(08-29-2022, 10:19 PM)GuyScharf Wrote: Since you say you have had a sleep study, please post the results of that study here (with personal info redacted). That will provide some guidance on figuring out your settings.
Those seem to be factory default settings, which probably fit no one.
Try starting with Min EPAP of 6, max IPAP of 20, PS 4. After first night, import data into OSCAR, take a screenshot of daily page (see link to directions below), then post here for advice.
Arrrgh. I'm so lost with this thing! I got over all my fears and issues with washing and drying the stuff. So, I'm sitting in front of the TV and I tried to use the machine.
It went terribly. I only used it for 1-2 minutes. The best way I can describe it is that the air pressure feels sort of assaultive. Within the space of 1-2 minutes I felt light headed and had a sort of tingly feeling in my fingertips. A couple of times my airway closed down (this sometimes happens when I'm awake but very tired). I must have swallowed some air when that happened, because I ended up with air in my belly. I felt like crying ... and I stopped using it
30 minutes later, I still feel sort of light headed (that's not the right word ... I don't know how to describe it).
I'm not convinced I don't have some weird anatomical issues that aren't playing into this. I can go into depth, but basically:
a) long term reflux (probably LPR or NPR)
b) ankylosing spondylitis. From the AS I have some bone growth in my neck that is pushing into my airway. I also have some chest/ribcage restriction. I went to a pulmonologist and she said the lung restriction wasn't too bad
c) deviated septum, which supposedly isn't terrible.
Some months back, I had a whole thread where I discussed those issues. One of the mods told me I needed an ASV. I purchased the machine and was considering self-treating, but I got scared and never used it.
I ended up getting a new two-night sleep study in February thru a knowledgable sleep doctor. She ended up recommending an Auto BIPAP and didn't think I needed an ASV. The new results were sort of bizarre, because I had both in home and in lab studies in 2018 that showed AHI over 30. Now the new study shows my AHI as much lower. The thing is that I wake up with a migraine every morning. If I sleep on my back that will bring on the migraine pretty quickly. The doc said we could treat by the symptoms, rather than the numbers.
Should I turn the pressure down and just try to get used to using it while watching tv? Maybe I'm just panicking because I'm not used to it? The pressure feels SO strong.