Chris8243 Therapy Thread

[Chris8243]

i'm just commenting about xylitol. have you tried two lozenges, one on each side of your mouth?

I did use two Xylitol tablets last night. Felt like a chipmunk, but it seemed to help!

[Pugsy]

Part of your leak line showing increasing isn't necessarily all from excess leaks.
Part of it is simply from the mask's expected vent rate. As your pressure increases so will the vent rate and your machine reports total leak which is vent rate/intentional leak plus any excess leak. I don't see any large leak flagging on the Events graph despite the time over red line statistic showing some time in large leak. That particular statistic is often in error because SH bases the excess leak calculation on a wrong base line number. It's based on 24 L/min red line threshold that is what ResMed uses but it is NOT what Respironics uses.

Actually Respironics machines don't have a static number for large leak territory red line threshold. Respironics machines red line moves with the pressure...so if you don't see large leak flags (that LL line on the Events graph) flagged...you didn't go into large leak territory despite what the statistic says.

Now it is possible that you did have some excess leaks and those leaks disturbed your sleep but you didn't make it to large leak territory.
If they hadn't woke you up it wouldn't be a problem.

If you want to fix the red line threshold so it reflects more accurately your Resprionics leak numbers go to Preferences/CPAP tab and change the 24 L/min to something more in line with what Respironics would be using at your pressures...hard to say exactly because that number varies but something around 60 to 70 L/min.
Or just turn it off and rely on the Events graph for large leak flagging. In this situation the Events graph trumps the SH statistic.

[Chris8243]

Thank you Pugsy, I will make that adjustment on Sleepyhead. I'm not "worried" about the leaks as much as they definitely disturb my sleep when air is blowing on my face and/or it sounds like a wild wind storm outside. I used to be a "dead to the world" sleeper where nothing bothered me, not even the alarm(s) in the morning.

[zonker]

i'm just commenting about xylitol. have you tried two lozenges, one on each side of your mouth?

I did use two Xylitol tablets last night. Felt like a chipmunk, but it seemed to help!

oh, excellent! and i'm glad that i mentioned it, not only for your benefit, but mine. i've been using two myself for a very long time. but i've noticed recently that i may have been overdoing it. wasn't exactly drooling but was getting quite a bit of saliva build up. after recommending two to you, i cut down to one myself.

felt a bit, uh, "dryer" this morning. so, good results for both of us!

[Chris8243]

Last night my OA's were minimal, yay! But still not sleeping well. Chart shows a large leak, which I apparently slept thru or it wouldn't have continued. I did wake up repeatedly to adjust the mask when the air leaks were bugging me. Got a new one yesterday, Resmed P20. I know it will take lots of adjustments until I get it just right, it's not a quick fix.

But with so much snoring still showing up, does that mean anything? Should I increase my minimum pressure to 10? It seems that my EPAP is 10-ish so if I increase the minimum, would that cancel out and I'd essentially get no pressure relief when exhaling? I'm using Respironics Dreamstation and I have the "Flex" set to 3, the highest setting.

[zonker]

But with so much snoring still showing up, does that mean anything? Should I increase my minimum pressure to 10?

judging from the advice given to other users in the past, i'd say yes, bump your minimum. i've read here before, i think from palerider, that raising the minimum is the only way to eliminate snoring.

[Chris8243]

I rasied the pressure to 10 last night. AHI = 2.1, less snoring but still a lot. Don't feel terrible today but right now my therapy is not effective, I know that.

It's the stupid masks that are getting me down, or up, as I keep waking up from the noise and air blowing on my cheeks. So frustrating. Used Amara View for well over a year, tried ResMed Airfit F30, now on ResMed Airfit F20. My problem is I continue having leaks which disturb my sleep daily, and sometimes my husband's sleep if it's really loud (major leak on Sleepyhead.)

I bought a Pad-A-Cheek for Amara view and also have cut my own fabric liners. So tried that.

Ughhh.

[zonker]

I rasied the pressure to 10 last night. AHI = 2.1, less snoring but still a lot. Don't feel terrible today but right now my therapy is not effective, I know that.

It's the stupid masks that are getting me down, or up, as I keep waking up from the noise and air blowing on my cheeks. So frustrating. Used Amara View for well over a year, tried ResMed Airfit F30, now on ResMed Airfit F20. My problem is I continue having leaks which disturb my sleep daily, and sometimes my husband's sleep if it's really loud (major leak on Sleepyhead.)

I bought a Pad-A-Cheek for Amara view and also have cut my own fabric liners. So tried that.

Ughhh.

and as you already know, one night isn't a trend. so there's that.

as to leaks, have you tried going to you tube and searching for any mask fitting videos specific to your mask?

[Chris8243]

as to leaks, have you tried going to you tube and searching for any mask fitting videos specific to your mask?

I have. Looked at manufacturer's videos, Jason's videos, random videos, seems there's not much to it. Tighten velcro straps evenly. Don't smash the thing onto your face. Adjust it lying down with machine on. Pull on it away from your face to let it resettle.

I just don't know what else to do.

But thank you for reading my posts Zonker. Maybe I just need to get some scruncis to clamp my head shut.

[zonker]

as to leaks, have you tried going to you tube and searching for any mask fitting videos specific to your mask?

I have. Looked at manufacturer's videos, Jason's videos, random videos, seems there's not much to it. Tighten velcro straps evenly. Don't smash the thing onto your face. Adjust it lying down with machine on. Pull on it away from your face to let it resettle.

I just don't know what else to do.

But thank you for reading my posts Zonker. Maybe I just need to get some scruncis to clamp my head shut.

we will wait for people who know more things to tell US more things!

if you want, i can go on and on and on and on about my scunci rig, complete with picture!!

[Pugsy]

How many sessions are showing below the statistics columns?

Do you remember turning the machine off and on that many times? If so, your sleep quality is in the toilet and you aren't going to feel those good numbers until you sleep more solidly.

[Chris8243]

How many sessions are showing below the statistics columns?

Do you remember turning the machine off and on that many times? If so, your sleep quality is in the toilet and you aren't going to feel those good numbers until you sleep more solidly.

Last night it shows 7 sessions. Twice I turned the machine off & on, trying to get the mask to stop leaking. The 2nd time I left it off for over an hour, fell asleep apparently, but when I woke still had the mask on and turned the machine back on. Looking now, I see the night before (posted) had 8 sessions.

What constitutes a "session" besides an obvious "on/off" of the machine?

[zoocrewphoto]

as to leaks, have you tried going to you tube and searching for any mask fitting videos specific to your mask?

I have. Looked at manufacturer's videos, Jason's videos, random videos, seems there's not much to it. Tighten velcro straps evenly. Don't smash the thing onto your face. Adjust it lying down with machine on. Pull on it away from your face to let it resettle.

I just don't know what else to do.

But thank you for reading my posts Zonker. Maybe I just need to get some scruncis to clamp my head shut.

Are you putting the mask on kind of at an angle and then bringing it down? I use a different full face mask, but that is what I was taught to do. Also, where is it leaking? Right away, or later in the night? When I had leaks at my eyes, I was told that my mask was too high on my face. Not by much, but just a little bit. I learned to put it on a twink lower, and thatsolved that problem.

[Chris8243]

Are you putting the mask on kind of at an angle and then bringing it down? I use a different full face mask, but that is what I was taught to do. Also, where is it leaking? Right away, or later in the night? When I had leaks at my eyes, I was told that my mask was too high on my face. Not by much, but just a little bit. I learned to put it on a twink lower, and thatsolved that problem.

I place the mask against my face & then put the straps over my head. Turn on the machine and if all is good, try to fall asleep. It leaks on the sides, on my cheeks. I am a side sleeper. When I'm woken up, I try to get it adjusted. Sometimes that means holding it to my face, sometimes I pull it away to try to get it to seal again, I will try to adjust the velcro again, it's all so frustrating. Usually I roll over then to the other side. I'm comfortable lying on my back but don't seem to fall asleep that way. Sometimes I give up & take it off so I can get some sleep.

[Chris8243]

Still not sleeping well. Mask still leaking every single day. Sleep doc can't help but I made an appt anyway, but no openings for 6 weeks.

Frustrated. Feel like giving up.