Other than not sleeping well, I have no idea what I'm doing

[ironballsmcginty]

Ok, good!
Sounds like the full face mask will work for you, adapting to the pressure build up slowly over time can be your first goal.
Your high pressure limit of 16 is still a bit lofty for a newbie. Can't talk you into setting it about 11? A four point spread is a good start point.
Take it SLOW. Be patient. Do not try to bump up the pressure on the low side too fast! You may overshoot the magic pressure combination that works
best for you.
But be ready to *reduce* your high end pressure.
We want to *slowly* work up to the spot where the Obstructives go away. ie: you keep breathing without stoppages.
That way you can adapt and eliminate any other problems that crop up, (if any) Only change ONE variable at a time.



Keep on working on it and you'll get it!

I'll reduce it to 11 before I go to bed tonight. I wasn't sure how low to take it from the instructions, and figured it was too late in the evening to ask.

[quiescence at last]

this really depends on what the machine is saying your 90% pressure is... If you felt ok, not irritated, and your 90% pressure was 13, then you may find your score climbs a bit when the minimum is 11. (that's ok, too.) As others have posted, there's a lot of time to make the adjustments. Just keep socking in those 6.5 hours - that alone has got to be immensely satisfying.

QAL

[ironballsmcginty]

this really depends on what the machine is saying your 90% pressure is... If you felt ok, not irritated, and your 90% pressure was 13, then you may find your score climbs a bit when the minimum is 11. (that's ok, too.) As others have posted, there's a lot of time to make the adjustments. Just keep socking in those 6.5 hours - that alone has got to be immensely satisfying.

QAL

Thank you! I had reduced to 11, but the score climbed, and at some point, I pulled the mask off and kept it off - didn't get close to the 6.5. I bumped the maximum back up - and I'm retrying it again tonight. I'll get this figured out.

[Shastzi]

We are trying to get your body to adapt to this therapy as quickly as possible, not get your AHI score down in a hurry.
If you think you can handle 13 at this point give it a try but be ready to back off if problems crop up.
Go for too much pressure, too fast, before you are used to it, and your chances of quitting altogether
(from pressure side effects) will increase.

We are going for the marathon here, not the 500m dash.

If you feel your ribs getting sore, your muscles are adapting, they aren't used to this sort of thing
the soreness will wear off after about a week.

Keep on the track!

[ironballsmcginty]

I agree - I'm in it for the long haul. I've left the low pressure at 7, but I've bumped the high up to 15. The reasoning behind that - the other night when I pulled 6.2 hours, I was at 1/16, with an EPR of 3, and my 95% was 14.02.

Last night, I only managed 2:40, I had the EPR off, and was set at 7/11. The gill valve on the mask intake kept rattling - and that was usually during an exhale, and I'd end up waking myself up - the rattling and the beginning of a snore. I think that was because the EPR was off, and I was pushing - but then, what do I know? I'm a jet engine mechanic and an IT guy. All I know is that the 16 didn't seem to bother me as badly as the 11 did.

Tonight, I'm set at 7/15, EPR 3. Going to see what kind of times I pull out of this - however, if I'm going to pull any times out of this, I need to go to bed.

I'm probably screwing all this up. I do know that 10/20 left me feeling like the machine was trying to inflate me, EPR or not. <Smart ass remark about getting blown redacted>

And awaaaay we go!

[Shastzi]

Ok, Hold what you got here and let yourself adapt.

If you really do need to have 20cm in order to vanquish all the obstructive events then we can work you up there...slowly.
I can tolerate 15-20cm but it took a while for me to get up there.

Remember we want the OA's to be gone with the lowest pressure we can.


It is possible you got titrated at that higher pressure range because that is where it works. for you,
*in a laboratory environment*.
Now you are at home, more relaxed (hopefully), cozy and you have a machine watching you
all night.
This will tell you a lot more than one night spot checks.

(ex FAA A&P here too & also pilot, single engine, land. Rebuilt an R-985 when I was just a kid. )


Keep up the good work and focus on adapting of now. You'll be able to whup this thing.

[Sleeprider]

Keep in mind that with EPR at 3, your exhale pressure drops to 4.0 as long as the machine is at minimum APAP. This probably allows the collapse of your airway. I think the reason you tolerated the minimum pressure of 11.0 better, is that your actual EPAP pressure was 8.0. I think you're trying too hard to keep the minimum APAP pressure low, and it's affecting your sleep and comfort.

Please feel free to post an image of the daily details. There is probably a reason you're taking off the mask, and it will likely show up in the chart. Be sure to include Events, Flow Rate, Pressure, and Snores. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...pnea_Board

[ironballsmcginty]

Here's the album - https://imgur.com/a/2aSRT

25JUL15


26JUL15


27JUL15


28JUL15


29JUL15


30JUL15


31JUL15

---

(ex FAA A&P here too & also pilot, single engine, land. Rebuilt an R-985 when I was just a kid. )

Non CPAP related here - the P&W's I worked on were a little bigger - F100-100 and F100-200

[Sleeprider]

The predictability of the midnight OA cluster and ripping off the mask is pretty amazing. Do you find yourself on your back when you wake up, or is it more random?

[ironballsmcginty]

The predictability of the midnight OA cluster and ripping off the mask is pretty amazing. Do you find yourself on your back when you wake up, or is it more random?

I'm generally a side sleeper. Sleeping on my back has never been comfortable that I can recall - at least in the last 30-35 years (I'm 51). I generally start on my right side, will roll to my left after awhile, and stay like that. Sleeping on my back generally ends up feeling like I can't breathe, choking, or just not getting enough air. I want to say that it's more random, that when I do wake up on my back, it's because I have to be facing up to undo the clips on the mask to get it off.