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A dab of AYR saline nasal gel in each nostril goes a long way in improving the seal of a nasal pillows mask, preventing sores, and increasing wearer comfort. My AYR gel has aloe vera in it. So nice!

Hi jstevie and welcome to the forum. It would be a good idea to run all this by your doctor.

There are lots of things that can cause fatigue...OSA being just one of them. A good sleep doctor would want to know why your fatigue is continuing after CPAP treatment. He/she will want to review your machine's data to make sure that the CPAP is actually reducing your AHI to under 5 and that CPAP is effective for you.

You can review your own data, too and a lot of us here on the forum do just that. Sleepyhead is awesome. You can install it for free on your computer. All you need is an SD card and a SD card reader. I found a great deal for both on cpapXchange.com and just now inserted the new SD card into my husband's Airsense 10. He isn't interested in his sleep data, but I am. I keep hearing the leaks he's having from his nasal pillows mask and am wondering just how effective his CPAP treatment really is. He says CPAP hasn't helped him with his fatigue level and that now he feels even worse on CPAP than he was before treatment. He's remembering from 6 years ago when he first began CPAP, so I think his comment is pretty subjective.

His respiratory therapist reviews his sleep data just once per year (they check mainly for compliance because they don't want to pay for CPAP supplies if the patient isn't using the CPAP machine each night, and for AHI, which they want to see under 5 to prove that the treatment is actually accomplishing something. He only sees the doctor if he reports a problem and, so far, he's kept his ongoing fatigue to himself. You can't blame a wife for worrying.

My husband's Airsense 10 didn't come equipped with a SD card. If I discover trouble in his data now, we'll have a "closet talk" and troubleshoot his next move, together. If I don't find trouble, then he'll need to see his doctor anyway to explore causes of his fatigue and my worrying can take a rest.

Keep up the good work. OSA is no minor affliction as you very well know.

In addition to what Sierra has suggested, mask liners are often a great upgrade for the full face masks. They are available at most of the CPAP vendors online. I recently made a purchase from cpapXchange.com online and was very pleased with the service. I don't know how much the advertised "Silent Night comfort seal liners" cost, but I admired the design. These full face mask liners come in small, medium and large sizes and fit the resmed full face and other masks. From experience, I found that the liners really helped (this was when I was using my very first mask, which was a full face model). They increased my comfort level and minimized leaking, plus saved me from the mask sores that we newbies so often suffer from.

The liners are made from cotton jersey fabric (like Tshirt material). The ad doesn't say what material their liners are made from, but investing in an initial batch might be a good idea. You can then make your own liners when your supply runs out, using an old liner for your pattern. A lot of us have done this and saved mucho pesos. I remember that I preferred purchasing mine because my scissors weren't sharp enough to cut efficiently through my husband's old Tshirt.

Keep us posted on how you're doing and the solution you found.

I'm so glad you're feeling hopeful for a change. There's considerable value in continuing with your CPAP treatment while you're doing the new drug regimen. The CPAP will treat your disordered breathing (apnea) and protect you from developing a host of other, serious, chronic illnesses and your new drug should address the ADHD and fatigue. Which all goes to show what a motivated patient can accomplish. Keep up the good work!

Please contact your doctor and tell him/her the problems you're having with your machines' current pressure settings. Is your doctor a sleep specialist?

Hi Jim...there is lots of good advice here on the forum and especially for newbies. We've all been there at some point. Fire away with your questions...we're here for you.

The reports are always correct. I agree with Sierra that either the mask has come out of place or your jaw may sag in the night and allow for some mouth breathing. My husband doesn't wake up when his nasal mask leaks. Also, he doesn't wake up when I tap his arm. He has apparently tuned a lot of things out so that he can get some uninterrupted Zzzzs. That's a strong survival instinct.

I have been a life-long mouth breather, though mostly rehabilitated now by my CPAP therapy. After I'm all masked up for the night, but before I turn on my machine, I position my tongue against the roof of my mouth, with the tip of my tongue resting against the backside of my upper front teeth. Then I turn on my machine. I think the continuous pressure of CPAP must seal the tongue into position, because it is still there when I wake up in the morning. I notice sometimes when I wake up, that my jaw is super relaxed and my lips are parted and I wonder how long I've been sleeping that way. My sleep reports always show zero leaks so the tongue thing must be doing the trick.

I love "Sleepyhead" for reviewing my reports. Look for it online and download it for free.

Hmmm...this is just a hunch...We come to CPAP therapy with all our aquired habits of sleeping, including pressing our faces against and into our pillows, our favorite sleeping positions, and our tendencies to pull our covers up around our ears, etc. Is it possible that your mask exhaust is inadvertently getting blocked in the night? If so, you might not have to pull your mask off to adjust your pressure. Try just turning your exhaust in the opposite direction, settle in and go back to sleep. You may have to do this until your brain picks up on what is happening and you start doing this adjustment in your sleep - or - you become instinctive and your brain prevents you from getting into the offending position, covers, etc.

The Airsense 10 machine is awesome...my hubby has one. I'm jealous.

Hi mle053.

I use the Swift FX mask. The top strap is adjustable. You can pull on the end until it is snugged down a bit, with a finger width of space between the top strap and the top of your head. With your small head, you might have a couple of finger widths or more of play. It doesn't really matter where the top strap drapes on your head. Let it flop around and just forget about it. The crucial pieces are the back straps. Adjust and tighten these until they are snug, yet comfortable against the back of your head. Draw your short hair up and over the back strap to anchor it. Got your pillows on straight with the rough edge up? Is it loose enough on your nostrils to be comfy? Good. You're all set. Take a deep breath, turn on your machine and lay back. Sleep tight!

If she is still fainting, she needs around-the-clock care and should not be left to care for herself. Falls can be very serious. She needs support.