Franko39 - Therapy Assistance

[Franko39]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll give the tape another go. I've tried the chin strap for a few nights now and I'm not seeing significant improvements in leaks.

I'm already on the soft response as well!

[Gideon]

A pulse oximeter will do it very well with accurate tracking thru the entire night.
A Smart watch is sufficient to check for anything below 88%. If lows are still there then a recording pulse oximetershould be used. If consistent lows are present then a detailed evaluation of what is causing the issue should be followed up on with a pulmonologist or other specialist depending on the problem.

[Franko39]

A pulse oximeter will do it very well with accurate tracking thru the entire night.
A Smart watch is sufficient to check for anything below 88%. If lows are still there then a recording pulse oximetershould be used. If consistent lows are present then a detailed evaluation of what is causing the issue should be followed up on with a pulmonologist or other specialist depending on the problem.

The pulse oximeters I've seen at local pharmacies seem to be designed for a quick test and not continuous, overnight monitoring. Is there a brand or model you'd recommend that is meant to be worn overnight and can give charts showing the O2 sats throughout the night?

TIA!

[OpalRose]

These oximeters are compatible with the OSCAR software.  The Wellue/Viatom brand seem to be most popular.  

https://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph..._Oximeters

[mallar]

Franko, it's encouraging to see that reducing the EPR has resulted in less CA's for you. Has it improved your sleep? I'm dealing myself with the same problem: relatively new CPAP user with low OA's but persistent CA's. I wake up a lot during the night. I'm considering reducing my EPR from 2 to 1 as you have done.

[Franko39]

Franko, it's encouraging to see that reducing the EPR has resulted in less CA's for you. Has it improved your sleep? I'm dealing myself with the same problem: relatively new CPAP user with low OA's but persistent CA's. I wake up a lot during the night. I'm considering reducing my EPR from 2 to 1 as you have done.

I actually caught a bug shortly after my last post and wasn't able to use the CPAP for the last little while (due to being congested, etc), so I'm not too sure as I need more time to test for myself.

Someone from another apnea board had a look at my CA events though and told me that they were confident that my events weren't "true" CAs, and perhaps more just my tossing and turning, etc. Might be worth investigating on your end too!

[Franko39]

Hi all,

I'm a fairly new CPAP user with an AirSense 10 Autoset (diagnosed with mild apnea, AHI = 10). I tried the P10 nasal pillows for a while but found that I was having considerable leakage (probably from a combination of mouth breathing and tossing/turning while asleep). My leak rate per OSCAR is usually between 10-20. My current pressure settings are 6-10 with ramp.

Someone suggested the F30i mask to help manage the leaks - I bought the mask and am trying it out, but have found that at higher pressures (7+), the air starts to blow out of the bottom part of the mask that surrounds my mouth (it's just a soft flap of plastic and the air just starts pushing through that flap). The rest of the headgear is fairly tight already, so I'm not sure what more can be done to stop the leak.

Does anyone have suggestions on how I can eliminate this leak?

TIA!

Franko

[OpalRose]

I've trialed the F30i.  I really like the feel of the mask and followed all guidelines we give to folk on how to tame leaks in the Mask Primer.

I know what you mean by the bottom of the mask just being a thin piece of plastic/silicone? I found that unless I strapped that mask down to a point of causing discomfort, it was going to leak. I finally gave it up. I might at some point go back to it. I need to research and see if a mask liner might help. Have you consider Using a mask liner?

[HalfAsleep]

I use an FFM, model F40.

Make sure the mask size is correct for you. Also, if your jaw drops, your face will change shape. I was horrified when I looked in the mirror the other night after I couldn’t get my mask to cooperate, and my face looked like a cabbage patch doll. No wonder the mask was leaky compared with earlier in the night: I have an early-sleep-stage face and a REM face. No way would the same mask work for both! I began to use a cervical collar to keep my face less susceptible to the jello-look, and I lowered the pressure by 1 on the inhale. The combined effect is low leakage and < 5 AHI. I’ll probably stick with that for the time being until I have a chance to really adapt, and I can see how my sleep is responding, then re-assess if needed.

So, you might want to check a few ideas to keep your jaw from dropping. Does your mouth get super dry, too?

[Franko39]

I use an FFM, model F40.

Make sure the mask size is correct for you. Also, if your jaw drops, your face will change shape. I was horrified when I looked in the mirror the other night after I couldn’t get my mask to cooperate, and my face looked like a cabbage patch doll. No wonder the mask was leaky compared with earlier in the night: I have an early-sleep-stage face and a REM face. No way would the same mask work for both! I began to use a cervical collar to keep my face less susceptible to the jello-look, and I lowered the pressure by 1 on the inhale. The combined effect is low leakage and < 5 AHI. I’ll probably stick with that for the time being until I have a chance to really adapt, and I can see how my sleep is responding, then re-assess if needed.

So, you might want to check a few ideas to keep your jaw from dropping. Does your mouth get super dry, too?

That's interesting, I hadn't considered mouth shape changes when asleep! My mouth doesn't get too dry usually (unless I've successfully slept with the CPAP on all night, which is a win itself). I'll maybe consider a cervical collar too, as a potential option.