Still snoring after 2 years

[Taheerah]

Hi all,

It has been a while. I am back and I was hoping to get some advise on my husbands therapy which doesn't seem to work for him.

It has been 2 years and he still hasn't got used to the CPAP. Whenever he sleeps with it, he can't sleep, he tosses and turns and keeps snoring. The tossing could be me desperately trying to turn him to his right side as that is the only position he doesn't snore in.

Initially the doctor had given him the Cpap with a set pressure but we have then later on 'upgraded' it to an Auto one as the pressure did not seem to be sufficient as he was still snoring.

He has tried the neck collar which he dislikes as it gives him very bad neck ache. The collar was the only thing that kept him from snoring so I was hoping to maybe find a pillow or something that can have the same effect with more comfort.

I really don't know what else we can do. I would appreciate any advise that can assist us.

I already purchased the snuggle hose as well as mask liners as well as pads for his nose to make it easier but nothing seems to be able to do the trick.
The next step is to sleep in separate beds but that would mean that he won't proceed with the therapy which I would like to avoid at all costs.

Thanks a lot in advance!

[zoocrewphoto]

It sounds like the machine was never set to to the right settings for your husband. The only way to do that is to look at the data and make adjustments based on that data.

Please read the newbie post at the top. Download sleepyhead and post graphs of a typical night (the directions are in that post).

Then we can help you with settings that will be more comfortable and more effective.

[palerider]

Generally, snoring means the pressure is too low.

[Taheerah]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

[Taheerah]

Could a different mask help at all? He is using the Amara view full face mask right now. I don't understand why the collar helps and nothing else.
I will make sure to read the post. Thanks a lot for that!

[zoocrewphoto]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

20 is the highest it can go, BUT! He may not need it that high. It sounds like he has never gotten comfortable with the machine yet, so it is really hard to know if those settings are useful or not. If the pressure feels like too much, he may need to start at a lower pressure and get used to it. And he may not need that high. It is also possible that the mask is uncomfortable. It could be the wring style, wrong size, or just need better fitting. The more you can tell us about his struggles, the more we can help to solve each problem and get him closer to success.

[palerider]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

14 (the pressure to stop the snoring) isn't the highest it'll go, and respironics machines are chronically slow to respond to needs.

[Taheerah]

Thanks so much. It means a lot having this support. He is using the Amara full face mask as it was the only one that initially had no leaks and fit him. We had started off with a nose mask only but the snoring was much more so he then swapped to the full face mask. He is finding it very uncomfortable as it is very bulky and it was leaking so we got mask liners which helped with the air leaks. The snoring still persists so that bothers me more than him as I have sleepless nights.

As for him, he doesn't feel very rested in the mornings and he is not able to get comfortable hence I am looking if we can find an alternative as a mask.
The problem is that our insurance doesn't cover sleep apnea anymore so whatever we purchase we have to pay out of our own pockets.

Please feel free to let me know if you require further information.
In regards of the pressure we had tried less but the snores were much stronger.

[Taheerah]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

14 (the pressure to stop the snoring) isn't the highest it'll go, and respironics machines are chronically slow to respond to needs.

Oh I didn't know that. Do you think increasing minimum pressure might help?

[palerider]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

14 (the pressure to stop the snoring) isn't the highest it'll go, and respironics machines are chronically slow to respond to needs.

Oh I didn't know that. Do you think increasing minimum pressure might help?

Quite possibly. That's what the machines are *supposed* to do in response to snoring.

[Taheerah]

That might be an idea as we haven't yet tried that. The doctor was very hesitant to put the minimum pressure above 8 and only after we insisted he did it for us till we found out we can adjust it at home. Is anyone here using such high pressures and how common is it? The sleep apnea was mild/ moderate when he first got tested.

[palerider]

Is anyone here using such high pressures and how common is it? The sleep apnea was mild/ moderate when he first got tested.

Some are.

The 'severity' of sleep apnea is how often someone's breathing is blocked. That has nothing at all to do with what it will take to keep the airway open.

[Taheerah]

Good to know. Thakns for that. We will give it a try for sure.

[zoocrewphoto]

Thanks all! I will make sure to upload the data as soon as he has used the machine for a while again as he recently started using it again after a few weeks without it. The pressure is set on 14- 20 which I believe is the highest it can go on the auto CPAP.

14 (the pressure to stop the snoring) isn't the highest it'll go, and respironics machines are chronically slow to respond to needs.

Oh I didn't know that. Do you think increasing minimum pressure might help?

It would really help to see the data from a typical night. If you will download sleepyhead and post the graphs from a typical night, we can help you better.

Also, if the nasal mask was comfortable, you can still use it. The snoring is because the settings aren't ideal for him. Not because of a specific mask.