"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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I feel like im just wasting my time
I have been on my c-pap about a month. I still find myself snoring quite often and I have had 3 night where I have 2 episodes about 15 minutes apart where I will wake up gasping for air because I have stopped breathing in my sleep. On an average I would say I will have an episode app. once a week,My machine is preset so I cannot adjust anything.
I am unsure of what I should do now.
I am unsure of what I should do now.
Views: 86
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim on
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"I know when I turn on my machine at night its set on 10, most mornings when I wake up its between 10.5 and 14
However, on a couple occasions I have woke up because my mask was just blowing out out air so much ( leaking) all the way around the mask and when I looked at my machine it would be on 20."
This tells you that the problem is what Duane suspected it was. Your autoPAP was running away and going to the maximum pressure, which causes central apneas. Your set pressure range should be set to about 10 to 14 (or possibly just to one pressure). If properly used and monitored, autoPAPs are great for titrating your pressure, but autoPAPs have to be set to a narrow range, if not to a single pressure.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Brown on
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I have been on cpap for several years, and have experienced all of the problems I see posted here. I found no relief from the leaking mask syndrome until I started using the nasal pillow mask with a chin strap, plus the C-flex feature. It is very rare for me to wake up with a leaking mask. The frist years were torture to say the least, but I was bound and determined not to quit! Just don't give up!!
Tim said:"I know when I turn on my machine at night its set on 10, most mornings when I wake up its between 10.5 and 14
However, on a couple occasions I have woke up because my mask was just blowing out out air so much ( leaking) all the way around the mask and when I looked at my machine it would be on 20."
This tells you that the problem is what Duane suspected it was. Your autoPAP was running away and going to the maximum pressure, which causes central apneas. Your set pressure range should be set to about 10 to 14 (or possibly just to one pressure). If properly used and monitored, autoPAPs are great for titrating your pressure, but autoPAPs have to be set to a narrow range, if not to a single pressure.
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Permalink Reply by Wanda Vanfosson on
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I have thought about a nasal mask but because of my allergies my nose is stuffy alot, so I was told that the mask would be better for me.
What causes the machine to go to higher pressures? I was thinking that somehow it detected when I was having trouble breathing or such and was adjusting to accomodate for it.
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Ooops. I forgot to tell you that these devices have an internal, 24 hour, noon to noon, clock so you must check your data via the LCD screen before noon. At noon the previous night's data is rolled over into the total averages.
cms = centimeters, in this case centimeters of pressure
RRTs = registered respiratory therapists
RPSGTs = registered polysomnography technicians
PSG = polysomnography (sleep study and/or titration study)
Today's xPAPs can compensate quite nicely for Leaks, but they have their limits. Too high a leak and they are chasing the Leak and running up the pressure. Too high a Leak and all of your data can be skewed and unreliable. Too high a pressure can cause too high a leak. It can be a vicious cycle.
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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on
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I've just now read this thread, so please forgive me if I've missed something important.
I'd like to speak on behalf of new apnea patients in general. This is actually directed more to oldies on SG than to newbies. I'm still pretty much a newbie myself with overtones of oldie!!
Seems as though there's A LOT OF TECHNICAL INFO being tossed out hereat the moment. As a recently diagnosed patient (June 2009) who has struggled quite a bit with CPAP and attendant issues (doing MUCH better now, thanks to SleepGuide), I want to remind the VERY knowledgeable people on SG that many of us are totally unprepared for all the tech stuff in the beginning and become ready in widely-varied amounts of time.
Speaking only for myself, but possibly for other new folks as well, we often just want support and need to know what to DO, how to begin the adjustment process to being diagnosed, put on PAP treatment, and other basic issues. Trying to self-adjust is really confusing when you're already feeling overwhelmed and are still drop-dead exhausted from sleep deprivation.
Maybe a little more of an "easy does it" approach MIGHT be more of more support than trying to teach too much too soon. Just a thought......
And for newbies, please know there's a tremendous amount of experience and excellent information available on SG. I agree with, I think it was Judy (one of the many very knowledgeable people on here) that it's important to take charge of your own health, get records, call your sleep MD/DME/whoever is available to help you (plus using us as a constant source of support, ALWAYS)--it's really hard to hear that early on, but Judy's right--I've learned, finally, that squeaky wheel gets the grease re: apnea. Don't be afraid to tell your medical personnel that things aren't working right for you. They DO need to know from you. They work for YOU, not the other way around!!!
And if we tend to over-inform at times it's out of concern and a desire to help. People on SleepGuide TRULY care about each other. But you're always free to say, "This is too much for me to handle right now. What I really need is......". Everyone here understands that. We've all been there in some way, sometime in our own apnea process.
Okay, off the soapbox I go!!! No intent to tread on anyone's toes here. Just personal thoughts and a gentle plea on behalf of possibly overwhelmed new friends.....
Susan McCord :-)
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Actually, a very good reminder, Susan! I always called it "information overload", when I first started especially. We should ALL remember to take the advice and iinformation we read and only use what we are ready and able to handle at the moment. We can always go back to the more advanced stuff later as we advance. And we "oldie moldies" (3 years on CPAP - more moldy than oldy actually) need to try to slow down a bit and not pile on too much too fast.
I know, despite all the advice on cpaptalk about adjusting my pressure myself, I didn't for quite a long time until I felt comfortable doing so. Now, I wouldn't hesitate at all to adjust my CPAP pressure. That even held true for all the advice about my Leak rate being too high. I'd ask my sleep professionals about my high leak rate and would be told that today's CPAPs can compensate quite nicely for leaks and no concern on their part about my leak rates. I'm still ambivalent about leak rate and data from these xPAPs and the accuracy. I have actual USERS pretty much telling me one thing and PROFESSIONALS kinda telling me another. There is a LOT to be said for the advice from both sides!!!!
UNFORTUNATELY, the dirty birds have moved me "up" to a bi-level - and these darn bi-levels are so much more sophisticated I find myself somewhat intimated again. *sigh*
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Doggone it. Mike! Somebody!
Don't we have an article here somewhere w/most all of the abbreviations used by the sleep profession??
cms = centimeters (of pressure)
RRTs = registered respiratory therapists
RPSGT = registered polysomnography technicians (our sleep techs during our sleep and titration studies)
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Permalink Reply by Wes Carlson on
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On the pressure settings I have a question.I am useing a BiPAP Auto SV with Heated Humidifier, EncoreViewer and Card Reader.My sleep study shows I have complex apnea.My Max IPAP is set at 30.0.My Min IPAP is set at 15.0.I am running an average peak IPAP of around 19 or 20.Do these setting look ok for my machine and condition???I feel so much more rested in the mornings allready.I just started on August 26,2009.Any answers would be appreciated.
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Wes, the answer to your question lies right there in how you feel!!! The amount of pressure needed to alleviate your OSA has nothing to do w/the severity of your OSA. Some w/mild OSA require relatively high pressure and yet others w/severe OSA can require relatively low pressure. It isn't the smount of OSAs you experience but the amount of pressure needed to open your airway to prevent those OSAs.
Since you have complex OSA it is all the more important that your sleep doctor who knows your medical history and has access to your sleep evaluation and titration studies data be kept informed of how you are doing and of any problems you may be having.
It is really good to read how much better you are feeling already so soon after starting therapy. Congratulations. Once your sleep doctor looks over your data (insist he go over it w/you and explain things so you KNOW he is paying attention to your data) he will most likely tighten the pressure range to "sweeten" your therapy even more.
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