Intro and questions

[Sweet72947]

Hi I'm new to the forum, just joined today! *waves* I am 30 years old (just turned 30 this month) and I have a Fisher & Paykel Sleepstyle2000. I was diagnosed about two years ago and I did lose about 20lbs in three months after using the machine. I am still overweight though, I'm 5ft tall and 168lbs. I want to lose more weight, because I think it will help with my sleep apnea. It is mild, and the doctors almost didn't want to give me a machine because they said it would probably get better if I just lost weight. Well, losing weight isn't that easy, so I insisted on the machine, and I'm glad I did! I use a nasal mask and for the most part it doesn't bother me.

What I'm having issues with is I swear the machine isn't blowing air out as strong as it should be. It is set to 6.0, but I can open my mouth and breathe through it as if I weren't wearing the mask at all. Sometimes I take the mask off in my sleep, and sometimes even when I've worn it all night I feel like I'm dragging. I wish I could change my setting just up one notch to see if that helps, but even though I can get to my settings, I can't change them without sticking a key in the back of the machine, which I don't have. I don't currently have health insurance, although I just started a new job and next month I'll be able to fill out the paperwork for the benefits, so perhaps soon I can afford to talk to a doctor again. The other issue I have with this machine is the humidity setting. I have it low enough that my mouth drys out at night. But if I put it up any higher, I'll wake up to moisture dripping on my face. I have no idea what kind of humidifier this machine uses, it has a chamber that you fill with distilled water and it sits on a sort of "heating plate". Anybody have any advice for the issues I'm having?

[PaulaO2]

6 is a low pressure so I'm not surprised you don't feel much air.

Over time, you'll notice it even less. Mine is at 12 and I can carry on a conversation with the mask on. I sound like I am congested but I not longer notice the pressure.

Losing weight may or may not "cure" your apnea. Skinny people have sleep apnea too.

Did you check the Private Files area to see if there's a manual you can use?
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-P...-and-Links

Oh, and

[JudgeMental]

Welcome//Oh so true..loosing weight is not ez. Nor is CPAP therapy.
I agree with you that losing some more lbs would help. It "may" perhaps help with the apnea problems, but it "will" be an overall help with total body health. Later on after you get some health benefits, and you lose some more weight, you may be enticed to have another sleep study and perhaps the DOC is right. You may not even need CPAP therapy..(finger crossed), although you didn;t say why you were dx'd two years ago with apnea. With some health insurance, maybe you could upgrade to a newer model of CPAP:: one with data recording.
If you are having some dry mouth problems, you are surely to be having some mouth breathing situations. The nose is designed for breathing and not the mouth. Even increasing the humidity will continue to cause a dry mouth as long as air is allowed to pass through it. Try diligently to keep your mouth closed. Placing you tongue at the roof of your mouth closes off the throat and air cannot pass into your mouth. Practice, practice this effort. In the meantime, maybe the use of a chin strap to help keep your mouth closed will be necessary. Tons of people use them.

Keep us posted about your therapy.. join in the posting.

[Sweet72947]

Thanks for the advice. I was diagnosed two years ago because I was talking to my friend and I happened to mention to her that I didn't know the last time I actually felt rested, and I was sleeping 10+ hours a night just to have enough energy to get through the day. My friend happened to say "wow, you sound like my friend X who has sleep apnea!" so I went and had a sleep study done and lo and behold, I have a mild sleep apnea. They said I stop breathing 8 times an hour or something. I think a lot of the reason I lost weight initially was because I stopped eating so much during the day for energy. I might look into that chin strap thing, although I think I mouth breathe because my stupid nose is always getting stuffed up due to nasal swelling. I've been trying not to use nasal spray because it messes with my heart and keeps me awake, but its frustrating to lie down and have your nose swell shut.

[GrammaBear]

When I first started my CPAP therapy I was having trouble with dry mouth and congested nose, mostly the nose. An ear doctor I was seeing at that time suggested I use a Netti pot which is a nasal rinse. Would something like that work for you before you go to bed? You can get the Netti pot at most drugstores or Wal-Mart. There is also a little squeeze bottle type thing that I like better than the Netti Pot. I think the total cost for bottle and little packets plus the distilled water was less than $20.

[PaulaO2]

I use the squeeze bottle during allergy season. It really helps. I do a rinse before going to bed and then at some point during the day if I get overly stuffed.

[zonk]

Does your sleepstyle have a heated tube, you could set the humidifier higher and it prevent rainout
Few things may help: place the machine lower than the bed so any moisture would drain back into humidifier, place the tube under the bed cover, get a tube cover and if you can warm the bedroom
As GrammaBear and Paula suggested sinus washes helps just saline solution and no rebounding effects as some OTC medications.
See your doctor about the nasal swelling, chinstrap can help and full face mask allows to breathe through both mouth and nose

[Sweet72947]

No I don't have a heated tube. I do normally sleep completely covered by blankets unless its too hot. I prefer the room to be cool when I go to sleep. If its too warm, wearing the CPAP mask gets uncomfortable and feels claustrophobic. My machine is lower than the bed. The way my room is set up, there is no other place to put it but on the floor. I will look into that Netti-pot that was suggested.

[Ozone]

The worst thing you can do for sinus is use the medicated nasal sprays. I spent a good five years or so addicted to the stuff--yes, addicted, because I could not breathe through my nose unless I used at regular intervals. After prolonged use, the ingredients in the stuff can affect blood pressure and cardiac rhythm. It takes a good week or two of feeling "stuffy" to finally stop spraying, but it really is worth it.

[PaulaO2]

You mean the steroid sprays? Yes, they are "addictive" in that your nose gets so used to them, it can't function without it.

I really like the nasal rinses using saline water. I use the bottle, not the pot.