New here, to apnea, CPAP, etc..

[NycLN16]

*Sorry if this is a double post. I posted here earlier today, but have not been able to find it *


Hi, as the title says, I am new to all of this. I have been reading here for the last week or so, and I was very happy to have found this forum as people here seem very friendly and informative, and I just wanted to introduce myself and maybe ask some advice?
I am 48 yr old female from NYC. I was only diagnosed with apnea about a month ago, but I have been dealing with excessive daytime sleepiness issues for the last 25 yrs.
I have had a couple sleep studies done over the last 5 yrs. The most recent one (about 6 months ago) is when I was told I had sleep apnea.
A few days ago, I got a CPAP machine, and I have been using it but nothing has changed for me. Im not feeling any better, and still have sleep issues during the day. I tell myself to give it time, its only been a few days but still (because of this and some other concerns) some doubt creeps in..
I am wondering if there is a way I can tell if I am using the machine correctly? I mean from what I can understand on MyAir and Sleepyhead (the latter I learned of from this forum- thanks ) all looks ok (to me anyway lol), then I wonder if my machine is just defective and not working properly? Im not sure how to tell this though? There is air coming out of it, but perhaps the pressure is just set wrong? If anyone can tell me if there is anything specific in the reports I should be looking at or for, it would be much appreciated. Thanks, there are some good stories here on this forum how CPAP helped, I hope one day I can post one of my own

[FrankNichols]

Hello and welcome to the board. More people will jump in soon to help.

Are you sure you have the Elite model of the CPAP machine? It should say on the outside. That model does not provide detailed clinical data that would help us to help you.

However, I am sure with answers to the right question others will ask, help can still be provided.

First patience is golden. Everyone reacts differently to CPAP and it can help instantly for some, and take literally months for others.

A couple questions to get the ball rolling:

1. Do you know the results of your most recent sleep study? The AHI would help (that is the average number of apnea events per hour)
2. Do you know the type of apnea event your study said you had - that would be Obstructive (OA) or Central (CA).
3. How are you adapting to using the machine, are you sleeping okay with it, do you wake up frequently during the nights, etc.

Hang in there, I am sure others will chime in soon.

Frank

[NycLN16]

Hi Frank, thanks for your response. Im pretty sure its elite, and it does say Elite on the front of the machine right under AirSense 10. I do seem to get some daily data from it using Sleepyhead, when I transfer the SD card from the machine into my computer.
Im not sure as to the usefulness of the data though, its a lot of numbers, charts and graphs most of which I still try to figure out..

To answer your questions:

1 and 2) My most recent study was 6 months ago. I had 0 apneas, but I had hypopneas (only in REM sleep). My AHI was 6.5
This was consistant with my previous study 5 yrs ago, except in that one, I had less hypopneas and AHI was 4.7 or maybe 4.3? (I remember it was somewhere between 4 and 5). At the time, they told me it wasnt much to be concerned with, and due to results on following MSLT (I fell asleep 5/5 with overall SOL of 7 min and SOREM 3/5) I was diagnosed with (and treated for) possible narcolepsy.
However, the MSLT on my recent sleep study I had 4/4 sleep and SOL of 7 min, but SOREM was 0/4. So now they have ruled out narcolepsy, and with the rise in AHI they tell me I have sleep apnea. Though technically I have 0 apneas- and the data I did get from my CPAP seems to confirm this? (though I admit Im not really sure what Im looking at lol) they explained that hypopneas can be just as much a problem as they are like small apneas?

3) I wake up approx 2 times a night, but I have always done that. Usually I am just up long enough to roll over and in less than a minute Im asleep again.
Most of my life, Ive been told by people who know me that I could easily fall asleep laying upside down, on a pile of jagged rocks, in the middle of a landmine testing field. And judging from some of the odd places and times I have fallen asleep in the past, Im not sure that this is so far from the truth lol
But as to the CPAP, I was pretty sure that having a hose stuck to my face wasn’t going to bother me at all, not when it comes to sleeping anyway. And sure enough, within a minute of laying down and closing my eyes I forget its even there.

Logically, I know youre right and I need to just give this more time. I will of course. I guess I just got a little disappointed when people I know with apnea said they had good results right away, but I see no change. In the meantime, I just want to make sure that Im not doing anything wrong, or that my pressure is right, or anything that will delay improvement.
Its like after years, I now see a small light of hope, but I guess Im kinda impatient in trying to grab it, rather than letting it come to me lol But thanks again, I appreciate any help you guys can give to me

[justMongo]

There's RobySue's guide to Sleepyhead:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

[FrankNichols]

Logically, I know youre right and I need to just give this more time. I will of course. I guess I just got a little disappointed when people I know with apnea said they had good results right away, but I see no change. In the meantime, I just want to make sure that Im not doing anything wrong, or that my pressure is right, or anything that will delay improvement.
Its like after years, I now see a small light of hope, but I guess Im kinda impatient in trying to grab it, rather than letting it come to me lol But thanks again, I appreciate any help you guys can give to me

Well, your apnea number (AHI) is fairly low, and my doctor told me that with my low number I should not expect to see a significant change too soon. It seems that people with really severe OSA feel better much sooner than those with mild OSA. That is not to say you should give up hope, or that it will take a long long time, just that you need to be patient. OSA therapy does work.

The people where will be able to help more than I can, I am pretty new to all this also - been a hose head for about 6 weeks now.

[DeepBreathing]

Are you sure you have the Elite model of the CPAP machine? It should say on the outside. That model does not provide detailed clinical data that would help us to help you.

Hi Frank. Since Resmed "upgraded" their website last year it's next to impossible to find any useful information in among all the marketing spin. However, I'm pretty sure the Elite model does in fact have full data capability. It's the AirSense CPAP which is the brick.

[DeepBreathing]

Hi NycLN16, welcome to Apnea Board.

As Frank said, your apnea is borderline and you may not notice a lot of difference immediately. An AHI below 5 is regarded as not clinically significant (or "cured" in other words) and yours is not very far above that. What the AHI doesn't tell you is how long each of those events lasted, whether they came in clusters, and whether there are any other things going on which can also disrupt your sleep. This is where the software comes in - it allows you to examine your whole night's sleep in detail to see what's really happening. Have a read of Robysue's excellent guide, and don't be afraid to ask if there's anything you don't understand. (It's a big and complex topic).

By the way, the fact that you are seeing a very low AHI when using the machine is an indication that the machine is doing what it's supposed to. It doesn't report on the apneas and hypopneas you might have had, only the ones that actually slipped through. The idea is to get the number of events as low as reasonably practical, without obsessing on the actual numbers. The main idea is to get a good refreshing night's rest.

[FrankNichols]

Are you sure you have the Elite model of the CPAP machine? It should say on the outside. That model does not provide detailed clinical data that would help us to help you.

Hi Frank. Since Resmed "upgraded" their website last year it's next to impossible to find any useful information in among all the marketing spin. However, I'm pretty sure the Elite model does in fact have full data capability. It's the AirSense CPAP which is the brick.

Oh darn, of course it is, I was supposed to get that one! Yes, the Elite has full data, so that is great news!

[palerider]

oh well, I shoulda read the whole thread before making corrections.

but, yes, the elite machines have always been full data.

[Sleepster]

I am wondering if there is a way I can tell if I am using the machine correctly?

Check to see how many hours a night you're using it. Check to see if you're spending too much time in large leak. Tell us your AHI.

If those three things check out, you're likely not only using the machine correctly, it's working correctly.

You have to be patient. It takes time to see effects for some people. Count yourself lucky that you are able to fall asleep with the machine on. That's the first hurdle.