Very High Leak Rate

[Sleeprider]

Hi all

Have been following this thread to glean knowledge/support from all you guys. I am really impressed Grmato10 with your investigations into the use of the various equipment and the speed with which you are getting service.

I live in the UK and have been diagnosed under the NHS. It is excruciatingly slow and almost inaccessible in terms of help. I have tried telephoning-line is always engaged, emailing to a general address and also a more specific address-no reply. I have resorted to turning up at the sleep centre un-announced-whilst I was seen once, I was not entertained the second time around. So in effect I am freewheeling in this new Apnea time of my life.

Reading on this forum is a lifeline.

I am about to collect my cervical collar from the post office and will get a fitting for a P10 on Monday-all info gained on this site, so big thank you guys. My ffm leaks like a sieve. My pressure at 16.8 is feeling like sleeping with my face in a tornado. I was told by the Tech at Guys Hospital I have REM apnea. I will download data from my SD card later and would appreciate if the experts here could have me unravel my apnea mystery.

With 45 minutes ramp time and stopping every hour I reckon I am not sleeping for half the night and then crashing out due to severe exhaustion for another 2 hours or so. At times it is all too much at which point I rip the mask off and have another 2 hours non mask sleep and wake with a slight headache.

So my days are a blur.

I am contemplating making a big case for changing my CPAP machine to an APAP. But it will be a struggle with the NHS.

I need to read and learn more before then. Problem is I do not who to make the case to, as my consultations after the first appointment was with 2 technicians and I do not know if they have the authority. But in any case, I need to be more knowledgeable about my condition.

Please help................

I think you would be best served by starting your own thread as you are describing issues related to the original poster Gramato, but you have your own needs that could be better addressed separately.  I think you will find the use of the nasal pillows very comfortable once you become accustomed to them, and assuming you control mouth leaks.  Combined with the use of a soft cervical collar, I would be very surprised if you could not not lower your CPAP pressure and get good results.  I strongly recommend that you reset the ramp to start at a higher pressure and for a shorter duration of time.  You should need no more than 15 minutes of ramp time, or use the Resmed Auto Ramp which detects sleep breathing and will terminate ramp.  Once you are setup with data, take a look at your recent 30 days of use and compare any changes you make against that.  I think it may be worthwhile to actually reduce pressure to as low as 12 cm with the nasal pillows and collar and observe the results.  Only increase pressure for an obstructive index of 2.0 or more.  You may end up at nearly 17 cm as you are now, but somehow I suspect not.  Good luck.

[Apnea Infant]

Embarrassingly, can't find 'new threads' section despite reading and re-reading the 'how to' section.

So seem easier to reply..........you are right, sleep rider-must start my own thread.

[Gideon]

go to the parent Main forum
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-M...oard-Forum
And click on Post Thread

[Crimson Nape]

Apnea Infant,

Here are the steps to start a new Thread:

Go to the Forum Home page:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/index.php

Select the Forum you wish to post to. In this case, it is the Main Forum:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-M...oard-Forum

Look in the upper right. you will see Post Thread.  Select it and you will be starting a new Thread.  It's like replying to a post except you will need to provide a Thread Subject.

I hope this helps.

[trunkizback]

Excelent advice