Suggestions For Airsense10

[Howie51]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum, but not to Sleep Apnea, so please excuse my unfamiliarity. I recently purchased a CPAP machine after many years of somewhat successful usage of a dental airway device. Currently, the cost and comfort level of the device were the reasons to try a CPAP.

Although the machine has many interesting features, and I have used less advanced units before, I'm experiencing difficulties which seem a little bewildering, but might possibly have a simple explanation. I am a bit of a drive to a clinic.

The night starts out very well while the unit is ramping up, but shortly afterwards the problems begin to mount up. I am trying reduced pressure tonight in an effort to resolve the problems, and have ordered a nasal mask to try out as well, so I am trying my best to get things under control. Last night was my second night and things were actually worse than the first, so a little panic is setting in. Last night I tried 4/18 pressure and tonight I will go for 4/16.

The full face mask starts to leak around my lower mouth once the pressure is up, and I seem to be gulping air. Once the mask starts to leak, I wake up, and this probably accounts for the high negative report numbers.

I'd appreciate any advice at this point, and hopefully the attached charts will help.

Cheers
Howie

[pholynyk]

Howie, welcome to the Apnea Board! This particular part of the board is for questions about Board features, so I'm going to request that a Moderator move this thread up to the Main Forum, where it will get more people looking at it and making suggestions for you.

Don't worry, it's not a problem.

[Howie51]

Eventually, I'll get the hang of things ... apologies.

[Gary1of2]

It would be easier to all who are going to look at your sleepy head charts would be more beneficial iif you arranged them the way it suggest in alot of our signature suggests. Also I might suggset that you raise the lower pressure most people feel air starved with pressures at 4. Try raising to 6 or so it might make things more comfortable.

[Howie51]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions. There's a LOT of material for a newcomer to read here. Sorry I fell short of your expectations.

Cheers
Howie

[JesseLee]

Thank you for the helpful suggestions. There's a LOT of material for a newcomer to read here. Sorry I fell short of your expectations.

Cheers
Howie

No worries about getting it right the first time, practice will get you better at posting charts. Using your machine is tough and based on what you've posted today, you'll surely need to make the adjustments and post the charts again. The goal is to get you into consistently good results or exhaust every effort to rule out the current mode of therapy you are using. Just hang in there and keep a good attitude!

[Sleeprider]

Seriously, you don't have obstructive sleep apnea. The problem here is all central. Set your maximum pressure to 8.0 and you're going to be amazed. It would really help if you replaced mask pressure with flow limitation, because that is what is causing your uncontrolled pressure increases. You may eventually need a different approach to therapy, but setting a limit to pressure, or using fixed pressure at 8.0 is going to significantly reduce events.

[Howie51]

Interesting ....

I have a sleep study that seems to suggest otherwise but hey! Who am I to complain. I already went through the "Sure you can have a CPAP machine, but it will cost you 3 times a much as one you can buy online without a prescription".

I certainly am willing to give it a shot!!!

Cheers 

Howie

Ps: I think I have been awakened more by the machine recently than by Apnea.

[JesseLee]

Ps: I think I have been awakened more by the machine recently than by Apnea.

I think that if you get the central apnea resolved you will think differently. I point to every bunch of central clusters are followed by you stopping therapy. It may seem that the machine is waking you up but you are having a lot of periods where you quit breathing and then you disconnect. I could be wrong because there's no cookie cutter approach to CPAP, but I'm glad your gonna try the lower pressure approach per Sleeprider.

[Howie51]

The reduction in pressure makes perfect sense, since it is excessive pressure causing leaks that awakens me. 

I'll let you know tomorrow what happens.

H