New to CPAP

[mp6617]

Hi.
I'm new to CPAP therapy and I'm really struggling. I'm getting absolutely zero sleep and I'm so exhausted I just wanna cry and throw my machine into the street. I have a ResMed AirSense 11 Autoset with that stupid F20 full face mask. I've tried a different sized mask, I've tried sleep aids, I've tried all decaf and sleep aids, and I've tried sleeping with the tv going like I normally would some nights. Nothing is helping and I don't even know why for sure. I have anxiety and Tourette Syndrome which are two problem issues that I've had my whole life. I have COPD and I would quit breathing once every 4 min which the therapist said was 16 times an hr. How is it I'm even still alive? I can't turn the tube heat up or the humidity because I can't breathe with it higher than the lowest setting. The mask keeps leaking despite it saying I have a great mask seal. I don't know whether to keep paying for the different masks and keep trying different ones or if I'm just never gonna sleep again.

Has anyone else had a similar issue that could offer any advice?

[Julie]

Can you download Oscar (see Stickies top of pg) and post results on Imgur.com but leave a link to that in this thread? The forum's postings are full, so won't accept new ones (tho' you may get lucky today). The results will be interpreted for you by experts here who'll suggest anything that might need adjusting.

[Miss Emerita]

Welcome! As Julie mentions, it'd be very helpful if you could use Oscar and provide a chart. Does that seem feasible?

Could you tell us a little about the results of your sleep study? Do you know what your AHI was, and do you know its breakdown into obstructive apneas, central apneas, and hypopneas? If you have a copy of your study, could you share an image of it on Imgur? (Blank out any personal information first.)

When did you start trying to use your machine? One technique that can be helpful is to set the machine up outside your bedroom during the day or evening and use it for a few hours while you read, watch TV, or do something else low-key. The idea is that this helps you get used to the way the machine and mask feel without the pressure of trying to fall asleep. You could do this for several days before trying again to use the machine at night.

Do you breathe through your nose during the day? If so, I wonder whether you could use a nasal pillow mask. What do you think?

[mp6617]

I don't have any online service going to my cpap machine.

I have no idea what my sleep test results were because nobody told me anything other than the fact that I quit breathing 16 times an hr and needed a cpap machine.

I have to have the full mask because of the fact that I get stuffed up regularly and my mouth drops open. I spent Sunday all day with the mask on and the machine running. I was attempting to see if I could doze off naturally with it. I got close a couple times. I'm afraid to use the Ambien because I'm scared if I sleepwalk I'll pull the machine off the night stand. Plus because of my Tourette's sleep aides tend to have the opposite reaction. I wish I could tell you more.

Last night I was falling asleep sitting up so I shut everything off and went in and got the machine going and slept off and on for 3 hrs. It started storming so I turned it off and went back to sleep without it. I will just have to keep at it I guess.

[mp6617]

Can you download Oscar (see Stickies top of pg) and post results on Imgur.com but leave a link to that in this thread? The forum's postings are full, so won't accept new ones (tho' you may get lucky today). The results will be interpreted for you by experts here who'll suggest anything that might need adjusting.

Download it to what? The machine? I don't have a smart phone or anything so I have no app.

[Miss Emerita]

You slept with the machine -- that's progress! Very good to hear. As you say, you'll now need to keep at it. I'm betting some more of those daytime sessions will be helpful for you.

If you live in the U.S., you have a right to have a copy of your sleep report. Just ask the doctor's office for one. It's smart to have a copy of you own; sometimes we read about someone whose doctor left town with all the patients' records, leaving the patients with no way to explain their situation to a new doctor.

On the left side of your machine, there's a little door with a slot behind it. The slot is for an SD card. Check to see if one is in there and let us know.

To use Oscar, you'd need an SD card in your machine, a laptop or desktop computer, and a way to "read" the data that the machine puts onto the SD card. Some computers have built-in slots for SD cards; for others, you'd need an SD card reader. (I got mine from Amazon for less than ten bucks.)

[Julie]

Humidifiers routinely come with machines to help with mouth dryness that can be a problem... you should/would know if yours came with it either attached or ready to be so. It gets filled with water nightly and set from 1 to 5 depending on how much water gets used up. And some instructions should have been included... but if not, ask your provider about getting one for your machine (it's small - nothing remotely like a room humidifier, etc) unless you happen to live in an area with known high humidity year round. All that being said, ask your ENT if there's any problem using it with COPD, or if any setting or adaptation would need to be made. I can't believe you had no instructions and explanation from your doctor... but please don't expect/ask your dealer for those as they don't have your med. records and may well (often) tell you the wrong thing. You need to talk either to an ENT or sleep specialist to get proper info as you need to be treated properly by knowledgable people ASAP. You're the 'customer' (patient), so push for proper care or they don't get paid!

[mp6617]

k. i'll check my machine for the sd card and next appt. i have with my doc i'll see if i can get a copy of my sleep test results.

[Miss Emerita]

k. i'll check my machine for the sd card and next appt. i have with my doc i'll see if i can get a copy of my sleep test results.

When is the next appointment? Keep us posted would you?

[Becky0317]

I struggled for 3-4 months before I could get used to mine. I’m a mouth breather myself. I can’t use the full face that covers my nose and mouth. I do use the Dreamwear Here’s a link for example
https://cpapx.com/products/dreamwear-fu ... ps-fitpack

[mp6617]

I struggled for 3-4 months before I could get used to mine. I’m a mouth breather myself. I can’t use the full face that covers my nose and mouth. I do use the Dreamwear Here’s a link for example
https://cpapx.com/products/dreamwear-fu ... ps-fitpack

That's the first one he tried. The pressure felt screwy.

[mp6617]

k. i'll check my machine for the sd card and next appt. i have with my doc i'll see if i can get a copy of my sleep test results.

When is the next appointment? Keep us posted would you?

Some time in Oct. I did make a small discovery. I have the Auto machine and I have control over some of the settings. When I first turn the machine on before I hook up the climate line I can reset my Ramp time. I was using that on Auto and still noticing that I would quit breathing only I was more aware of it and it was disturbing my sleep. So I turned the ramp off so it would automatically give me the air I needed rather than waiting til I was asleep. First night with no ramp time I slept off and on for 6 hrs. Thursday night I slept off and on for 7 hrs. So progress was made at least. I seem to have an issue with the mask fit so I can't rest well if it's not firmly against my face which is annoying. I may have to try different masks. My biggest problem is where the bottom of the mask fits so I'm debating trying a nasal mask with a chin strap. I don't know yet. I will keep experimenting. I will see if I can get the test results from the dr.

I looked to see if there was an SD card and there wasn't one. I might have one I can put in there. Not sure.

[mp6617]

also gonna get some melatonin and see if that helps.

[Miss Emerita]

You're making progress! And good on you for turning off ramp once you realized it was a disturbance.

Finding the right mask can be quite the quest. As a general rule of thumb, the less contact the mask has to make with your face the better your chances of minimizing leaks. There are just fewer places where it *can* leak. Of course, the mask also has to be comfortable and work with the unique contours of your face.

You might consider trying a nasal pillow mask. That's as minimal as contact can get, and the pillows help a bit to stabilize the mask. A fair number of people do well with the ResMed P10; I used to like the Aloha, which is more structured than the P10, though it's a bit fiddly to assemble and disassemble. If you try a nasal pillow mask, be sure to get a pack with all the sizes of pillows so you can see which one works best for you.

Chin straps work for some people, though for others they tend to pull the lower jaw back, which is counterproductive. You might also consider using tape over your mouth or a soft cervical collar to support your lower jaw from below.

[mp6617]

I plan at some point in the near future to try a nasal mask and chin strap. I'm really not concerned about it pulling my jaw back. I might buy the chin strap first and see what happens. Thanks for the heads up though.

I had a victory last night. Slept the entire night with my CPAP and actually got some sleep.