amurorx - Therapy Analysis

[Phaleronic]

You're hitting your max pressure during the night as Jay stated, so I'd set it to cpap mode at 17.5 and keep EPR on at 3 and see how it feels for a few nights then show us the charts-I know that I feel and breath better on cpap mode myself.

[Crimson Nape]

amurorx - Your 2 threads dealt with your therapy. For this reason, I have merged them into one thread. This makes it easier for the reader to see your history and prevents cross-posting. To be more inclusive, I have renamed the thread to, "amurorx - Therapy Analysis". Please use this thread for all your therapy related posts.
- Red

[Dormeo]

Amurorx, let's see how you do with the cervical collar.  I should have asked: do you have nasal congestion at night?

It's so hard to have to deal with all this stuff while you're sleep deprived and wondering whether anything will ever help.  Hang in there; lots of people here have been in the same boat, so you're not alone.  We will help you as best we can, though exactly how will depend on how things go with the suggestions made so far.

[amurorx]

Oh yes I constantly have nasal congestion at night which is why I tend to sleep on my back.  When I sleep on my side I start to get congested in one side of my nostril.

I apologize for making a separate thread.  I should have kept it combined.

Thank you everyone for responding and providing much needed guidance.

I will update once I get that cervical collar and have a nights rest.  I plan to set the pressure 15-18  because when it jumps to 20  it feels extremely uncomfortable and wakes me.

Again thanks.

[amurorx]

Hi folks its update time: I got sa oft cervical collar and tried to sleep on my side, but as you can see large leaks and even higher AHI.

I'm at a lost to be honest.

[Jay51]

Thank you for posting that.  Your leaks are far too large and long and hindering your therapy.  Your profile says you use a full face mask.  What kind?  If this mask continues to leak this bad, it may be time for a new one.  


Here are some tips on mask leaks.  I hope they help you.  

Mask Primer

[amurorx]

Its the Airfit F20.  I wasn't having issues with leaks at all the last two weeks.  It was when I tried sleeping on my side I noticed that I was getting major leaks.

[Jay51]

2 possible ways to go from here from my experience.  I had surgery for deviated septum and turbinate reduction.  Much better breathing now.  I am not saying that you have to do this.  I am just giving some background history for the 2 things I am thinking right now. 

1.  Try some Flonase or congestion over the counter spray and see if that helps (you may have already done this).  

2.  Try some breathe right strips (or equivalent) or even some nasal dilators (can be found on Amazon, etc.).   I like the softer silicone nasal dilators myself that are skeleton shaped (not fully solid like a real thimble).  

There are more things to try.  If anyone sees anything else, please post also.

[Dormeo]

Flonase is an excellent suggestion. Just be aware that it can take one to two weeks to kick in. You can also use a nasal/sinus rinse like NeilMed, which might help if allergens or other irritants are part of the problem.

If you keep one nostril pretty open while lying on your side, that's a plus. I recommend continuing to try to side-sleep, though I realize that will make it harder to control leaks. You may have mentioned this, but have you tried a CPAP pillow with cut-outs for your mask?

Have you seen an ENT doctor to get an idea of the source of your congestion? I found I got more attention for the problem when I explained how hard it made using CPAP.

[amurorx]

Hi folks it's been awhile I wanted to provide an update. I have started sleeping on my side and wearing a soft collar and my congestion has not been an issue thanks to the CPAP humidifier but my numbers are not great.  

For the last 3 days I have set my pressure for 15-20 but have been getting AHI between 5.5-10.7.  Attached is my most recent Oscar data.

At this point I think I have exhausted what CPAP can do for me since my pressures are all so very high.