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+--- Thread: One week in+ No joy (/Thread-One-week-in-No-joy)
One week in+ No joy - SCgargoyle - 03-02-2021
A week ago, I started on the path of CPAP therapy. So far, not so good. Leaks, leaks, leaks, and rising AHI. Some background:
I'm 67, male, non-smoker, very healthy, exercise regularly, and am very active, working on our rural property. I don't have the usual apnea symptoms. I rarely snore, I sleep 4-6 hours a night, and wake up rested and ready to go. No day-time sleepiness. No headaches. I had a sleep study done because my cardiologist suspected OSA. I do have very minor breathing issues during the day, as yet, undiagnosed. I did a home sleep study, and posted an AHI of 16, and more concerning, by SpO2 was as low as 76%.
The first night, I took the thing off after an hour. The second night, I toughed it out, but had 32% large leaks. The next night, I had 77% leakage! I kept fooling around with the mask (ResMed AirFit F30i), and got my leaks down as low as 3%, but my AHI keeps climbing. The mask itself is unworkable. It only seals if it is painfully tight. My face hurts all night, and my nose is numb. I tried a completely different mask last night (ResMed AirTouch F20), which was very comfortable, but kept leaking. I kept adjusting it, and it would seal for a while, then leak some more. Apparently, the memory foam doesn't have a very good memory. By morning, the only way it would seal was to push it on very hard with my hand- hardly a practical solution. Last night, my AHI was over 13. It's been climbing every night.
The machine is only set from 7.0 to 10.0, which seems rather low to me. I do know how to change it, but want to see if I can get a better mask first. My DME provider has a choice of three masks. Period. The third one is a nasal pillow, but I need a mask, as I tend to mouth breathe from time to time. A little research online shows dozens of mask choices, but I have no way to try them out.
In one week, I've gone from sleeping well and waking up rested to being tired, grouchy, and I have a sore nose and face. I read somewhere that the drop-out rate for CPAP users is 50%- I can see why! I ordered a sleep oximeter to use to see what's going on with my O2 levels at night. I got flamed pretty hard on another forum for asking about oximeters, so I'll drop it if that's a taboo subject.
That's my story, such as it is. I downloaded Oscar, and can access my daily reports. The oximeter I ordered is supposed to work with Oscar as well. I have an appointment with the pulmonologist in April, but I may contact them sooner to find out about a better DME supplier. Thanks for listening!
RE: One week in+ No joy - staceyburke - 03-02-2021
I own F30I mask and it work great with very little strap pressure. I think you have over tightened it. Give it another try with much less tension. You can do it before you go to bed to test it. Again light tension.
RE: One week in+ No joy - Melman - 03-02-2021
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to learn you're having such a struggle with mask fit. Have you read the mask primer? See the link below. It may be helpful. Have you tried the AirFit F20. It's the same as the Airtouch but without the memory foam. The AirFit cushion will fit in the same mask frame. You may find it less prone to leakage. Since you seem to know about OSCAR I assume you have an SD card in your machine and a reader on your PC. If you post some OSCAR data we will be able to advise you on pressure settings. See the links below for how to organize and post data. There is a lot of expertise and help fulmembers in the forum and I'm sure you will get some good help.
RE: One week in+ No joy - SCgargoyle - 03-02-2021
I've been all over the map on mask settings, from completely loose to circulation-stopping tight. I had the so-called tech at the provider go through it with me again, to see if I was missing something. Sadly, in a week's time I seem to know more about this than they do. I'll check and see if they have an AirFit cushion. I can order one on-line, if not. I have a beard, which doesn't help, but my leak problems are mostly around my nose, shooting air up into my eyes.
I have OSCAR, and put an SD card into my machine. I also found out that my equipment provider had not linked me up to be in the network, which means my Dr. wasn't getting the data. Ummm- isn't that the point?
I'll fool with it a bit longer, then put a call into my Dr. to see if they can hook me up with a better DME provider.
RE: One week in+ No joy - Melman - 03-02-2021
The beard may be an issue but not necessarily. I've been using the F20 for several years and had a beard for one year but no leak problems. Keep in mind that what works for me may not work for you. I suggested the AirFit 20 simply because you found the airtouch to be comfortable. Unfortunately leaks into the eyes is one of the biggest problems with full face masks. The F20 is the only one that has worked well for me.
RE: One week in+ No joy - SCgargoyle - 03-02-2021
What's odd is that the mask fits so well initially. It seems to compress after a while and then leaks. I really thought I had the solution. I assume the Airfit puffs up under air pressure to maintain a seal?
RE: One week in+ No joy - Sleeprider - 03-02-2021
Have you considered or tried nasal pillows. They are the easiest interface to seal, but if you relax your jaw too much you may lose pressure through your mouth. It's worth a try if you've never done it.
RE: One week in+ No joy - SCgargoyle - 03-02-2021
I don't reliably breathe through my nose, especially during allergy season (just weeks away).
RE: One week in+ No joy - Gideon - 03-02-2021
The Pap pressure does promote nasal breathing in some of us, myself included.
Post a copy of your nightly charts so we can see what is going on.
On O2 Sats, We really do not care about low numbers because that is likely a spike, we do care about duration at pressure. (Durations of minutes at 90% and 88% are considered critical levels by different doctors)
And talking about oximeters is definitely allowed here and I was going to suggest you get one, even if just for your peace of mind.
RE: One week in+ No joy - SarcasticDave94 - 03-02-2021
Welcome and likely your best bet on a new supplier DME is to call your insurance customer service and find 4-5 nearby in-network offices that aren't your current. Search info on them on the internet and call to get an idea how they'd treat you. Choose the one you like best and that issued ResMed PAP machines.