I have a question about the difference between BiPAP and CPAP. At my sleep study follow-up the doctor did honor my desire for him to give me a prescription to try RemZzzs liners in an attempt to control the leaks. He also ordered a BiPAP sleep study to be done in a couple of months after trying the RemZzzs. He said I could cancel if the RemZzzs work for me.
What can you tell me about the difference with these machines? What will happen to the F&P machine if they change me to a BiPAP? From what the doctor said, the BiPAP may be needed to minimize the leaks, but I am concerned. I have read of others experiences with problems when they’ve tried the BiPAP. What if I make the change and find that CPAP was better? As you can tell I am majorly confused and would like a little feedback on other people’s experiences with this dilemma.
Also if I do make the change, what machine would be my best choice. After receiving the F&P Premo I find that F&P Auto would have been the best choice. I don’t want that mistake to happen again. I would like to know up front which the very best choice; one for which I could get software that would allow me to monitor my daily progress.
Question #2:
After several nights of trying the RemZzzs I am less than thrilled. The first night I thought the liner worked quite well, except that I had a big welt on the right side of my face. I realized that I had not loosened the straps and that they must have been a little tight.
One other discomfort I noticed that first night when it was on all night was that it seemed almost too small and would creep up into my mouth area. It did stop me from breathing through my mouth, however, and that was good. But it seemed I was kind of "tending" it by having to pull the liner down toward the chin periodically so that my mouth wasn't entirely covered.
My Quattro FX mask is a small, and so that is the size RemZzzs that was sent me. It almost seems like they are too small and was wondering if a size Medium would work better.
The second night I followed directions as I put the liner on, and it seemed to be okay at first. However, about an hour later I woke up to air leaking at the top and tried to reposition the liner along with the mask, but that didn’t work, so I just took the liner off and went without. The second and third nights have been the same story.
As I have been using the Quattro FX full face mask for these past weeks, I have found more success by patiently readjusting the mask until I have no leaks. Sometimes this readjustment process takes four to six times before I hit the sweet spot. I also have to reposition it several times like this during the night as leaks occur.
I have decided that what I will have to try tonight is taking the whole apparatus off and repositioning the RemZzzs however many times it takes to hit the sweet spot—which is a little labor intensive when you’re tired—and hope that I don’t have to reposition it in the middle of the night.
Question 3:
I guess I am a mouth breather as I wake up several times every night having to close my mouth and work up some more saliva to rehydrate the inside of my mouth. This, of course, interferes a bit with the sleeping process.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone with some good ideas on why I continue to have to breathe through my mouth. I am hoping that as I continue to use CPAP that this will be less and less of a problem. Would BiPAP help with this problem in any way?
Question 4:
I have written my "success" story, but I'm not sure how to post it. Could someone clue me in on just how to do that.