yearning 4zs therapy -- not going well!

Another day waking up with heaviness and tension in head. Kept me out of work already for quite a while. These few nights I've needed a sleep aid to get to sleep. Not feeling good about that either. Feeling quite negative overall. Despite decent looking numbers. The titration doctor said things look fine. You just need some time to adjust. Here is my data from last night. If anyone has any ideas or sees issues please do let me know! Getting desperate.

Another bad night here. Especially sad because I actually went to sleep naturally but then was woken up by this sharp spike in pressure. Couldn't get back to sleep and had to use a sleeping pill again, which is not my favorite by any means. Should I use ramp? I took off my chinstrap because it was uncomfortable and only used the mouth taping in the middle of the night and it looks like my leaks got pretty high. Not sure if I should worry about that. I felt that I was also getting woken up by the leaking a bit in the morning as well. Any suggestions? Things are getting worse, not better.

You will get use to the pressure.
It looks like you might be leaking or mouth breathing with a nasal mask?
If it was my chart, the pressures are too low 8 15 might be better. I would also increase the start pressure from 4 at 1cm a day till you are up to your treatment pressure. it's just a bit quicker. I wouldn't use ramp.But do so if you need it.

ajack wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 2:13 am

You will get use to the pressure.
It looks like you might be leaking or mouth breathing with a nasal mask?
If it was my chart, the pressures are too low 8 15 might be better. I would also increase the start pressure from 4 at 1cm a day till you are up to your treatment pressure. it's just a bit quicker. I wouldn't use ramp.But do so if you need it.

Yet, looking at the graph I realized my breathing got all screwed up when the pressure went up too high and it actually woke me up, so I was sort of thinking of actually lowering the max pressure! I don't, I feel I still need to do something for comfort and continuity of sleep?

It's up to you, just be assured you will get use to the pressure. You can raise 1cm at a time, till you get use to it. You raise min pressure till the OA and H settle.

At 5-5:30 the pressure was lower and you leak wasn't good.
If you are mouth breathing, I would consider a mask that also covers the mouth. I couldn't get a nasal mask to work for me. You could try taping
There is a mask fit function on the machine that blows high pressure. This will help you fit the mask while laying down, rolling over and wriggling the mask etc.

ajack wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 5:17 am

It's up to you, just be assured you will get use to the pressure. You can raise 1cm at a time, till you get use to it. You raise min pressure till the OA and H settle.

At 5-5:30 the pressure was lower and you leak wasn't good.
If you are mouth breathing, I would consider a mask that also covers the mouth. I couldn't get a nasal mask to work for me. You could try taping
There is a mask fit function on the machine that blows high pressure. This will help you fit the mask while laying down, rolling over and wriggling the mask etc.

Ok, maybe I can try the mask fit function. I've never used it before. Maybe I could also try ffm. All good suggestions.

I have no expertise at all, but a couple of questions occur to me drawing on my own experience.

When I used a nasal mask, I was told not to set the machine to “pillows.” Could anyone confirm that the setting and mask for Yearning match correctly?

With a low AHI and sleep disturbed by pressure changes, might Yearning benefit from trying a week or so of IPAP = EPAP, or close to it, just as an experiment?

Yearning, do you have a guess about what is causing your flow limitations? For example, do you have nasal congestion? Or do you suspect the problems are in a lower part of your airway? Depending on the cause, additional pressure may or may not be helpful.

Yearning, have you ever tried EPR of 3? I ask because some people find that it makes their sleep more restful.

yearning, i have nothing to add at the moment. just wanted to say that your thread title made me chuckle this morning!

NOT making fun of your plight. the "not going well!" part just caught me by surprise.

carry on.

yearning4zs wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 4:16 am

Yet, looking at the graph I realized my breathing got all screwed up when the pressure went up too high and it actually woke me up, so I was sort of thinking of actually lowering the max pressure! I don't, I feel I still need to do something for comfort and continuity of sleep?

Your breathing was screwed up, which caused the pressure to rise, and woke you up... That's what obstructive apneas and hypopneas do. Then you woke up, and blamed the pressure.

More min pressure would make it less likely for that progression to get started.

Miss Emerita wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 9:55 am

I have no expertise at all, but a couple of questions occur to me drawing on my own experience.

When I used a nasal mask, I was told not to set the machine to “pillows.” Could anyone confirm that the setting and mask for Yearning match correctly?

Proper mask type settings should be in the mask manual

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 1:52 pm

yearning4zs wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 4:16 am

Yet, looking at the graph I realized my breathing got all screwed up when the pressure went up too high and it actually woke me up, so I was sort of thinking of actually lowering the max pressure! I don't, I feel I still need to do something for comfort and continuity of sleep?

Your breathing was screwed up, which caused the pressure to rise, and woke you up... That's what obstructive apneas and hypopneas do. Then you woke up, and blamed the pressure.

More min pressure would make it less likely for that progression to get started.

The strange thing is that, for instance last night I didn't have a single apnea or hypopnea the entire night but still woke up with this feeling of head tension, headache hypoxia (despite the titration proving that my lowest oxygen through the night was 95%). I have to wonder if maybe it's not related exactly to ahi or the machine and sleep? I've actually had it even on the two nights these couple of weeks that I didn't use the machine as well. The difference between last night and the night before was that I took a xanax cr a few hours before bed. The other medication that I've used recently is zoplicone, a z-class sleep drug. I sort of wonder if maybe I'm experiencing some side effects from one of these medications.

yearning4zs wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 7:19 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 1:52 pm

yearning4zs wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 4:16 am

Yet, looking at the graph I realized my breathing got all screwed up when the pressure went up too high and it actually woke me up, so I was sort of thinking of actually lowering the max pressure! I don't, I feel I still need to do something for comfort and continuity of sleep?

Your breathing was screwed up, which caused the pressure to rise, and woke you up... That's what obstructive apneas and hypopneas do. Then you woke up, and blamed the pressure.

More min pressure would make it less likely for that progression to get started.

The strange thing is that, for instance last night I didn't have a single apnea or hypopnea the entire night but still woke up with this feeling of head tension, headache hypoxia (despite the titration proving that my lowest oxygen through the night was 95%). I have to wonder if maybe it's not related exactly to ahi or the machine and sleep? I've actually had it even on the two nights these couple of weeks that I didn't use the machine as well. The difference between last night and the night before was that I took a xanax cr a few hours before bed. The other medication that I've used recently is zoplicone, a z-class sleep drug. I sort of wonder if maybe I'm experiencing some side effects from one of these medications.

See all those little upticks in the pressure? each one of those is caused by some breathing issue, and those disturb your sleep. your AHI is very nice and low, but there's more to sleep disordered breathing than just the AHI.

Raising the min pressure a cm or two is a really easy way to see if those can be smoothed out, and if so, if you then feel better.

I would also increase to start pressure from your 4, 1cm at a time, till you are up to your treatment pressure. Life will be easier once you are use to pressure.

I'm actually starting to think that the headache could very well be due to Lunesta (eszopiclone) which I've been taking for the past couple weeks. It seems as though the symptoms really started intensifying at that time. Anyone else have this experience? I saw many similar reports in the reviews.

ajack wrote: ↑

Fri May 24, 2019 9:55 pm

I would also increase to start pressure from your 4, 1cm at a time, till you are up to your treatment pressure. Life will be easier once you are use to pressure.

Ok, I think that sounds reasonable. I was lying around with it on at 4.6 and felt fine so it's probably ok.