[CPAP] xirokx - Therapy Thread

[xirokx]

Hi There
I am new here and desperate for help. I have attached some of my OSCAR data
Been using CPAP for 9 years and in the last 2 years have had a lot of issues since I started using Invisalign aligners but even then I had some minor issues.

My issues are:
-         Condensation in the mask
-         Gurgling in the hose
-         Sometimes water in the hose
-         Waking up every couple of hours, with water droplets inside my face mask, its so wet I got another mask so I can swap over in the middle of the night.
-         Waking up feeling suffocated (since changing the pressure)

•   Clinic Max Pressure 20, Min Pressure 6
  
•   I changed it Max Pressure 15, Min Pressure 8 and feel suffocated when I wake
  

My bedroom is a cold room, even when I heat it, its cool.

I am seriously at the end of my tether, I have spoken to my clinicians many times but they tell me everything from a machine point of view is fine.

I recently purchased a humidity meter for my bedroom, its goes from 65 % in the day to 55 throughout the night.
Some redditors helped me and advised me to drop my air pressure since then I feel suffocated on awakening and have been getting less sleep.

Its negatively impacting my quality of life, I can bare think, need afternoon naps and life is unbearable. This has been going for 2 years.

I use a face mask due to a deviated septum, next month I am having a Sephtorhinoplasty then will move to nasal mask.

I have attached a few days data with the old settings (higher pressure) and current settings (low pressure). I don’t know how I can make the graph more readable any tips?

I am so desperate for all help and support to sort my sleep out.

Please please please help me

Thank you

[weepingwillow]

I'm a total newbie so take this with a grain of salt and cross your fingers some more knowledgeable folks reply...
But is there a reason you're using manual climate control rather than automatic?

[xirokx]

That's how I received it from technicians...only changed settings the other night.

Is it bad if it's manual rather than auto?

[weepingwillow]

Unless you know what you're doing with the climate settings, my hunch is the machine will do a better job with it. I've fiddled with mine and the only times I've had rainout was when I had it on manual. If I were you and if you don't receive suggestions from someone experienced, I would switch it to automatic. Good luck-- I hope it helps!

[xirokx]

Thank you

That's the reason I posted here to get some help.

[SarcasticDave94]

I've always run my ResMed humidity manual, except for a few minutes on auto humidity. It's not that big of an issue. Auto can work for some, but I felt I needed higher constant humidity.

AutoSet settings and results, I think you did a bit better starting at 8. Can't see these, EPR is set to? You'll want EPR 3 full time most likely. Ramp? You likely will do better off without. Whatever the timing is for Ramp, you lose that time 2x with your consistent 2 segments per night.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Some suggestions…

1. Decide where you want to get and listen to advise. Getting conflicting information from “Redditors” and folks here will do nothing but confuse you.

2. Please read the link from my signature “Formatting OSCAR Charts” for future posts. If anyone wants to see something other than the recommendation graphs they will ask for them.

3. Nasal issues i.e. enlarged turbinates and/or deviated septum does not mean you need a full-face mask. I have both and use nasal pillows just fine. There is nothing wrong with a full-face mask, but it is not a requirement for those issues.

4. Try the following setting. 

Mode APAP
Min pressure 7
Max pressure 12
EPR 3 full-time
No ramp
Climate control auto
Tube temp auto

Give that a go for a few days and let us know how it goes.

[quiescence at last]

I found it interesting that the chart from last night showed such a high median MINUTE ventilation, and a high median TIDAL VOLUME.  The rates being that high are suggestive of heavy exercise, not sleeping.  You would have to be blowing all kinds of air out of leaky CPAP parts or leaky body parts, unless you have huge lungs.  Are you perhaps a giant?

Anyway, the plots from August 9th show a much more regular ventilation.

QAL

[xirokx]

Thanks for your response.

What I would like is to have no condensation in the mask that turn into water during the night, that wakes me up and I have to switch over to second dry mask. In addition, to be able to sleep through the night without waking up due to dodgy cpap settings.


Sure, I will give the Formatting OSCAR Charts post a read, thanks for pointing that out to me.

I tried nasal pillows but one of my nostrils is totally closed, I cannot breathe through it or my nose, how would nasal pillows work without being able to breathe through my nose. Since a teenager I have not been able to breathe through my nose and only just realised despite being seen by Rhinologist etc in my teens.

Thank you I will try those settings, some questions if I may?

• How do you know this stuff?
  
• How do I learn this stuff? I feel much more in control knowing what all these setting means
  
• My machine out of clinic came with the following settings, do you think they were wrong?
  
• Min pressure 6 Max pressure 20 tube temp 27 humidity 4
  

I will gladly try your recommendations because clearly what I had before is just not working. I will report back in the morning how my night went.

I am so grateful for your help and support. Thank you

---

Some suggestions…

1. Decide where you want to get and listen to advise. Getting conflicting information from “Redditors” and folks here will do nothing but confuse you.

2. Please read the link from my signature “Formatting OSCAR Charts” for future posts. If anyone wants to see something other than the recommendation graphs they will ask for them.

3. Nasal issues i.e. enlarged turbinates and/or deviated septum does not mean you need a full-face mask. I have both and use nasal pillows just fine. There is nothing wrong with a full-face mask, but it is not a requirement for those issues.

4. Try the following setting. 

Mode APAP
Min pressure 7
Max pressure 12
EPR 3 full-time
No ramp
Climate control auto
Tube temp auto

Give that a go for a few days and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for your response.

What I would like is to have no condensation in the mask that turn into water during the night, that wakes me up and I have to switch over to second dry mask. In addition, to be able to sleep through the night without waking up due to dodgy cpap settings.


Sure, I will give the Formatting OSCAR Charts post a read, thanks for pointing that out to me.

I tried nasal pillows but one of my nostrils is totally closed, I cannot breathe through it or my nose, how would nasal pillows work without being able to breathe through my nose. Since a teenager I have not been able to breathe through my nose and only just realised despite being seen by Rhinologist etc in my teens.

Thank you I will try those settings, some questions if I may?

• How do you know this stuff?
  
• How do I learn this stuff? I feel much more in control knowing what all these setting means
  
• My machine out of clinic came with the following settings, do you think they were wrong?
  
• Min pressure 6 Max pressure 20 tube temp 27 humidity 4
  

I will gladly try your recommendations because clearly what I had before is just not working. I will report back in the morning how my night went.

I am so grateful for your help and support. Thank you

---

I found it interesting that the chart from last night showed such a high median MINUTE ventilation, and a high median TIDAL VOLUME.  The rates being that high are suggestive of heavy exercise, not sleeping.  You would have to be blowing all kinds of air out of leaky CPAP parts or leaky body parts, unless you have huge lungs.  Are you perhaps a giant?

Anyway, the plots from August 9th show a much more regular ventilation.

QAL

I can confirm I am human and not a giant.
Could this be the reason I feel like I am suffocating after I changed the settings?

I have no idea why the MINUTE ventilation and TIDAL volume rates are so high.

I have daytime sleepiness, go through life like a zombie for the last 2 years and my sleep technicians are not helpful.

[xirokx]

I've always run my ResMed humidity manual, except for a few minutes on auto humidity. It's not that big of an issue. Auto can work for some, but I felt I needed higher constant humidity.

AutoSet settings and results, I think you did a bit better starting at 8. Can't see these, EPR is set to? You'll want EPR 3 full time most likely. Ramp? You likely will do better off without. Whatever the timing is for Ramp, you lose that time 2x with your consistent 2 segments per night.

I will try what PeaceLovePizza says and report back in the morning

Thanks for replying, appreciate it