Newbie here... where to start?

[harleygirl]

Hello...
I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a Respironics Series One, RemStar Auto A-Flex machine through my Kaiser insurance.
It has an SD card in it, and humidifier. Using a full-face mask.

The machine came with a basic instruction booklet, but looking at all the threads here I see a lot of data and numbers being talked about and I have no idea what they mean. I wasn't giving any instructions from my sleep doctor regarding the machine, just the booklet, so I don't know how to tell if it's working correctly for me or what settings I should be using etc.

I've been using it all night for 5 days now. So far I'm not sure I feel much different yet other than none of my usual morning headaches or nausea so far.
Could someone please point me in the right direction as to getting started?

Thank you
Kim

[surferdude2]

Hi Kim! and

I'm pretty new here also so stick around for the experts to guide you better. In the meantime, download the Sleepyhead software and get it unzipped. No install is required, just run the executable and it will allow you to import the data from your SD card and that will assist the experts in helping you help yourself.

Get Sleepyhead Here

[Tez62]

Welcome harleygirl, the stopping of head aches and nausea is a good start, you can see progress. CPAP is a treatment not a cure and takes different people different times to see results. A lot depends on your severity of sleep apnea and how long you have had it. Some people get instant results and others take months but one thing for sure is you need to wear it ever time you sleep or you will quickly go back to where you were. You will get heaps of help and support on here just keep at it and ask questions, knowledge is power Try to get used to your CPAP and mask and look at basic stats at first, you want your AHI to be as low as possible but below 5. Good luck.

[Galactus]

As SurferDude suggested, look at the top of the board, you will see a link for sleepy head software, go there, download that, read up on some of what the data means (there is a complete education there on all the numbers) then install it get your data in there look at what it says and post it here for more help from the numbers folks who have the experience.

Welcome to the board, good luck, and the symptoms you described stopping are the first signs things are at least headed in the right direction.

[zonk]

I wasn't giving any instructions from my sleep doctor regarding the machine, just the booklet, so I don't know how to tell if it's working correctly for me or what settings I should be using etc.

All explained in the clinical manual available via email, will show how to check the machine setting and how to read the data on the screen.
you need ensure "Show AHI/leak/PB" is "ON" in the clinical menu


Scroll down to "how to ask fro a manual via email" http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual
PRS1 setup instructions, pictures and video http://www.apneaboard.com/pr-system-one-...structions

* No longer waking up with a headache is sign that CPAP is working and the brain is not starved of oxygen during the night

[Galactus]

Oh yah and when you're all done, and have the software working you will get pretty little daily pictures like this one that tell you what is or isn't working. But you won't be able to lie about how much sleep you did or didn't get because it clocks everything.

[JWR]

Welcome harleygirl Sounds like your off to a good start . As everyone else is saying Down load sleepyhead its one of the best ways to actually see how your therapy is working [next to how you feel ] but we can't tell that so it allows the members that are good at reading the results to try to help you understand it better and possibly help you with your problems as they may arise . Hopefully you are one of the lucky ones that take to cpap out of the gate . just remember sometimes it can take months or longer just don't get discouraged were here to help support you . your not alone .

[herbm]

Welcome and follow along with the instructions above for using the software to evaluate your therapy.

However REST assured that you are off to a FANTASTIC START.

First, just the simple fact that you are wearing the mask 100% of the time is a BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT and will lead to so many other successes.

Second, you already are experiencing improved health (headaches etc) which many people don't reach for weeks or even months after getting effective therapy.

Finally, you have found THIS forum and are asking the right questions.

You don't have to learn everything overnight, especially since you are already quite successful and achieving excellent results.

You WILL learn a not over the next few weeks if you follow the instructions however and this will mean your therapy will continue to improve along with your health.

Good job!!!!

[trish6hundred]

Hi harleygirl,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Sounds like you are off to a good start, just keep on goin'.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and best of luck to you with your CPAP therapy.

[harleygirl]

[attachment=1037]Hello... thank you for the welcome and the advice. I said I was "recently" diagnosed with sleep apnea just last month, but a different Dr over a year ago said I should get checked for it also, but I just ignored it. But after a year of feeling progressively worse, I went to a new Dr who said the same thing, and this time I took her advice and went for a test.

The more I read about sleep apnea the more I'm convinced that this has been my problem most of my life. Always tired, sleepy no matter how many hours sleeping, snoring, nausea, weakness. But I suspect as I've gotten older, combined with a job that now requires me to wake up at 3am, I'm just not as able to muscle through it as I did before.

Attached is a screen shot of my data according to Sleepyhead. I'll take your advice and start reading and learning about these numbers on the Sleepyhead software.

I'd appreciate any input any of you might have regarding what my data so far might mean?

Thank you so much.
Kim