My expericence returning to treatment after years without

[Darryl44]

I have just joined after finding some very useful information and manuals here. I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea about 7 years ago and purchased a Resmed machine set to a quite high constant pressure. I used the maching for about 18 months with a full face mask. Nasal masks are unfortunately useless to me as I suffer from chronic rhinitis and have been unable to breath through my nose for as long as I can remember. I also suffer from chronic allergic eczema, and had to quit cpap treatment after about 18 months when I became unable to tolerate the full face mask. I had experienced some improvement whilst using the machine, but nothing dramatic. Over the next 5 1/2 years I enquired periodically about more suitable masks, with no results until recently when I discovered two possibilities, the F & P Oracle and the Phillips Amara View.

To cut a long story short I tried the Oracle but was unable to get a proper seal. However, the Amara View proved to be excellent. I began using it a few days before Christmas with a Fisher and Paykel Icon Auto machine. The mask seals with no major leaks, and so far is cauing no problems with my eczema. I am able to wear it all night without any significant discomfort.

I am using Sleepyhead to monitor how things are going. AHI seems to vary significantly. The basic pattern is that one night will be around 5.8, then the next 12 to 13, then back to about 5.8 and so on alternating nights. One night was as low as 1.1 but with a major mask leak. I have no explanation for this.

However, the improvement in my sleep has been dramatic. Prior to recommencing treatment I was sleeping late and for long hours and waking up still very tired. Now I find myself waking reasonably refreshed after about 7 to 8 hours sleep at times of the morning that I had come to doubt existed any longer. This despite the still high AHI.

I will be making an appointment with a sleep physician on my return from holidays, but would be interested in any comments those with more knowledge and experience may have. Apparently possible solutions to the AHI problem may include increasing the minimum pressure or reverting to CPAP rather than APAP.

In the meantime I am surprised and pleased by the significant improvement in my sleep quality and quantity.

[MitchS]

Welcome to the forum, Darryl44.

Congratulations on starting cpap treatment again. It would help if you would post some Sleepyhead charts.

Good luck with your treatment.

Sleep well.

[OpalRose]

Hi Darryl44,
You will need to have a few more posts under your belt, at least 4. Then follow the instructions under my signature line to organize and post data here.

Its good that you are sleeping and feeling better. You may just need a slight adjustment in your pressure settings. Right now your settings are pretty wide at 6-20. The minimum is most likely too low to tackle your apnea.

Do you know your 95% pressure number? If so, try adjusting your range to 2cm below that number and 2cm above, until we can see your data.

[DeepBreathing]

G'day Darryl, welcome to Apnea Board.

If you get a recurrence of the eczma, it might be worth trying a mask liner. These are made of fabric and put a layer of soft material between your skin and the silicon of the mask. Google pad-a-cheek and Remzz for two different approaches. I've used the pad-a-cheek with some success.

[Gideon]

Welcome to the Apnea board.
There are many here that can help you interpet and adjust your therapy, especially after you load your graphs.

Looking forward to helping you

[Darryl44]

Thanks to everyone for their responses, which have been very helpful. I'm slowly learning to understand the Sleepyhead data, and will of course post it when I reach the requisite number of posts. It may well prove to be that by the time I do see a sleep physician there will no longer be a problem.

[kwhenrykerr]

Give the doctor a chance to impress you, maybe you will get a good person. Keep up the good work to help yourself. We look to here how you are making out with your return to cpap.

You sound like someone who is going to be a great story of success.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Darryl44,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
You have a good attitude about your CPAP therapy and this will help you a lot.
Better luck to you this time around on your CPAP journey.

[Darryl44]

Give the doctor a chance to impress you, maybe you will get a good person. Keep up the good work to help yourself. We look to here how you are making out with your return to cpap.

You sound like someone who is going to be a great story of success.

Thanks. I'm already counting it as a success, since my sleep has improved so much already. I'm definitely going to the Sleep Doctor whatever happens simply because it is many years since I have seen one, have since moved States and having professinals available to advise when needed is a very desirable thing.

[Darryl44]

This is my 4th post so I should be able to post some graphs shortly. I didn't want to post simply to make up the numbers so waited until I had something at least minimally worth sayi8ng. I mentioned in my original post that I stopped using CPAP due to eczema on my face. I could not use a nasal mask, and both before stopping therapy and after I made many enquiries about alternative masks. Neither the doctor nor any of the many suppliers I queried were able to help. For a good part of that time the Oracle oral only mask was available, but no one advised me to try this. Nor did any suggest the Amara View, though this came out later. The Oracle even now does not appear on most websites, nor is there even a category for such masks. When I came across the Oracle and the Amara view on the web and phoned or visited some suppliers, I started by describing my problems. Not a single one suggested either of these masks or any other useful solution. When I asked specifically, all were aware of the Amara View and most had it in stock. Few were even aware of the Oracle.

At least here in Australia I think many of the suppliers are simply after the quick cash. Others have well meaning people who concentrate only on certain brands. Training for staff could well also be inadequate. Medical practitioners may not be aware of every product, though I don't blame my sleep doctor at the time as I don't think either the Oracle or the Amara View were available the last time I consulted him.

Already on this board DeepBreathing has suggested a couple of products I had not come across which may help if I have further eczema problems on my face. Resources like this are invaluable, as has been speaking with a couple of friends who also suffer from Sleep Apnea.

The lessons I think are applicable are:

1. Don't rely on suppliers to be well informed even in relation to their own products.
2. Don't give up on Medical Practitioners.
3. Do your own research into problems. Keep an eye on new products.
4. Use forums like this to benefit from the experience of others (and also allow others to benefit from your experience). I suspect had I posted about my problems on a Board like this at the beginning, I may well have received far more useful advice than I did from suppliers