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+--- Thread: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? (/Thread-First-night-on-CPAP-did-ok-Any-suggestions)
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - Kris the Crone - 06-10-2016
(06-10-2016, 09:37 PM)green wings Wrote: My experience with humidity has been that not enough means a dry mouth and nasal passages and too much means what feels like a mild respiratory infection with sneezing and stuffy sinuses. I've been told that too much humidity can't cause any sort of respiratory issues, so I don't know what the truth really is. I'm pretty cautious about my humidity setting now. I mostly leave it at 2 or 3 (out of 0-5).
I hope you get a great night's sleep.
Your wheeze thing does sound odd! Glad it stopped.
Ever since my hip replacement surgery last summer I have had a horrible time sleeping, and have woken up at least 3 or 4 times a night with severe dry mouth. It's so bad that I cannot summon even one drop of saliva no matter how hard I try, so have to have a drink. I do not mouth breathe during the day, so I am thinking it is related to the apnea. My first sleep study indicated no apneas while on my side, and I try to sleep there as much as possible, but inevitably turn a bit towards my back, even though I have pillows wedged behind me. I get the dry mouth when I am on my back. This did NOT happen during the CPAP titration when i was wearing a full face mask. Don't know if humidity was used or not.
I'll try one night without humidity. If I get the dry mouth again, I'll add a small amount, like you. Good night, everyone!
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - chill - 06-10-2016
If you don't mouth breathe during the day, have you seen an ENT? You might have some things going on inside your nose that some minor surgery can fix. Also a prescription spray like Flonase might let you breathe at night. I used to use Flonase but have been sleeping without it after having the surgery (mostly on doctor's orders while I heal). I had to mouth breathe for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I know what you mean about the dry mouth, I disliked it a lot.
Oh
if it is not nasal congestion causing mouth breathing, then simple chin strap might fix it with no cutting or medication. If you are mouth breathing, I think you will rather dislike no humidity. I am kind of odd, I prefer my humidity set to Tropical Rainforest.
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - Kris the Crone - 06-11-2016
(06-10-2016, 10:51 PM)chill Wrote: If you don't mouth breathe during the day, have you seen an ENT? You might have some things going on inside your nose that some minor surgery can fix.
If you are mouth breathing, I think you will rather dislike no humidity. I am kind of odd, I prefer my humidity set to Tropical Rainforest.
Chill, I have not seen an ENT. All the docs who have looked up my nose think it is is very straight, open and with no problems. Will consider seeing an ENT, though.
Oh, and I did NOT like the no humidity last night. Woke up, in FFM, with awful dry mouth a couple of times. Had to remove mask to drink to moisten. But, on the whole, my night was better. Will add some humidity back tonight for sure, but probably not all the way to tropical rainforest!
Here is my Daily Sidebar for last night.
[attachment=2533]
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - green wings - 06-11-2016
Your apnea numbers look terrific. :like-it: You might want to take a look at the leak graph to see how that looks. I think some of them are probably just over the threshold to be counted as a "Large Leak" but the max value is quite high. Were you aware of leaking going on during the night?
I've only used nasal masks and nasal pillows and have never had too many leak problems, but when I do have a short period of "Large Leak", I usually sleep right through it.
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - Kris the Crone - 06-11-2016
green wings, I have been looking at the leak graph. My time over leak redline was 13.756%, with all of the large leaks occurring close together between 1:45 and 3:15, which is when I woke up with bad dry mouth and took a trip to the bathroom for a drink. Looking at the levels during that period of large leaks, it was almost always around 25 L/min. I don't know what the redline/threshold is to be counted as a Large Leak. Can you tell me what that is?
I did awaken a few times, aware of leaks. I don't remember as many awakenings as before I started CPAP. Think I slept through most of it!
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - chill - 06-11-2016
I have the same mask. Try tightening the straps about 1/8", if it still leaks, tighten again the next night. The top plastic piece should be close enough to your forehead that you can almost, but not quite, slip your finger behind it without moving it.
It sounds like you turned your face into the pillow and dislodged the mask and were breathing through you mouth. Try to sleep on the end of the pillow the the mask hanging over the end, not touching the pillow.
I think the Resmed large leak level is 24L/m
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - Kris the Crone - 06-11-2016
Thanks for the mask tip, chill. When I readjusted it yesterday, it was a lot looser than the way the DME had done it. The ways she did it had my jaw pushed in, and it was not very comfortable. But then the way I did it last night caused about twice as many leaks over redline. Looks like they are not much over redline. I felt like I slept better last night, though. That may have partly been because I turned EPR on and set it to 3, so exhalation was much easier. I'll make it the ⅛" tighter tonight per your suggestion.
I do much prefer side sleeping and definitely had some issues with the pillow and the mask not hanging over the side far enough. Will try to correct tonight. I am excited to see how these tweaks will change the results! This is kind of fun, actually.
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - chill - 06-11-2016
If it is pushing your jaw in, it might be too tight. Mine does not do that (on my face).
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - MitchS - 06-11-2016
Hello, Kris the Crone.
I used a FFM when I first started out and also had problems with dry mouth caused by large leaks until I finally got the mask adjusted. I found I could alleviate the dry mouth by using Biotene gel when going to bed and whenever I got up at night. It is on the toothpaste aisle. Bumping up the humidity help also. It is important to make sure the bottom straps are even with each other (same length) and the top straps are even with each other. If they aren't kept even, they tend to pull the mask sideways causing leaks.
RE: First night on CPAP, did ok. Any suggestions? - green wings - 06-12-2016
Kris, the leak threshold number can be found in SleepyHead. It had a default value of 24 l/m for me. I've never changed it. I would imagine that it will take you a while to learn to side sleep without leaks. I had to go through that adjustment period when I had the Wisp nasal mask. At first, it would come unseated whenever I turned to sleep on my side. At some point after 2-3 weeks, I guess I started doing that in my sleep, because I started waking up lying on my side with no mask leaks going on.
Kudos for your terrific attitude! I tend to get grouchy about anything that keeps me from sleeping soundly. I do think the SleepyHead program is fun, though, in addition to being hugely useful. It's nice to have hard data to try so solve a health problem for a change.