too many arousals...suggestions??

I've been wrestling with improving my sleep since last June, when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a cpap machine with pressure set at 13. That was too hard to breathe with and the doc changed me to an apap machine (Remstar) with pressures set 9-14 and cflex set at 3. Still having problems with sleep, my script was adjusted by sleep doc to 9-17. Meanwhile, I still had and have trouble falling asleep because I would be aroused by the feeling of my throat closing as I would begin to doze off, or the pressure of the machine would jostle me awake. I've started to take ambien to 'knock me out' so the machine could do it's job.
It seems that I'm constantly trying to balance one thing or another, and even though my sleep has improved, I still wake up several times during the night:
Bathroom trips, neck aches, leaks in swift nasal pillows, restless legs, you name it. And to complicate this, I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy last winter. I feel like the puppy chasing its tail. Any suggestions?
Liga

Guest - ldaiga wrote:prescribed a cpap machine with pressure set at 13. That was too hard to breathe with and the doc changed me to an apap machine (Remstar) with pressures set 9-14 and cflex set at 3. Still having problems with sleep, my script was adjusted by sleep doc to 9-17. Meanwhile, I still had and have trouble falling asleep because I would be aroused by the feeling of my throat closing as I would begin to doze off

Hi Liga,

I'm not a doctor, but I understand exactly what you're talking about here:

"the feeling of my throat closing as I would begin to doze off"

I have felt that, too, and in fact that's how I arrived at the amount of pressure I decided to set for my "minimum" pressure with autopaps. I experimentally started deliberately letting my throat relax as much as possible while using different single cpap pressures.

I found that a pressure of 8 or 9 keeps my throat open when I'm awake and deliberately let it relax. That can't simulate that complete relaxation of throat/tongue during actual sleep, but at least gave me an idea of what minimum I needed.

If I were you, I'd set the autopap at 10 - 20 or even 11 - 20. Perhaps a bit more pressure than the 9 you're currently using as the minimum would help.

Please send me a PM with your email address in it, Liga.

Good luck.

oops...
my edit is to delete a duplicate I accidentally made of my post above.

Hi Liga,

PM Rested Gal. She will take good care of you.

i wish you all the best.

Too many arousals?? Sounds suggestive to me!

lol, queenwizard! before my diagnosis i wouldn't have thought there was such a thing as too many arousals! it's like learning a new language

Oh queenwizzard, you're a good chuckle! LOL!
And to think, as I was writing this post yesterday in my dumpy mood, it too did cross my mind, that someone on this forum may think along those lines and it gave me a little chuckle. Soooo, there was a little part of me that wanted to toy with you! Just keep fantasizing if that makes you happy!LOL!
Rested gal is helping! And I slept well last night. It's a cycle with ups and downs.
Liga