Help, Advice, Guidance Needed

[Sleeprider]

You have a diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea and there was not a significant fraction of central or mixed apnea in the diagnostic test. The majority of your apnea is hypopnea. Events are of fairly long duration and have significant desaturation, especially in REM sleep.

I'm glad you are getting the Resmed as it really shines when people need to resolve hypopnea, which is often associated with upper airway restriction, which responds better to pressure support than constant CPAP fixed pressure. You were administered a mean sleep latency test to evaluate your sleepiness, and the results of that test tell us we don't want to meet you on the road driving in the opposite direction. With effective therapy, that should resolve. The test did not document periodic limb movement or other issues. We want you to get the best therapy possible and to be comfortable so you sleep well, and we don't have to be nervous when you get behind the wheel.

[hallra]

Hi SleepRider,

Thanks for your analysis, what you say makes sense and I hope, fingers crossed that it makes a difference as I long for some sleep, I have gotten use to a life with little to no sleep...

Am I able to share video?

I have a recording of me asleep and waking up from what I think is a apnea event, literally I am not sleeping hardly at all at the moment because i stop breathing and wake myself up and then once awake I don’t fall back asleep again.

I’m interested to know if what I see is an apnea event...

[Sleeprider]

I can't imagine how you must be suffering. I shudder to think of sleeping without my air pressure. It is really miserable, disrupted sleep when you can get it. Video clips that are non-commercial are fine. You will need to host on YouTube or another site and then link to it.

[hallra]

To be honest I don’t know how I am surviving at the moment with such little sleep...

In addition to what I have described previous, I also have Ankylosing Spondylitis, an arthritic condition that affects my spine and joints throughout my body, plus I have adrenal insufficiency (Addisons disease), non functioning adrenal glands, without these glands functioning your body can’t sustain life, I have to take regular steroids to stay alive, this is how I think I manage without little to no sleep... plus I have raised and low blood pressure, raised cholesterol, etc

The doctors know I don’t sleep well but show little interest in helping me whatsoever and want to just chuck drugs, which I will not contemplate.

Here is a link to videos of me sleeping, the 46 sec one, I think captures an apnea event...

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B195Uzl7V3Lmwi

[Dormeo]

I am so glad your ResMed machine will be arriving in a matter of days. Are you all set with masks? You might want to order a hose cover and take a look at hose stands (also called hose lifts) to see whether you might want one. Pad-a-Cheek makes comfortable covers for mask straps if you’d interested.

[hallra]

Hi,

This morning, I’ve rejected the DreamStation delivery as advised by the supplier and placed an order for the ResMed 10 Autoset bundle with heated tube.

And Dormeo, the next thing that went through my mind was masks... ?

Last year during the trial, I purchased both the Dreamwear Nasal & Full Face Masks, well the components are interchangeable, so I have both... now I find these masks very comfortable when I’m lying on my back, but they ain’t so comfortable for side sleeping... they tend to leak, tend to produce more noise... which caused various problems.

Throughout my whole life, I have slept on my side, so sleeping on my back hasn’t been natural.

Falling asleep in the first place is probably the major obstacle.

However, even when I’ve had opportunity to sleep on my side in recent times, I’ve found that has also become unnatural as well... I think I’m seriously messed up ?

Anyway, what are the best options for side sleeping, I thought the Dreamwear masks were one of the better ones...

I do believe I’m a mouth breather, though during the CPAP trial I have slept with the nasal mask without to much issue.
- I have a deviated septum, an operation corrected it and then it’s deviated again...
- My videos show both types of breathing I believe.

Let me know what you think from my confusing, contradicting message about masks ?

[Sleeprider]

Both my wife and I use the Resmed Airfit p10 nasal pillows mask. It works for side-sleeping and is the quietest mask on the market. As long as you can control air escaping from your mouth, it is an inexpensive, comfortable and effective solution. The fit kit comes with 3 sizes of nasal pillow, and I find larger is better for good airflow.

[hallra]

Hi SleepRider,

I’m not so sure whether I’d get on with Nasal Pillows... I’ve tried those devices on the market that you can use on your nostrils as an alternative to breathe easy strips... the ones that hold open your nostril airways... I found that they irritated my nostril lining, which is extremely sensitive... I couldn’t get on with it... so my worry would be that I would experience the same with Nasal Pillows... especially with me having a deviated septum

[Gideon]

Nasal Pillows shoud rest on the nares of the nose, IF they go inside they are the wrong size and too small. Nasal 'prongs' are a very much older style and extremely old style are designed to go in the nose, those wouldn't surprise me if they bothered you.

Hod your finger sideways across the bottom of the nose. If that 'bothers' you avoid all pillow and hybrid masks.

[hallra]

Oh, ok, that is different.

Holding my finger across my sideways across the bottom of my nose doesn’t bother me at all...

So is the Resmed P10 pillows the solution for I’m “looking” for?

- I’m a bit hesitant spending another £100 straight away, though from what sleeprider describes I probably will end up with them as they are v quiet...

I also imagine I’m gonna need a CPAP pillow and the other issue is that I’m gonna also need to get another mattress as my current one is gonna give me problems with my arthritis when sleeping on my side...

Lots and lots of expense...