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First week hell [mask issues]
#21
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
If you can handle the mental anguish of being a psychiatrist without facial hair,  you can probably manage our feedback on your Sleepyhead chart.  Who knows, maybe in time we can modify your behavior to use a nasal pillow mask.   Nice to have you on the forum.   Coffee
Sleeprider
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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#22
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
(03-10-2018, 01:55 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: If you can handle the mental anguish of being a psychiatrist without facial hair,  you can probably manage our feedback on your Sleepyhead chart.  Who knows, maybe in time we can modify your behavior to use a nasal pillow mask.   Nice to have you on the forum.   Coffee

Hahahaha! Yes, i'll figure out breathing before I let my vanity get in the way 


Below are some charts from a 'typical' night, and from last night (where I slept a lot longer - got up for a bit around 8ish) where I had more events.

Maybe i'll get to pillows but I really like this new mask. But I am a bit confused by leaks - large leak vs time over red line etc.
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#23
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
Leaks aren't bad. The worse night looks like it was a positional issue. Maybe your chin tucking in and cutting off your airway. Overall looks pretty good.
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#24
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
I am using a Respironics DreamStation set at 13cmH2O, and a Resmed Airfit F20.

Is there an 'expected' leak, and i only need to worry about large leaks that persist? Or should leak rate be close to 0?

I don't understand the different on the leak graph between the lines for total leaks vs leak rate as they seem to constantly parallel each other. The user guide for the mask suggests a leak of around 46-48 L/min is like the 'norm' for the mask?

And should my AHI be 0, or is <5 good? I don't want to become obsessed with chasing a target that is impossible. 

I'm a side sleeper. Sleep most of the night with no other causes to wake. Mask is comfy and much better than DreamWear which used to wake me up all the time and I hated.
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#25
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
Total Leaks is the built in vent rate plus any excess leaks. The leak rate is estimated by sleepyhead for excess leaks. Sleepyhead uses 24ml/min as a cutoff for large leaks but that really only applies to ResMed machines. But still most people use it as a guideline.
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Advisory Members serve as an "Advisory Committee" to help shape Apnea Board's rules & policies.

Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.



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#26
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
Your leaks are fine and you only need to chase persistent large leaks and those leaks that bother you or disrupt your sleeping.

Your numbers are great and definitely don't go chasing zeros.  At this stage your comfort is far more important.  

Any changes you make should be small with 5 to 7 days to settle before another change. S

Small means less than .5 cmH2O 

You might want to see If you can use a lower pressure.  This is totally optional unless you are having issues, again you numbers are great.  

On mouth breathing,  practice during the day, just hold your tounge on the roof of your mouth.  That should have you breathing through your nose.

Fred
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#27
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
JDRB, if you have some pull with your doctor and DME, get a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset. Otherwise you're doing very good with a fixed CPAP. The reason the Autoset is so superior is that it changes pressure with your needs, whether they come from a cold, a few drinks or sleep position. It does this while being much more comfortable due to the use of very effective exhale pressure relief (EPR), similar to using a bilevel. The EPR has therapeutic applications, but can provide exceptional comfort as well as effective control of hypopnea, flow limitation and RERA. Your CPAP is a decent one with good data, but if you ever tried the Autoset, you'd never go back.

Your efficacy is very good for someone starting out. The trend is usually for improvement in time as you adjust to the therapy, optimize your settings and sleep accommodations. I agree with Walla that the cluster of apnea and hypopnea on 3/9 at what shows as 08:15 is probably positional. Some people occasionally tuck their chin or find a sleep position that results in poor airway alignment, and that is not really the fault of the CPAP machine. If it becomes a regular feature we can give you some tools to deal with it.

If the time on your therapy charts is off, you can fix that with some simple offsets for time in Sleepyhead. The Philips Dreamstation does not give you access to the clock, so you do it in the software. Go to the Menu in Sleepyhead, and click on the menu File/Preference/CPAP, and set the clock drift.

[Image: CPAP_Preferences.png]
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#28
RE: First week hell [mask issues]
Thanks all. It’s reassuring that the numbers are okay and I am feeling improved with it, and comfortable now, especially as a beginner. I imagine I’ll continue to see benefits in the days. 

Very helpful to recognise that positional pattern and there haven’t been many of those so probably just one of those things. I’ll keep a look out for them in case they’re an emergent problem. I think it was related to being too hot possibly. 

Thank you for advice about the ResMed machine. I am at the mercy of the NHS in terms of which machine I get although will ask when I visit in a few weeks. Or I could buy one but at the moment I’m getting on nicely with this one. 

Really appreciate all the feedback!
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