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New to CPAP
#1
New to CPAP
Hi all,

After many years of feeling exhausted and numerous doctors visits ( the general consensus was go for a run) I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. This was only down to the fact I moved to another country and my new doctor just happened to ask after taking my blood pressure " how do you sleep" to which I replied okish but I always feel tired. So after 2 sleep tests and an average AHI of 65 I have been given a ResMed airsense 10 autoset with a Resmed Quattro FX mask. I must say I am probably doing what every newbie does,,I am pleased to have a solution but trying to adjust to the thought of sleeping attached to a machine. Incidentally my sleep doctor said to try and use the machine without humidification first, do you know why this would be suggested?

So its will be my first night tonight hooked up and I know I have to give it time, I am happy to have a solution as the last couple of years have been a real struggle.

Thanks for to the forum for some great reading and look forward to keeping you all updated on progress.
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#2
RE: New to CPAP
Welcome, 
I'm not sure why he would recommend using it without humidification first. I generally don't use the humidifier but most people do use it and like it. I noticed in your profile you don't have your pressure settings listed, do you know what they are? If so you could update your profile to include them.Your machine is capable of recording detailed data if it has an SD card in the slot, it is common for there not to be one from the DME, if not and you wish to use SleepyHead you can get a standard SD card anywhere for less than $10.00. Get it in the machine so you will have detailed data to post if you want help with issues in the future the data will be there. 


Dave
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#3
RE: New to CPAP
Hi Swisssleeper, welcome. You don't show in your profile your pressure settings, but hopefully it is something a bit better than 4-20 default. Get the free #Sleepyhead software so you can see your therapy results and start the process of fine-tuning. Also, you can get the provider manual for your Autoset at the CPAP Manuals link at the top of this page.

The humidifier is a comfort feature an most people use it. It conditions the air you receive and can avoid the discomfort of dry cool air hitting nasal passages. At the very least i would put water in the chamber and allow for passive humidification, then apply the heated humidity settings to where you are comfortable. Excess humidity can lead to congestion, but I can't think of a good reason to do without it. Good luck, and keep us posted how it goes.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: New to CPAP
Hi Sleeprider & Davepaulson,

Thanks for the welcome, the machine has an SD card as the clinic want me to go back in two weeks for a review and every 4 weeks thereafter for six months. I will also download the software sleepyhead so I have my own records which I can ask the advice of all the forum users, as you guys probably know more than most!

The clinic set the minimum as 4 and max as 14 with an auto ramp up and auto detection, I am not sure if I have explained that right but that's what they told me. Thanks for the information on the humidifier, I will give it a go without and see how I get on, although the air can be very dry here in winter.

Thanks again.
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#5
RE: New to CPAP
Do not hesitate to increase the minimum pressure to a more comfortable, higher pressure if you feel air starved, or have untreated obstructive apnea. The Autoset is pretty good at increasing pressure as needed, but in the long run, it is best to avoid big pressure changes which are disruptive to sleep and can leave some events untreated. For most people, a minimum pressure of 6 is far more comfortable. I would set the humidity on Auto with a setting of 3. That is very conservative, and I would guess you will want higher humidity in dryer conditions. The highest humidity is possible with manual settings for humidity and tube temperature.

You are using a very good, but very cumbersome full face mask with the Quattro. If you are able to tolerate nasal therapy (no mouth leaks) you will find a nasal pillows mask just about 1000x more comfortable and less obtrusive. You might want to try it eventually. I have used the Resmed Airfit P10 and its predecessors since 2008 and never used a full face. Unless you KNOW you need a full face mask, give the nasal pillows a try when possible.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#6
RE: New to CPAP
Thanks for the input, I will let you know how I get on. The reason the doc gave me the full face mask is I am a mouth breather, I snore like a banshee and my suffering wife tells me it's all through my mouth. I would agree though when we did the fitting I felt like a bad extra in top gun as it felt so cumbersome, let's see what happens.
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#7
RE: New to CPAP
It is not uncommon or CPAP to open the respiratory passages and facilitate nasal breathing. Let's face it, when your airway is obstructed, the natural reaction is for the mouth to open during an arousal and clear the obstruction, usually with a loud snore or snort. We all experience this. When using nasal therapy, your natural tendency and ability to breath through the nose is quickly restored. Some people cannot use nasal therapy due to mouth breathing, but I would guess about 70% are able to use it effectively and comfortably.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#8
Thumbsup 
RE: New to CPAP
I wouldn't have thought about that and I will mention it to the doctor. I have updated the settings for the humidity and starting pressure, thanks for helping a newbie out.
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#9
RE: New to CPAP
I don't believe it's been mentioned; you will find it helpful to get the clinician setup manual for instructions on how to adjust settings. You can get the manual for your machine by email. Go here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

Scroll down to section 3 for the instructions on how to get the manual.
Download OSCAR

Organize Charts
Attaching Charts

Mask Primer
Soft Cervical Collar

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

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#10
RE: New to CPAP
Hi Swisssleeper,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you as you start CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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