Dugy40 [Doug's Therapy Thread]

[Dugy40]

I was not commenting on the video at all. It would be difficult to have commented on a video that has yet to be posted. The CA was what you mentioned in the post prior to the video. I see now that the CA mention by you was on the 14th.

I won't bother looking at any more of your data Doug. There was no meanness in what I said. Even so, you will not see any more comments by me on your thread. I still assert that you are obsessing and will only make yourself more miserable.

bye

When I ask questions it’s to learn.  I didn’t mean to post about the video in that thread.  We were in a software thread and I recorded what was going on with Oscar not finding the spo2 files.  Trying to help.  Then you commented on something that I posted 3-4 days ago.  No one commented but I left it be.  All my life I’ve been told no such thing as a dumb question.  But that doesn’t seem true here.   I do not post daily like I used to. I apologize for being a sensitive person.  Take care.

[sheepless]

Dugy40, I know how frustrating all this can be, when we feel like crap and we don't think we're making progress. this was me for more than 3 years of papping. at one point I was so frustrated and discouraged; one consequence, among others, was that I realized I was getting kind of passive aggressive in my posts. I'm not saying you are, but that's one way it shook out for me, so I took a few months away from the forum and while continuing to tweak my therapy I tried to concentrate more on other things, like starting to dig myself out of years of routine stuff undone due to sleep deprivation. it was/is hard, feeling lousy, but eventually I could cross a few things off my long list and that makes me feel better psychologically. in addition, it's improved things at home a bit, taking some of the pressure off my wife to take up my slack.

even now, I feel like I spend way too much time trying to master all this (like everyone else, I just want a decent night's sleep), so I'm coming here a little less often and devoting a little more energy to trying to live life a little more functionally. getting out of the house occasionally, even if it's just doing some yard work, and allowing myself to have a little fun now and again (this was a big hurdle) really helps me compensate for the frustration I continue to feel for still not sleeping as well as I'd like.

trite words maybe - and easier said than done - but stick with it and you'll get there.

I have a ways to go yet but slowly-but-surely I'm feeling much better than I was 3 years ago. I have to accept that the consequences of 50 years of untreated apnea, in my case, may take a long time to overcome, and that I might never return to how I felt before apnea left me un-abled (all but disabled). obviously I know nothing about your life; it may be more difficult for you. but I've seen people with problems I can't imagine coping with live more fully than me.

another trite but true thing: it's all about attitude and each of us has it in our power to not let the weight on our shoulders take over our lives. I figure I'm gonna get there or die trying.

sorry if this is too preachy; it's hard to talk about this kind of stuff. I wish you the best.

[dapal]

To me your post is best advice. Things gonna be easy if we took it easy.

[Dugy40]

Dugy40, I know how frustrating all this can be, when we feel like crap and we don't think we're making progress.  this was me for more than 3 years of papping.  at one point I was so frustrated and discouraged; one consequence, among others, was that I realized I was getting kind of passive aggressive in my posts. I'm not saying you are, but that's one way it shook out for me, so I took a few months away from the forum and while continuing to tweak my therapy I tried to concentrate more on other things, like starting to dig myself out of years of routine stuff undone due to sleep deprivation. it was/is hard, feeling lousy, but eventually I could cross a few things off my long list and that makes me feel better psychologically.  in addition, it's improved things at home a bit, taking some of the pressure off my wife to take up my slack.  

even now, I feel like I spend way too much time trying to master all this (like everyone else, I just want a decent night's sleep), so I'm coming here a little less often and devoting a little more energy to trying to live life a little more functionally.  getting out of the house occasionally, even if it's just doing some yard work, and allowing myself to have a little fun now and again (this was a big hurdle) really helps me compensate for the frustration I continue to feel for still not sleeping as well as I'd like.

trite words maybe - and easier said than done - but stick with it and you'll get there.  

I have a ways to go yet but slowly-but-surely I'm feeling much better than I was 3 years ago.  I have to accept that the consequences of 50 years of untreated apnea, in my case, may take a long time to overcome, and that I might never return to how I felt before apnea left me un-abled (all but disabled).  obviously I know nothing about your life; it may be more difficult for you. but I've seen people with problems I can't imagine coping with live more fully than me.  

another trite but true thing: it's all about attitude and each of us has it in our power to not let the weight on our shoulders take over our lives.  I figure I'm gonna get there or die trying.  

sorry if this is too preachy; it's hard to talk about this kind of stuff.  I wish you the best.

Thank you for that.  I needed to hear it.

[DaveL]

Hey Dugy40!
I've felt like that sometimes too.
I hold in memory the very few days I've felt rested after waking up. That's before the help I received here and the new autopap I just got.
Been doing this for over 35 years. That's a lot of days that I didn't feel rested.

Just want you to know that. So hang in there. Your health is so important

Working through here to learn more means that you can manage your treatment. You can take control...

Not long ago I would realize that I felt like crap, and things weren't working. In fact I'd felt like crap a long time. So I'd call my sleep-doc-from-h... and ask for an appointment. He was so busy it would be for 2 months later. When I saw him he'd talk. Then write a script for a new mask, or an increase in pressure. Some time later I'd *maybe* feel better.

That's not important. That's an old story. New reality is that people here care. And they help.

after all, if I have to wear all this crap it better work!

Take care,

[Sleepster]

I tweak a bit on my own, but eventually anything I do is discussed with my sleep doc. She admits that the software she's allowed to use at the clinic where she works will not allow her to see details like we see here on OSCAR charts. She sees compliance data and AHI data, and I don't think anything more than that.

Any changes I've tried with success she supports and understands that we're a team. We each have a role to play and and we each respect each others' opinions.

[Dugy40]

I got a girl with bad ahi.  I am trying to get her to join here.  Meantime.  Is there a suggestion I could give her? I think 5 fixed pressure is way to low. Advice please? 
       

[Gideon]

Two things
1. Turn Flex OFF. It is likely driving her CAI up.
2. Set pressure at 8 to improve OA and H

she will need further adjustments,

[Dugy40]

hi all i am back after having to quit cpap. I developed alot of issues that dr.s are still doing tests on.  ive bout choked to death 3 times from acid going into my airway. i dropped a lot of weight. down to 198 pounds. very sleepy everyday. decide to try cpap last night, made it one and a half hours. felt uncomfortable so i quit. going to try tonight. i wanted  to see what you think of my breathing. lots of points at the botttom and looks like i am snoring? never did that before. trying to get this all set back up like before , its a new computer. ty Doug 
       

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[sheepless]

I haven't gone back through the 41 pages of posts in this thread so I'm approaching this purely from your last (short) chart and with no recollection of your history.

your chart is remarkable in that you have low pressure, minute vent. and respiration rate and a high tidal volume (nothing wrong with any of that, just a little unusual). as for problems, you have persistent low level leaks and flow limitations.

you'll have to figure out how to reduce your leaks. they aren't high but there are non-zero entries in every column which is unusual. flow limitations usually benefit from higher epr (unless centrals are a problem for you). the jagged waveform at the zero line is likely the machine probing to distinguish obstructive from central breathing pauses. I don't honestly know what the pointy bottoms of exhale indicate if not simply a quick breathing transition. the hairbrushy look to your flow rate suggests highly variable breathing, maybe a struggle. is your pressure set so low for a reason?

anything is possible but I haven't heard of pap causing reflux (quite the opposite) and weight loss. it's good you're getting some help from your doc to figure that out.

I'm inclined to suggest raising pressure a bit, but I won't without re-reading this thread, which I don't have time to do right now. this post will bump your thread to the top and hopefully others will have some specific suggestions for you.