remember consciously taking this off was because I felt claustrophobic.
Resmed AirFit P30i - not as comfortable as the P10 and irritates the nostrils, it's hard to fall asleep with this one.
Sinking money into more masks hasn't yielded any benefits. I looked at the clinical settings for my machine and CPAP was set to Auto, EPR was on and set to 2. The starting pressure was set at 4, which I've now bumped to 8. The therapy pressure is set to 8 - 12.
Paula is spot on! You need data to make decisions. Download OSCAR. Post a few charts for community comment and use that as a starting point.
As for mask issues, welcome to the trial-by-error club that most of us experience. Sometimes, it is an incremental process, including wearing the mask during the daytime to become accustomed to using a particular mask. There is nothing official that says you cannot use a combination of masks as you try to improve your compliance.
Most doctors and clinics are given free masks to help users try out different options. Set up a mask fitting session with your clinic.
Personally, I use three masks, but my go-to mask is the ResMed Mirage Activa LT nasal mask.
I hate nasal pillow masks. The under-nose-cradle style eliminates most of the nostril discomfort from pillow-style masks.
The key is not to give up.
Best -- steve
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
Many folks like the AirFit P10 pillows mask and find it quite comfortable. I'd try staying with that if I were you. Most people find that chin straps don't help much if at all to eliminate mouth leaks. Lots of us tape our mouths, and that works very well. It sounds awful, but once you have the tape on, it's quite comfortable and you don't notice it over your mouth. I would recommend a 2-inch wide tape, as I didn't find that the 1-inch version worked well, and I still had lots of leaks.
As to your other issues, we will be able to help you once you post Oscar shots for us to review, Also,
Make sure that when you switch between types of mask, you change the setting on the CPAP machine (pillows or full face). I've been churning through different types of masks and sometimes have forgotten to do that - and it's no fun having the machine set to pillows while you're actually wearing a FFM. My mask strap lines last the entire day. Maybe when you said the P10 felt like you had too much air it was because it was set to full face? My understanding is that the air flow is adjusted according to the expected volume of the mask type it's set to.
I have been using the AirFit F20 the past 2 nights, but I am using it with the hose holder I got for the top-of-the-head masks (P30i, Philips DreamWear FFM, etc.). That makes the hose run upward towards the top of my head, and I did not have any problem turning over and changing positions.
We can help you find comfortable CPAP settings and provide guidance with mask choices. Ultimately you decide what works for you.
To do so, we need data. If you have a sleep study redact your personal data and the doctors as well, then post it. If you do not have an SD card in the machine or OSCAR software, please read the links in my signature for setting up and using OSCAR. Once you have data, post a few examples and we can help.
If you don't take this stuff seriously, sadly you'll find out the hard way. Need to change your mental approach first and foremost. This is not 'optional'.
01-02-2024, 03:24 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2024, 03:25 PM by mantis.)
RE: Trying to take CPAP treatment seriously
Hi everyone thanks for the advice. I'll add last night's results here since it's the only one I remember in the last week where I woke up with the mask on the floor. Unfortunately, the other nights I removed it consciously due to too much irritation (it's Cedar season here in Austin and my allergies are in overdrive at the moment) or because I felt like I couldn't breathe.
I bought some Cover Roll tape and tried that. I think it's probably a better way to go than the straps long term since I didn't find it irritating at all. I still ended up ripping it and the mask off because it felt like I couldn't breathe. I'm going to keep at it though.
Let me know if ya'll want more days. I've had the SD card for about 10 days now but like I said earlier, last night is the only night that matches my original post whereas the others were due to irritation/allergies.
One small correction, I was wearing the nasal pillows last night and not the full face mask, I just forgot to update it in the machine.
01-02-2024, 03:58 PM (This post was last modified: 01-02-2024, 04:00 PM by SarcasticDave94.
Edit Reason: Edit 2
)
RE: Trying to take CPAP treatment seriously
Which P10 pillow size are you using? If not large, you may need this.
As for therapy, you need to increase time used, and get settings along with a comfortable mask choice best suited for you.
Current settings may or may not be OK.
Besides ripping the mask off, what else bothers you about CPAP? Too much pressure sensation or too little? Part of your uphill climb is a small percentage of time on therapy. You might want to begin getting accustomed to the mask and CPAP by get acquainted time while awake in your easy chair reading, watching the news, etc. Adjust the mask to decent comfort and turn on the machine. Relax and try to get used to it.
Oh, and the mask ripping thing I've dealt with too. Break the habit by making yourself put it back on as soon as you realize that mask is off. A mindset that CPAP is not your enemy may help.
You can always choose to self advocate for your therapy. If either of the DME or doctor hinder, fire and replace with another in-network on your insurance plan. Call insurance customer service to find out which are in-net close by, and research to find ones with good reviews.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
(01-02-2024, 03:58 PM)SarcasticDave94 Wrote: Which P10 pillow size are you using? If not large, you may need this.
As for therapy, you need to increase time used, and get settings along with a comfortable mask choice best suited for you.
Current settings may or may not be OK.
Besides ripping the mask off, what else bothers you about CPAP? Too much pressure sensation or too little? Part of your uphill climb is a small percentage of time on therapy. You might want to begin getting accustomed to the mask and CPAP by get acquainted time while awake in your easy chair reading, watching the news, etc. Adjust the mask to decent comfort and turn on the machine. Relax and try to get used to it.
Oh, and the mask ripping thing I've dealt with too. Break the habit by making yourself put it back on as soon as you realize that mask is off. A mindset that CPAP is not your enemy may help.
You can always choose to self advocate for your therapy. If either of the DME or doctor hinder, fire and replace with another in-network on your insurance plan. Call insurance customer service to find out which are in-net close by, and research to find ones with good reviews.
I'm using medium size pillows. I would have thought that medium was the correct size or possibly even a small. What makes you feel a large would be the way to go?
Last night, I continually put my mask back on after waking up and noticing it off. The good news is that it led to my highest-ever night on CPAP therapy, which was almost 5 hours (yay for small wins!). However, the final time I took it off for good was due to too much pressure. The best way I can describe it is that it's a slightly painful/stinging sensation in one or both nostrils due to the amount of air coming in. I would say this is probably the other big issue I have with the therapy. Other problems are waking up to a dry mouth and throat.
I've already gotten rid of the DME as I've found them to only see me as a dollar sign. I don't see myself working with another one as it seems like they are all pretty similar in that regard. I'm working on replacing the doctor soon as well as they haven't really provided much guidance or help to date.
