First Night With Machine

Hello Everyone, I finally got my much anticipated CPAP Machine, I am still such a rookie I don't know one machine from the next. The Machine they gave me is the Fisher Paykel Icon, it looks nice and I like how small it is. I did a trail with the mask and it was a bit suffocating. I am using a full face mask due to my nose being so plugged up all the time. The doctor didn't recommend a certain kind of mask but she told me that would be best with Nasal congestion...." Any thoughts" The pressure settings I believe are set at 5-20 " Is that a normal range and what exactly does that mean?" This is going to be an interesting journey I am glad I found this website with so many others in the same or similar boat. I live in Colorado at approximately 5,000' elevation but frequently travel and stay at 7000'-9000' elevation. Are these setting good for this elevation?
Thank you for all your advice,
Doug

Go here and see which model Icon you might have...assuming they gave you one of the new + machines
http://www.fphcare.com/sleep-apnea/cpap ... /f-p-icon/

The 5 to 20 might simply be the settings available for the cpap model or it might be the range of pressures available on the Auto (APAP) model for auto adjusting pressures.

Note the specs for the models. The Novo doesn't have automatic altitude adjustment.
It also doesn't have some of the other rather important features as in leak compensation or efficacy data recording.
If they gave you the Novo you've got the basic entry level machine.

Thank you Pugsy for your response, I have the F & P Icon "Auto" it looks to be the top model in the owners manual. It looks like they have Auto, Premo, and Novo... I just looked at the book and it say it automatically adjust for altitude " That is good" I am not sure If I have CPAP or what.... The therapist only spent 5 minutes with me so I didn't get a chance to ask a lot of questions.
Thanks again for responding...
-Doug

"The Machine they gave me is the Fisher Paykel Icon, it looks nice and I like how small it is. I did a trail with the mask and it was a bit suffocating. I am using a full face mask due to my nose being so plugged up all the time. The doctor didn't recommend a certain kind of mask but she told me that would be best with Nasal congestion...." Any thoughts" The pressure settings I believe are set at 5-20 " Is that a normal range and what exactly does that mean?"

The 5-20 may refer to the minimum (5) and maximum (20) pressure range measured in centimeters of water. (cmH2O). For me I felt suffocating below about 10 cmH2O, so sleep doc raised minimum to 10. I was also having more AHI events over 14 cmH2O, so she lowered the maximum. That also greatly reduced mask leaking which would wake me up.

I have always had allergic rhinitis (aka stuffy and runny nose). I had said no to cortisone steroid nose sprays due to side effect warnings. Now there is a weaker dose than Flonase(tm) so I've been using Flunisolide(tm) since January. Has been big help in reducing stuffy nose so virtually no mouth breathing. No side effects, so far. Best spring "hay fever" year that I can remember.

Best wishes as you get your support team dialed in on your treatment plan.

Don

patrickfamily wrote:I have the F & P Icon "Auto"

That's a good machine.
SleepyHead software should work with it so that you can monitor your own therapy results if you wish.
There is another software from F & P but it's a real PITA to try to use and if you can get results with SleepyHead that would be so much easier for you to manage.

Which full face mask are you trying?

Good luck on your first night. Hope you take to this like a duck to water but if you don't....we are here to help.

I know I would feel like I was suffocating at a setting of five, or six, 7 or even 10. When I hear the recommended setting is 5 to 20, that is like using the machine to do auto titration, which is a real pain. Did you have a titration study?

First work at not having leaks, which is hard with a machine which increases pressure when a leak occurs, which makes a bigger leak and so on. The data is not very reliable with leaks.

All I can say is to watch the data and as you think right, raise the pressure to the minimum that you seem to end up at. Until you find that correct lower pressure, FOR YOU, then using the machine is not likely to be much fun, or give you better sleep.

Some have what is called centrals, that is the kind of Central Apnea which is caused by not being able to exhale against pressure. I have never had that, and I am guessing most wake up when it happens. Not likely to happen to you, or the doc would not have prescribed a pressure range up to 20.

I know that the correct setting for humidifier is important for those who have sinus problems, but I do not not know what the recommendations for that setting would be. Use distilled water in the humidifier.

Pugsy knows a good bit more than I. So take her advice over mine.

Sorry, but I have to ask... what's the term "trail with the mask" mean?

Sheriff

Sheriff Buford wrote:what's the term "trail with the mask" mean?

Typo....trial...not trail.