[Treatment] Newbie / Intro

[77346]

Howdy from Houston, Texas!

As a manner of intro, I am a 50 year-old male recently diagnosed with OSA. My wife has told me for years that I snore a lot and that stop breathing and gasped for air "a few times" per night. So, although I highly suspected I had sleep apnea, it was not much of an issue for me until a few months ago... I mean, I never woke up tired, or felt sleepy during the day, etc. Recently, I started to feel very tired when I woke up and started taking "power naps" during my lunch break (my office is 2 minutes from my home), if I didn't take a nap then I felt super tired by mid afternoon and had a hard time concentrating at work. 

I went to see a sleep doctor on September 26 of this year, had a sleep test done at a sleep center; measurements only) on 9/28, had a respiratory function test done on 9/29 and was told I tested positive for OSA that day. Had a second sleep test done (more measurements, and pressure test) on October 2nd and a consultation with the doctor on 10/5. 

So, my doctor said I passed the respiratory function test with flying colors, but the sleeping tests were bad. My AHI was 61 during the first sleep test and the tech had to crank up the CPAP to 25 during the second sleep test to bring it down to 5. Doc said he was going to prescribe a BiPAP machine and set it to 14 EPAP and 19 IPAP. 

My DME brought my machine home on 10/12... it's a ResMed AirCurve 10 S and the mask is a ResMed AirFit F20 (full mask, as per doctor's recommendation). I've been using the machine every day for at least 7 hours; I started using SleepyHead to look at the data, as I found the myAir app to provide very basic information and I am a "numbers guy." Since I started treatment, my worse day was the first night with an AHI of 24.95, my best night was 10/17 with an AHI of 3.13. 

Average since I started using the machine is 9.8... definitively room for improvement, but I haven't had that need to take a "power nap" during my lunch break and I am waking up at the same time every day before my alarm goes off and I don't feel that I'm tired right after I get up. 

I have a follow up appointment with my doctor on November 20th.

So far, my only question is what do most people do when you have to use the restroom at night? Do you stop the machine? I just unplug the tube from my mask and leave the machine running... that shows up as a large leak on SleepyHead.

Thanks... I'm looking forward to learning and sharing with y'all.

[trish6hundred]

Hi 77346,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Turn your machine off when you need to use the bathroom. Otherwise, you will see a large leak in your data, as you pointed out.
Good luck with CPAP therapy and hang in there for more answers to your questions.

[HalfAsleep]

I'm a newbie too.

I like to start out with SmartStart on. It kind of gets me in the groove, and I love those first snorts of cool fresh air. Since Smart Start created a large leak if I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I usually reach for STOP.

Many people leave the mask on and do their stuff looking like an elephant. Depending on the mask, it may be easy or difficult to do the fumbling in the dark. I am new to a difficult mask (F20, like yours), which I find a pain in the butt. At the moment, I'm having to turn on a light so I can see what I'm doing. No doubt practice will make this easier.

Use SleepyHead instead of myAir. SleepyHead is for "numbers guys". myAir is especially great for folks working on a compliance requirement, and very vague for the numbers that might really be interesting.

[Gideon]

Welcome to the forum.  

You require a very high pressure for CPAP thus the BiPAP/BiLevel machine, but you already know that.

Do you have a copy of your sleep studies?  If you do post them as they are the basis for your initial settings.  If not get a copy of them, you are entitles to it under Hippa., then post them.

Post a copy of your daily charts, these say what is happening, down to a breath by breath detail if needed.  My signature says how to do this.  One problem is you can't until you reach member status shortly after 4 posts.  The work around is to insert a space in the url such as "htt p://IMGUR/xxxxxxx.png"



I turn my machine off when I get up.

I view new user therapy as having 2 phases, and actually the second phase is more important.

Phase 1, the numbers, you said you like numbers, get the AHI down to a "reasonable" value.
Phase 2, No numbers here, this is about comfort and how you feel.  

Sometimes we need to achieve the comfort first.  You have to be able to use your CPAP through the night.

Read the Mask Primer,  there is a lot of info there, and the mask is actually the hard part of therapy.


Fred

[chill]

Welcome!

The large leak in SleepyHead would not bother me, but the noise of the rushing air would awaken my wife and boy would I hear about it!     So I do what Trish does, turn it off, go, turn it back on.  I leave my mask on.

[ajack]

If it were me, until you get a sleepy head chart up, you can keep the same difference between pressures and raise the min and max by 1 at a time, till sleepyhead says the OA clear up. The H and any CA will be handled later with the chart.

@halfasleep..elephant? you aren't disconnecting the mask fitting, that the hose connects to? That also comes in handy to have a drink through a straw.

[sonicboom]

Machine off and mask off for me - definitely. I'm no microbiologist but there are a lot of disgusting germs around a bathroom and toilet and the risk of contaminating my mask/tube contraption while fumbling around in the dark is greatly enhanced. Its why "they" recommend you cover your toothbrush.

[HalfAsleep]

@halfasleep..elephant? you aren't disconnecting the mask fitting, that the hose connects to? That also comes in handy to have a drink through a straw.

Aside.... Great idea. I was wanting an easy way to get a drink. Prior, I was using a P10, which compelled the elephant look and no drink possibilities, even with a straw...

Back to OP...

[OpalRose]

sonicboom,
Agree completely!  I don’t care how well you clean a bathroom, it’s not a place to leave masks, and hoses, etc.

I realize that my P10 is much easier to deal with than a nasal or full face mask, but I’ve been known to put it on in the dark with the pillows faced the wrong way.  

With that said, the easiest for me is to just turn the Apap off, (no need to leave running) remove mask till I’m done with my break, then put mask back on looking in a mirror... hook back up and turn machine back on.

[77346]

Thanks for the welcome, y'all... and the suggestions!

I don't have a copy of the sleep test, but I will request that... it's good to have as a baseline. I'll post when I get it. (@bonjour - thanks for the links on your signature).

@HalfASleep I actually find the F20 mask pretty easy to use. I was skeptical of the quick release magnets that hold the straps to the mask, but that is working just fine... the the clips to release the mask from the tube is also simple to use.

a straw... why didn't I think of that before LOL!