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4 weeks in...
#21
RE: 4 weeks in...
(07-25-2014, 10:06 AM)StephenR Wrote: Horrible night, could not get the pillows to seal, and the vents were soooo noisy, stopped machine at 2am, awake for 2 hours then two hours sleep..up to start caregiving duties...

I am not sure this CPAP therapy is going to work for me, it is killing me, or rather the masks are...

Stephen the Zombie

Sorry to hear all this Stephen. One thing's for sure though, it is never going to work as long as you keep pressing the stop button. So what will it take to keep that from happening?

If the pillows don't seal it's generally a problem with you needing to make them happier somehow. Such as positioning and tightening the mask a bit. Or using a little HPA Lanolin cream on your nostrils. Or perhaps it's because your pressure is too strong. I don't know about that as I don't remember what your settings are at this point. I do know if a little lower pressure would result in you not turning the machine to the off position, then maybe that's where you should start.

Yes the venting noise can be an issue, it was for me with my previous pillows mask. That's one of the things I really like about the P10.

Here's what I think I would do if it were me having these issues: I would set my machine on CPAP (yes, you heard it here first... I have never said that before) at a pressure of 10. Then I'd run with that for as long as it takes until I got used to the therapy and forgot where the off button is. That setting might not provide complete control of my apnea, but I'm pretty sure it would be better than none at all.

You're a caregiver. You will not be able to do that very long if you do not get yourself in better condition.

So don't give up on the mask. On the contrary, regroup, relax, and restore your body.

You can do this Stephen.
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#22
RE: 4 weeks in...
(07-25-2014, 11:39 AM)retired_guy Wrote:
(07-25-2014, 10:06 AM)StephenR Wrote: Horrible night, could not get the pillows to seal, and the vents were soooo noisy, stopped machine at 2am, awake for 2 hours then two hours sleep..up to start caregiving duties...

I am not sure this CPAP therapy is going to work for me, it is killing me, or rather the masks are...

Stephen the Zombie

Sorry to hear all this Stephen. One thing's for sure though, it is never going to work as long as you keep pressing the stop button. So what will it take to keep that from happening?

If the pillows don't seal it's generally a problem with you needing to make them happier somehow. Such as positioning and tightening the mask a bit. Or using a little HPA Lanolin cream on your nostrils. Or perhaps it's because your pressure is too strong. I don't know about that as I don't remember what your settings are at this point. I do know if a little lower pressure would result in you not turning the machine to the off position, then maybe that's where you should start.

Yes the venting noise can be an issue, it was for me with my previous pillows mask. That's one of the things I really like about the P10.

Here's what I think I would do if it were me having these issues: I would set my machine on CPAP (yes, you heard it here first... I have never said that before) at a pressure of 10. Then I'd run with that for as long as it takes until I got used to the therapy and forgot where the off button is. That setting might not provide complete control of my apnea, but I'm pretty sure it would be better than none at all.

You're a caregiver. You will not be able to do that very long if you do not get yourself in better condition.

So don't give up on the mask. On the contrary, regroup, relax, and restore your body.

You can do this Stephen.

At present I have no control over my machine, I am on an 8 week trial, half way there...

I feel I overtightened the straps last night, will try again. I would route the tube over my head but the trial mask does not have a fixture for that...

Thanks for the support, it really helps...

Stephen
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#23
RE: 4 weeks in...
My sleep doctor prescribed Gabapentin for me for insomnia two weeks into therapy. When i began therapy, I had difficulty getting to sleep and couldn't get much more than my hours needed for compliance. Those hours were a struggle to complete. I was in the denial stage that I should even have to do this and angry about it. Everything was uncomfortable and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it became. Not really conducive to going to sleep. I think I had a slight restless legs problem too.

I was prescribed 1-2 capsules each night. It was a game changer for me. I was getting to sleep relatively quick and sleeping very soundly. Waking up the next morning and thinking ... "that wasn't so bad and wow I slept the night through ... I want more of that kind of sleep". For a long time I took 2 capsules. I backed it off to 1 capsule several months ago and still having good results. There are times I still don't go right to sleep but I write it off to just one of those nights. And I continue to work on good sleep hygiene. The bad nights are infrequent. I would like to eventually stop taking the medication completely but I am not there yet.

The few times I have forgotten to take it, have been nights I have had very poor twilight sleep. Some of that may be just my mind working on me too. I can't tell for sure. It goes like this ... get into bed put my mask on and comfortable ... "Oh I forgot to take my medication" ... ahhh I don't feel like disconnecting from the machine to get it now" ... "maybe I can get to sleep without it" ... still awake ... still awake ... still awake ... "OK OK I will get up and take it" ... back to bed ... "you are supposed to take the medication 1/2 hr - 1 hr. before bed time and it is gonna take at least that long to get to sleep" ... waiting ... waiting ... waiting ... "boy it is really getting late and I have to get up so early" ... "I am mad at myself I just didn't get up and take it when I first thought of it" ... "if I go to sleep within 15 minutes I will get four hours of sleep before I have to get up" ... "boy am I gonna be tired at work" ...

As for the mask, I use the Swift FX nasal pillows. I really like it. It is comfortable and works well. It is a little noisy when it is close to blankets. I don't think about it when it isn't directly blowing on something. Small adjustments fix that. After the initial nights when I didn't dare move for fear I would dislodge the mask, I am able to move and sleep in different positions very well. My nose did get sore in the beginning and I got HPA Lanolin Cream. It can be found in the baby aisles of supermarkets, WalMart, etc. Nursing mothers use it. I rarely have to use it anymore. I think my nose is used to it now. I keep up with changing my pillows once a month as they do wear out and will irritate the nose as they break down.

I wish you good luck and encourage you to keep at it. We have all been where you are. Perseverance really does pay off in the end.
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#24
RE: 4 weeks in...
Thanks for the support again...Thanks

I fall asleep OK, its just after adjusting the mask a few times during the night I don't get deep sleep at all, then I wake up totally...anyway, will play with the straps tonight and see what happens....

Stephen
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