[Diagnosis] 2.5 years trying to figure this out.

[Deborah K.]

If you cut the Theraband long enough to extend well beyond the ends of your lips and go past that to create your tab you should have no leaks at all and not need any other tape.  No air gets through mine and I got a 0.0 last night.

[bwca1963]

Update:  Saturday 11/9/2024

Feeling like we are heading in the right direction for sure. 

Setting the trigger to very high definitely made a difference on the central clusters and how I feel. 

I was able to control the mouth leaks last night by using three pieces of cover roll tape ( 1 horizontal & 2 vertical). The Theraband Kinesiology Tape is very comfortable but it is porous. I'm sealed up in the morning around the edges but if I blow, air flows through the tape and the oscar shows huge leaks. I'm confident now that I can take care of the mouth leaks with some combination of cover-roll, kinesiology and athletic tape. Maybe if I get the cpap settings dialed in, I will not be fighting it so hard and be able to use one piece of kinesiology tape like a normal person   or have a FFM work for me also.

I got a 8" wedge pillow and trying stay on my side. Zzoma belt did not make it here yet. 

Is there a way to show the trigger setting in the left hand column?


This will be life changing if we figure this out. 

[airmax]

keep us updated!

[bwca1963]

Used the Nuance Pro pillow mask but moved the setting on the cpap machine to full face mask. Also bumped ipap & epap  pressure up just a tad.  I'm going to stay here for awhile unless someone with experience has other suggestions for me. I would like to get the Oscar flatter between REM but very thrilled that it looks like ( at least to me) that I can do this around these pressures on Vauto. Before joining this Forum, I was on Bi Level 13/18 and I was really struggling (gas, aerophagia & leaks). 

I am wondering if I should be concerned with the flow limit spikes that are showing up on the Oscar report? 
Also, I have absolutely no problem with aerophagia so I can go up with the pressure if needed.  

Have a good Sunday! 

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

My £0.02 is that you should leave it as is for a while longer. The FL spikes are not a concern at the moment as the 95% is 0.0. A good rule of thumb is to focus on the 95%, not the 99.5%.

You have a small amount of arousals going on, but nothing to be concerned with unless it is disturbing your sleep.

[Deborah K.]

You talk about blowing through the kinesiology tape and air escaping. While asleep a person never blows out, they just exhale gently. Try a long enough piece of the tape alone. I think you'll be happy to see that it works great.

[bwca1963]

I agree, it's a mystery.
I went for about six months thinking it was the mask leaking but when I started using three pieces of tape,  the leaks went away on the oscar report. I did try a very large piece of kinesiology tape but had big leaks. The kinesiology tape was all sealed up around the edges in the morning. I also purse my lips together tight when applying the tape so the tape is not even touching my lips.  A neck collar also helps keep my mouth closed but that's just another thing to wear. I need to find a way to record myself to try to see what the heck I am doing. But yes, when I wake up in the morning I am gently breathing and totally comfortable. The kinesiology tape and cover roll will stretch if you pull in one direction but not the other. I think that is the main reason putting on multiple pieces in two different directions works. I must try really hard to open my mouth and the lack of stretch keeps it shut. That's also why the hockey tape works.
That's probably the big question. If I'm on cpap and breathing well through my nose, why would I be trying so hard to get my mouth open when I fall asleep? Assuming that is what's going on.

[bwca1963]

Experienced my first cold ( stuffy running nose) since I started cpap 2.5 years ago. Went a few nights not using cpap and didn't sleep much then went to the F20 and ripped the memory foam.
I'm attaching a report from the 20th ( P10 with mouth tape) and last night (F20 with silicone mask). Oscar always looks cleaner with pillow mask but I question if somehow I'm possibly starving myself of air with taping the mouth shut because I end up fighting through the tape whatever I do. Almost as if when I go into a deep sleep I only try to breath through my mouth even though it's taped shut. 

Anyway, that brings me to the F20. With a FFM I just open up my mouth and don't use my nose at all even when awake. Seem to always show obstructive events but they could be false ( I attached a close up of three). 

I also had the machine set on FFM both nights even though I had the P10 on one of those nights. 

Thinking with my nasal issues and the urge to breath through my mouth, I should just stay with a full face mask. 

Wondering if you see any opportunities to clean things up with any changes? 

Thanks

[Deborah K.]

Your leaks are nice and low, and not high enough to cause you any problems.  I would stick with the pillows mask, use one piece of tape, and stop worrying.  

[bwca1963]

I appreciate the advice. 
About three years ago I had the bright idea of fixing my snoring by taping my mouth when sleeping ( got that idea from a podcast).  So I had sleep apnea ( didn't know it) and I was taping my mouth shut. After awhile I started to have a strange feeling in my chest and found out my heart was skipping a beat every few beats. 

Nasal pillows and tape are definitely more comfortable than FFM and the Oscar report looks far less erratic but as I'm getting over this cold I have noticed that when I use the F20, I feel perfect the next day (heart beating as it should). 

I'm not worried but just trying to figure out the best system for me. 
I know my Oscar reports looks much smoother with the pillows/tape and it is erratic with the full face mask ( same pressure). But at least at these settings the FFM keeps my heart ticking like it should. 

It seems using cpap actually can determine my heart rhythm the next day.  The two nights last week that I did not use cpap, I had that feeling in my chest and the pulse rate confirmed my heart was skipping once every five or six beats. 

Attaching last night's Oscar zoomed out and a few close ups. Every breath is like a snowflake: they all have there own unique shape