First Test Drive -- Optimistic

[herbm]

Now that the first week is over, I was thinking waiting maybe a week to update this thread but last night was different so here goes:

7.1 Hours used and I stay in bed all night; I did wake a few times with no need to get up and turned over to go back to sleep until about 20 minutes before rising. There really was no point in staying in bed since I was clearly fully awake. Although there still was no requirement to get to the bathroom. My nose was a little stuffy but I was still breathing -- my guess is that if my nose had remained clear, I would have slept my last hour through as well.

AHI 0.5 that is 1% of my diagnosed AHI 49 (or the sleep study as 100 TIMES WORSE.)

Leaks were up a little although nothing exciting at 8.4 (95%), and even that was probably due to my substituting the medium pillows for the large to compare them.

This is the first time that I have stayed in bed for a full night in months (and even the last time I did that before the mask was a rare event.)

It's difficult for me to pick between the various pillow sizes.

One difference last night was that from the time the mask was "set" in place I didn't shift the pillow placement at all to reposition or wiggle them into place better.

I have a (possible superstition) belief that if they are inserted carefully using a mirror then they go in perfectly. If true, then this is likely something I can learn to do without needing to look.

[Gabby]

Well done on completing your first week! That gorgeous little fellow is the spitting image of the old guy in the photo.

[Gabby]

Well done on completing your first week! That gorgeous little fellow is the spitting image of the old guy in the photo.

Herb, how are things going during your second week? I have been waiting to hear. I am sure it is all only getting better. I have two sleeps to go! I feel like a child and it's the countdown to Christmas.

[herbm]

Well done on completing your first week! That gorgeous little fellow is the spitting image of the old guy in the photo.

Herb, how are things going during your second week? I have been waiting to hear. I am sure it is all only getting better. I have two sleeps to go! I feel like a child and it's the countdown to Christmas.

Still going very well, Gabby.

And how about you and your new machine?


I am through 10 days, 100% compliant both by insurance standards (4 hours / day) by my standards: Using the CPAP EVERY time I try to sleep -- no exceptions.

AHI was 1.0 last night.
7-day avg is 1.7 so the Apnea is well controlled.
Avg daily use is 8.3 hours.
Leaks are minimal.

Actually numbers are really lower since many of those are machine artifacts and not real apneas etc. -- probably about half as much if measured accurately.

Yesterday was the first time I was able to fall asleep with the F & P Oracle HC452 Oral Mask (tried for a 2 hour nap, got about 1 hour of sleep.) So this mask is might not be total trash if I really can't use my nasal pillows and don't buy another mask.

But it is unpleasant -- it's like going back to being a total newbie and one that has trouble with the whole CPAP thing.

Last night I manage to get through the whole night (only about 6 hours) with the AirFit P10 Nasal Pillows WITHOUT using any nasal spray all day or all night (none today either so I am almost 2 days off nasal spray).

Appointment with the ENT (also a Sleep Doc but not the one I have been seeing) tomorrow. Talk about sinuses and getting some relief and might switch my sleep medicine to him as well.

Also my GREAT Insurance company, Aetna, told me that they will pay for another mask NOW and that no 3 month wait is necessary. They don't care if my current mask didn't work (the Oracle).

The Airfit P10 is great as long as I can breath through at least one nostril -- most of last night I toughed it out with just that, one nostril halfway clear.

Only got about 4 hours sleep but coupled with the 1 hour nap today is no problem.

I never have had a really problem with lack of sleep.

Tonight will likely be a GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP since my nose is fairly clear and I haven't been using the spray. We'll see.

Thanks for caring and let me know what's up with you. You can always email me too if you ever prefer that.

[Gabby]

Well it sounds like you really have a handle on things. Great news your insurance will allow another mask. Also good to hear you have an appt. with new ENT, best of luck with them. It will be good if you can transfer sleep machine over to him as well and have it all under same umbrella.
I used to have problems with my nostrils years ago, or one of them being continually blocked and having to breathe out of one but over the years it has just fixed itself, thank goodness, one less problem to worry about. Pleased to hear you have been off the sprays for a few days.
Keep up the good work and please keep us posted.
My first night of treatment will be Thursday 13Feb., I have downloaded SleepyHead, I have everything waiting and ready, just need to pick up my cpap tomorrow, cannot wait.
I am sure my questions will start after the 14th!

[herbm]

Good night - might have stayed in bed all night except the on call engineer needed help with a server down -- only took 10 minutes and went right back to bed.

AHI 0.4 (but one of the 3 events, the hypopnea was bogus. The two apnea events were real but marginal.

7-day Avg: 1.0

Saw the ENT this morning. He (of course) wants to start "easy and cheap" so he recommended Flonase and was willing to write a script so the insurance will pay for it

I have tried Nasonex before but don't know if it helped or not.

We'll see.



He did a turbinate (little bones in the nose) reduction on my wife in 2009, and said we could get there perhaps eventually but that even though it wasn't a big deal it is still surgery (general anaesthetic and all that.) Also, she doesn't think there was much benefit.

[Redonthehead]

He did a turbinate (little bones in the nose) reduction on my wife in 2009, and said we could get there perhaps eventually but that even though it wasn't a big deal it is still surgery (general anaesthetic and all that.) Also, she doesn't think there was much benefit.

You might read up on "coblation" turbinate reduction. It sounds much less invasive than working on the little bones in the turbinates. I found one video online where they did one live on TV - not general anaesthesia, merely local.

[Gabby]

Good night - might have stayed in bed all night except the on call engineer needed help with a server down -- only took 10 minutes and went right back to bed.

AHI 0.4 (but one of the 3 events, the hypopnea was bogus. The two apnea events were real but marginal.

7-day Avg: 1.0

Saw the ENT this morning. He (of course) wants to start "easy and cheap" so he recommended Flonase and was willing to write a script so the insurance will pay for it

I have tried Nasonex before but don't know if it helped or not.

We'll see.



He did a turbinate (little bones in the nose) reduction on my wife in 2009, and said we could get there perhaps eventually but that even though it wasn't a big deal it is still surgery (general anaesthetic and all that.) Also, she doesn't think there was much benefit.

Hope you were happy with the appointment, you didn't really say one way or the other.
Good work on your weekly average.

[herbm]

I haven't decided if I am really happy or not.

The ENT seemed like a good guy, the appointment is essentially free since I am going to meet my yearly max this year , it didn't take long and was near my home and the pharmacy.

He gave me a prescription for a corticoid that makes it almost free.

One the other side: He didn't give me any immediate help unless the Nasonex works and my experience with Flonase in the past was NOT encouraging.

I didn't really expect much help with this, but the prescription is worth trying and this starts the process of either seeing some improvement or considering other options.

It is what it is. Neither very encouraging nor very disappointing.

Also: Gives me another sleep doc option if my first one freaks out about my having changed the machine settings (It's not going to bother me anyway but now there is a fall back position if we can't reach agreement.)

FYI: Today I changed to 11-14 (don't need head room on the high side and there's no point in keeping the low number down since my 95% is higher and I like more pressure.

[herbm]

I am pretty much sleeping through the night (except for waking briefly to turn over which is normal for me, or when the dog barks because he was feeling bad and needed to go out extra.)

No nasal spray, no Sudafed, no nasal strips the last couple of nights -- it's not clear if the Nasonex is helping or not but the congestion is manageable with irrigation.

7 day avg: AHI 0.5

Last night: AHI 0.2 (improvement from Dx by a factor of 250).

In fact, last night there were a total of *2* events all night; not 2 per hour but 2 period.

Leaks are essentially nothing.

The mask may (is likely to?) be helping hold my nasal airway open as well. (The ENT said this was possible and that with nasal pillows it definitely would eliminate most of the advantage from nasal strips so that they are a waste of time and money.)

Breathe Right strips only deal with the external nose by helping to flair or prevent the visible sides of you nose from collapsing as you inhale.

The machine is no big deal -- it's not even a deal.

It's almost becoming a comfort blanket type of thing.