Moderate Apnea---Almost No Sleep Each Nite

[SarcasticDave94]

Self-titration is easy enough. You view the results, post them as you wish, and you'll get feedback here as necessary. Make the adjustments and repeat as required until the best results are reached. The 2 best things about this is it's done at your own home and it's free.

As for the bed, it may not be required, but if you like the idea, it can't hurt with one possible exception. Don't be tempted to raise the head too much, as that can increase apneas. I'd stay towards the flatter side, but choose what's best for you. It could come down to finding a balance between treating apnea and best comfort.

[Madcat207]

They say no sign of central sleep apnea, so maybe I could self titrate.  Think it would blow their minds though, an maybe I could use the training as this is all new to me.  I was an engineer, so probably could figure it out OK.

Guess I'm a worry wart, but have been pursuing this problem for a few years now; thought it was prostate until recently when an honest urologist said definitely not prostate, no need to cut on you, go for sleep test.  However, nothing has worked so far, and I have a great fear this will not work either---then what?  I honestly think it has reached the stage that years are being removed from my lifespan.  I'm 80 yrs old; cant afford to lose many! Ha!

In regards to the portion in bold - before I started my therapy, i was waking up to go as many as 4 times a night, and i am in my 30s... I was cutting back on water at night, trying to go before bed.. everything i could think ok. And then literally, on the first night of treatment, i didn't wake up to go once (without being as careful about water consumption), and i haven't since (while treating).

While certainly there can be other reasons, apnea can certainly be causing it, which means treating it would put an end to it quick.  And if it doesn't help, you at least have a new piece of data to take to your doctor and go from there.

[HalfAsleep]

I want to reiterate the idea of doing a self-titration. Last thing you need at any age—let alone 80–is to spend even one extra night in the abomination of a Sleep Center bed. Do the self-titration, and if you can’t arrive at the healthful pressures, do another sleep study.

Self-titration is EZ PZ. Even a newb like me figured it out, and I learned so much in the process. All this has contributed to my confidence in addressing this aspect of my health.

Final note....if the doc digs in and insists on the Sleep Center titration study, evaluate whether this is an ageist recommendation.

[HalfAsleep]

Back to back posts, but this is a slightly different topic.

As you start to prepare for your new machine (see above for the EXACT name of the recommended unit), think about masks.

There’s good coverage in the Wiki, but I’m a person who likes visuals. I had to have pictures of what masks looked like on a face. That way, I could anticipate what masks might work on my face in particular. This helped winnow down the many options. I took a short list with me when I went to the DME to pick up my machine.

I found two sources to be especially helpful when I was doing this. The first was Supplier #1. You can see the whole range of availables there. The second is the YouTube channel for lankylefty. He has all kinds of specificity in his reviews, I got ideas about what features might be problematic (things that as a newb I’d never anticipate), and even minor habits, like what happens if you lie down when a particular mask is on. Even, how do you put any mask on your face with little fiddling?

[packtheknife]

The Resmed is almost the best machine. I have the best one now, and this is my fourth. (I know, I'm going to start an argument)

[Walla Walla]

No argument from me. Pity for you but no argument. 

[CB91710]

Fortunate that the doc agreed to prescribe the machine at "only" 7.
My doc won't authorize with O2 above 90% and AHI below 12. I ended up having to run 3 nights (fortunately, home study) since my first night was only 9.
Since my O2 saturation dropped to 89, and my wife was insistent on being concerned about my breathing stopping, they agreed to the 2-night additional. One night was over their minimum so they put me into the program.

But even on the two "good" nights, they still noted snoring that was into the realm of being potentially permanently damaging to hearing. Unfortunately, while Apnea generally means snoring, snoring does not always mean Apnea and they can't prescribe only to resolve snoring.

The first thing that I noticed, I always thought I was a "light sleeper" because I would wake up every hour or two, especially when on a road trip.
Turns out it was my Apnea waking me up. On APAP, I'll wake up 6 hours later in the exact same position I went to sleep.

[ajack]

I wouldn't have second thoughts of using the dreamstation auto bipap if it was set up right. It may even suit some better than resmed, because it also has the variable PS.
I just find in the dreamstation apap needs the min pressure to be a bit under the 95%. With resmed you can set it a bit under median pressure and treat ok. It will also corrects wrong pressure easier. So it works better in the out of the box, 4-20 mode

Is the auto bipap like that too, that it likes the min epap closer to it's epap 95%?

[Sleeprider]

Ajack I own both a Respironics and Resmed auto-bilevel. The algorithms have the same tendencies as the auto-CPAPs. My settings on the PRS1 760 begin at EPAPmin 11, while on Resmed it starts at EPAP 9.0. The treatment quality is about the same with that adjustment. Does that answer your question?

[ajack]

Thanks sleeprider it does. I was curious whether the philips auto cpap and auto bipap behave the same.