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Noobie with comment and question
#1
Noobie with comment and question
Hi All:

I am brand new to the ApneaBoard community and I just had a few comments and some questions.

Background:
I have a long history with SA; I was always a world class snorer, but back in the 1980's I was falling asleep at stoplights and in meetings and I knew something had to be done so I went to my ENT, who referred me to a sleep doc. After a home sleep test it turns out I had severe OSA, and surgery was recommended. I am not even sure whether PAP machines were common then; were they? I had UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (sp?)) and the symptoms were reduced to what at the time was considered "mild OSA" and little snoring. The next recommendation was to have more surgery, cutting my jawbone and moving it forward 1-2 cm. this was major surgery, would have required 3 more years of orthodontia, so I said no thanks.

My sleep and snoring have worsened slowly through the years, and my wife said I was exhibiting the symptoms of bad OSA again. I got a sleep study authorization from my doc, had the study (not a great job by the center IMHO) which turned out to be a split study as my OSA was evident from early on:
Baseline AHI 76.8, RDI 78.7, minimum O2 81%, avg O2 96%; titration showed range of 4 - 13.

I got a DME scrip from my doc, and went to a couple of local providers, but they were both so disorganized and uninformative I was very discouraged. I did some online searching and found this board, and a whole new world was opened up for me! After a lot of reading of the forums, I ordered a ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset with heated humidifier, Airfit P10 pillow mask and chinstrap from one of the online providers at the top of the page, and it should be here in a day or so. I am eager to get started on my adventure to <5 AHI Big Grin.

My comments are that this is a great board, I am very glad it exists, and hope to be a contributor as time goes on Thanks.

My question is about SleepyHead; I just downloaded it and saw that the latest build says it supports the ResMed up to the S9, does any one know if it supports the A10?

I am sorry this is so long-winded, but I am excited to be a part of the forums.
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#2
RE: Noobie with comment and question
Welcome

I believe personal CPAP machines did not become available until the late 1990s.
You chose a good machine and mask.

I'm fairly sure SleepHead works with the 10 series machines. Yes, version v0.9.8-1-T3-testing does.
It's in beta release; but the 10 series is solid.

Kindest Regards,

Mongo
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#3
RE: Noobie with comment and question
G'day Snowbird47, welcome to Apnea Board.

Congratulations on the diagnosis - you can now start therapy which will (hopefully) improve your health and fitness and give you extra years of high quality life. Your AHI of 76 is pretty severe, so it's good that you can now treat it. The Autoset is an excellent machine for treating obstructive apnea so you should be good to go. (And Sleepyhead does support your machine).

The mask is the hardest part of CPAP therapy - every face is different, so it's very hard to make individual recommendations. However the P10 has achieved cult status around here, so it must be OK. Personally I couldn't stand it and quickly went back to a full face mask (have now just got a Simplus which I love). Most people adapt reasonably quickly to CPAP and some get instant results. For most of us it's a bit of a journey, so don't lose heart if your early experiences aren't exactly stellar - it does come good with practice.

I see your pressure range is 4 - 13. I wouldn't be surprised if you find 4 is too low and you feel starved for air at that pressure. Give it a go, but if you need more pressure, don't be afraid to increase it slightly and gradually over a period of time. If you post your Sleepyhead charts here, people will be able to give you some guidance.

Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of the hoseheads!

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#4
RE: Noobie with comment and question
I have the A10 and I use both the rescan and sleepyhead software to analyze my data from this machine. Much help and assistance is available through other forum threads on downlaoding and using these software tools. Keep us posted on your progress and welcome to the world of hoseheads.

Happy pappin.

Coffee
Coffee

Happy Pappin'
Never Give In, Never Give Up




INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. 
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#5
RE: Noobie with comment and question
(10-06-2015, 08:54 AM)Snowbird47 Wrote: My question is about SleepyHead; I just downloaded it and saw that the latest build says it supports the ResMed up to the S9, does any one know if it supports the A10?
The link at the top of the page say, it does support AirSense 10, plus other machines
Also ResScan support A10, but windows only

Normally, on-line prices much less than brick and mortar stores (DME), but insurance (if you have one) might not reimburse you for on-line purchases. When buying mask on-line for the first time, might be a good idea to get the "return insurance", never know how the mask going to works or the right size. Local DME, can offer you free mask trails, as long as you return the mask within 30 days




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#6
RE: Noobie with comment and question
Hi Snowbird47,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Much success to you as you start your CPAP therapy.
Hang around for more responses to your post.
trish6hundred
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#7
RE: Noobie with comment and question
Welcome!

I also use the Airsense 10 with the P10 mask. Try out the different pillow sizes. I first used the medium that came with the mask and I was happy and my AHI was around 2. On a whim I tried out the large pillow and I dropped to less than 1 AHI on average, many nights at 0.1. But as mentioned above everyone is different. Just stick with the treatment, it's a life saver!
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#8
RE: Noobie with comment and question
UPDATE:

I received my APAP and mask (arrived one day after shipping, what a great online DME), and set it up for use for the first time last night. I think it was pretty successful, considering the learning curve involved. Used the "M" size pillows for the P10 mask and they fit OK, although my nostrils felt really stretched out in the morning. Otherwise the mask was comfortable and essentially leak-free (more on that below).

My wife said no snoring, or sleep-talking, and I felt i slept better. Sleepyhead showed AHI of 6.8, obviously not great but a whole lot better than the study AHI of 76! I hope to improve that as time goes on.

My big issue was with the mask - I used a chinstrap (not pleasant and left lots of marks on my big round cheeks lol) and my mouth stayed closed, but at intervals, my cheeks and lips would puff out like Satchmo blowing the trumpet and there would be a big escape of air. I could not associate the events with anything in particular pressure or flow-wise. Sleepyhead treated these episodes as "LL".
Have any of you had the same issues with nasal pillow masks? I was very happy with the mask because it was easy for side or stomach sleeping, unlike the FFMs I tried at the sleep study.
Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

One other question - on the P10 I cannot seem to find any exhale ports. When you exhale, does the breath just go back down the tube? That seems counter-productive, rebreathing your own exhalations. Am I wrong about this?
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#9
RE: Noobie with comment and question
Welcome Snowbird47,
Other than using a chin strap, you could try the "tongue to roof of mouth trick."

Place your tongue to the roof of your mouth, with tip of tongue right behind your front teeth.
Then gently such upwards with your tongue. This action places your tongue in a position that will create a seal at the back of your throat so that no air will escape out of your mouth.

This takes practice, but will work.
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Noobie with comment and question
(10-07-2015, 01:46 PM)Snowbird47 Wrote: One other question - on the P10 I cannot seem to find any exhale ports. When you exhale, does the breath just go back down the tube? That seems counter-productive, rebreathing your own exhalations. Am I wrong about this?

This picture shows the vent ports on the P10 outlined in red. They look more like a screen.

[Image: airfit-p10.jpg]
Using FlashAir W-03 SD card in machine. You can download your data through wifi with FlashPAP or Sleep Master utilities.

I wanted to learn Binary so I enrolled in Binary 101. I seemed to have missed the first four courses. Big Grinnie

Stick it to the man, Download OSCAR and take back control of your data!

Thanks Ian. Like I didn't have enough Honey-Do projects to tackle. Mornincoffee
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