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Old Dog and New Tricks - Ingramite - 09-20-2017
Hello
I was first diagnosed with sleep apnea way back in the mid-90's.
I woke up one afternoon sitting in my driveway, not remembering a thing about the thirty mile commute home.
My kids would not let the neighbor kids play in our yard because they were embarrassed by my mid-afternoon snoring.
My wife had permanent elbow imprints in my ribs from trying to jump start my breathing.
Pretty classic symptoms I guess.
The morning after my first sleep study I woke up feeling as tired as I went to be but the news was that I was waking up over 50 times an hour.
The morning after my second sleep study night ( with therapy) I felt like an 18 year old kid again. They almost had to call the police to get me to leave without a cpap machine.
That first cpap machine was a Quest and from all that I have been reading here it was a brick of a brick but nonetheless, it changed my life.
It came with little or no instruction other than to "use it".
I rocked on with that machine for about ten years.....same cruddy mask and hose....yeah, that is embarrassing, but it worked and it worked wonders. I have never been a guy with compliance problems because I took to the therapy like a fish to water. About 10 years or so into my journey I went back to the same sleep clinic because I thought maybe my frequent colds and respiratory infections might be due impart to the less than sanitary conditions of my mask and hose. I learned that you can not just go down to the 7-11 and buy these components. You have to have a valid prescription.....sound familiar?
My second sleep study resulted in a new Respornoics series M machine that blew a blast of air at me at the rate of 17. By now the internet had made great leaps and I was able to bootleg my much needed mask liners and hoses from such savory sources as e-Bay long after my prescription had expired.
A sad story from a guy who has good insurance with high deductibles.
Another decade passes and I'm on the corner like somebody buying crack because my trusty old Series M shot craps on me.
I am not safe to drive to the corner, and I know it. I tried all of the "fixes" that I found here, but alas my Series M is dead.
The very first thing that I did was to call a "provider" here but that appointment is about another week out.
So......I now have a brand new Dream Station Auto sitting on my nightstand....thank you very much.
Life has to go on and I have a 100 mile commute to work and a 100 mile commute home and there is no way I can make that trip in a sleepy fog.
Tonight will be my very first night with my new pal.
I am using my old mask, a nasal mask.....I need some help on my initial settings.
I promise, cross my heart, that I'm going to do this right this time.
I am more than a little intimidated by the graphs and charts that look like the dashboard of the space shuttle.....I have a lot to learn.
Ya know, honesty hurts sometimes but when I got my last machine they just handed it to me. I didn't get the books....that kept me very suspicious for a long time. I also "made payments" to the sleep clinic to the tune of 800 bucks....after my insurance paid up. Ripped off? yeah, I think so.
Thanks to this forum, I am going to walk in to my next sleep study as an informed patient. I am nearing retirement (if you couldn't tell) and I want to get all of my "pre-existing condition" documentation done now.
My specific question is my mask setting on this new machine.
I have spent about 30 minutes with it.
I'm pretty sure that I'm in the auto mode but it only registers 4.0.
My mask leakage is showing 100%....good or bad?
What resistance value should I have entered for this type of mask?
Bless you for staying with me if you have gotten to this point in the ramble.....Thanks for your help.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Sleeprider - 09-20-2017
Ingramite, welcome to the forum, and good story. My first CPAP was the M-Series Auto, but I used Encore software to fine tune my results with that. In 2014 when I finally changed to a PRS1 60 Series Auto from Craigslist and started using Sleepyhead software, the lights really came on. Since then I had a Craigslist PRS1 BiPAP Auto and my current Resmed Aircurve 10 Vauto. Needless to say, things improved for me, as I'm sure they will with you.
First off, it sounds like you have your Dreamstation Auto setup at default 4-20 settings. Don't do that. Your minimum pressure needs to reflect your needs to stop obstructive apnea or you'll get no rest as the machine tries to catch up. If your past CPAP pressure was 17, then I would not use a minimum less than 14 cm to 20 cm. If that works well and you don't have obstructive events at the lower pressure, we can try turning it down further, but don't start in the hole of 4.0 cm, you'll regret it. Unless you're using a new Philips Respironics mask, use 0 for the resistance setting.
What mask make and model are you using? If you tolerate nasal therapy, by all means try out the Resmed Airfit P10 Nasal Pillows when you get a chance. Alternatively the Dreamwear Nasal mask is one that will have an R setting for your machine, and it is quite popular. If you're seeing a high leak rate with the current mask, you need to identify where that leak is coming from, working from the humidifier to the tube and mask parts.
Avoid future sleep studies...get all your records and copies of sleep studies in writing and save them in your personal files. Also, some suppliers like Supplier #1 will take a prescription and it will never expire. Of course Amazon is your friend for cheap machines, masks and parts. (do not post links on the forum or a moderator will contact you, but it's fine to mention names as long as the name is not an internet address).
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Crimson Nape - 09-20-2017
You have a very nice machine. I highly recommend that you download and install #SleepyHead. This will allow you to obtain detailed sleep data which will aid with your therapy. I have links, listed below, that will help in installing, using, and understanding all the information that #SleepyHead and your CPAP are able provide.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Ingramite - 09-20-2017
Thanks so much.
I am using the blue gel comfort nasal mask.
I do have a P10 ordered but it is a couple of days out.
I will raise my minimum to 14 and give it a whirl.
I spend a third of my life hooked up, so it's time that i devote the attention to it that the process deserves.
I'm going to take down some of those twenty year old .45 range targets to make room for my sleep charts. lol
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Sleeprider - 09-20-2017
Your ComfortGel Blue Nasal Mask resistance factor is X1 for all sizes.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - trish6hundred - 09-20-2017
Hi Ingramite,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I wish you good luck with CPAP therapy, and also with your new machine.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Ingramite - 09-21-2017
Thanks for all of the warm welcomes and great advice.
I am pleased to let everyone know (including my wife) that I had a very successful treatment last night.
8 hours of very restful sleep with an AHI of below 1 at 15.5 pressure with 100% mask seal.
My next adventure will be to secure an SD card reader and get underway with SleepyHead to chart my progress.
Thanks again.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Sleeprider - 09-21-2017
Looks like you nailed it right out of the box. With AHI under 1 you can try lower starting pressures, but pretty hard to beat those results. Keep in touch, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the P10.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - SarcasticDave94 - 09-21-2017
Ingramite. Looks like you're doing great already. Keep up with the therapy, and take care. I noticed one of our guru experts, Sleeprider, has posted so you're in very good hands already. Best to ya,Dave B.
RE: Old Dog and New Tricks - Ingramite - 09-24-2017
[attachment=3861]
[attachment=3860]
Testing to see my data post.
I am taking screenshots of my data....probably not the correct or best way to do it.
This is like learning to fly the space shuttle for an old guy like me.
How do the charts look??