DanM

Hi StrightforwardByzantiumSpider6466. Feeling tired on treatment is a complaint many patients have. I encourage you to talk to your doctor about other factors that may be contributing to your tiredness (medications, other illnesses, etc.). If you can tolerate putting your mask back on after going back to bed, it is always a good idea to wear your treatment whenever you sleep. This includes napping during the daytime. Symptoms of sleep apnea are usually present anytime we fall asleep and are not wearing our treatment. Best wishes, and I hope your tiredness improves!

There are many things that can contribute to daytime fatigue--medications, other illnesses, sleep apnea that is not optimally treated, etc. Oxygen levels can be studied at home with an oximetry study, which generally requires a doctor's order. Some patients use CPAP at night and still require oxygen during the day, so it is possible to use each treatment independently. I encourage you to talk to your doctor about the daytime sleepiness to see if there are other factors that may be contributing and about whether an oximetry study might be helpful. Use of oxygen when it is not needed can lead to other problems with breathing. Please let us know what you find out!

Hi CurteousIndigoBear9331. Congratulations on completing your sleep study and starting treatment! Please keep us posted on how you are doing. Hopefully, some of that loud snoring has resolved with treatment!

Hi Roy. Happy to hear treatment has improved your AHI and your are more comfortable with the higher starting pressure. Persistence is key, and please keep us posted! I actually found that I liked the EPR on my machine at the lowest setting. It would be great to know what your thoughts are as you lower or turn your EPR off. Best wishes!

Hi Janette. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I'm not sure if your sleep apnea contributed to problems with your eye, but there is information out there related to sleep apnea and vision. You might find this article on the American Academy of Ophthalmology's website interesting: http://www.aao.org/eyenet/article/obstructive-sleep-apnea-eye-ophthalmologist-s-role. The article actually mentions ischemic optic neuropathy. Best wishes as you continue your treatment, and please keep us posted on your progress!

Hi Verne7 and wiredgeorge. Some machines do allow the user to adjust the pressure relief settings. This is specific to machine brand and model, and on some machines must be activated by the equipment provider. Hope this helps!

Hi KindMaroonMosquito5934. EPAP is the lower pressure setting the machine drops to during exhalation and IPAP is the higher pressure experienced during inhalation. One of the goals with BiPAP is to have the EPAP pressure set at a high enough level to prevent the airway from collapsing at the end of exhalation. If EPAP and IPAP pressure are set to the same number on a BiPAP machine, then you basically have CPAP. Without a sleep study, there is really no way to know what the appropriate settings are for a patient using BiPAP. Hope this helps!

Great information, Verne7. I just responded to ABklynKindaGuy with similar info about my own experience with heated tubing. Glad you found a mask that works for you!

You might also consider reaching out to the company who provided your equipment to see if heated tubing is available for your machine. I use heated tubing and have found that it does make a difference. The air retains more humidity between machine and mask. Please keep us posted!

Hi Tommy. CPAP is not designed to help with congestion, and the air flowing into your sinus cavity can actually cause congestion if it is not humidified enough. This is a major reason that CPAP machines have humidifiers. Many patients, including me, use nasal sprays to help control the congestion. If your prescribed spray is not working, I encourage you to ask your physician for a trial of a different spray. If chronic congestion continues, it may be worth exploring a full face mask that actually allows you to breath through your mouth or nose. I have worked with many patients who actually prefer the full face mask because they find breathing through the mouth more comfortable. Best wishes, and please keep us posted!