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Snoring, mouth breather. - Amerikiwi1 - 03-08-2021
Hi Everyone and thanks for this forum and Oscar.
I am 61 and new to CPAP therapy. I bough a Resmed Airsense 10 auto set and have been using it for 40 days now. I use a F20 full mask.
I have a Toshiba Flashair w-02 and use Flashpap to download my data into Oscar every morning.
I am a side sleeper and heavy mouth breather. I do not get good sleeps and cannot remember the last time I used a alarm clock to wake me.
I do not have sleep apnea but are a heavy snorer, 6" 2" and 240lbs.
So I am making slight adjustments to my machine and it has eliminated my snoring and are getting better sleeps, but not great sleeps.
My flow rates are quite erratic and seem to coincide with resp. rate, leaks, pressure and mask pressure.
Been concerned with my flow rates I tried for the 1st time last night taping my mouth shut and this made a huge difference to my flow rate this morning. I did not get a good sleep as it will take time getting used to mouth taping.
I have attached my stats. so far and flow rates from the last two nights one with tape and one without and taken around midnight.
I do have narrow airways, get blocked ears and have tinnitus and cannot breathe freely through my nose, but I feel mouth taping with a slit cut in it to relieve some pressure puts me on the right track.
Any advise would be great. Thanks.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Sleeprider - 03-08-2021
You have been gradually increasing your minimum pressure and have excellent results. I think increasing minimum pressure to 8.0 and taking EPR to 3 will take the edge off just a bit. The respiration rate is in error where there are erratic fluctuations during expiration. The machine detects those excursions above zero flow as a breath trigger. I don't know from what little we have seen, what might be causing that. Are you aware of any movement like restless legs?
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Amerikiwi1 - 03-08-2021
(03-08-2021, 02:57 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: You have been gradually increasing your minimum pressure and have excellent results. I think increasing minimum pressure to 8.0 and taking EPR to 3 will take the edge off just a bit. The respiration rate is in error where there are erratic fluctuations during expiration. The machine detects those excursions above zero flow as a breath trigger. I don't know from what little we have seen, what might be causing that. Are you aware of any movement like restless legs?
Thanks Sleeprider.
I'll try those settings and keep using the tape. My graphs just after one night look so much better using tape?
Pretty much sleep in one place and do not have restless legs (that I know of).
Here is two more full night graphs, last night with tape and previous night without tape been much more erratic.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Sleeprider - 03-08-2021
The very long inspiration time on the chart 3/7 marked without tape is suggestive of flow limitation, but the other chart seems closer to normal. We probably need to get a closer look at what is going on. You say you cannot breathe nasally. What is the problem? Congestion, mouth leaks, inhale/exhale?
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Amerikiwi1 - 03-08-2021
(03-08-2021, 05:33 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: The very long inspiration time on the chart 3/7 marked without tape is suggestive of flow limitation, but the other chart seems closer to normal. We probably need to get a closer look at what is going on. You say you cannot breathe nasally. What is the problem? Congestion, mouth leaks, inhale/exhale?
I have a deviated septum and as long as I can remember have mouth breathed day and night. It's just easier. I do get congestion and allergies, get blocked ears when flying, can't scuba dive etc. and have a nasal drip most mornings, but I can breathe nasally (some days better than others) and I need to train myself to do this. This is why I'm trying the tape in conjunction with the Resmed.
I do feel pretty good today after only using tape for one night.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Sleeprider - 03-08-2021
Do me a favor and find a way to try the Resmed Airfit P10 nasal pillows. You will learn to breathe through your nose again. I promise. The positive pressure will expand the nasal passages and relieve any congestion. At the same time it does not apply pressure to your sinuses and that will also free things up. I have a deviated septum and seasonal allergies and have never used a full face mask. I won't steer you wrong, and what I'm suggesting could be life-changing. If I'm wrong, you're out $90. If I'm right, you get to feel normal.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Amerikiwi1 - 03-08-2021
(03-08-2021, 08:17 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: Do me a favor and find a way to try the Resmed Airfit P10 nasal pillows. You will learn to breathe through your nose again. I promise. The positive pressure will expand the nasal passages and relieve any congestion. At the same time it does not apply pressure to your sinuses and that will also free things up. I have a deviated septum and seasonal allergies and have never used a full face mask. I won't steer you wrong, and what I'm suggesting could be life-changing. If I'm wrong, you're out $90. If I'm right, you get to feel normal.
Thanks for all your help Sleeprider.
I'll search around for the Nasal pillows as they are $299 here in NZ and there does not seem to be a fitment guide so have to buy the kit with the 3 sizes.
For testing and trial and error purposes would using the F20 full mask with mouth tape simulate the P10 pillows by forcing air directly into the nostrils?
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Sleeprider - 03-09-2021
I don't see how a F20 mask could ever resemble a P10. That price is insane at over twice what we pay here. Any chance you can source through Supplier #2 or Supplier #33 in U.S. and pay the shipping? That price obviously changes my calculus of value. The Airfit P10 is $64 USD $90 NZD at Supplier #33, and they have capacity for international shipping.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Crimson Nape - 03-09-2021
Amerikiwi1 - Your taping experiment will not prove anything about using a P10. The biggest difference between an FFM and a Nasal Pillow is the difference in air pressure in and around the nose. Using an FFM, the air pressure is equal both inside and outside the nose area, leaving the nose in a natural condition. Whereas, a Nasal Pillow mask increases the air pressure inside the nose only, thus expanding the nasal airway. A closer approximation, while not exact, would be the application of several Breathe-Right strips.
RE: Snoring, mouth breather. - Amerikiwi1 - 03-09-2021
Thanks for the comments.
Eden Sleep here in NZ have offered to let me trial the P10 Nasal Pillows for two weeks, so I will do that.
Sleeprider - I tried those suppliers but they want another $95 USD for shipping!!
No good deals on Amazon or Ebay. I'll keep looking.