New to forum...first night questions

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
gabagoo
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New to forum...first night questions

Post by gabagoo » Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am

HI All, Glad I found the forum.

I have a CPAP unit for a 1 month trial. Last night was my first night. I chose the most uninvasive mask I could find and although I don't know the model number it is simply a small rubber device that inserts gently into the nostrils and air is fed in through the top of my head and down soft rubber tubes down the side of the face.

I don't start out sleeping on my back, but last night I started there to get used to the device. I put water in the unit, but have no idea if it humidifies on it's own or if I need to do something. A couple of observations I had and would love some input.

As I lay there on my back the unit started at 4 and slowly moved to 8...after that I have no idea what it did. As I continued lying on my back I experienced when breathing out that sometimes ( maybe once every 4 or 5 breaths) that something in my throat would momentarily stop allowing the air out of my nose and it was very noticeable. Sort of disrupts any relaxation I was having. I then tried shifting to my side, which is how I fall asleep relatively fast normally. That closure stopped when I went on my side.

On my side I sort of felt like I was not fully resting the weight of my head on the pillow and really could not seem to tell if I was artificially holding my head up a little. As strange as that sounds I awoke a little later (not sure how long I was out for possibly an hour ) and had an incredible neck ache. I shifted around a little and got comfortable again.
On my side my throat does not seem to close up on exhales, so that is a good thing at this point. I also noticed when I awoke the first time that my mouth was incredibly dry and a bit crusty on my lips...is this normal?

Lastly I wanted to know if it is normal to hear, what can only be described as possible leaking air or a gurgling type sound while getting comfortable on the pillow. Not a lot of air, but enough that it can be annoying and invasive.

At some point in night number 1 I took the mask off and rolled over to sleep the old way.

Lastly, before I fell asleep I felt like my stomach was blowing up and felt like the air was not fully coming out..a pressure you might say like bloating.... what can i do about that?

Tonight I will try to keep the mask on all night but would love to get some tips on what I might be doing wrong, or if everything I experienced is fairly normal

Thank guys.

Looking forward to reading through lots of threads on the site

Gab

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loggerhead12
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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by loggerhead12 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:39 am

gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am
I don't start out sleeping on my back, but last night I started there to get used to the device. I put water in the unit, but have no idea if it humidifies on it's own or if I need to do something.
Welcome. Your mask is a Dreamwear nasal gel pillow. Check the water level. If everything is working right you'll find it lower.
gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am
As I lay there on my back the unit started at 4 and slowly moved to 8...after that I have no idea what it did. As I continued lying on my back I experienced when breathing out that sometimes ( maybe once every 4 or 5 breaths) that something in my throat would momentarily stop allowing the air out of my nose and it was very noticeable. Sort of disrupts any relaxation I was having. I then tried shifting to my side, which is how I fall asleep relatively fast normally. That closure stopped when I went on my side.
Sounds like pretty classic obstructive apnea. For most people it's worst when sleeping on your back.
gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am
On my side I sort of felt like I was not fully resting the weight of my head on the pillow and really could not seem to tell if I was artificially holding my head up a little. As strange as that sounds I awoke a little later (not sure how long I was out for possibly an hour ) and had an incredible neck ache. I shifted around a little and got comfortable again.
On my side my throat does not seem to close up on exhales, so that is a good thing at this point. I also noticed when I awoke the first time that my mouth was incredibly dry and a bit crusty on my lips...is this normal?
It's very normal to be hyper-aware of head position and strange noises when starting out. You'll adjust to this, relax, and find a comfortable way to sleep that allows the unit to work and provide the therapy you need. It sounds like air is leaking out of your mouth and causing dryness, something that many new (and not new) users experience. It can reduce the effectiveness of your therapy and is uncomfortable, as you discovered. Keep reading the forum for advice about mouth leaks.
gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am
Lastly I wanted to know if it is normal to hear, what can only be described as possible leaking air or a gurgling type sound while getting comfortable on the pillow. Not a lot of air, but enough that it can be annoying and invasive.
Very normal for a new user. It could be an air leak, which means you might need to adjust the straps on the mask, the position of the nasal pillows, or may need a different size frame or nasal pillows. The gurgling could also be related to excessive moisture in the hose due to the humidity settings, another common issue.
gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:58 am
Lastly, before I fell asleep I felt like my stomach was blowing up and felt like the air was not fully coming out..a pressure you might say like bloating.... what can i do about that?
Yeah, that's called aerophagia. Basically some of the air is entering your intestinal track instead of all going into your lungs. Your body will need some time to adjust to the increased pressure, and there are some adjustment tips well that can help.

You're off to a good start, you're in the right place, and you seem to have a good attitude. Read a lot of of forum posts, and use the search feature extensively. Fill out the equipment portion of your profile. There are some local CPAP Yoda types that will want to see your sleep data, and if you have the right machine its easy to provide. The numbers tell the story of your therapy and how it might need to be adjusted so it's optimal for you.

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by gabagoo » Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:49 am

Thank you very much for the fast reply.

The unit is a loner so I will wait until I get the permanent model which will be a Phillips dream something or other before putting any info in my profile.

The report the sleep dr gave me indicated that I stop breathing 36 times per hour..... how does that rate on the apnea scale of normal or way too high?

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:00 am

gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:49 am
The report the sleep dr gave me indicated that I stop breathing 36 times per hour..... how does that rate on the apnea scale of normal or way too high?
It puts you in the official "severe" category.
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/sle ... ng-results

When you have some time take a look here.
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html

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loggerhead12
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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by loggerhead12 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:26 am

gabagoo wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 6:49 am
The unit is a loner so I will wait until I get the permanent model which will be a Phillips dream something or other before putting any info in my profile.
Your timing is fortuitous. Simply put, there are good machines and bad ones. The good ones provide a wealth of data and interface with free software that can greatly increase the effectiveness of your therapy. The bad ones, referred to as bricks, are just dumb air pumps, with no intelligence and extremely limited data.

Since you haven't accepted your machine yet you're in a position of power. You need to familiarize yourself with the most common good models and make sure you're getting one of those. Many people don't get here until they've take possession of a brick, at which point the ability to return it and get something good is limited. The DME, the company that provides your equipment, gets paid the same amount from the insurance company regardless of which machine they provide, so some try to push the machines that make them the most profit. You're ahead of the game, so you can make sure that doesn't happen.

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Pugsy
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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:33 am

Where are you located?

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gabagoo
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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by gabagoo » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:39 am

Pugsy wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:33 am
Where are you located?
I am in the Toronto area

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:47 am

Ahhh...Canadian health care system. Seems like some variation in how things are done or paid for with each province.
It makes a difference because some people might give you responses that would apply more to the US based health system which of course wouldn't work so great for you.

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gabagoo
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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by gabagoo » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:11 am

Just a short note here. I probably have had sleep apnea for well over 10 years. My wife told me continually that I stop breathing during my sleep. I really did not want to get tested for it as those that I knew back then that had the machines generally did not use them and were probably not well informed and would never consider finding a forum for help. I figured I would probably fall into the same category
What finally got me to go to the sleep clinic was that over the last 2 years (60 now) I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I have never really experienced many of the symptoms of sleep apnea...well maybe I have but not anything severe or even really noticeable.

I went to a heart doctor for a ultrasound and he said for a 60 year old my heart was in very good shape and could not understand why my blood pressure was so high. I said what about sleep apnea...and he said, it could be the cause...so I booked the appointment for the sleep test. I also had been talking to a customer of mine a few weeks ago who said he uses a CPAP and loves it as he now sleeps like a baby...That hit something in me as I have not been able to sleep in for many years and often wake up ready to go at 5:30 or 6am every morning. That sleep clinic was a tough night for me, forced to sleep on my back, which is incredibly hard for me to do especially with all those gizmos attached...worth it in the end to finally know I had issues.

I wonder if weight loss would remedy some of the Apnea? anyone done studies on this?

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by gabagoo » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:14 am

Pugsy wrote:
Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:47 am
Ahhh...Canadian health care system. Seems like some variation in how things are done or paid for with each province.
It makes a difference because some people might give you responses that would apply more to the US based health system which of course wouldn't work so great for you.
OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) covers 75% of the initial unit and only renews after 5 years...The clinic puts a lot of emphasis on thatas they offer extended warranties on the units....My wife has a health plan through work so I will try and find out if they will cover the most expensive plan which is well over an addtional $1500 or more out of my pocket...If they don't I will take the base unit for just over $200 my cost. Seems reasonable

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:24 am

Those places who sell you the equipment make the bulk of their profit on the "extras" they want to sell you.
Don't fall for it. It's not needed.
You've got a bit of time before you have to make a decision. There are quite a few forum members here who have experience with your particular province cpap coverage.

Might be helpful if you change your topic subject to something to reflect where you are and get the attention of those members who have already been in your shoes.

Like use the Edit (pencil in the editor) and change topic to something like.
New to cpap and Ontario/Toronto health care questions
Get the attention of those people with first hand experience. It will help you get ahead of the suppliers who want to take advantage of you.

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Pugsy » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:50 am

Some additional reading about OHIP.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=157845&p=1213219&hi ... o#p1213219

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by Dog Slobber » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:00 am

Hi gabagoo,

I'm in Ontario as well and I just went through the process of using a loaner and purchasing my own machine.

IMHO don't focus so much on the package, instead make sure you get the right machine. I was titrated on a ResMed AirSense 10 Auto For Her, but the clinic wanted to order me a ResMed AirSense 10 Elite.

I insisted on the Auto model so that APAP could be an option for me, remember your not eligible (with OHIP coverage) for abut 5 years so you want to insist on the best and most versatile machine you can get.

I don't have experience with many machines, but if your using the ResMed line push for either the ResMed AirSense 10 Auto orResMed AirSense 10 Auto For Her. Don't let the For Her quantifier dissuade you, the difference is the colour and a option for a less agressive breathing algorithm.

I'm a Him and using the For Her model. :)

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Re: New to forum...first night questions

Post by poppi2 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:22 pm

Dog Slobber wrote:.....
I'm a Him and using the For Her model. :)
Ditto

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