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I am a Swede who was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea by way of a lab sleep study. Busy public healthcare means that my treatment is far away still: My doctor says I'll have to wait for months before I eventually get to trial a CPAP machine over 3 months (to determine whether or not it is a therapeutic form of treatment for me). I have read online that there tends to be a second sleep study done to determine CPAP settings; I suppose such a study might be planned, but my doctor didn't mention it.
I would like to bypass the wait time for my treatment. CPAPs are available for purchase from online shops as well as second hand from individuals. So I'm thinking: Can I just buy myself a CPAP and make it work?
05-08-2023, 01:58 AM (This post was last modified: 05-08-2023, 02:03 AM by srlevine1.)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
Masenko,
Yes, you can do almost anything if you try hard enough.
1. Might I suggest that you purchase a ResMed AutoSense Autoset or a machine with similar self-titrating and data reporting capabilities?
2. Download and install OSCAR to assist in the reporting and analysis of your data to optimize settings.
3. Try the machine and a mask you feel comfortable with for a week or so. And report back here.
4. To learn more about machines, masks, and much more, you can search the wiki (top black bar) for more specific information. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...=Wiki_Home
You are not on your own -- there are many forum members willing to help newcomers -- most of us wishing we knew about the forum before we started.
After you set up the machine, post some of the results on the forum, and get some feedback, you will be better able to tune your settings to your needs.
Since you will have great Oscar reports, you can share them with your doctor for further advice.
Caveat: If you have central apneas or complex apneas, you might need a different type of machine. You might want to post your sleep study here after redacting the personal information for more specific advice about machine types or initial suggested settings.
As you work through this process, keep searching the forum and asking questions.
Best of luck,
Steve
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius
Machine: Aircurve 10 ASV Mask Type: Full face mask Mask Make & Model: F&P Evora Humidifier: Built In CPAP Pressure: Auto-CPAP CPAP Software: ResScan
OSCAR
Did they give you a copy of your sleep study?
That information is very helpful to determine the type of CPAP and the settings.
Makes life a lot easier and can save you a lot of money.
05-09-2023, 11:15 AM (This post was last modified: 05-09-2023, 11:18 AM by Masenko.)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
Hey guys! Thanks so much for your replies! I have purchased a second hand ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset, to be delivered soon. It includes a heated tube and a humidifier attachment. I would greatly appreciate help in setting up the appropriate settings, please. I'm hopeful this can change my life.
I have gathered here the available documentation on my apnea. I don't have access to any graphs, these texts are all I have:
Sleep study journal 19 april 2023 (translated):
Good quality for EEG and respiration.
Patient goes to bed at 22.20 and rises at 6.
Sleep latency 21 minutes.
Total sleep time 6h 15m.
Sleep effectiveness 88,9 %.
Wake after sleep onset, 26 minutes.
Respiration:
AHI 9,6
ODI 5,3
Mean saturation 95 % and lowest saturation 88 %
AHI (sleeping on his back): 23. Sleeping on his back he gets long apneas, 20-30 seconds, and some are central apneas.
AHI (not sleeping on his back): 3,9
PLM-index 9,9
My doctor's diagnosis (translated):
The patient has signs of mild sleep apnea, but gets long-lasting central/mixed apneas when sleeping on his back. He usually sleeps on his side, but may have a tendency to shift to sleeping on his back during sleep. The question is whether or not his apneas contribute to the daytime tiredness he experiences. The tiredness may be multifactorial. Considering the nature of his apnea I nonetheless want him to try CPAP treatment. Other than the apnea his sleep is good. He's young and not overweight, with tonsils of normal size.
05-09-2023, 12:03 PM (This post was last modified: 05-09-2023, 12:08 PM by WakeUpTime.)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
(05-09-2023, 11:15 AM)Masenko Wrote: The patient has signs of mild sleep apnea, but gets long-lasting central/mixed apneas when sleeping on his back. He usually sleeps on his side, but may have a tendency to shift to sleeping on his back during sleep.
Your home sleep study shows <4 AHI when sleeping on your side. Officially that's considered as "treated" with CPAP use. Your numbers shoot up dramatically when sleeping on your back.
Have you considered doing the same home sleep test by going to extreme measures to eliminate sleeping on your back? For example, using tennis balls in a t-shirt, special pillows, etc. Given your mild to moderate sleep apnea (early numbers) and your highly positional sleep apnea, I'd really want to experiment with that - even if you continue your CPAP journey.
For a rare few people (like me), it's almost impossible to sleep in any position other than one's back, due possibly to other issues. As a result though, I certainly pay for it considerably, thanks to gravity.
05-10-2023, 12:23 AM (This post was last modified: 05-10-2023, 12:25 AM by fly by night.
Edit Reason: spelling error
)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
My sleep test results were similar to yours. My main apnea issues (OA and snoring) happen when I am on my back, and not so bad while on my side. But I cannot (for other reasons) sleep long on my side.
CPAP treatment (with a Resmed AirSense 11 Autoset) using OSCAR data and guidance from this board has changed my sleep tremendously for the better.
05-10-2023, 03:24 AM (This post was last modified: 05-10-2023, 03:26 AM by srlevine1.)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
Might I suggest you try the initial pressure settings of 7 -12 cmH2O with an EPR of 3? Or ask your physician for a suitable setting range.
If you are experiencing issues (other than leaks), you use a ramp setting of 10 minutes for acclimation purposes.
Post your OSCAR results, and the forum can help you refine your settings.
If you do not know how to access clinician settings to adjust pressures or other items, you can download the manual for your machine or do a search for how to set your machine.
05-16-2023, 04:07 PM (This post was last modified: 05-16-2023, 04:09 PM by Masenko.)
RE: On my own: Getting my first machine?
Hi again! I have been using my machine now for a few days so I thought I'd attach my OSCAR stats as was suggested. For convenience the snoring graphs aren't visible, but I can tell you they look very empty, some of them have one small blip. My settings have been 4-12 for pressure, ramp off and EPR off. I've been sleeping with the ResMed F20 mask as well as the foam version, both Large. Probably too big a size for me. I'm looking at getting a new mask.
It should be noted that I have yet to sleep a full night with the device because I've woken up at night, every night, and proceeded to take the mask off. I think the biggest reason for my choosing to take the mask off after waking up is due to a phenomenon where the CPAP machine causes my ears to feel full, as if on an airplane. This is very off-putting and has me worried for what it may be doing to my ears since I am a sufferer of tinnitus and sound sensitivity, and in my particular case I must resign myself to treating my delicate ears with kid gloves lest I suffer long term consequences (dramatic, I know).
I will post twice to overcome the attachment limit and share all the nightly stats I have so far. This feels unconventional, but posting twice seems the way to do it if I am to follow the guide on this page: apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=OSCAR_Chart_Organization#How_to_order_the_data_charts .
To summarise, here are questions/issues I am raising:
Review of OSCAR stats (and am I posting them "correctly"?)
Recommended CPAP settings
Info about the ear fullness
Mask recommendation?
As always, thank you so much guys.
(05-09-2023, 12:03 PM)WakeUpTime Wrote: Your home sleep study shows <4 AHI when sleeping on your side. Officially that's considered as "treated" with CPAP use. Your numbers shoot up dramatically when sleeping on your back.
Have you considered doing the same home sleep test by going to extreme measures to eliminate sleeping on your back? For example, using tennis balls in a t-shirt, special pillows, etc. Given your mild to moderate sleep apnea (early numbers) and your highly positional sleep apnea, I'd really want to experiment with that - even if you continue your CPAP journey.
For a rare few people (like me), it's almost impossible to sleep in any position other than one's back, due possibly to other issues. As a result though, I certainly pay for it considerably, thanks to gravity.
Thanks for your reply! What kind of pillow do you think could be helpful?
