Confusion after one week using CPAP

[surf_rower]

Hello all,
This forum has been helpful already... I have been reading posts for newbies. Here is my problem: After one week with my Zest nasal mask, skin is coming off my big long nose so I would like to try the Tap Pap that some of you have recommended. First, I have a few questions about my machine. It is REMstar Pro C-Flex+ with Zest nasal mask. It is very loud. We are used to sleeping with white noise machines so it doesn't bother us, but it seems very loud when other machines/masks are being described as quiet. It could bother people in the next hotel room, for example. Questions:
1. Does the mask type change the loudness of the machine itself?
2. If a machine is set at pressure of 6, as mine is, does that number correlate to the number of apneas per hour? My OSA was described as "sever" but 6 seems like a low setting.
3. Is it common to be a million times more exhausted in the first week than before getting the mask? I am tolerating the mask fairly well and slept all through one night, but was terribly sleepy and depressed the next day. Sleepiness had not been one of my symptoms before.
Thanks for any insights!

[pootsie]

The pressure and AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) do not necessarily correlate.

AHI measures how often, on average, the airway is closed or restricted.

The pressure is measured in CmH2o, meaning 6 is enough pressure to lift a column of water 6 centimeters.

The pressure is based on the provider's analysis of what it takes to keep the airway open, which does not always directly relate to how often it is closed or restricted.

[kaiasgram]

surf_rower, the loudness of your machine might be affected by whatever surface you have the machine sitting on -- in case it's helpful to others I put my comment in a new thread: viewtopic/t90280/Table-surface-affects- ... dness.html

[caffeinatedcfo]

I would ad re: #3 that I was on a bit of a roller-coaster my first few weeks due to my body adjusting to this alien on my face, as well as my new sleep patterns. There is a commonly referred to concept of "paying back sleep debt" too and could simply be your body finally giving in as it realizes what good sleep really is.

[surf_rower]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the replies. I am going to switch to nasal pillow type and see if that is better. Now of course, after stopping CPAP entirely I am sleeping much better.

[Pugsy]

Have you made use of the data that your machine collects to evaluate your therapy?
Maybe something is not optimal....leaks maybe impacting therapy...check out the links in my signature for information on the software.

Since you are new to cpap therapy and mention the Remstar Pro with CFlex I assume you likely have a Phillips Respironics System One Pro with CFlex and it will be either 450 or 460 model (3 digit number on the bottom of the blower) and there is software you can use to make sure that nothing on the software reports is pointing to something that needs fixing and might be impacting how restful your sleep is.

If you aren't sleeping well....need to figure out why and what to do to fix it if at all possible.
Going without the machine is not a good option or habit to start.

[surf_rower]

Thanks Pugsy, yes that's my machine. I will talk to them about the software. I was not tired before using CPAP but now I am very tired, and even some days I wake up quite depressed, and was not depressed before. It will be a challenge to comply.

[Pugsy]

If your machine is a 450 or 460 machine you can get your own software.
Take a look here. Send me a private message if you want to try EncoreBasic but I would suggest you start with SleepyHead first.
It's easier and more fun.
Pugsy's Pointers...software install tips viewtopic/t88972/Pugsys-PointersSoftwar ... hints.html
Pugsy's Pointers... understanding your data viewtopic/t88983/Pugsys-PointersSleepyH ... nding.html

[surf_rower]

Thanks everybody, sorry for long delay. Things are going much better now. I like the nasal pillows and the sleepiness went away. Since the sleepiness started in January and the machine in June, I think it was unrelated. Maybe I had mild Lyme disease or something like that. Or, maybe the apneas were finally catching up with me.
I will report more about my first two months of therapy in a new post.
Thanks again.