Apnea Board Forum - All Forums

Software Readout VS Treatment Result questions

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:03:30 +0000

I just now was able to import my data and read it on Sleepyhead software. I am seeing my AHI report and I am concerned. I was provided my Sleep Study by the VA Medical system. I recieved my unit on 4-4-13.
I never sat down with the Sleep Study personell to go over my study. I was just given the machine. The tech was less than enthusiastic with the process. Informed me if I had questions on how to use the machine to contact her. I am feeling better with the CPAP. Should I have been given an appointment to follow up and see if the unit is working properly?If the settings are working correctly. Don not get me wrong. I am grateful for receiving the the sleep study and the CPAP machine. I am just not sure after looking at my statistics it is running in optiimum for my treatment. Any suggestions????

CPAP Statistics as of Saturday, May 18, 2013
45 days of CPAP Data, between 4/4/2013 and 5/18/2013
Details Most Recent Last 7 Days Last 30 Days Last 6 months Last Year
AHI 4.47 5.22 2.72 2.59 2.59
RERA Index 0.74 1.51 1.09 0.93 0.93
Hours per Night 06:43 04:58 04:47 05:07 05:07
Pressure 13.00 13.00 13.00 13.00 13.00
Average Total Leaks 35.83 33.67 35.23 38.76 38.76
95% Total Leaks 39.00 36.00 46.00 69.00 69.00

Changes to Prescription Settings
First Last Days AHI FL Machine Mode Pr. Rel. Pressure
4/4/2013 5/18/2013 45 2.59 0.00 PRS1 CPAP C-Flex+ x1 13.00
The above has a threshold which excludes day counts less than 5 from the best/worst highlighting

Machine Information
Brand Model Serial First Use Last Use
Philips Respironics System One RemStar Pro with C-Flex+ (460P) P08172793C6A2 4/4/2013 5/18/2013

Buyers / Sellers Beware

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:26:00 +0000

Just a reminder to those that buy and sell online.

TORONTO - Online classified ads can be a great way to sell unwanted things and get a bargain on treasures.

But if you’re not careful, you could be paying for the transaction with your life.

In light of the crushing news of Tim Bosma, the missing 32-year-old father whose remains were found earlier this week, police and e-commerce experts are reminding the public to be vigilant in making safety a priority when buying and selling things off sites such as Craigslist or Kijiji.

Bosma disappeared after going for a test drive the night of May 6 with allegedly with two men who answered his online ad to sell a black Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Dellen Millard, 27, has been charged with first-degree murder, forcible confinement and theft over $5,000.

“It’s kind of like the wild west out there, because you’re dealing with people anywhere and everywhere,” said Joe Couto of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

The first thing Couto recommends is meeting someone in a public place during business hours.

“The real key is never allow people into your home,” Couto said. “You’re putting yourself in danger. Always have someone with you. Don’t put yourself in a position where something could happen to you and no one’s there to witness it.”

Buyers and sellers should also never give away personal information in an online ad, including their name, address or phone number, Couto said. If you’re selling a truck, get a copy of the driver’s licence.

Tim Richardson, an e-commerce professor at Seneca College and University of Toronto, said too much information can include an e-mail handle that states your name such as “johnsmith93.”

“The fundamental principle of personal safety is that you do not have to be perfect, you simply have to make some precautions better than the average person and you’ll be OK,” Richardson said. “’Bad guys’ seek out people who do not even take the basic precautions because they are easy to scam — if you follow basic precautions, you’ll avoid these types of criminals.”

Richardson recommends investing in a “burn phone,” a disposable pay-as-you-go phone with a number different number than your cellphone, which will help safeguard against harassment.

“Keep in mind that ‘bad guys’ will use ‘burn phones’ too, so you may be caught the same way if you try to follow-up with some shady person,” he said.

Parry Aftab, a New York-based lawyer specializing in Internet privacy and security law, called Bosma’s death “really tragic.”

“A lot of it was done on the phone, so they didn’t have a lot of cyber communications, which are like a trail of cyber breadcrumbs running right to the door,” she said speaking of the Bosma case.

Kijiji said in a statement this week the ad Bosma posted didn’t have any personal information, nor did it receive any replies, “which determines the incident did not occur as a result of his ad posting on Kijiji.”

The majority of the millions of people who use these sites are honest, but there is a small percentage — “although rare,” Aftab said, who hunt prey using these online classified sites as a tool.

Philip Markoff was dubbed as “The Craigslist Killer” after being charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery of three sex workers he met off the website in 2009. Mark Twitchell posed as a woman on the dating site, Plenty of Fish, to lure 38-year-old Johnny Altinger to his Edmonton garage in 2008, where he bludgeoned and stabbed Altinger to death before dismembering his body.

“Somebody got tied up and robbed by selling their TV,” Couto said, recalling another incident in the U.S. “They invited them into their house. That stuff does happen. Criminals are looking for opportunities and if people don’t take precautions then they can be a victim of crime particularly when selling things online.”

Toronto Police Const. Tony Vella said while people can call their local police station for advice, because of policy and lack of resources, officers can’t do background checks on sellers or buyers off these online sites. It’s really up to the person to use their common sense.

“You really need to trust your gut feeling,” said Vella. “If you suspect something’s wrong, you’re probably right.”

*****

Things you can do to protect yourself on online classified sites:
•Never give out your personal information, including your address, name and home phone number in an ad. Use an e-mail address that doesn’t reveal personal details about who you are.
•Always meet during business hours in a public place. If you’re selling a car, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to meet in front of a local police station. Always bring at least one friend with you. Never go alone with a person on a test-drive.
•Tell the buyer/seller in advance that you will be meeting them in the company of a second (or third person) and that you will take a photo of them on your smartphone and you will ask to see their driver’s licence. If they hesitate even the slightest, do not meet them and move on to another customer.
•Only accept cash transactions in person. No PayPal.
•Use a ‘burn phone,’ a disposable pay-as-you-go phone to avoid any harassment down the road
•U.S. digital safety expert Parry Aftab suggested Googling the person you’re communicating with to see if they have previously been involved in any scams — that while not reported to police — may show up in Facebook feeds or blogs.
•Tell them (if you are the buyer) that you’ll need to confirm the product is indeed what you are paying for, before you hand over the money and that you may bring a second person regarding this.
•If you’re uncertain about safety of any transactions, call your local police for advice. It’s not a bother.

—Sources: Toronto Police, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Parry Aftab, Tim Richardson

Self Described "Happy Drunk" With Sleep Apnea Was Not Disabled: Adjudicator

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:19:23 +0000

Canada: Self Described "Happy Drunk" With Sleep Apnea Was Not Disabled: Adjudicator

by Adrian Miedema

"Not every ailment amounts to a disability", an adjudicator has held, in dismissing an employee's grievance. Employers who often wonder what types of ailments or conditions amount to "disabilities" will find this decision interesting.

The employee had an erratic attendance record. The employer imposed reporting requirements on the employee as to when and how he must report to his supervisor if unable to arrive at work at all or on time. The employee breached those conditions and was disciplined. The employee then filed grievances challenging the discipline and alleging that the conditions were unfair, constituted harassment, and failed to take into account his sleep apnea and drinking problem.

The adjudicator held that the employer, faced with the employee's poor attendance record, which was a departure from the norm, was entitled to impose the reporting requirements.

The adjudicator went on to state that the employee's sleep apnea and drinking patterns did not amount to a disability. The adjudicator's comments are interesting:

"130 The difficulty is that the grievor's argument confuses an ailment with a disability. Depression and stress are commonly experienced by many people in the course of their working lives. Neither is, by that fact, disabling. The same can be said of sleep apnea. The fact that one experiences such conditions does not establish a prima facie case of disablement or, all the more so, a prima facie case of discrimination based on a disability. Needed in this case was evidence that the conditions were so bad that they disabled or at least limited the grievor's ability to comply with the reporting conditions. But the grievor offered no such evidence other than the conditions themselves.

"131 The importance of managing attendance is not eliminated by the mere assertion that one has an illness. Not every physical or emotional ailment amounts to a disability requiring accommodation. Some ailments – such as depression, emotional stress or headaches or, in Mr. Riche's case, sleep apnea – may impact a person's life without necessarily making it impossible for them to comply with the usual expectations of working life. For example, depression may be mild, moderate or totally disabling. The severity of its impact will depend upon the severity of the cause, the person's psychological makeup and the steps he or she takes to combat it. It is not a sufficient excuse on the part of an employee to justify his or her repeated tardiness or frequent absences by saying, "I'm depressed", or, "I had a headache." Something more is required to enable the employer to know that the ailment is truly disabling, that is, something beyond the control of the employee as opposed to simply an excuse. In part, that is the reason the jurisprudence emphasizes the obligation on the part of the employee seeking accommodation to explain the nature of the problem and to co-operate in its treatment. Without such an explanation, the employer has no way of knowing whether the ailment is severe enough to amount to a disability or what to do about it by way of an accommodation if so required."

The adjudicator went on to state that employers are not required to accommodate "issues that an employee is able to control". Here, the adjudicator held that the employee was able to control his problem with sleeping in – for instance, by putting his alarm clock on the other side of the room. Also, the grievor's statements that he was a "heavy drinker" and a "happy drunk" were not enough to establish that he was an alcoholic, particularly when he stopped short of calling himself an alcoholic and did not call evidence from his family doctor.

As this case demonstrates, not every health condition will be a disability, and the mere assertion by an employee that he has a health issue may not be enough , in every case, to require the employer to accommodate.

Fair Use From:
http://www.mondaq.com/canada/x/239012/He...djudicator

bent ear lobes from headgear

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:37:12 +0000

Hi,
Does anyone else get the straps from the headgear catch under their earlobes and work up in the night bending the earlobes up? I end up lying on the bent earlobes and wake up in pain from them. Any ideas on this? I dont want to tape the earlobes down because I react to adhesive when its left on a while.
Regards,
Jenny

I forgot to say my current mask and headgear are mirage quattro

Humidifier Filler

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:51:26 +0000

I am always worried about getting water on the CPAP machine when I refill the humidifier so I follow the directions and remove the humidifier before re-filling it with distilled water (on days when not also washing out the tray).

BUT I thought there should be an easier way and have now found it. I ordered a "communion cup" filler from Amazon. It is a plastic squeeze bottle which has a long spout perfect for getting the water right into the humidifier without danger of spills.

Saline Solution (Another question)

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:16:05 +0000

Just was wondering whats the best saline solution for clearing a dry nose, on occasion I get slight allergies and sometimes my nose gets dry what would be best for that? Like what brand saline solution is best? Is there a specific one for cpap users that's better? Ide like something clearing and soothing If possible

Difference between PR-151HS versus PR-151P

Sat, 18 May 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Hard to find information about specific models.

Does anyone know what the differences might be between the following machines?

Philips Respironics PR-151HS versus PR-151P

I know these are older models but I am trying to do a comparison of what the differences are.

I believe someone told me the PR-151P is the most basic model manual set pressure CPAP only with little or no capable readouts for nightly AHI etc...

Is the PR-151HS a more intelligent model that would have all the nightly stats. I don't think it is AUTO but I suspect it may be better than the P model. Maybe A-Flex maybe C-Flex? Not really sure.

Any info / help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I dont know what mask I want

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:45:05 +0000

Im going in Monday to get my machine and my mask and Im so confused on what mask to get! I tried the piliaro in the sleep clinic but I don't think that will work for me, it hurt the inside of my nose and the tip of my nose was sore the next day even tho my numbers were ok they said I had an ahi of 2.4 ide like to get lower and the most important thing for me is leaks and comfort

Im thinking the wisp now the only reason im second guessing myself about the wisp is my hair I know I will be wearing this everynight and I don't wanna get hair loss or something because of the straps im growing my hair out long (its already really long its to the middle of my back and I just had 6 inches cut off lol) but I do have a problem with hair breakage and I know the straps will make that worse

So I was thinking about the swift fx with the bella loops im not really sure which I should go with first does anyone have suggestions

Thank you!
Sarah <3

First night... wow

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:20:36 +0000

Just tried CPAP for the first time last night. Now I havent seen a Dr or been diagnosed yet ( that will be Monday) but I had the opportunity to try a machine last night and all I can say is WOW!!!

Before I get people all upset about using a machine without supervision I will say I'm a paramedic and have administered CPAP to many patients, so I have a firm understanding of the mechanics and settings.

I talked to my dad about my issues and the appointment I have setup for Monday, thats when he told me he had a friends backup travel machine sitting around that he was afraid to try. I figured what the heck I have an appointment already and I know what I'm doing so I will give it a shot. The setup is a probasics zzzpap brick and a breeze mask. The first hour was pure hell, the tubing leaked causing whistling, and the mask made my nose feel like I was jamming knives up my nose.

But then I got the mask adjusted right tightened it down and woke up about four hours later. Slept for another hour and now Im more awake then I have been in years. I woke up before 7am on a weekend... I dont remember the last time that happened, and I feel amazing! I mean I slept for maybe 5 hours and I feel better then I would after sleeping 12 hours untreated.

The mask was ok, fit could have been better as my nose is really sore this morning. I also dont think the humidifier was working because my nose and the back of my throat were really dry. But all in all Im impressed and floored at the way I feel right now.

PS I had the pressure set to 10 to start out and that felt perfectly fine to me, now I cant wait to see what happens with my appointment... I dont wanna give this thing up.

Finding the right Setup Manual

Sat, 18 May 2013 01:08:16 +0000

I have just started using the CPAP machine and I want to adjust the pressure. My machine is a REMstar Pro C-Flex + System One. Upon receiving the manual for my machine from the Apnea Board I found out that it wasn't a match. Right name but not the right machine. When getting into the Clinician Setup on the machine I can't find the CPAP Pressure. My menu starts with Mode. Do any of you have the same machine? Can you tell me how to access the CPAP Pressure. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate you feedback.

Can it be this easy?

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:43:45 +0000

Hello all. Brand new member here.

I was recently diagnosed with OSA, with an untreated AHI of 57. After a week of dukeing it out with the DME, I got them to deliver a S9 Autoset, instead of the basic, data-less S9 Escape they originally wanted to give me. It came with a GSM modem for monitoring, which I promptly told my Doctor that I refused to have sitting a foot from my head for the 90 required days of compliance monitoring. (i'm not usually the tin-foil hat type, but if I can reduce the amount of EM radiation passing through my already cooked brain, I'll take it) So they're going to work out another mechanism to get my data on a regular basis.

But, I digress.

The real thing is, I got this device on Wedneday, and have had two nights with it. So far, my first night was a AHI was 1.9, and my second was a .6. I fell asleep in about 45 seconds, and woke only once last night (that I recall). I feel like a million bucks, and barely yawn once during the day, even at the usual 3pm, "holy crap, am I tired" - time... Now I understand that when you start using these devices, you get a "honeymoon" period, that wears off, but hell, after reading the potential difficulties ppl have adjusting the the lifestyle, I am cautiously considering myself lucky.

But learning about this stuff, and doing a little data mining using sleepyhead, I see that last night, I had a "central" apnea. This bothers me. I can understand the obstructive ones, but as I read about it, centrals are when my brain basically "forgets" to breath. That honestly scares the living hell out of me.

Is this something that I need to bring immediatly to my physicians attention? Or is it less concerning? Or am I overreacting and I should relax about it?

Also to note, while the S9 is auto capable, it is currently set in CPAP mode at 15. I am tempted to mess around the clinical settings (set it to auto, basically), but honestly, with those numbers, I probably should leave well enough alone, yes?

Sorry for the long winded post, again, im new and still learning.

Thanks all.

Some People Just Don't "GET" How Important Compliance Is!

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:49:04 +0000

Ok, it probably isn't any of my business but my client and I talk a lot about health, and many subjects. She is not and has not used her c-pap in a long time. She does nogt have a mask anymore and tells me how she has headaches and can't sleep at night but naps around 2PM every day. DUH. It might be cuz she need to use her c-pap? Ya think?

I just tried to tell her she could have a stroke or die and how her body ( obese) suffers and so on. So she said next month when she sees her doc she will mention it. She said she probably needs a new sleep study. I hope she follows thru.

I like to think I help people. I encouraged another client to not let them take his leg and (see another doctor) that ached and had poor circulation and hurt. He had three blood clots and they operated and redirected blood flow. I saw him today and he is walking great, no cane and no pain! Some people listen to me! I also believe prayer did help him too.

WHY?? I ask WHY don't doctors impress upon patients how necessary being compliant w/c-pap is? Geesh! I mean there it is on your night stand to help you feel better and not be so drained and have those headaches......and they ignore it? I don not get it. Other people want a machine and have no insurance or can't afford one. I paid out of pocket $800 for my 1st sleep study and another $840 and $400 upgrade for the auto Titrating before I had insurance and medicare. I wasn't going to wait til I was 65. I am still sleepy and take naps but I would NEVER go one night without my c-pap! When I have a cold or runny nose I stay awake.

Has anyone has seasonal apneas??

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:20:45 +0000

Here is a new one.

Has anyone has seasonal apneas??

For over the past twenty years I have had what I believed to be Chronic Fatigue and it was seasonal, it happened in the spring and fall and I was fine summer and winters.

It seemed I traded my hay fever for Chronic Fatigue, I used to have such attacks spring and fall.

BUT at this time with my problems with apneas I have having all the symptoms of my Chronic Fatigue illness.

I am inclined to think I had sleep apneas all along BUT for the seasonal aspect of my earlier problems.

So anyone else had seasonal apneas??

jump in AHI

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:34:29 +0000

Hi all, I have a Resumed S9 Elite. I take opiates for a failed back surgery, but usually take my last dose 6 hours before sleep. It has worked OK, my AHI is usually in the 3 to 8 ranges with most of my apneas now being centrals. I always noticed that for the first 6 hours of the night things go very well. Very few events. For the final two hours of my sleep I always had a bunch of centrals. Usually in the 10 to 14 second range. Over the last few nights I notice the amount of centrals in that final two hours has increased dramatically. They also are in the 10 to 14 second range. Taking those out for the first 6 hours my ahi would be about 8. There has been an increase in obstructive also, but not dramatic. However, the final 2 hours pushes the ahi up to 30 or a little more. Yes its time to contact sleep doc. She has never been worried about the short centrals. But this is a dramatic increase. If I wake up after 6 hours I feel tired but OK. After falling back a sleep for the 2 hours where the centrals are peaking I feel like crap when I wake up. Nothing has changed except I do have a stuffy nose. Could the unit be mistaking obstructive for centrals? I do use a full facemask and have a heated humidifier. I guess if this goes on like this I need to let the sleep doc look at the data.

Does Your Sleep Doc Approve of Us?

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:02:45 +0000

When I told my current sleep doctor about my involvement with this website/support group, he was all for it. I'm wondering whether you've told your doc about us and if so, what his/her reaction was.

RATS!!! Now I remember why we started using the LimeSurvey software: polling does not handle multiple questions. Guess you can provide written comments here or wait until I can create a new survey/poll for this discussion.

Theyre trying to rip me off!!

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:44:34 +0000

Ok so I saw my sleep specialist and she was pretty nice answered most of my questions(not all but that's ok I still don't know what my osa is caused from if its just weight or something to do with my throat and she didn't check BUT I did get my sleep study information which was scary to look at!!!) and showed me the wisp mask which I decided im going to try so she wrote out my prescription and sent it to a DME which I called and the first thing she tells me is that they called my insurance and they are out of net work for my insurance and I will have to cover the first 500$ and than after that 30 percent of everything else So I tell her thank you and I will have to call my insurance and find a place that is IN network because I cant afford that

I call my insurance and they tell me they received no calls and that im 100% covered as long as I have a prescription and I have no deductables and that that place is IN network

SO....I call back and when I tell her that she actually laughs and than proceeds to tell me that they found that information off of my insurances website and I now have made an appointment for Monday to get my machine

My question is this.. Does anyone have any advice for me once I go in there, I know what machine I want and what things I would like to get and my insurance is pretty good my husband works for the county and he is a diabetic (type1) and needed to make sure he found a good job so he would have good insurance and so far from everything ive been through and done my insurance has covered everything accept for a 10$ or 20$ co pay here and there which I am truly blessed for but im scared I will go in there and they will try to tell me something that isn't true and stick me with an old machine and everything I want to get the s9 autoset cause I know ill have it for a long long time and I want the good data reading capabilities and the option for apap and I would like to get the right mask and I wonder if my insurance would cover the humidifier and the climate line tubing? but all my insurance keeps telling me is that im 100% covered with no deductables but I don't know if that means I can pick what I want ? or if it has to be written down from the doctor, I told my doctor what machine I wanted and she told me my insurance most likely wouldn't cover it but I told her they said they would as long as I had a prescription, I just want to be able to go in there and get what I can and not get screwed out of anything because I don't know what im doing, its hard for me to be assertive lol I got so nervous telling the lady over the phone that my insurance said it covers everything with a prescription that I was practically shaking when I got off the phone it was ridiculous! anyways any advice would be appreciated Thank you

Sarah <3

This morning I'm a big zero!

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:17:52 +0000

Usually I wouldn't consider being a zero a good thing, but when SleepyHead tells me I had no events last night and gives me a big smiley face with an AHI of zero I am ecstatic! And my leaks were 4.80 max and 95% at 3.60, also excellent for me. This is my first real zero since starting a little over a year ago!

[split] Aerophagia

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:19:32 +0000

Has anyone experienced bloating & gas with the use of C Pap. I wake up with my stomach swollen & gas I've noticed

so the journey begins

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:47:22 +0000

hey everyone just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself here. I havent officially been diagnosed with any sleep apnea yet but I have my first appointment on Monday with my primary dr. I have had the textbook symptoms for a few years now but in the last two months things have gotten really bad. I havent spent a full night in the same room as my fiance for the last 2 months due to my snoring. I wake up every morning with a splitting headache that lasts all day and I feel like a zombie when Im awake, not to mention ALWAYS being tired. What really scared me was when my fiance told me I stop breathing altogether at night and wake up coughing and choking with no memory of it in the morning. She also said my breathing gets really shallow and fast all night long. Now Im a paramedic so I am very familiar with what all of this means. I never wanted to go get checked out because I know they are going to put me on CPAP and was never comfortable with that, but after reading a ton on here and learning about the mask choices and different machine features Im excited. So is there anything I should keep in mind when I have my first appointment? I know I will most likely be sent for a sleep study and have to wait for the results of that, but I wanna be prepared as best I can. Cant wait to see what my AHI is...

Thank you from a brand new member

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:34:09 +0000

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributes to this board. I found the board this morning and have been reading non-stop.

I have severe sleep apnea with an AHI of 44/Hr during my study. Decent coverage at work enabled to get the ResMed S9 Elite with the H5i. I went with the WISP nasal mask. I had used a mirage Fx mask during my study, but the minimal design of the WISP really appealed to me. I've only had the machine 2 nights but I think the WISP may have been a mistake. I slept okay during my study with the mirage, but the 2 nights at home have been less than pleasant. The first night I kept it on the whole night, and ended up with a sore red mark on the bridge of my nose that still hasn't gone away. The second night I tried to adjust the position a bit, and ended up taking the mask off after about 2 hours, because my nose was too sore.

It's comforting to know that others have had a similar issue and also to read about how many masks people have tried.

I was also excited to read about sleepyHead. The people who sold the machine to me told me I could bring the SD card in every few months to download data. They didn't mention that there was FREE software to allow me to monitor the quality of my sleep as often as I wanted.

Thanks again for the wealth of information!!!!