Introduction to group and need general advice.

[Gazza59]

Welcome

97 AHI, I was only a 90.  
A couple of things. Change your profile to show the machine you have "Dream Station Auto CPAP" so it is apparent what machine you have. and
Post your daily charts.  Pay attention to the organization.  How to is included in "New to Apnea - helpful tips to ensure success" both in my signature and in the links at the top of the page under "Using SleepyHead"

We will help you get dialed in.

Changed my profile - including my mask.
Tried posting my charts - uploaded all 22 of them to imgur - but it won't resize them to post here.
Followed the instructions posted here - tried setting an auto-resize - but still no good.

[Gazza59]

I am also a newbie to CPAP.  Been on my Dream Machine for about 6 weeks and I have fallen in love with it.  Gives me lots of flexibility and never had a mask problem.  Maybe because before I bought the machine, I was fitted by a technician at the medical supply store and there has never been any leakage.
I will share with you that after six weeks, I feel 100% better than I did before the mask.  I believe I had SA for 10-15 years, and it would have killed me if I hadn't been tested and diagnosed.  I still get tired some afternoons, but I take a nap and feel instantly better.
Heard all good things about Dream Station and hope you work it out and have great results.

I think it's a good machine also - still not sure if it was the rented masks being old or not that was the problem.
Going from a AHI of 97.5 to 5.55 straight away - highest 11.3 with a low of 0.95 seems to be OK.
I've only had the 1 afternoon where I felt tired & know there's still improvement to come so I'm very happy.

[Gazza59]

What I see is that you are very close.  I suggest you raise your Min to 11cm H2O and see how that does.  I suspect that we may raise it further but let's take it easy.  This should help bring your AHI down.

Also disable your VS2 events.  They are of no use since noone knows what they mean.


Fred

I raised my min to 12 - bit of a daredevil lol - but another member also suggested raising it & stated that level.
Haven't been able to find out how to disable VS2 & I don't seem to have any Flow Limitation graph even though it is included in my pie chart.

[Gazza59]

Gazza59,
You can't post an image directly from your computer.   You have to use a service like imgur.  Please read Posting SleepyHead Charts in 5 Easy Steps, if you need help in doing this.  While it is aimed at SleepyHead charts, it will provide the steps required to post any image here.

- Red

Thanks - have uploaded all my charts but can't get imgur to resize them for posting.
Followed the instructions but it regardless of what size I select they stay the same.
The 1 chart I was able to post here was the exception.

[ajack]

sleepyhead has 25 as a major leak, with DS it's around 50, because it includes the normal venting leak as the total number.

post some charts, it looks like your minimum pressure needs to go up, I'd use min 12 for now.

I changed my minimum to 12 - see if it makes a difference.
Uploaded all my charts to imgur but it won't resize them - when I copy the link it posts them still small.
It did work the one time on my previous post but now it won't.

just copy and paste the link, you don't have to show the image. 

You are on a trial, so you don't need to buy that machine, the Resmed works better in auto mode than the respironics dreamstation. I would go back and swap it over and continue your trial on the resmed.

I would make an appointment with a respiritorist, who may advise you to get a bilevel/bipap/vpap for the copd

I think with copd you should be on a bilevel/bipap/vpap, even if you can get the cpap working for you this year. It may not next year, as the copd progresses. si although it's dearer initially, you don't end up buying two machines.

[Gazza59]

[Gazza59]

Will post more charts on the weekend but have a question to ask now.

I'm on my third mask & am still having what Sleepyhead categorizes as major leaks.

The thing is that with all 3 masks I haven't found any leaks between the mask and my face. The leakage is from the vent or the swivel connector. 

Could it be bad calibration of my machine or the swivel itself as both are rentals - albeit from what appears to be a reputable supplier. 

Just my gut feeling.

[Melman]

There should be constant venting at the mask. If you have the F20 it's at the elbow. In other FFM it will vent somewhere else. The purpose is to flush CO2 so you don't re-breathe it. It does not show up as a major leak. You may be breaking the seal when you change positions and not be aware of it.

[Gazza59]

It is the Airfit F20 I'm using at the moment.

You may be right but I feel like there's some other reason.

I am a mouth breather - often my nose is blocked but seems to clear while I'm sleeping.

I generally sleep on my right side & pre starting to use CPAP I was constantly rolling around & kicking the covers off.

Now I am not rolling around or kicking & constantly am in that same position when I wake.

I have had instances when my F20 mask has crept up to where the bottom part of the cushion is partially in my mouth but without air escaping.

Feeling frustrated but know I need to just be patient - listen to the advice I receive here & continue to try different masks.

I still like the feel of the Amara View - will ask my rental supplier what size they gave me - have printed the sizing chart & am a medium.

Looking at the ratings from supplier 1 I'm thinking about trying the F&P Simplus - but feel it may be the first mask my supplier gave me that I had problems with as well.

That's another thing that has frustrated me - my supplier not telling me what's what. I accept that I'm more to blame than them - in that I haven't asked - but that was because I had put my trust in them to look after me & not knowing zilch about CPAP. Now - especially after having my eyes opened here to their obvious need for profit - realise that me being ignorant is what they want.

[robysue]

What I see is that you are very close.  I suggest you raise your Min to 11cm H2O and see how that does.  I suspect that we may raise it further but let's take it easy.  This should help bring your AHI down.

Also disable your VS2 events.  They are of no use since noone knows what they mean.


Fred

I raised my min to 12 - bit of a daredevil lol - but another member also suggested raising it & stated that level.
Haven't been able to find out how to disable VS2 & I don't seem to have any Flow Limitation graph even though it is included in my pie chart.

I beg to differ with bonjour's advice to turn off the VS2 events. Quite a lot is known about the VS2 data from the PR machines, and it is NOT irrelevant.  Please see my thread: Meaning of VS and VS2 data on PR xPAP machines

In general, we don't need to see the SleepyHead Snore graph, but we do need to see the VS2 tick marks on the Event table.  So please do NOT turn off the VS2 events.