RERA Data

[chiphead]

I'm curious to know your pressure setting because it may be related to the success of your therapy. Your profile indicates an autoset pressure range of 6 -20 but your post indicates you are using straight CPAP settings of first 14, then 9.5. In my opinion, your sleep doc (or you) should set up an autoset range so the device can provide the pressure/s appropriate to your need.

My apologies for any confusion, I will elaborate further.

I initially went in for a sleep study that confirmed I suffered from sleep apnea, I currently dont have the initial report but will get it when I go back again to the sleep doctor.
After the initial diagnosis, I then went back for another over night stay hooked up to a sleep apnea machine that was controlled by the technician while I was asleep. The pressure setting was adjusted every time I had an apnea event until the events stopped occuring. The pressure that stopped all my apneas was 14.
I know what that figure was as i asked the technician in the morning, unfortunately the data from that over night stay was lost or erased by mistake.
I felt on top of the world for about 3 - 4 days afterwards and felt better than I had in many years.
As the above data was erased I had to go back for another over night stay to repeat the same process of having the technician adjust pressures manually for every event until they stopped. In this second trial the amount of pressure that was required to stop the apneas was 9.5, but I have not felt as good the second time around as I did the first. The same machine was used on both occasions and it was also the same technician as well.

I have now hired a machine for a 1 month trial at home. This machine is an Airsense A10 Auto for him. The machine is set up as an APAP machine with a pressure range of 6 - 20.
The highest pressure that the machine has adjusted itself to is 12.
I am feeling slightly better but have not felt as good as I did when I had the over night hospital stay where the pressure was adjusted to 14 manually by the technician.

I hope someone may be able to tell me why I felt better the first time, but only a slight improvement since then, but I must admit that there is an improvement even though it is only a slight one ATM.

Am I expecting to much to happen to quickly????

Thanks

Chip

[retired_guy]

Since your original prescribed pressure was 14, and your latest titration was 9, and your actual experience on the A10 seems to be around 12 -- I would lower the max pressure to about 16 and raise the bottom to 8.

So much for pressure.

Let's talk about the mask. What did you have in the way of a mask for your initial experience when you felt your best?

I, rightly or wrongly, think it's harder to get great therapy with a full face mask than it is with alternatives. I can't prove that, but it's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it... I'm a converted full face mask user. For me, if not for anyone else on the planet, the move to a pillows mask made a tremendous difference in my program. One of the reasons is comfort. No matter how correctly the full face mask was positioned, I would none the less always have some discomfort, either during the night or the next day. Maybe not enough to wake me up even, but enough to where I perhaps couldn't totally relax. I never had ahi's of less than 1 or 2 when on a nasal or full face mask. Now my "norm" is 0. Last night was a treat for me because I had a .13. I like that because then I don't have to look at that goofy happy face when I call up my results on Sleepyhead.

So yes, I do believe there are times when someone should use a full face mask. I'm just not sure when that would actually be. I know for a certainty it's not just because we think we are a "mouth breather."

Do understand that these views are mine alone, and are not shared by the majority of folks in apnea land. So take all of this with a serious grain of salt.

Then, try a pillows mask.

[chiphead]

I had a ffm when i had the 14 pressure, but i am willing to try alternatives if i could feel like i did when i had the 14 pressure.

Chip

[Ghost1958]

I get better numbers with less pressure also on a nasal mask. When I can use it. Which isnt a sure thing from night to night or even thru the entire night.
I have what appears to be a returning of polyps in my left nostril which has almost closed it off. If the other side becomes inflamed even during the night by to much heat or whatever and shuts down even the pap machine sometimes wont open things up in the old snoot.

What I was prescribed and what I mostly use is the Fitlife total face which is incredibly comfortable, and keeps me around 1.8 or 2 ahi but takes a bit higher average pressure to do it. The nasal gives me . 08s and such with less pressure but cant use it that much.