Help with new AirCurve 10 VAuto Settings

[Deborah K.]

Your leaks are not significant enough to worry about.  If you look at the panel to the left of your chart you will see that your leaks are listed as 1.45.  That's because all but that small amount are not high enough to interfere with your therapy.

[aubreyjs]

I originally gave up cpap because I could not handle the "elephant trunk" hose coming off the front of the full face mask and the constant leaks.  It was only after I learned of the dreamwear mask that I gave it a try and had good success with cpap, which I now cannot sleep without.  As for the kinking, I wasn't talking about the hose kinking but rather the air chambers that run from the top of the dreamwear mask down the sides of my face...I sleep on my side.  I'm using the heated hose for the first time and it adds an additional strain on the top of the dreamwear mask that I'm thinking could be binding and resticting airflow in certain situations.  Will give the suggestions above a try regarding changes to ramp etc.

Thank you!

[Deborah K.]

I used to use the Dreamwear, then the ResMed nasal mask that brought the air in from the top.  I never had any problem with not getting plenty of air in both nostrils.  I sleep on my back due to back pain, but early on I tried some side sleeping as that was deemed the best by most on the board.  I could breathe through both nostrils with no problem when I slept on my side. Those are great masks, and I wouldn't worry about the air getting through.

[staceyburke]

You cann COMPLETELY cut the air onone side and still have enough air coming in the other side with no problem at all!

[Sleepster]

Your leaks are not significant enough to worry about.  If you look at the panel to the left of your chart you will see that your leaks are listed as 1.45.  That's because all but that small amount are not high enough to interfere with your therapy.

But the leak graph shows lots of time where the leak rate is elevated. Yes, it's below the acceptable level so in that regard it doesn't interfere with therapy, but the low level leaks last for a long time and indicate significant mouth leaking. This could be interfering with the quality of sleep. Just my opinion based on my experience with a similar leak pattern.

[Sleepster]

I originally gave up cpap because I could not handle the "elephant trunk" hose coming off the front of the full face mask and the constant leaks. 

I understand. When I started I couldn't tolerate a nasal mask. I would sweat and make it leak, so I switched to nasal pillows and wore those for a few years. I had a similar leak pattern to what you had. Then I tried a full face mask and to my surprise I could tolerate it and I started feeling more rested.

My point is simply that as we adapt to CPAP therapy, things we originally found intolerable become tolerable.

[aubreyjs]

Agreed sleepster, the entire process is to try and obtain a healthy comfortable night of sleep. Plenty of examples of "what's old is new again" with a different mindset.