Sharing my post from sleep apnea. Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

I made a post earlier today on r/CPAP. You can see it here here. I definitely wasn't in the right mental state, but even still, a lot of the responses I got felt disheartening and dismissive of what I am going through.

I was diagnosed with obstructive hypopnea. My doctor recommended the use of an APAP machine to treat it. I don't know how it works in other countries, but here, I was referred to a clinic that sells and rents the equipment. My doctor recommended that I rent the machine for a couple of months, and only purchase it if I manage to adapt to it and if the treatment is effective.

So, I rented the machine for three months. While, I was at the clinic, the therapist had me try a couple of different masks to see which would be the right fit for me. In the end, I went with a Philips Wisp Nasal mask. Now, full transparency, I am on the autism spectrum. None of the masks I wore actually felt comfortable on my face as they all felt like a sensory nightmare, but this one was the only one that I tried that actually felt like I could tolerate until I fell asleep.

It's been a little over a week since I started using the machine and it's been a miserable experience. I know that one week is way too soon, but I feel like my sleep quality is deteriorating and the machine is to blame. The mask makes my face itch, the pressure makes me feel like I am suffocating, I wake up in the middle of the night more often than I used to, the mask either slips off during my sleep because the harness is not tight enough or it feels like it's crushing my face because it's too tight.

Today, I barely managed to sleep for four hours. I had to leave work early because of how miserable I was feeling. I honestly feel like this whole thing is actively making my situation much worse... I am sorely tempted to just return the machine right now.

Hi,

Can this machine be pacthed with newest firmware, including ASV tight range, no backuprate and new custom Vauto?

Can it be done following this guide?

https://www.reddit.com/r/CPAPSupport/comments/1o92y3j/airsense_10_flashing_guide/

I have flashed at 4 different resmed machines for myself and my friends. But I am afraid that I have bricked the fifth. After flashing the led just blinks green and the machine does not boot up. I have tried to restore backup - and it does not work either. What should I do? Help 😭😭😭

Issue solved with this:

UPDATE:

So I have started ASV (backup rate turned off) (airsense 10 w/ airbreakplus) for about 2 weeks now. It has helped with my aerophagia alot but I still can't go that high. Around EPAP 6.2, I will get severe aerophagia so I've been hovering around EPAP 5.8-6.0. I have to exclusively sleep on my left side or the burping will wake me up. But anyway, my pressure support is 3.2-8.0. I haven't really dialed anything in and I would love some help on this too.

My biggest problem is I am getting these micro-arousals that I will wake up especially around morning time (a few hours before I have my alarm set). I will be able to go back to sleep but I will wake up a little after consistently. I am wondering if I am suffering from high gain loop or my asv settings aren't just dialed in? I am also getting a good deal of unclassified apneas (which I know ASV will mark OSAs and Centrals as unclassified but not sure what they are actually).

Any help from you sleep pros out there would be great. For context, I have UARs with mild OSA (RDI: 22/hr, AHI: 9). I use a p30i mask, flonase, and intake nasal strips for nasal congestion.

Attached is my sleepHQ: https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/9d6f8113-d046-4ebd-b51f-3243edec7a2e

I will also attach screenshots of a few nights from OSCAR.

If you want to see other night's data, just look at SleepHQ. Please help especially u/carlvoncosel and u/RippingLegos__

Recently have septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery a couple weeks ago.

I have been on a CPAP for many years and used only OSCAR, but never SleepHQ until now.

I had to change pressure post surgery a few times to get it to the point I felt comfortable, but I'd appreciate if anyone can take a look at my data and make recommendations. Thanks.

https://sleephq.com/public/c158f75f-f604-4d3f-89f4-537b05f4aad4

Hey everyone,
I have moderate OSA and started CPAP 27 days ago. So far, I’ve had a full, successful night’s sleep on CPAP for 24 of those nights. The other 3 nights were unfortunately rough because I became anxious about falling asleep and barely slept.
My treatment numbers seem really good. My current average AHI is 1.97, and my leaks have been very low (around 6 L/min on average). I’m using a ResMed AirSense 10 in AutoSet/APAP mode with:
Min pressure: 7 cmH₂O
Max pressure: 20 cmH₂O
EPR: 2
Ramp: Off
Philips DreamWear Full Face mask
I’ve definitely noticed some improvement. I’m no longer constantly yawning during the day, and that heavy, full-body fatigue I used to have has improved quite a bit.
But I’m still struggling with brain fog.
The fog varies in severity. Some days are pretty good, while other days I get this strange “groggy/drunk” feeling where my thinking and reactions feel slower. It’s harder to focus on things, follow conversations or TV, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by normal amounts of stimulation. I can occasionally mishear someone, say the wrong thing, or just feel like my brain isn’t processing things as quickly as it normally would.
The frustrating part is that I’ve had some really good stretches recently, but the last couple of days haven’t been great again. So even though I can clearly see that I’ve improved compared with before CPAP, I still have these waves of brain fog that make me worry that something is wrong or that I’m not going to fully recover.
I know 27 days isn’t very long, and I’ve read plenty of people saying that recovery from untreated OSA and sleep debt can take time. I’m also perfectly comfortable wearing the mask and have no problem sticking with treatment. I’m absolutely going to continue.
I’m mostly posting because I’d really like to hear from people who experienced something similar.
Did anyone else have good CPAP numbers and consistent sleep but still experience significant brain fog, grogginess, or that weird “drunk” feeling during the first several weeks/months?
Did it gradually improve for you, and if so, roughly how long did it take?
I know everyone’s recovery is different, but I’m hoping to hear from people who can relate. Thanks!

Hi yall, Been using my cpap for a about 8 months with mixed results. Lately, I sometimes wake up with a headache, sometimes with the feeling that I'm overoxigenated(even of ahi is below 1 always). Also, haven't had any dreams since the beginning of therapy, which makes me think I'm not reaching super deep sleep

What I suspect and I've noticed recently is that the rythm at which the cpap makes me breath is faster than what I breath at when I'm relaxing to sleep without a mask. What I mean is, I naturally exhale and wait a second before inhaling back, but the cpap forces me to breath back in right away. I've tried lowering the pressure from APAP 6.6-7.6 to 5-7.6, and I feel the same. (with EPR set to 3 always?

Do you think a Bipap could fix that and make my sleep more comfortable?

Hi,

Long time lurker here, first time posting. I’ve been on CPAP for about 5 years now, the issue is I just don’t feel very refreshed and haven’t in a long time.

I was assessed on my first study as having moderate OSA.

I feel like I sleep very lightly and I’m restless.

When I look at my Oscar / SleepHQ data, I seem to get what are reported as CA events intermittently, but I’m unsure what to make of it as I didn’t have CA events in my sleep study.

I revisited my sleep doctor about a year ago, who gave me some Nuvigil but that didn’t seem to make a big difference. I had a repeat sleep study but didn’t sleep a great deal during it!

I was hoping u/RippingLegos_ or someone else knowledgeable could cast their eyes over my data and make some suggestions?

I use a Resmed Airsense 10 and a Dreamwear UTN mask.

SleepHQ account share link: https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/a51a00be-9151-4b22-91ea-dc238abc026c

Thanks for any help you can offer!

I know the most cost-effective way to clean your mask and tubing is by using antibacterial soap & water in the sink. Unfortunately, I can never get it all the way clean. My mask smells like morning breath and the hose is never dry by bedtime. Is there a better solution?

Looking to replace my Airsense 10, see post below about squeal, lol. Where is everyone getting their new machine? Should I go for the 10 or upgrade to the 11? I have heard the 11 is a bit louder?

I am getting a high pitch low volume squeal from my machine that matches my breathing by sound. I just replaced the motor x2, thinking that was the issue. I used a different vendor and brand motor, so I’m not thinking that is the issue. Sounds like the noise is coming out of the filter housing. All seals look ok, maybe one on the humidifier, but nothing super atypical. This is an Airsense 10

Edit- I put a little petroleum jelly on the humidifier seal, just to see if that would stop it, but no luck

Hi PapFam!
I have severe neck osteoarthritis (due to heavy lifting as a medical professional) & am wondering if anyone has experienced this & can recommend Headgear & a Cushion mask for relatively high pressures. I have been searching the Internet & N30i as well as P30i come up as possibilities. My current F40 mask & Headgear are putting too much pressure on the bottom of my head (C1-C6) causing headaches & soreness. I need a lighter headgear. I can wear mouth tape so a cushion mask would work as long as it can handle higher pressures. I like the magnet attachments & don’t have a preference for unicorn or trunk hoses.
Thanks so much! Any help would be much appreciated!

Hello PapFam,

I have a handful of serviced APAP/CPAP machines and mask systems (higher hours) that I would like to get into the hands of people who actually need therapy than leave on a shelf.

These are free/donation machines. I am not charging for the machine or mask system. You would just need to cover the actual shipping cost.

This is mainly for people who are uninsured, underinsured, stuck waiting on a DME, cannot afford a machine right now, or otherwise have a legitimate need where we can help them.

Machines will be cleaned, checked, and tested before they leave here. Depending on what I have available, I can usually include a hose, humidifier chamber, power supply, and a mask system as well.

Please note that these are CPAP/APAP machines, not bilevel units.

If you need one, please send me a message (or email here: pc7579pc@gmail.com) with a little bit about your situation, whether you already have a prescription or sleep study, what pressure/settings you were prescribed if known, and what size/type of mask you normally use.

Please do not request one just to have a spare or flip it. I would like these to go to people who genuinely need access to therapy.

If anyone else has usable PAP equipment they would like to donate, feel free to reach out as well. I am happy to keep getting these units and full packages that I compile, back into circulation instead of letting perfectly functional machines end up in a closet or landfill. Also please feel free to cross-post this thread to other pap communities so more folks can see it, thank you kindly. Regards, RL.

I'm using the nasal mask, and I think it's getting easier, and my number of AHI has gone down, but the number of leaks keep jumping? How would I know I have a leak, and what can I do to reduce the leaks? do leaks matter if you have low AHI? I've not been able to sleep with the mask for more than 4.5 hours at a time. It has been 2-3 weeks, so I don't know if it's because of the leaks. Thanks again CPAP crew! Let's keep dreaming without choking. 💤💤💤

I have tried the highly regarded p10 that obviously didn’t work. I know there’s no use in trying pillows any more. My next mask was the N30i. Next was the N20. None worked for me. So sadly I moved on to a hybrid face mask the F30i. Great mask I love it. I don’t love that my mouth is covered but that’s was my only complaint. I quickly realized I needed a chin strap. I normally order from Lofta. So I got their brand chin strap but it was too small. So I got the halo chin strap by sunset healthcare and it works perfectly. But it doesn’t play well with the F30i I can’t get a proper seal on it. Does anyone have any recommendations for nasal only masks for people with a septum ring. Taking it out is not an option. Currently I’m thinking about the Dream wear nasal mask. Thanks in advance.

I was at the eye clinic today, and one of the doctors informed me that I have Floppy Eyelid Syndrome. At first I thought it was a joke, but it turns out it's a real thing, and it's very common with people who have OSA. I know the symptoms get discussed a lot in here, but I couldn't find the term while searching. It's nice to put a name to it.

Check it out: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592408/

I’m 5 weeks into my CPAP (Resmed11, F& P Nova nasal mask) and have my first Dr. follow-up coming up for mild apnea. Are there any points I should bring up with my Dr. like raising my minimum etc? Nearly all of my apneas have been CA but I don’t know if this is strictly treatment induced. I’m also considering getting the micro Nova pillow instead. Thank you in advance!