Cpap and me (or why I ahve been absent from here)

[CPAPreturnee]

Been gone from board for three weeks. Two lovely weeks spent vacationing in Denver Co, Oakland Ca, and Seattle WA.  Didn't take the machine because of the hassles and bulk.  Slept like a baby even on the rattling Amtrak overnight trains.  Refreshed every morning and really enjoyed everything we did except the Pikes Peak cog railway that climbs up to the 14000+ feet peak.  Not recommended unless you can handle thin air (light headed like you wouldn't believe).

So came back and visited with the jerk of a sleep doc who says, you gotta get a mask with no leaks and walks out.  Went to a new place for mask fitting (this will be mask number seven in a year)  Experimentally trying ResMed Air Touch mask that has soft foam around the rubber edge.  That really does work and sticks to my face with no leaks no matter how I push it around my face (within reason of course).  So now leak is 0 to 0.10.  AHI drpped a little lower but still snores missed breathing , same as before with leaky masks.   And right back feeling tired and bitchy in morning with no energy and have "power" through the day.  Since I am a light sleeper as soon as I turn my head/body ( I am a side sleeper) the mask and straps move and bingo, wide awake, AGAIN.   Those two non-cpap machine weeks were Nirvana!!

I am looking for another clinic with I hope a better doctor.  It would be like your doctor saying stop smoking then walks out, no nicotine patch prescription, smoke cessation groups, or other helps etc. you are on your own to figure it out. (PS I am not a smoker ever).

They did want to put me on a new straight CPap machine that medicare won't cover so would be out of pocket (seems like step backwards).  I could afford it easily, but geeze why pay for pig in poke.  Therapist said I could just as easily set my respironics to same low and high pressures to get a constant air blast with Aflex and Cflex off.  Don't know if it would help of not but h*** whats to lose except another sleepless night, right?

I swear, CPAP is a problem in search of a solution!

[Sleeprider]

Your Remstar Auto probably has a CPAP mode, and as you note, can be set with minimum and maximum pressure the same. Do you know which model you have. The Remstar has been around since Legacy models, M-Series, System One 50 and 60 series. Keep in mind you can always buy a new Dreamstation Auto CPAP on Amazon for $360 That one does have a CPAP mode.

For mask leaks it's hard to beat the Resmed Airfit P10 if you can tolerate a nasal pillows mask.

[CPAPreturnee]

I looked at the mask you suggested.  It fits into the nose.  I have already tried one of those as part of the six masks.  Problem is I breath through my mouth. which I confirmed by taping lips shut with surgical tape for three nights.  AhI was much lower BUT that tape is mighty painful removal.  Tried the head strap to keep jaw closed - no go as air leaks out lips.  So from this I assume only a nose and mouth mask will work to catch the exhaled mouth air.  So guess AHI of 10 and 11s are my norms.  Increasing/ decreasing pressures make little AHI change and causes masks leaks.  At least the new foam edged mask seems to reduce mask leaks, but not root cause fix for high AHIs.

[Rcgop]

I looked at the mask you suggested.  It fits into the nose.  I have already tried one of those as part of the six masks.  Problem is I breath through my mouth. which I confirmed by taping lips shut with surgical tape for three nights.  AhI was much lower BUT that tape is mighty painful removal.  Tried the head strap to keep jaw closed - no go as air leaks out lips.  So from this I assume only a nose and mouth mask will work to catch the exhaled mouth air.  So guess AHI of 10 and 11s are my norms.  Increasing/ decreasing pressures make little AHI change and causes masks leaks.  At least the new foam edged mask seems to reduce mask leaks, but not root cause fix for high AHIs.

It took me 1 1/2 years but I "trained" myself to use the P10 pillow mask without any major leaks. Started using a chin strap but now eliminated it and set the straps as loose as possible. Largest pillow too. 

Very comfortable.