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I regress!
#1
I regress!
What the heck??

I'd been doing just fine since night-one...until these last few nights.

Suddenly, I have to keep adjusting my head on the pillow to prevent the "exhaust" from being too noisy (just like in the lab), I detect frequent leaks around the chin and eye are of my FFM, AND my AHI is going up!

I had been down to 5 or under most nights, but the last three not so much. Last night (here's a photo of the machine screen, as I forgot--again--to replace the SD card once I imported the data into SH), it was the worst since I started therapy on November 10.

My RT called me to check in last Wednesday, but I missed his call. I'll call him tomorrow to see what he has to say (he gets nightly reports via the air waves).

Meanwhile, has anyone had this happen so soon? I say "so soon," because I get the impression that the leaks like this would occur as the seal wears out, but it's only been 19 days for me.

Lamb
To all, to each, a fair good-night,
And pleasing dreams, and slumbers light.
       Scott—Marmion. L’Envoy. To the Reader.

Diagnosed with OSA in 2014
AHI=18
Lowest SpO2: 79%
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#2
RE: I regress!
(11-30-2014, 09:38 AM)Lambsydoats Wrote: What the heck??

I'd been doing just fine since night-one...until these last few nights.

Suddenly, I have to keep adjusting my head on the pillow to prevent the "exhaust" from being too noisy (just like in the lab), I detect frequent leaks around the chin and eye are of my FFM, AND my AHI is going up!

I had been down to 5 or under most nights, but the last three not so much. Last night (here's a photo of the machine screen, as I forgot--again--to replace the SD card once I imported the data into SH), it was the worst since I started therapy on November 10.

My RT called me to check in last Wednesday, but I missed his call. I'll call him tomorrow to see what he has to say (he gets nightly reports via the air waves).

Meanwhile, has anyone had this happen so soon? I say "so soon," because I get the impression that the leaks like this would occur as the seal wears out, but it's only been 19 days for me.

Lamb

Lamsy,

I'm still a rookie my self but I'm curious, has your pressure been running higher lately?

"JC"
“Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid.”
"Duke" Wayne
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#3
RE: I regress!
When 'people' talk about *trends* they usually mean a week at least, to a month normally. So many different things go in to the making up of our sleep quality that a 'few nights' honestly doesn't mean much other than as a possible heads-up to watch your data.

When did you last clean your mask?
Are you going to sleep at the same time each night?
Did you change any meds in the last month?
Do you 'drink' at all?
Are you unhappy with your sleep partner (or vise versa)?
Was the dog hogging the bed last night?
And on and on...

Now that I am on my new machine, my OAs and CAs are 0.0 - I just get 1-3 hypos per night. But out of the last 30 nights, I had one night with 4 CAs - no idea why either - but the point to take home is that is not my 'normal' now.

Yes, by all means, watch - but wait a week or two before getting unhappy as they may just be a random bad night or 2.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#4
RE: I regress!
Didn't you say in a different thread that your pain level went back up the last several days? This could be enough to effect your sleep and apnea. Strange that you should get leaks at your chin. I get leaks now and then but never there and I have a beard. Maybe the beard improves the seal. What do you think?

Sorry could not resist.

I have had episodes of the type that you are having and they were always from an source external to sleep apnea but definitely affecting it. My recommendation would be to look for an external source. If you find one, hunt it down and kill it (metaphorically, of course).

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#5
RE: I regress!
Hi Lambsydoats,
I'm also very new to this I also had my worst AHI the night before last it was 8.1 and I have been at 2 or less, I wear a N10 nasal mask.
The night that was my worst AHI I had struggled with leaks all night long I just couldn't get that mask right, It seem to leak every time I would change positions. Last night I paid special attention to get a better seal ( I say better because I feel no matter what I do I can't get it to be flawless) and my AHI was back down to a 2 .
I think when my time comes up for a new mask (3 months) I will try something different.
But I do feel mask leaks and poor AHI's run hand in hand. JMO
Keep us posted on what you find out.
Mr. Van Winkle
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#6
RE: I regress!
(11-30-2014, 12:58 PM)Mr. Van Winkle Wrote: But I do feel mask leaks and poor AHI's run hand in hand. JMO
Keep us posted on what you find out.

Possibly but not necessarily.

I forgot to look. Do you have Sleepyhead or ResScan? Your struggles with the mask sound like mine with the first FFM that I had. I would get it adjusted and go back to sleep. Then it would get shifted slightly and start leaking at my eye and wake me up to start the cycle all over again. Took a different mask to fix the problem. If you have not had the mask for long and you got it from a DME, you might try telling them that you can not keep the mask from leaking. Maybe they will give you something else.

Apart from that, the aliens must have gotten to you and Lamby.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#7
RE: I regress!
Hi Lambsydoats,
Sometimes you just have some bad nights. Just keep on trying. Hang in there for more ideas.
trish6hundred
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#8
RE: I regress!
I talked with my RT yesterday. He is sending a RemZzzs face-mask liner for me to try, because I just cannot get the mask to stop leaking. Last night I was soooooo tired, that I just couldn't adjust my head to make it stop after awhile. Here's what SH had to say about last night:

The last time you used your ResMed AutoSet FH...was last night (on Monday, December 1, 2014)
You had an AHI of 9.44, which is considered not very good
You machine was on for 5 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds.
Your mask is leaking way too much.. Talk to your CPAP advisor.
Your CPAP machine blasted you with a constant 9cmH2O of air

I finally looked at the machine display to see if I had met my four-hour minimum (I had) and took the dang thing off so I could get some sleep. I'm on vacation this week, but had to get up early for a breakfast meeting.

ANYway...I'm bummed because I took to it so easily at the beginning! My RT said that my body was just so sleep deprived that those first several days I was simply too exhausted to move enough to cause the mask to shift.

Now I'm wondering if I should try something different. I realize that a few nights does not a trend make, but I have 30 days from November 11 for the DME to switch me to a different mask, "No questions asked" (i.e., no additional charge).

I know I breathe (or breathed) through my mouth when I sleep (or slept), so I thought I'd go directly to the FFM. Maybe I should try just nose pillows.

What say you?

Lamb
To all, to each, a fair good-night,
And pleasing dreams, and slumbers light.
       Scott—Marmion. L’Envoy. To the Reader.

Diagnosed with OSA in 2014
AHI=18
Lowest SpO2: 79%
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#9
RE: I regress!
Nasal pillows might be an answer if you can keep from mouth leaking/breathing.

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#10
RE: I regress!
I was afraid of getting the nose pillows because I had been breathing through mouth after falling asleep, but I prefer to breathe through my nose, so I chanced it. I have found that an open mouth feels awful with cpap on, and it wakes me immediately. the dry throat is instantaneous, and the cpap pressure raises to a level that feels suffocating (anything over 12, for me)

It has only happened twice, (I have had my cpap just 2 days longer than you). I have had allergies for the past couple weeks and now a head cold. The allergies (to wood smoke Sad ) are probably what caused the open mouth, but allergies or no, I am keeping it shut even with the cold.
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