Hi Tom, I'm Faye from Virginia. I was diagnosed with severe osa and central apnea. I was using a Cpap machine, and later using a dental device. After acquiring the dental device (Somnodent) I was retested and told that I needed a full face mask and a Bi-pap machine. I had downloaded an app for the Cpap machine, but cannot locate one for the Bi-pap machine. Do you know whether there is such an app, or have any suggestions? Thank you!
ResMed machines have the MyAir feature... guess it is an app.
https://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/airsolutions/personalized-support/myair.html?utm_source=Vanity_URL-myAir&utm_medium=Multi&utm_campaign=myAir
If you don't have a ResMed machine, then you will likely need to use a 3rd party app such as one called Sleepyhead. Its download location has been discussed on this forum and a google search will likely turn it up. I believe you will need an SD card reader for your PC or phone to download nightly recorded data.
I'm 46 and recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, though my husband says I started snoring loudly with my first pregnancy which was quite a long time ago. I,ve had mild success with a tongue retaining device I bought online but still snore so I sought a diagnosis. Last night was my first night with a CPAP machine (ResMed). I slept horribly and I feel so much worse this morning. How normal is that?
I kept waking up. I don’t recall having dreamt. I got a nasal mask which seems to fit well but part way into the night I tried to roll on my side and it started blowing in my eyes, and I couldn’t get it to stop for a couple of hours. Might a nasal pillow be better? The device says leakage was 16 L/min and “mask seal” is a green happy face.
Hello, everyone. I can't say I'm happy to be here, but I am happy to meet all of you. I thought I'd share part of my story as an introduction.
My name is Alyssa. I'm a 54 yo grandmother of (currently) 8, with two on the way in February and April 2018. I'm also a veteran of the US Army, serving 7 years way back between 1985 and 1993. Eleven months of that was in Saudi Arabia in 1990-91, which is when I believe my sleep issues started. At that time I thought I simply had insomnia. I currently work for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs as a Management Analyst for the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program, and commute 3 hours a day to/from Seattle, WA.
I was recently (less than a month ago) diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, although I had a sleep study done about 9 years ago that showed "extremely fragmented sleep - but not sleep apnea" - I now believe that have been living with undiagnosed sleep apnea for about 30 years or so. My family/SO have told me for that I snore like a freight train, and I wake them even when I'm on a different level, or opposite end of the house. I've also used my Fitbit for the last 2 years to track my sleep, and that data indicates I average about 2.3 hours of actual sleep a night - in 5 to 26 minute increments, with lots of restlessness in between (and while lying in bed for 7-9 hours). Needless to say, I am exhausted.
I started my CPAP therapy on 12/20/17 - it's been a whopping 10 days, and I can't say it's been easy. My biggest struggle seems to be keeping the mask on - it fits well, and I have had some successful nights wearing it up to 5 hours, but sometimes it's only 2 hours before it comes off, and I don't find it unless I come fully awake (which is somewhat rare for me). I have, so far, gotten green happy faces for both the length of time and the fit on my ResMed machine, and I think I'm feeling more rested but it's been so long since I had a truly good night's sleep that I can't really be sure.
NOTE It's my understanding that the ResMed myAir is an app, currently only for iOS (Apple) systems. I have an Android, so that doesn't help me much, but it is also available by website, and can be accessed on a smartphone by logging in. I find it a bit oversimplified, but at least it gives me some data.
Again, I'm glad that this forum exists, and I'm looking forward to participating here.
Hi all, I'm Angie and professionally, I'm a Registered Nurse, Clinical Educator. Personally, both my parents have or had sleep apnea. Mom passed a year and a half ago in a scooter accident (think "Vespa", not "Rascal".) I've helped them both (and still help Pop) navigate their health challenges. Now I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea myself and have scheduled my intake appointment with a sleep specialist of my own. Thanks to my experience with my parents and former patients I've worked with, I'm not dreading going on PAP therapy at all. Like most healthcare professionals, I was in denial that I could have a health problem of my own, but now that I'm past that nonsense, I'm kind of looking forward to getting diagnosed and treated so I can sleep better and feel better.
Hi. My name is Topster. Have been on/off sleep apnea treatment for about 7 yrs. Gave up on it because it seems no one really tracked what was going on. My Doc could not read my simcard cause he didn't have the program to do it. WTF! How can you be treating me when you can't see exactly what is going on? Will give it another try. Have a Res Med Air 10. Am using nose pillows for 1st time. Machine seems putting out a LARGE amount of air pressure. Treid my old Quattro full face and woke up with air leaks all over due to pressure. This is just 3rd day/night with this machine, so will give it a couple of days more before I dump it for good.
Hi Everyone, I was first diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea about 18 years ago. For about the first 6 years after that, I did not use CPAP because the machine and mask available to me were awful, and my apnea was only "mild to moderate." Then my apnea worsened to "severe," and I was motivated to try again. Fortunately, I found that machines had gotten quieter and masks less uncomfortable, and I have used my machine all night every night for about the last 12 years or so. My husband also has a breathing disorder and uses cpap for at least part of every night. I joined this group because some new cpap related issues have come up for me, and I am wondering if anyone else is having the same experiences. I am also willing to answer any questions I can from people who are new to CPAP treatment.
Hello Everyone!
I'm Jay from California and was just recently diagnosed with severe OSA about two weeks ago. After trying an Airsense 10 from Kaiser for one week, I absolutely fell in love with the results it produced and bought my own unit (same one). While my diagnosis was a bummer I've been very proactive with my treatment and staying optimistic. I am grateful to have found this community and hope to learn all I can during this transition and beyond. Thank you all in advance!
Greetings from Tennessee! My name is Wanda Marks ~ I am a 70 year old retired woman and enjoying life. I have been on my CPAP for approximately a month. I will admit that I have had a few minor bumps & hiccups, but, overall I have seen fantastic results. I am amazed at how refreshed and rested I feel every morning & thru out the day. My biggest issues have been keeping a good seal (full face mask) where I don't have any leakages and waking up during the night with an extremely dry mouth. I would love to hear any suggestions on correcting these issues. Perseverance is the key to conquering the CPAP & the mask. My AirWeb scores are between 90 & 100.
Welcome! Do you mean MyAir scores? ResMed stuff? Anyway, the mask seal and dry mouth issues are COMMON when someone starts out in the course of therapy. Both are related. You are breathing through your mouth. I had exactly the same issue using a Simplus full face mask initially. I quickly figured out that my jaw would relax at night and my mouth would open. I got air leaks when the lower edge of the mask slipped into my mouth... BIG air leaks. I soon figured out that my mouth needed to stay shut so I looked at the ways folks accomplished this. You can use surgical tape over your mouth. You can use a chin strap (various types are used with various degrees of success) and you can use a boil and bite mouth guard which I use. There are a number of different types and I found not all are equal. This mouth guard keeps my jaw from sagging. As far as the Simplus mask, it is a bulky mask and tended to leak a tad even when I finally figured out which mask cushion was the right size. The leaks pushed air into my eyes and the mask made noises if bumped... disgusting noises. I discovered mask pads. Pieces of cotton cut in the shape of the cushion. No more noises or air in the eyes. Still got some leaks but they were mitigated to the point that therapy results were good and the mask became tolerable.
Why did I choose a Simplus? It was the only one they had at my DME. I then figured out you can try different masks and found the Amara View which neither leaks nor is bulky and is far more comfortable and allows me to sleep on my side. I had to try two different cushion sizes but did find the right one. Oh yeah, no mouth breathing and not much dry mouth. The machine manufacturers hang a tub of water on almost all machines for putting some humidity into the positive air pressure but I never found this of much use; only keeping my mouth shut. For minor dry mouth I found that the family of Biotene products not very useful. I then found XyliMelts by Oral Health. These are little lozenges that you stick between gum and teeth in the rear of your mouth and last all night and are pretty effective and not intrusive. Amazon is a good place to get them.
Good luck and hope this covered your questions.
Hi there. My name is Gaylon I have ben using a cpap machine since October of 2016. It took me a few months to get use to it but then I was going along great until about November 2017. I was using the nasal masked then they had me try chin straps then full face mask and different pads and nothing seems to work as a matter of fact I cant get the full face mask to stop leaking. at this point I am very flustered. I see there has been a lot of posts on here about dry mouth. I kind of worry about a mouth or tooth problem being created by the constant dry mouth. I have also tried running a room humidifier and a fan still does not work. Thanks for listening to my problem
I was having major mask leakage. I was told to try the AirTouch F20, which uses memory foam. I finally got it yesterday and last night my mask leakage was down to 0.96%. You will need a prescription to get it (who knows why). It's a full face mask. I don't know anything about the dry mouth - it's the major mask leakage I've been dealing with.
Hi, I'm Janet. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2013. What's funny is that I had complained of fatigue for many years, and no doctor ever thought to have me undertake a sleep test. Doctors didn't seem too concerned and other practitioners looked to nutritional issues. Finally, my chiropractor suggested a sleep study. Sure enough, I had sleep apnea. I used the machine for a year but then I stopped and I honestly don't remember why.
About a year and a half ago, the fatigue was bothering me again so I had another sleep study and started using the machine again.
My most recent problem has been major mask leakage. After a couple of months of trying to figure it out, I finally got a new mask yesterday, the AirTouch F20, which is a full face mask that uses memory foam. Today my mask leakage was 0.96%. My AHI was 2.40, which is acceptable. Before that my AHI was reported as lower, but the mask leakage was really high - all over the place too. So I have no idea what my AHI truly was. I'm hoping that the mask will continue to work well. I'm going to keep a close eye on the data over the next month.
Most machines seem to have a compensation for mask leaks but the leaks can be downright annoying if they result in unwholesome noises or air in the eyes. Often mask pads help relieve these annoyances. Mask pads are pieces of cotton cloth you put between face and mask cushion and seem to be made for many masks. If you found a mask you like, you might also try buying cushions one size up and one size down from the one you are now using to see if it is a fitment issue. I had to do this while in search for a mask leak cure.
Hi my name is Chris and I am from the UK. Recently diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and have used my new CPAP machine two nights now. I am 61 years of age, x-army, x-firefighter and a retired 30yr service police officer.
I appreciate this forum is mainly American, no problems there , but it's amazing how different our health systems are. Some of you may be of the impression that our National Health System over here is about to crash. Well no it's not, it might be going through a bad patch but that's only because our government will not give it sufficient funding, but hopefully that will change for the better.
In my case I have been snoring for quite a long time, three years or more, so bad that my wife has had to sleep in another room. She was also complaining that I hold my breath for over a minute at a time. I became aware that this may be sleep apnea and I had to do something about it. I was feeling very tired especially at the steering wheel. I had no energy, very lethargic, headaches, depression etc.
In the UK if you have a road traffic accident and sleep apnea is involved it makes you car insurance invalid and you could be illegally driving a motor on a road. You have to declare it and seek treatment before you can drive again. So I saw my doctor who referred me to a specialist in sleep disorders at our local hospital. I had a home sleep survey which showed that I had obstructive sleep apnea with a AHI of 8.6. (I think that's right) Now all of this is being explained to me whilst I am suffering severe sleep deprivation, so I am still not too sure what they were on about. So a week later I am issued a brand new ResMed AirSense 10 with a Phillips Respironics Amara View mask.
All of this took less than six weeks and it has not cost me a penny apart from my taxes and National Insurance which we all pay for in the UK. This includes my new CPAP machine along with follow up consultation for the rest of my life. I can even get a change of masks if I do not get on with my current one along with CPAP replacement should it break down or just need replacing over the years. Not bad for a supposedly failing heath service and this is for everyone of our citizens.
First night I slept for only 4.42hrs, woke with an awful headache and feeling very tired. Myair score came to 66 out of 100 points and my events per hour came to 0.6, which I gather is brilliant. I really struggled with the mask and felt quite claustrophobic, bearing in mind I have used breathing apparatus as a firefighter in demanding situations along with the army, also I am a qualified scuba diver, so I thought that would be the least of my problems. Following night ie last night I slept for 7.44hrs, again woke with an awful headache but felt a little more with it. This time my score was 91 out of 100 points and my events per hour came to 0.5 this time. So I am guessing I should be extremely happy with this outcome. Last night I woke during the night and had to rip off my mask due to claustrophobia, I calmed down and replaced it only having to take it off again. I managed to calm myself down, eventually replacing it, getting comfortable and finally drifting off to sleep again. I am guessing this is quite normal, at least I hope it is. I cannot get comfortable sleeping on my sides and I find the most comfortable position is on my back slightly propped up, again is this right.
I have read and reread all the paperwork on my CPAP and either I'm being dense or just plain stupid but I just dont understand some things. I am one of these people who need to go to the toilet at least once maybe twice a night due to a small bladder, and I am really not sure what I should do. I have been pressing the Start/Stop button, disconnecting the hose and going to the toilet with the mask on. On returning connecting the hose and then hitting the start button. I then spend the best part of 15 minutes playing around with the mask until I get a comfortable fit. The booklet only tells you about starting and stopping the therapy at the end of the night. So am I doing it right. Apologies for being such a dimwit. Also this effects my result which really has nothing to do with my sleep apnea.
My next assessment is in April so at present I have no one to talk to about any of this, so any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Chris, Welcome! I'm a new forum member myself with only 22 days on Bipap. For now, I'll leave the advising to the more experienced and knowledgeable members. I see you were in public service for most of your life. I spent a few years in the US Navy in the late 60's, and 35 years in law enforcement. I'm happy to hear that your National Health Care System is providing you and yours the opportunity to get the proper health care. I am most fortunate to have excellent health insurance here in the states, where many others here do not have coverage. I'm certain that many people with sleep apnea go untreated because of the cost. Perhaps someday we all will have access to good healthcare? Good Luck with your treatment!
Hi Chris. Sounds right, except when you reconnect the hose after going to the bathroom, it should come back on automatically. If you are leaving the mask on when you get up, which is normal, why do you need to readjust the fit? Maybe the mask moves around while you are twisting and turning during your sleep? If so, that should be just a quick alignment and retightening. Sounds like you are doing all right, it just takes time getting used to sleeping with a CPAP mask. Not sure what is causing the headaches. Maybe concentrating too hard on the breathing and need to relax. Some people take to CPAP therapy right away, others like me take a while. The trick is finding a mask that you are comfortable with. Good luck.
Hi NiceSilverBison,
Thanks for that. I only had the headache after the first two nights of using my CPAP, guess it was just a follow on from all the previous years of headaches. From night two the headaches have completely disappeared including the neck pain and sickness. Seems sleep apnea was the cause and I feel so much better knowing that, big relief.
So do you find that every night you readjust the fit or is it still me getting used to it. One night I get it right, get a good sleep and a brilliant reading, unclip the straps in the morning without touching the adjustment and the following night Im getting air seeping out and have to go through it all again?
Everyone reacts to CPAP therapy differently. Some take to the mask easily and some do not. I am also a military vet and was a volunteer fireman for 12 years and wore gas masks and SCBA masks and unlike you, have never been bothered by my Amara View mask. I think one of the main downfalls of the Amara View masks is the strap in back is a tad too narrow and it cuts into my neck so my missus made a pad to place under the back and it is far more comfortable. Your numbers look OK and that therapy is working but the headaches are a concern. Are these headaches or sinus headaches? As far as your getting up during the night, I too thought I had a "small bladder" prior to therapy as I was up several times during the night. I then found that I wasn't sleeping deeply and was more or less dozing and got up mainly from habit. Once I started therapy, this totally stopped and I almost never get up to hit the restroom during the night. If you do actually need to go, and the mask start, restart is an issue, there is a function on the Airsense 10 that allows automatic start/stop when you put the mask on. It is on the front menu I think. Turn this function on and hit the off button when you get up. Disconnect the hose where it joins the mask. Make your trip and reconnect the hose and first time you breath into the machine, will will kick on automatically. I am not sure why some folks can't tolerate wearing a mask but try wearing the thing for an hour prior to sleep to get used to it. By the way, I am using the same basic machine but the Aircurve 10 variance and in bipap mode with pressure setting 25/20. That means a lot more pressure than prescribed for you so you may have the option of a dental appliance which seems a decent alternative especially with low pressures and fairly low AHIs. Perhaps asking about this with a dentist who frequents this forum would be of benefit. I am not sure what your compliance requirements are in your health care system but this may be something to look at in the future.
Hi wiredgeorge,
Thanks for the advice buddy, much appreciated. The headaches were only for the first two nights of using my CPAP, after that no more headaches, neck pain or sickness. After all those years I finally found out it was due to the sleep apnea and have never felt better, big weight of my mind.
Regarding the use of the rest room, when I was a police officer I became a tutor constable and my students were always told by my colleagues the first thing you will learn from Chris is where every toilet on your beat is, especially in the winter. So I am used to going to the toilet more than the average person, so I will be very interested to see if it changes now I am on a CPAP.
Thanks for explaining the function, it did not explain it in the book about a break in the night and how you went about it. I used common sense but nice to know it was the right way.
I guess it's early days yet, the claustrophobia aspect has gone thank goodness, just got to stop the air leaks around the mask. Nose really hurt last night, so bad it woke me up, but when I adjusted the straps the relief was instant. Strange how you can wear the mask one night and it's perfect and yet the following night it leaks all over the place. Would I be right in saying strap adjustment most nights is the norm?
My CPAP is on auto, so the pressure is low when I first put it on, when it detects I am asleep it ramps it up. The slight issue I have is that the pressure sometimes wakes me up as it is so strong. I think it's because I am not used to it, also the air is cold but I am being issued with a cover for the hose which should cure that according to my sleep technician. Otherwise I dont seem to be able to adjust the pressure on my model, only the time before it ramps up which is why I have it on auto.
Hi folks, just an update. First thank you very much for the advice, really nice to have fellow sufferers around who are there if I need them.
Reading back I am also amazed how our doctors never think about sleep apnea when you tell them about your health issues, as for the past three years or more I had been going to my local health practice complaining about constant headaches, especially in the morning along with severe pain on the right side of my neck and feeling very sick. I saw over this period three different doctors, the first stated that I was suffering from stress and to take it easy and relax. The other two doctors seem to have just read the previous doctors notes and said the same. The stress got worse over the years as I was wondering what was wrong with me. I thought it might be caffeine withdrawal or maybe I something wrong with the old brain box, tumor or such. Anyway the wife had been complaining about my really loud snoring at night and that I was holding my breath, sometimes upto a minute or more when asleep. I am now described as a professional driver by trade and I was getting more and more tired behind the wheel during the day. With the wife's observations we decided another visit to our doctor was in order. This time I saw a completely different doctor, a female for a change, and having told her what we thought it was and the symptoms she immediately booked me in for a sleep test.
I am now six days into my using my CPAP and the headaches have completely gone, no more neck pain or sickness and my blood pressure has dropped. I feel so much better knowing now what was causing those symptoms and therefore the stress of not knowing has gone. This could have been sorted out three years ago had they even considered sleep apnea, but I guess doctors cannot know everything.
MyAir score for the past five days have been 66, 91, 89, 94 and 100 so I am over the moon with regard the last reading. Still waiting for last nights though. I seem to have mastered the claustrophobia but I still have a few minor issues and that's getting a good seal from my mask. Like most is all about experimenting, its described as a nasal pillow but as it covers my mouth it is deemed as a full face mask. It is ok if I sleep on my back but like most I prefer to sleep on my side and that is when it becomes an issue. If I tighten the bottom straps it blows out around my eyes and visa versa it blows out around my chin. So over the past two nights I have had it so tight it has been pressing against my nose which has now become quite painful. So last night I loosened it right off, the pain stopped and I seemed to get a good seal. I think its just plain bloody temperamental and that one night is never like the rest and you will forever be adjusting the straps. Like everyone says persevere and that's exactly what I am going to do.
So basically I hope this helps any newbies who come on here, I feel so much better in myself and I am quite sure it will only get better. All I have to do is get used to the mask as it's early days yet and also get back into a regular sleep pattern that will hopefully come about when I go back to work on Monday I hope.
Because I am fairly large, the DME gave me large Amara View mask cushions. I figured out early on that a medium worked better and have considered trying a small but get pretty decent results with the medium. You may want to experiment with one size up or down cushion.
Cheers George will bear in mind re sizes. I think I am still getting used to the mask. Last night I got another 100 out of a 100, so I'm over the moon. I was still fidgeting about with the mask last night so was quite surprised of the result. I can only think that I am still not used to it, I have loosened the upper straps and the pressure on the nose has gone, no pain there thank goodness and still getting a good seal. Im also a lot more relaxed when I go to bed now. I have to say seeing the 100 result makes me feel a lot more confident.
That is really good news! Keep up and as time passes you will figure out ways to make therapy more effective for yourself. Therapy is a pretty subjective deal and things like mask fit are completely in your court and you will not find someone else who is better at making the adjustments or experiments with the mask than you yourself!
Sadly had a bad night, woke up to painful tip of nose and leaks all over the place. Tried adjusting straps to no avail. Gave up in the end, got up and read a book for an hour, which is ok if you dont have to go to work. Went back to bed knackered, put mask back on and fell asleep.
After all that myAir score this morning was 95 out of 100. It said 7.18 hours usage, good mask seal and mask on and off 5. Well I certainly didn't feel good after that result. Yes my head is clear, no more headaches or oxygen deprivation etc, but I felt shattered due to lack of sleep.
Now the myAir site is ok, but the video and instructions are not particular to my mask, the advice by my sleep technician is that you adjust both straps at the same time.
So I did some more research on here and found this site http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/amara-view-full-face-minimal-contact-cpap-mask.html Now what I like about this site is the instructions and video are specific to my mask only and much more helpful. One thing that surprised me is that contrary to pulling both lower or upper straps together as advised by my sleep technician and what I have been doing up till now, is that you only adjust the strap where the leak is coming from, which makes sense. So having watched the videos and read all the instructions I am hoping tonight I might have somewhat better results, so fingers crossed, will let you know how I got on.
Newbie. My question: which to try first, CPAP or MAD? The simplicity of MADs is attractive because I travel, including wilderness backpacking. 65 y.o. recently diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA at Harborview Sleep Cetner in Seattle. They want me to get a CPAP/APAP, but also gave me a referral to a specialty dentist at U.W. Dental School who happens to be just down the hall from the lab where I work. So I have access to a major sleep center and a specialty dentist with expertise with MADs -- I've had an introductory chat with them. I have insurance, and expense may be comparable because the dental people are not in my provider network; the CPAP people are.
Also, I wear Invisalign-type orthodontic retainers (those molded plastic sleeves) at night; anybody know if I can expect a good MAD to perform the same function (keeping my teeth in place)?
Wolffie, Understand your concern and you are extremely fortunate to have a CHOICE as to which path your therapy might take. Many folks, such as myself, were fed into a particular line of treatment without other options being presented and as a new OSA patient, I was not even aware there were options.
Have a look at the Can't Fall Asleep With Mask thread as Dr. Luisi, a dental sleep specialist gives a very good recap of who and what type person is a good candidate for an oral device. He doesn't address the Invisalign-type retainer you mention but you could ask that directly.
