LGreen

I know my recent home study reported an AHI in mid to upper 30s without cpap... so the therapy is definitely doing its job.

I remember years ago it was much worse... when i was first diagnosed. But a move to a lower elevation a couple years ago has definitely helped. (5000 ft down to 500 ft)

I was so bad initially i could have kissed the drs after the diagnosis... it made such a difference in my life. In addition, i had very bad refux which only occurred in my sleep. And cpap therapy stopped that. Plus improved my blood pressure ... as well as made me just generally a more happy person cuz i was finally getting some good sleep. I had dealt with it so long i thought that was normal for me... what a revelation it was to really sleep good.

As a result i am about as compliant a person as you have ever met... On the rare occasions i haven’t used my cpap (power outage etc), the reflux starts again... and then it’s45 minutes of burning hell before i can breathe well, swallow without pain and get back to sleep.

Definitely a fan of the cpap ...

There is a wealth of information there...i think it will take awhile to begin to understand it. Maybe this weekend i can take some time and delve into a good tutorial.

I did look at the minute ventilation you mentioned, and mine seems to average on 5(5.05) with some fluctuation up and down.

With the changes i made last night the pressure did go almost to the 11 number of times... but seemed to be around 9 most of the time. So the 10 they prescribed years ago still seems to be pretty close. I think i will leave these settings for about a week and see how i do. If i push the top much i may increase the max to 12 to see if 11 is enough. The AHI was 0.3 last night... so all good there.

I have not had a full blown sleep study since 2007. They tried this year but i never slept deep enough to have any issues. I think i should have had a drug first since they wanted two hours deep sleep without my cpap. After 17 years use, that is difficult. They then did the home study, and did give me drug... so at least they were able to confirm the severe apnea.

Most importantly, all the other items are still good today... so going back to the old mask seems to have solved those problems. Had i faced those issues when i first went on cpap, i never would have been compliant... it was miserable!

I can only think that it is my shallow breathing making it worse ..., and probably the intensity of the vent probably helps to dissipate. I will be checking with the dr on my return Medicare required compliance visit.

I did get the oscar software downloaded today, and my initial download done. The main difference for night after i switched from p10 back to swift fx was the AHI increase from 0.2 to 0.6. Still fine.

Tonights changes are switching to autoset, and changing ramp to auto with a higher start pressure. Be interesting to see what difference, if any, this makes.

I am just so relieved that the fatigue, headache and mental fog are so much better. Again, thank you so much for your help... very appreciated.

Further evidence that my addled brain is improving... i now recognize my posts saying carbon monoxide should probably have read carbon dioxide .... guess i was more messed up than i thought.

Update after switching to my older swift fx mask from the new airfit p10.

MUCH BETTER today. I think it may take a few nights to get back to normal though. But, after just one night my thought processes are clear again (not in a fog), my energy level is substantially better, I feel more rested but not 100%yet, and my headache has diminished quite a bit.

So my conclusions: for me the airfit p10 is not a good fit. This may be due to my diagnosed “shallow breathing”, resulting in elevated co2 and rebreathing. The symptoms of too much co2 are markedly improved after one night with my old mask that doesn’t have the mesh vent.

Amazing how bad i felt after using the p10 for less than a week... so will hope that it continues to improve after the switch back to the swift fx.

Gotta say i am kind bummed overall, cuz the p10 was a very comfortable mask...

I have the heated hose on my old s9... but Medicare opted to pay for slimline only on the new unit. If i can get this new unit to work for me I’ll probably step up and buy the new climate line until Medicare decides i need it. It’s not too bad on Amazon. Although we have moved to the desert now, so really don’t have the variations in bedroom temps and humidity that i used to have. Really loved the old climateline when we would camp in unheated trailer/cabin and the temps got down into the 40s. In the new home if we get down to the high 60s that’s a cold night!

I too have let my tank run dry a time or two... not a smell you can sleep through ...

No, the machine was set up by Apria and i received shipment from FedEx. But the first machine i received had a major noise issue and had to be replaced. They were both set on fixed 10. But they weren’t both the same as far as humidity and epr. One even had the tubing programmed wrong!

I have never had an Autoset programmed on any machine but think that’s another great idea to try It and then i could see if my body is demanding 10 or not. I have been on that same pressure most of my 17 years... they put me on fixed 7 in 2008 and i started getting tired again... but it wasn’t as intense as it is now.

I think I’ll try the mask change tonight and then maybe the autoset range tomorrow night.

You have been so helpful and informative... I’m not sure how to say thank you loud enough!

Just looked and what i show is AHI 0.2, AI 0.1, central 0.0. I think those numbers are fine... I’m just not sure I’m getting deep enough sleep for some reason.

Looks like the oscar software will tell me quite a bit more than even the Essentials... anxious to see the results there too.

I think I’m going to have to look at some changes ... but keeping my fingers crossed that going back to my old swift fx pillows helps tonight. That would at least narrow my problem down.

One other note, on the three nights i have used it two have been with epr on and one off. No difference in symptoms

Sierra, thank you so much for the additional info. The cpap is an Autoset. I have reset the Essentials to Plus now and have access to more details.

When i get in my pc tomorrow i will download the OSCAR software and see what more i can do with the more involved information.

I am looking forward to trying my old mask tonight and hoping that will again provide a better nights sleep, like i was getting before the equipment was updated.

With additional research i am beginning to suspect that the mask may be the issue. I do remember being told by an anesthesiologist at my last colonoscopy that i am a” shallow breather” (so have to have professional oversight when i am being put under), so am suspicious that i am not getting into a deep enough sleep, possibly because i am not eliminating enough carbon monoxide on my exhale. That would explain the headache as well as being so tired. If that’s the case, the swift fx may be a better choice for me than the airfit p10.

Of course it is entirely possible that i am totally screwed up and that this has nothing to do with it....