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Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
#1
Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
I am wondering if it is normal to have an exact same leak rate each night. I notice a bit of a pattern since I have been sleeping through the night. I see others discuss their leaks and I am very grateful I am not having the problems. I do wonder though if my readings are true or if it is possible the ResMed gets stuck. My hours and AHI do vary slightly.

When I began therapy and not getting much time in, my leaks did vary a little. When I finally settled in with all-nighters, I had 3 consecutive nights at 4Lmin., then 2 consecutive 6L/min. Then I cleaned my equipment for the first time last weekend. That night I struggled with my mask and trying to adjust it and lifing it a few times and trying to re-adjust. I figure that might raise the leak rate a little. I eventually turned it off and looked and discovered I had put the pillows on the headgear upside down Big Grin. Finally settled in and wasn't surprised to see the leak was up a notch to 7L/min. I have had 5 consecutive 7L/min. I cleaned my equipment again yesterday and this time got it right getting the pillows. The leak was 7L/min.

My husband tells me that sometimes I make noise with my mouth and I suspect it is mouth puffs as heard described on this forum. I have quizzed how much I do this because of course I have considered I might need a chin strap. He tells me maybe once or twice a night. He wakes me up to tell me my mouth is doing it's thing. It isn't often in the night that he hears it and it has never woken me. Just my husband wakes me about it.

With the leak rate so low I am not really worrying about the need for a chin strap ... unless for some reason the readings I am seeing are not accurate. I am not complaining at all with that leak rate though. And content with all my numbers.

I like the pillows and my AHI are all very good with the exception of once last week I woke at 5:30 with a sneezing spell with my mask on. My AHI registered 7.8. I think probably raised by the sneezing. I sneezed all day long and lots of congestion in my nose. Thought I was getting sick and blew my nose so much it got sore. Not a treat putting the pillows on that night with a sore nose. I used some Ayr nose saline gel with aloe. That is wonderful stuff! That night I found my humidifier was bone dry and probably had been the night before blowing into my nose. I think that caused the sneezing/congested nose reaction. The next night with water in, I was well again and good AHI.
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#2
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
First, for comparison, my leak rate shown on the LCD screen shows a fairly constant number, but in software the leak rate moves all over the place. The LCD shows (I think) the 95% average of the session, so for clearer/more data, you'd need to use software.

Mouth hissing/breathing/popping is trainable. Recently my leak rate was going too high (mouth-breathing), and by reminding myself every night to keep my mouth closed as I was falling asleep my leak numbers have gone down - you *can* brainwash yourself if you try hard enough! Telling yourself how great the machine is, how you sleep better with it, and so on will help you to be more comfortable with it.

Just a few thoughts...
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#3
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
That is very useful feedback Peter_C. Thank You! I haven't begun using software yet and do intend to use sleepyhead. With going away soon and still being monitored for compliance I have been hesitant to remove the card and run into problems with it. I certainly will lock before inserting into computer and unlock before inserting back to ResMed. I have read a few posts here where folks have run into a little problems and error messages. I don't have a lot of time on the machine yet and thought it best to just wait til after getting home. Also I need to hijack my husbands laptop and spend the time loading software and downloading data and learning to read it. Is best to try when he is not home and I am not tying up his computer when he wants it. I should just cave and buy my own laptop. I hate turning on our old clunky desktop. Very slow and frustrating!

I think I can train to keep my mouth shut. I don't think it is significant at this time any way. The few times I have been woken by my husband, I simply change positions and all is well. I am not a mouth breather. There have been a few times while awake in the first week I could feel the pressure pop my mouth open. Very odd feeling and I was unaware that could happen.
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#4
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
(12-15-2013, 11:35 AM)ImaSurvivor Wrote: That is very useful feedback Peter_C. Thank You! I haven't begun using software yet and do intend to use sleepyhead. With going away soon and still being monitored for compliance I have been hesitant to remove the card and run into problems with it. I certainly will lock before inserting into computer and unlock before inserting back to ResMed. I have read a few posts here where folks have run into a little problems and error messages. I don't have a lot of time on the machine yet and thought it best to just wait til after getting home. Also I need to hijack my husbands laptop and spend the time loading software and downloading data and learning to read it. Is best to try when he is not home and I am not tying up his computer when he wants it. I should just cave and buy my own laptop. I hate turning on our old clunky desktop. Very slow and frustrating!

I think I can train to keep my mouth shut. I don't think it is significant at this time any way. The few times I have been woken by my husband, I simply change positions and all is well. I am not a mouth breather. There have been a few times while awake in the first week I could feel the pressure pop my mouth open. Very odd feeling and I was unaware that could happen.

You have the modem and most likely that is what they will and are using to download your info for compliance. Have you had to send them your SD card and have they looked at your compliance data at all yet? lol I can't train myself to keep my mouth shut! So, I got the chin strap which helps keep me warm this time of year. Not sure how that will work when it is 110 or higher.
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#5
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
I have the modem and I know they are checking it. I haven't had to provide anyone with the card. DME called me the first week and let me know of the 12 minutes under compliance I was over two nights. LoL! They said the other data looked good so I know they can see stuff. They told me they will be following me for 90 days to be sure I am doing well with therapy. And for compliance they need 30 days of solid usage to report to insurance. According to my calculations, that will be satisfied a few nights into or vacation. Provided I don't have a hiccup in my usage.

After the nose pillow upside-down debacle last week, I had called the sleep lab for another reason. I casually mentioned the mouth puffs and she logged in and looked at my data while we were on the phone. She saw the few moments I was having trouble when the pillows were upside-down and inquired what that was. Only she referred to it being first thing when I went to bed at 8:30 at night. I told her I wasn't on the machine that early. It was more likely 9:30 or even 10:00. That made me wonder if the clock setting is off on the machine. Or she looked at it wrong. She said if the mouth puffs were persistent and presented a problem, they would order a chin strap.

My first followup with the sleep doctor will be mid January. I am sure the doctor will have accessed a report by then too. They may be keeping regular tabs on it while they can with the wireless modem.
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#6
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
I actually already have what looks like a chin strap. I ordered it before I was diagnosed with OSA. It is supposed to pull the jaw forward and somehow eliminate snoring. It didn't work. Might give it a try if I am bothered by mouth puffs. I had tried an oral appliance as well (not from a dentist though). Both items were quite expensive. I hated the oral appliance. My husband had ordered it. I tried it about 3 nights and was in tears with it. Gag reflex in and out and there was no way I was getting to sleep with that big gob in my mouth. Definitely not my thing! My family doctor had mentioned during consultation he wouldn't recommend one for me with my history. Not sure what he meant by that.

Possibly referring to years ago when I wound up in the hospital with a bowel obstruction. My stomach became severely distended from gas build-up. My family doctor had orded the nurse to put a tube first through my nose down to my stomach to pump gas out (while I was wide awake and not sedated). When I couldn't tolerate that he told the nurse to go down my throat. Ughhh! It was gagging and choking me. When I finally frantically brought my hand up to yank it out (fight or flight), the nurse removed it apologetically and said he couldn't do that to me anymore and had never seen it done to anyone awake. My family doctor may have been referring to that moment. Sad The next day I was rushed into emergency surgery when my blood work went askew and my temperature spiked. After 6 hrs. of surgery my surgeon was waking me in recovery telling me he had removed a tumor. I looked him in square in the eyes groggily and said ... 'is it cancer?' He confirmed he was afraid so. He was my surgeon and also family friend who has since passed away. He was my lifesaver twice. Removing breast cancer from me as well. He died a couple years ago of lung cancer. Miss that man terribly!
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#7
RE: Too consistent leak readings vs. some fluctuation on ResMed S9
It sounds goofy to describe it, but for me, this is what I've done...

FYI - first broken nose at age 12, was 47 yrs old before I learned you don't have to hold your breath while kissing (just breathe through your nose). I've had both nose surgery (had prior breaks in three different places, and could bend my nose flat to one side-parlour trick. But could not breath through my nose even if just reading a book) and throat surgery - Mr flappy is gone)
So I've been a mouth-breather 24/7 basically all my life - so what is new to me, may not be new to others...

I put the tip of my tongue to the front roof of my mouth, then close my lips and sorta create a 'suction' in my mouth, that I keep (it then keeps my lips closed) and I breathe through my nose only. My self-talk saying various things like:
I will die if I breathe through my mouth
I will drown if I breathe through my mouth
there is poison gas in the room and my machine filters it out, so I gotta only breathe through my nose
my machine keeps me alive
I need to breathe evenly without stopping or my wife will wake up
I don't like being french-kissed by my dogs so I gotta keep my lips closed (we have three fur-heads)

May sound weird of goofy, but the point is, say what makes sense and works for you! Your brain (I believe) doesn't know what a joke is, when you are lying, what sarcasm is - but your brain remembers everything you say to yourself! So negative self-talk is bad, and positive self-talk is good.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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