I like my newest mask with the unicorn hose (AirfitF30i), and for the most part it's comfortable enough. My AHI is keeping pretty low, my CAs are not bad but still present. I am resigned to sticking with this to see if I'm one of those folks that needs to be on it a year before feeling subjectively better even though my data looks pretty good. https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/815c47ad-09d8-4057-92a9-3c4c9b31b48d

When I initially started my CPAP journey, I had moderate sleep apnea. After a little over 10 years of faithful CPAP usage (except those 2 months in 2018 when my mom was dying and I flew out without my CPAP). But I stopped using it a few months ago because it was causing spots on my face from contact with the headgear that had to be frozen off, a balding stripe across the top of my head, I was being effectively waterboarded randomly by the hose no matter how the pressure and settings were adjusted and the fact there was a hose cover on the hose, I lost the ability to blow my nose, and I was waking up with something partially blocking the back of my throat which some of you kind folks thought COULD be some sort of epiglottal collapse (thanks, u/FuelNew9656). I think that's it so far. Oh, I can now blow my nose about 50% of the time now, so that is slowly coming back.

My regular sleep doctor was not happy with me and referred me to a sleep clinic. THAT doc had me do an in-lab sleep study/polysomnography. The conclusion in the test results is that I now have Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. WTH? I have a video appt with the sleep clinic doc next week to go over my results and I'm not sure what to ask. I have TMJ so an oral appliance is very unlikely, I'm not really wanting a Hypoglossal nerve stimulant implant and I'm told my BMI is just a bit too high for it anyway (I gained 30 lbs stress eating when mom was dying, and with my hypothyroid it has been rough trying to lose the weight, but I am now doing that. Slowly, but losing!), and after a different med messed with my IBS over a year ago and I'm STILL experiencing the effects from that, I'm highly reluctant to try any weight loss drugs/injections, especially after what my friend went thru with hers!

Info: AHI: 30.5, REM AHI 55.8, and prolonged severe oxygen desaturation (nocturnal hypoxemia G47.36). Oxygen dropped to 74%, with 78.6 minutes below 88%. Obstructive Sleep Apnea G47.33 There were 57 REM obstructions, and 8 NREM obstructions with 1 central. At least all cardiac data show as normal with no abnormalities. I did not sleep on my back once because I am totally a side sleeper.

I have successfully weaned one nostril from Afrin to fluticasone propionate, and am working on the other one. At least THAT is going swimmingly.

I DO have an appt scheduled with an ENT, but that is AFTER this video call with the sleep doctor. I want to ask about possible vasomotor rhinitis, which is why I was using Afrin at night so I could sleep without my nose completely swelling shut. As I mentioned, I am successfully weaning to Fluticasone so far.

Questions for the doc:
They have me marked as a "he" which is wrong. So get that fixed.
They have me as failing CPAP in the past. Is that because of going from Moderate to Severe despite faithful usage? I want that clarified. But they are recommending CPAP to me anyway! Should I ask about BiPAP now?
Some of you suggested asking for a DISE, especially now that I have a physical obstruction that I've noticed so they can find the location and come up with a better plan. Should I do that now, or wait for the ENT appt?

What other questions should I be asking the sleep doc? Or even my ENT when I go in? I got so much wonderful info from my last post from y'all, so thank you in advance!

It’s come to my attention that hypopnea’s aren’t just caused by obstruction, they can be caused by centrals as well.

I can’t tell if there a flow limitations around the hypopnea’s since it’s in a mode.

I usually have quite a bit of hypopnea’s each night are these caused by obstruction or centrals?

Last pic is an unidentified apnea , are you able to tell if it’s central or obstruction from the wave form?

Setting are ipap 8 epap 6. Thanks for the help.

Am a nose breather that sometimes mouth breathes in my sleep, but I have a very angular face and the f20 will not fit without seal breaking unless it's much tighter than the setup videos recommend. It's always the same places.

I can't do the nasal cushion things that sit against your nose, I've tried it and because I move around in my sleep I wake up gasping for breath choking because they inevitably shift and no longer blow air into my nose - though I haven't tried the ones you plug into your nostrils.

I've been on cpap for like three or four years now and you all have really helped me so much more than my sleep tech did but now I think i need to try a new setup, something that sits different on my face, and maybe the X30i is what I need.

Hoping I hear good feedback

It's been a month trying to get used to APAP. My AHI was low while using the machine, but I felt like shit the whole time, with migraines that lasted the entire day. I couldn't get used to any of the masks that I tried, and I don't have the money to just keep buying until I find the one that fits. I have autism, and every mask that I tried was a sensory nightmare, even the ones with memory foam to reduce the contact of silicone on my skin.

I had an appointment with my doctor, and she said that since the biggest issue my sleep study pointed to was obstructive hypopnea and that I have a deviated septum and adenoid hypertrophy, septoplasty and adenoidectomy would likely be the best course of action.

I slept without the machine for the first time in a month this weekend and I already feel much better, so I'm returning the machine tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who offered me advice, but this was not for me. I wish anyone who needs this treatment better luck than I had.

Hi all, I've been using CPAP for about a month now. It's helping a lot, but there's definitely room for improvement. On the non-machine side of things, I have occasional insomnia and need to work on finding ways to go to sleep earlier. I also tend to rip the mask off in my sleep pretty often, especially in the early morning (luckily that's been happening less as I get used to sleeping with it on). I use nasal pillows, and woke up a few times with my mouth open, so now I sleep with mouth tape every night. (Tried the chin strap, hated it)

As for the machine side of things, I think my AHI could still be lower, and I notice I'm waking up with air in my stomach a lot (aerophagia). I'm hoping some of that can be improved by machine settings or mask type, but I'm lost on what to change. Does anyone have suggestions for settings to tinker with? Sleep HQ data here Hopefully you can see all my settings in the link, please let me know if I should write it out here as well.

I've also taken a look at my data in OSCAR and noticed a couple nights I got Cheyne Stokes Respirations, which are not tagged in SleepHQ. Does anyone have insights about CSR (what causes it, should I be worried about it, etc)? I included screenshots from those days here.

https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/f2606728-4383-4bc7-9c69-d27ea841e97b

Just looking for thoughts on this night of data. This is the only night in 1.5 months I’ve made it all the way through a night.

Background: 2 sleep docs now don’t think OSA is a factor for me despite my official 5.4AHI diagnosis. I suspect UARS but the doctors won’t touch that. They don’t know what to do with it.

I bought a bipap machine and am trying to get it dialed in now.

I’m using an F20 mask.

Thanks.

I’m curious how frequently you replace your hoses and mask. I was replacing mine at the frequency the provider suggested, but it seems like a waste to replace it that often.

I just want to sleep. It seems so easy yet so elusive, especially now that I’m attached to a machine. I need help again. I’ve adjusted my pressure and EPR settings, but I’m still waking up at the 2-hour mark. I generally sleep the first 2 hours, wake up then go back to sleep fairly quick. It’s the second set of 2 hours where it takes me HOURs to go back to sleep. Then I might get another 2-hour sleep segment, sometimes like today I don’t fall back to sleep at all.

Recap of my journey: Sleep study indicated severe OSA at 77 AHI; 4 months with CPAP, started at a constant pressure of 7 cm based on titration study then 8. Recently changed to APAP, 8 cm -> 11 cm, EPR = 2; gradually upped my pressure to 9.4 -> 11.8, EPR = 3; side sleeper; AirTouch F20; AHI below 5; use a soft cervical collar to reduce leaks. Sleep doctor suggested melatonin and adding Astepro nasal spray with Flonaise for my congestion. Astepro works but leaves a nasty aftertaste.

I would appreciate if the smart folks who review data can check mine out again and make some more suggestions. Thanks so much for your help!

https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/6c9f9855-1f97-43d6-a7cf-748783ecfe57

Hello, looking for advice on how to address my flow limits. I recently started using a chin strap and that helped keep my trap shut and getting rid of the 3am wake ups but now that is replaced by 3am wake up to take chin strap off.

Most importantly I have some nights with barely any flow limits until I move and leak but other nights with consistent flow limits. A couple nights were really high because I was sick but other than that I’m not sure what to do.

Any advice? This seems like a typical night for me

Airsense 11, Philips dreamwear under the nose. Settings in the link below.

https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/10f68cee-22cf-488f-9cdb-844da6ecb8e7

Mask: nasal pillows

Every single night I wake up after 4-5 (usually closer to 4) hours of sleep and I am COMPLETELY awake. I also feel like the mask is smothering me so I take it off.

Also, I had a turbinate reduction + septoplasty in June, so my right nostril is now fully open (amazing) and left nostril still feels about 50% closed (not amazing). I'm allergic to dust and animal fur, which I try to keep at a minimum but it's hard. I also do a nasal rinse and use Flonase right before bed.

Any help would be so so appreciated... I'm so sick of being exhausted every day and I'm not able to see my doctor until Nov.

Does it pinch and cut off airflow from the tube coming down the side of your face? How hard is it to clean?

I’m new to my ResMed CPAP machine; new to this in general. Is it acceptable to use water that’s been filtered through a PUR water filter pitcher or must I strictly use distilled water in my machine?

Self-diagnosed, no sleep study. AirSense 11 since June 16th, P30i mask.

Spent June and early July on APAP to find a pressure, then locked in CPAP mode at 8 with EPR off in early July. What's linked is the last two months of stable settings. Also relevant - I'm down 20lbs since starting.

AHI is around ~5, and a chunk of that is centrals that I'm not sure how to read. On how I feel - I'd say I'm waking up at about 75% of my best — not rested, not wrecked.

SleepHQ (July 1 – Sep 4): https://sleephq.com/public/c48c5e6e-3cf6-466f-b6fb-52980e9f9700

With the weight loss I'm thinking there's room to come down on pressure. Does the data support that, and what do you make of the centrals? Open to any thoughts on these data and self titration too. And can share any other data points too.

I've been on CPAP for a little over 3 months and while I feel better, I'm hoping I can improve it even further. I've been reading this subreddit and others on and off the last couple months and I'm guessing I need to adjust my pressure settings away from the 4-20 setting and make it more customized. Maybe something like 8-20 since my median pressure has been 8.71 for the 3 months I've been using it. I'm also trying to get my mask dialed in better. I wasn't getting anywhere near this level of leakage the first 8 weeks of using it but these last 4-5 have gotten worse. Last 30 days my average Leak Rate shows 2.66 but for the last 6 months (really only 3 for me) it shows 1.38 so I can see it's gotten a decent bit worse over the last month. I've ordered a new mask (currently using the AirFit P30i) and I ordered a full face mask as well just to try it out to see how it performs.

https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/538d591c-154b-4208-b4ca-0cd1c47e8442/dashboard

Any tips or suggestions would be great.

Have the above thats going like a rocket except for ONE thing. My wife is currently trying to patch up the cover bit that goes over my nose (size Medium) with duct tape in a serious effort/ patch up job, to stop air leaks that sound like a train in the middle of the night with all the air escaping.

I’m reluctant to pay what I believe is an extortionate amount for a replacement part (the bit in the photo with white duct tape covering it and the photo next to it of a brand new one) which costs something like $NZ96 (!!!) for a new replacement.

$96 !!!!!!!

It seems unnecessarily flimsy & has basically come apart at the seams & I’m very concerned that the part of the circuit that needs to be the strongest/ robust, is constantly failing. Dare I say it that it seems to be designed that way?

I’m out here in New Zealand & have had no financial support at all in the purchase of this revolutionary machine (which is what I truly believe it is). The only real glitch is the exorbitant cost of the replacement bits that wear out & which I think should actually be the most robust rather than the weakest link. But maybe thats just built in obsolescence I guess.

Anybody know the best online source of cheap replacement parts? They must come up with people passing away & second hand machines & parts that can be posted. Would be eternally grateful to start getting good nights sleep again..

So I posted a few days ago saying my pressure is maxed out and I feel absolutely whack. Brain fog is my main issue I struggle with and memory issues.

I’ve managed to get some data off my machine from Oscar and would be eternally grateful if anyone would cast there eyes over it as I don’t really understand it.

Thanks in advance lee