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RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - middleofnowhere - 08-06-2024
OK, will do. I was considering setting EPR to 1, but it won't hurt to try 2 for a night.
The big leaks always happen in the second half of the night. I can't help wondering whether it is partly sweat related and if I should bring a fan into the room to cut down on that. I am a woman of the sweaty-at-night age group.
Thanks for all your help. This is way more complicated than it seems like it should be!
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - Jay51 - 08-06-2024
A small size soft cervical collar should fit you. They are made out of different materials; some softer than others. I will try to help you find a small one that is very soft. The soft ones I have are pretty soft (flimsy foam material). The little cervical travel neck pillows are fairly soft.
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - middleofnowhere - 08-07-2024
Last night I set the EPR back to 1. I just couldn't bring myself to set it to 2, didn't feel safe. The leak went down to an acceptable level and the mask stopped trying to escape. One obstructive apnea lasted 11 seconds. Centrals were short and few. I also decided to support my neck with a rolled up towel that I placed in front of my pillow last night. What else. I made sure to wash my face right before bed. I don't usually bother with makeup, but I know that facial oils do accumulate during the day. So overall that was a big improvement. Pictures of last night are attached.
However, the dang humidifier ran out of water in the middle of the night again despite having been filled all the way. I only set it to level 5! so now I've turned it down to level 4. Why do they give us such tiny water chambers? It runs out at 2:30 AM and then I wake up having dreams that something is burning, and it's the disgusting plasticky odor coming from the empty humidifier. I don't live in a dry area. In fact, we have been having more or less a monsoon for the past week.
Thanks to everyone who's been helping!
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - G. Szabo - 08-07-2024
Nice progress!
Leaks consuming water. Low humidity setting causes membrane irritation.
You might want to turn the ramp off. You have no treatment during the ramp periods.
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - middleofnowhere - 08-07-2024
I thought the ramp was for time to allow you get the mask settled right and fall asleep before the real pressure kicks in, but if it offers no benefit, I'll turn it off. I saw an online seller that has some kind of supplemental humidity chamber to attach to cpaps. Spending isn't an option right now, but if the situation improves, I may try it later.
The airsense 11 has a very strangely shaped water chamber. It's not level, so to fill it all the way, you have to hold it over the sink at an angle or else the water dumps out the back before you reach the fill line. That's part of the problem. It's also super small. Who came up with that genius idea?
I found a small cervical collar on Amazon that is inexpensive and had an actual human being doing a video review rather than a photoshopped picture. When she put it on, it looked pretty reasonable and not overly stiff. She moved it around, attached it, etc. and she looked to have proportions much like mine, so I ordered it.
I slept better with the rolled up towel under my neck. Maybe someone else will find that helpful also.
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - Jay51 - 08-07-2024
I agree with G. Szabo. Nice progress!
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - middleofnowhere - 08-08-2024
Thanks all. I wore the soft collar last night. It was actually soft, though I slept poorly with yet one more thing strapped around my neck and head. It's like sleeping in scuba gear. I'm sure that in time it will seem normal. 3 events per hour last night, all centrals. Also the power went out and I was unaware. I woke up when the cpap kicked back in and the flap on the mask clapped shut. I'm sure that's why MyAir shows no leaks lol. I kind of hate MyAir. It provides little data. Oscar is great but I feel like I need an extra degree to understand it properly.
I kept the rolled up towel under my neck, by the way. Tried both ways, decided the support was preferable even with the collar. Anyone whose neck feels jacked up in the morning might consider trying it. It also seems to help prevent mashing the mask into the pillow.
As an aside, why does everyone have sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes nowadays? I've got both, and nothing about my physiology or lifestyle visibly suggests it. Something's off.
RE: Minute long obstructive apnea with cpap on - G. Szabo - 08-08-2024
(08-08-2024, 06:26 AM)middleofnowhere Wrote: 3 events per hour last night, all centrals.
...
As an aside, why does everyone have sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes nowadays? I've got both, and nothing about my physiology or lifestyle visibly suggests it. Something's off.
Because your CA is reducing, you can try EPR=2. This will reduce leaks, and you will have more humidity and fewer leaks.
One of the consequences of apnea is Type 2 diabetes. Hence, you want to catch and treat it early.