Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.
Login or Create an Account
I wouldn't be surprised if the stiff neck comes from having a mask that isn't working well for you. I think your headgear can accommodate a nasal pillow interface. If that's right, you might give it a try to see whether the pillows help to keep the ensemble in place a little better. And experiment with the size of the interface, whether nasal mask or nasal pillow. I've been surprised by how much difference that can make.
12-16-2019, 12:14 PM (This post was last modified: 12-16-2019, 12:15 PM by slowriter.)
RE: Pressure settings for UARS treatment
(12-15-2019, 11:48 PM)cate253 Wrote: I use the machine with the dreamwear nasal mask, but it hasn't been as comfortable as I'd hoped. I am mostly a side sleeper and I feel like I have to adjust the mask many times over the night.
I missed this first time around, but thanks to dormeo.
So your primary issue with the dreamwear right now is what: that you get leaks when you lay on your side?
I agree with dormeo: you might check to make sure you have the right size cushion, and if you've confirmed that and are still having this problem, you could try a pillow, which you can easily swap without having to get a complete new mask.
Pillows vs cushion each has pros and cons.
If none of that works, I'm a big fan of the Bleep. No leaks, no headgear, one-size-fits-all.
Caveats: I'm just a patient, with no medical training.
Here's the chart with ramp turned off. I definitely woke up feeling a little less tired compared to the past three days. Small victories! I'm not sure if the chart looks better though. The leaks seem all over the place even though I thought I had fewer problems with getting the mask to stay in place. I switched my regular pillow out for a firmer pillow and my neck feels way better.
I've ordered the dreamwear gel pillows and I'm contemplating getting the airfit p10 as well because I've read that it's more stable for side sleepers. The dreamwear nasal cushions are really soft so the seal gets broken easily when I'm on my side. I would love to try the Bleep but the cost of replacing the patches daily is a little rough because my insurance doesn't cover any of this. I was lucky to get a good price on a used vauto.
Your leak rate in this last chart is excellent...no problem at all. That chart only goes up to 6 and a large leak is 24. Your leak rate is better than my own, so it doesn't get much better than this. Your event rate is negligible for CA events which are often sleep disturbances or transitions in new users. I think these are trending the right direction. Keep up the good work!
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.
Your leak rate is insanely good and you've only been using CPAP for "a week" you said, so those CAs will subside in the coming weeks if they're just treatment-emergent CAs.
Nothing I post is medical advice and should not be taken as such, always consult a medical professional for guidance.
Thanks for all the advice! I'm really glad to hear I'm moving in the right direction. I'll keep running these settings for now and see if anything changes as I get used to the machine and mask.
(12-17-2019, 03:14 AM)cate253 Wrote: Thanks for all the advice! I'm really glad to hear I'm moving in the right direction. I'll keep running these settings for now and see if anything changes as I get used to the machine and mask.
Hey Cate,
Any update? Going through threads and your charts look like some of the best haha.
