NEW here

[Ulrika]

Hi - today is my first morning after using my cpap machine, I have one on hire a Resmed S9. I think that it is set on 6 - I was told I was moderate with frequent apnea's.
I have waited half my life to find out how to get a sleep test to get my hands on a machine!! My doctors have always put me on some waiting list and I never heard back. I am 44 now, I shared a room with a lady when I was 22 who worked at a hospital doing sleep studies she told me then I had sleep apnea! I have always felt tired and almost gave up on ever finding someone to help me!
Lucky for me a friend told me about the take home units (my GP and specialist had no idea you could do this - he apologised to me last visit that I had to find my own solution)
When I tried the machine before bringing home at the mask fitting (I have a full mask) I panicked and thought the air rush made me feel like I was hyperventilating and it hurt my lungs. I was scared my hope that I held for 20 years would be smashed! but when I put it on last night within the hour it felt comfortable and I fell asleep - I woke up an hour later when I felt the strong surge of air ... I sat up in amazement that after just one hour my head felt clearer than I ever remember!
I did wake several times last night and feel my lungs and throat have had a work out and I had to re adjust mask after a big rush of air as it started to leak a bit, but overall I woke up feeling refreshed - have I ever felt this???? anyway I have been up for a couple of hours and feel a bit sleepy again but still better than usual so hoping that this is going to be the end of my chronic tiredness and fear of not waking at all.

[zonk]

Hi Ulrika
Congrats on your first night. It feel strange at first sleeping with machine but it settle down after a while.
Which S9 are you using?
The mask is going to be most important as they several types (nasal, pillows, full face) for you to try and find the right type/size works for you
Search the forum and read . Good luck ...keep us posted
Tips for new CPAP users
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...CPAP_users

[Ulrika]

Hi Zonk,

I am unsure what the model is... the booklet says AutoSet & Elite - this is only on hire and I will be purchasing one myself if it works well so unsure if it will be a model that I can afford, although I do get up to $1000 on my private extras cover.

I didn't ask many questions when I picked up the unit so I am guessing the questions will start now that I am using it. I did notice my eyes got watery in the second half of the night, I am wondering if my mask is right or if I am not fitting it on right but regardless I did get some positive results which has lifted my hopes of this being a solution. Thanks for the link and I look forward to reading other peoples experiences. At the moment I don't know of anyone who uses a cpap machine, never have so this forum will be my place to find answers and tell someone what I am feeling about it because I can see now that I had no idea what it would be like!

---

Oh and I think that my pressure is 6 - 13? They are numbers I saw on it last night - I wasn't paying enough attention to the person when I was getting my unit about the details.

[zonk]

You probably have S9 AutoSet, its very good machine shows efficacy data (AHI, leak, 95% percentile pressure). Its important to keep leak under 24 L/min as high leak can affect the accuracy of the data and compromise the therapy.
S9 setup and info
http://www.apneaboard.com/resmed-s9-cpap-setup

[PaulaO2]

Welcome to Apnea Board!

Getting used to the mask, the machine, the sounds, all that can take a while. Or no time at all. Each of us is different.

Consider sitting up with the mask and machine on. Like when watching television or reading. That will help you adjust to the feel of it. Also, pretend you are going to bed and set everything up. Turn on the machine. Lay there for a while, doing what you normally do both when you first lay down and while you are asleep. Like roll over a few times.

Watery or dry eyes can be a leak at the top of the nose. This can be slightly dangerous. Laying in bed and rolling around will help you determine if that is the cause. You can also gently trace the outline of the mask where it touches the skin. You will hear the air hitting your finger wherever there are leaks.

[Ulrika]

Paula, When you say watery or dry eyes can be slightly dangerous...what do you mean? I definately had a leak at the top of the nose when the airflow went up - I think it may have been when I was lying on my side, I actually spent some time sleeping on my back for the first time in years which felt weird. I think I need to work on getting the mask on correctly and not too tight.

The machine sounds and the mask itself don't seem to worry me at all - it was the feeling of the mask not being secure when the airflow increased.

[PaulaO2]

The constant blowing on the eye can cause infections, irritations, swelling, etc. I had an eye infection when I was trying out nasal masks. We just could not find one that did not leak at the top of my nose, right blow the eye. It is why I use nasal pillows instead.

[Ulrika]

wow... yes I can imagine - my eyes felt pretty ordinary this morning! I hope that I can get it right I actually like the mask.

[PaulaO2]

There's some great over the counter eye lubricating drops now. If I did this again, I'd use them every night (and probably first thing in the morning) until stuff settled down.

[CHanlon]

Yeah, the blast of air and the eyes was probably a leak when you changed position, or your pillow pressed the mask out a bit, broke the seal.

You get used to it. :-)

Once you're more accustomed to the mask, you'll probably find that a few precautions as you settle down to sleep help. I use a nasal mask, and I tend to sleep on one side or the other...or right smack face down on my stomach. My worst enemy is usually not the mask being pressed out of position, but the forehead pad. When the pillow pushes on it enough it can skew the mask enough to leak. So... I just sort of automatically punch a depression in the right spot, pillow stops interfering...and then I sleep. I find I move around a lot less now then I did before CPAP, so usually once I'm in a no-leak position, that's good for the night.

You'll find that you'll adjust, and eventually it'll feel weirder to sleep without all this stuff then it does to put it all on, now.