"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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Curious why so little seems to work for me?
I have been doing CPAP for about 6 years (hard to believe it is so long). The sleep study said I had 50 events per hour average. I am pretty good about using it every night and it definately provides relief. My CPAP is set for a pressure of 5 cmH2O, which I understand is on the low end?
I try to set the humidity as high as possible until I just before I start getting 'Rain'. Without that, my sinuses tend to inflame.
The odd thing is that I use a Nasal Aire II nasal pillow, with only 1 strap. I have a velcro that pulls the two tubes together behind my neck to keep it in place. It seems to work, because I ask my wife to wake me if I snore (a sure sign for me that the mask is loose) and she almost never does.
Considering the severe difficulties many people have with the masks, I am curious why such a light setup works for me? Is it because my pressure level is very low? Is there a down side to what I am doing that I am not seeing?
Thanks All!
David
Views: 68
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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This is contradicting to your stand on "If you feel fine then your numbers don't matter".
j n k said:On the other hand, if you don't know if it is working, you MUST ask why. :-)
Without machine data, one is flying blind. One could feel fine but be having many events an hour, desaturating, and having fragmented sleep that is affecting long-term health without the patient feeling sleepy. That is what makes OSA and UARS so insidious to health. Using any medical therapy without verifying that it is working is a dangerous thing to do. That is why home-machine data is so vital, now that science has proved how deadly insufficiently treated SDB can be.
Rock Hinkle said:If it is working why ask why?
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Permalink Reply by Randal on
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Numbers do matter. How you feel is just a reference point! I was in the hospital with Knee-Moan-ia. Boy did I feel bad. They sent me home with a Auto BiPAP and a Full Face mask. By the way I have a full beard. I was feeling good. Went for sleep test and found out I had mild to moderate sleep apenea. Scheduled titration test. That is when I found out that the mask I was using was leakiing like a sieve. My DME was only interested if I still needed BiPAP or did the Sleep Test show CPAP. The Tech at the titration used Nasal Pillows (god bless her.) She even gave my a sample to use at home. You can clearly see the difference in the numbers. The sleep doctor rx a CPAP. At least the DME went with a PRO that has data collection. Not once has anyone offered to review the results. I attached the Trend Report that I ran myself. This board has done more for me then any one else with helping me understand the conditions and numbers. How you feel is important, as long as you have a reference, but numbers talk. Thanks
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The numbers do matter. So does how you feel. Everything is connected. If your numbers our bad your health is soon to follow. You will also begin to feel better with a slight increase in your numbers. I cant' argue to much with jnk. It's just fun to needle him every now and then.
David it would be hard top explain why this set up works for you. Relish in the fact that you had a good team, and a great attitude. The new fully data capable machines are pretty nice. They give you a good look into math of sleep. If you have the opportunity look into one.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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How often would you sleep professionals think we should have a new sleep study done? We have standards for mammograms, for tb tests for those in the medical field, pap smears for women and prostate checks for men. If nothing is obviously wrong, you feel good, you are reading the machine data, maybe see your sleep doc once a year or not at all unless there's a problem,
should the sleep test be done on a recurring basis. I have colon cancer in my family so I am checked once every five years no matter what.
Thanks,
Mary Z.
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I believe that everyone should have their sleep evaluated by the age of 40. If you are on PAP you should be re-evaluated every 2-5 years depending on severity. Anytime that you gain or lose 10% of your body weight it may be a good idea to consult your sleep physician. If you monitor your health and treatment you will know when it is time to be re-titrated.
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Permalink Reply by David on
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Hi all,
I have not repeated a sleep study since the original one 6 years ago.
I guess that I am asking about my experiences out of curiosity that my experience does not match up with up others.
Due to the questions you asked, I googled around and found that the CPAP that I just recently received as a replacement (ResMed Escape II) only stores compliance numbers, not evaluation numbers. I am going to call the supplier and see if I can get it replaced. It was worth asking the question just to get to realize that I should be getting more information from the CPAP.
Thanks all,
David
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! agree with 99 ... you need to be re-titrated. I know I am new to CPAP but before CPAP I felt sleepy but thought I was well. It was only at the insistence of my wife I went to the sleep clinic ( long story as it took over 8 months to be diagnosed!). I now know what it is like to feel really well. Hypoxia is like a sleeping giant. Symptoms slowly creep up on you before it is almost too late( Heart failure,blood pressure, obesity,depression and not having the ability to cope etc +++).I was titrated on a Philips respironics REMstar auto with A-Flex and my night pressures range between 12.5 and 20!
Sorry this is a long winded reply but the gist is that although you feel well you are probably not as well as you could be!
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