sleep study results
Question:
I saw my doctor yesterday about the sleep study. He said I had an episode where I stopped breathing on average 46.x times per hour. The longest was for 17.4 seconds, this means every 1 to 1.5 minutes I would stop breathing, wake and breathe again. No wonder I couldn’t sleep. My o2 saturation never dropped below 89% so I must have been good at catching myself and recovering. This works out to mean that I now have a cpap. I do not like the mask. They did not give me the nasal pillows to start with they gave me this kind of mask that fits all around the nose and you have straps that fit around your head. I also got a humidifier. I tried to sleep with the mask on and only managed to do so for three hours before ripping it off. It was so tight that it was numbing my face and making my sinuses hurt above/around my eye. It took me a half hour for my face to return to normal feeling after taking the mask off. I know that it was too tight for me but that is the adjustment that prevented leaks… sigh I’m going to try it tonight with a looser fit but I doubt I’ll like this mask. The nasal pillows seemed much better to deal with… I’ll have to ask about it. What is annoying is that I want to sleep on my side/stomach and these masks make that difficult. Is there one that is easier to sleep on your side/stomach with?
Response:
Shena Delian O’Brien <shena…@forget-spam.com> wrote: >This works out to mean that I now have a cpap. I do not like the mask. >They did not give me the nasal pillows to start with they gave me this >kind of mask that fits all around the nose and you have straps that fit >around your head.
This isn’t the same mask you used at your titration? >I also got a humidifier.
Is it heated? >I tried to sleep with the mask on and only managed to do so for three >hours before ripping it off. It was so tight that it was numbing my face >and making my sinuses hurt above/around my eye. It took me a half hour >for my face to return to normal feeling after taking the mask off. I >know that it was too tight for me but that is the adjustment that >prevented leaks… sigh
Do you know which mask you have? Is it clear? Blue? Anything that would help us offer specific advice? >I’m going to try it tonight with a looser fit but I doubt I’ll like this >mask. The nasal pillows seemed much better to deal with… I’ll have to >ask about it.
If you used pillows successfully during titration, then they should have given you pillows to use at home. Find out exactly what you used for titration (headgear and pillow size), then call your DME and demand the same thing. There’s simply no need to suffer with a ill-fitting mask if you already know there’s something else that you like better. >What is annoying is that I want to sleep on my side/stomach and these >masks make that difficult. Is there one that is easier to sleep on your >side/stomach with?
I have a Breeze, and sleep on my back, stomach, or either side. It does help to suspend the hoses so they stay out of the way. http://www.mallinckrodt.com/respiratory/productcatalog/product.asp?id… Tom
Response:
Tom Devlin wrote: > This isn’t the same mask you used at your titration?
No. At titration I used nasal pillows… it was a split night sleep study and they put me on nasal pillows: http://www.snorenet.net/store/full8.html Looks like the lower left headset in the picture there except they didn’t put straps on it, there was a thing that sorta hugged the back of my head. > >I also got a humidifier. > Is it heated?
I don’t think so… I have this machine: http://www.snore-store.com/cart/nellcor.html The humidifier it comes with is just a little clear plastic container. > Do you know which mask you have? Is it clear? Blue? Anything that > would help us offer specific advice?
Respironics: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sleepquest/profilelite.html > I have a Breeze, and sleep on my back, stomach, or either side. It > does help to suspend the hoses so they stay out of the way. > http://www.mallinckrodt.com/respiratory/productcatalog/product.asp?id…
Would your insurance pay for those?
Response:
<< He said I had an episode where I stopped breathing on average 46.x times per hour. >> This is definitely severe sleep apnea. You really need the CPAP very much. << My o2 saturation never dropped below 89% >> Should stay above 95%. But a lot of us have gone lower. << I tried to sleep with the mask on and only managed to do so for three hours before ripping it off >> That’s Ok. That is a good start. Lots of people have to work up to wearing the mask all night. Some people practice wearing it while reading or watching TV to get used to it. << It was so tight that it was numbing my face and making my sinuses hurt above/around my eye. >> That is way to tight! It does not have to "suck" onto your face. It should sort of "float" on the cushion of air. My respiratory tech told me that some small leaks around the edges don’t matter, but they bother me … so every time I get a new mask I fiddle with the straps and the forehead piece until I get it comfortable and not leaking. The forehead piece can make a big difference. Sometimes pulling it too tight just makes it leak worse. Work on it and you will find the right adjustments. << The nasal pillows seemed much better to deal with… I’ll have to ask about it. >> Sure … some people like them a lot better. << What is annoying is that I want to sleep on my side/stomach and these masks make that difficult. Is there one that is easier to sleep on your side/stomach with? >> I have a Mirage mask and have no trouble sleeping on the side. The Ultra Mirage has a good reputation and has a tricky little swivel that works real well for moving around. You don’t have to lay stock still. I throw the hose over the head of the bed and that helps a lot. Again you have to experiment a bit. Stick with it … you will get used to it pretty quickly!! It will make a huge difference in your life! Read http://www.apneanet.org/stories/storymikeh.htm Mike
Response:
> I tried to sleep with the mask on and only managed to do so for three > hours before ripping it off. It was so tight that it was numbing my face > and making my sinuses hurt above/around my eye. It took me a half hour > for my face to return to normal feeling after taking the mask off. I > know that it was too tight for me but that is the adjustment that > prevented leaks… sigh
This is waaaaaaaaay too tight > What is annoying is that I want to sleep on my side/stomach and these > masks make that difficult. Is there one that is easier to sleep on your > side/stomach with?
Lots of people say nasal pillows (commonly the breeze) is good for sleeping on side, but the fisher & paykel is a very comfortable mask and i sleep with it on my side, front anything without problems…and i certainly don’t ahve to do it up so tight it makes my face hurt! — Beth in Australia =================== FAQ for alt.support.sleep-disorder can be found here http://www.anchorweb.com.au/sleepdisorders this site is a work in progress – feel free to submit info/articles
Response:
Talie wrote: > Lots of people say nasal pillows (commonly the breeze) is good for sleeping > on side, but the fisher & paykel is a very comfortable mask and i sleep with > it on my side, front anything without problems…and i certainly don’t ahve > to do it up so tight it makes my face hurt!
I really get irritated at the forehead thing on this mask… I don’t want that little rectangular gelpad pressing into my forehead!!! Also the nose contour is too small I think… with the mask on my nose is being pressed too hard into my face no matter how loose fitting I make the mask… and I don’t have a big nose or anything so I don’t know what the deal is. If there was just an open chamber instead of a nose contour I think it would be fine.
Response:
> I really get irritated at the forehead thing on this mask… I don’t > want that little rectangular gelpad pressing into my forehead!!! Also > the nose contour is too small I think… with the mask on my nose is > being pressed too hard into my face no matter how loose fitting I make > the mask… and I don’t have a big nose or anything so I don’t know what > the deal is. If there was just an open chamber instead of a nose contour > I think it would be fine.
I solved both those problems with one simple measure… i used to put a folded up sock (was handy at the time) under the forhead rest…this not only stopped the direct contact (which didn’t agree with my forhead..nothing to do with pressure, just the actual contact caused my skin to be irritated) but it also stopped me getting minor red marks – which could be sore – on the bridge of my nose…. I guess it kind of lifts the pressure directly off the bridge of your nose without affecting the rest of the mask. Works wonders…. I love this mask, it’s comfortable and I can sleep any way I like with it on…. i’ve acutally had my mum make a small pad to fit under the forhead rest now so that i dont’ have to use a sock LOL. — Beth in Australia =================== FAQ for alt.support.sleep-disorder can be found here http://www.anchorweb.com.au/sleepdisorders this site is a work in progress – feel free to submit info/articles
Response:
Shena Delian O’Brien <shena…@forget-spam.com> wrote: >No. At titration I used nasal pillows… it was a split night sleep >study and they put me on nasal pillows: >http://www.snorenet.net/store/full8.html >Looks like the lower left headset in the picture there except they >didn’t put straps on it, there was a thing that sorta hugged the back of >my head.
Then you almost certainly had a Breeze. The link I sent doesn’t show two straps that run along the upper sides of your head, that might be why you didn’t recognize it. >> Is it heated? >I don’t think so… I have this machine: >http://www.snore-store.com/cart/nellcor.html >The humidifier it comes with is just a little clear plastic container.
The link didn’t work, but it isn’t heated if it doesn’t have an AC power cord. I’m guessing that you got the F&P passive unit, it’s the just the chamber from their heated unit on a cheap base, and doesn’t work very well without heat. >> Do you know which mask you have? Is it clear? Blue? Anything that >> would help us offer specific advice? >Respironics: >http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sleepquest/profilelite.html
Did they even tell you that mask has to be heat shaped to your face? Of course, you don’t even know if you got the right size. 
http://www.cpapman.com/respiron.html#anchor35130 >> I have a Breeze, and sleep on my back, stomach, or either side. It >> does help to suspend the hoses so they stay out of the way. >> http://www.mallinckrodt.com/respiratory/productcatalog/product.asp?id… >Would your insurance pay for those?
Most will. If not, they’ll almost always pay for an ADAM Circuit, like the first link in this message, but your DME _may_ try to skip some of the parts to save a few cents. Make sure that you get everything shown on this link. http://www.cpapman.com/hints2.htm But I’d call the sleep center and verify exactly what you were using, then try to get the same thing from your DME. Please keep us informed. If necessary, there are people here who know how to work with DMEs who are not doing the job your insurance company’s paying them to do. Tom
Response:
"Shena Delian O’Brien" <shena…@forget-spam.com> wrote in message news:3CE491C3.ECB1539@darklock.com… > I really get irritated at the forehead thing on this mask… I don’t > want that little rectangular gelpad pressing into my forehead!!!
There are masks with no forehead thing. See below. The mask you showed is the Respironics Profile Lite. It has something of a reputation of being hard on the nose, although as somebody mentioned it can also be boiled and reshaped to your face in a configuration where it won’t have to be too tight in order not to leak. Plus, your nose will toughen up. But be careful now because if the skin gets broken and infected, that can cause big problems. The person who mentioned that it should be looser so that the air pillow fills against your face, was not referring to a gel mask like the Profile Lite, but to the type of design used in the RedMed Ultra-Mirage or the F&P Acclaim. Both of those, however, like the Profile Lite, have something on your forehead. You might get used to that, once it became loose enough, and those are quite popular masks. But there are also other options, besides nasal pillows. The IQ nasal mask from SleepNet Corp., for example, is a gel mask that’s significantly softer than the Profile Lite, in my experience. It’s one-size-fits all because the perimeter can be adjusted, not by boiling, but by bending an embedded wire. It can be worn with attachment points for the straps only at the sides (nothing on your forehead), or you can use a third attachment point at the top for stability, for a third strap up over your forehead. It uses either strap headgear, or a little cap. I think also Respironics makes a little mask called Simplicity, which doesn’t have a whole scaffolding on your forehead. Anyway, you can look at the wide range of mask designs on the mask-comparison page, at one of the sites you already referred to: http://www.cpapman.com/masks.html . If your DME won’t let you try different masks (they should, since their job is to help you become compliant), remember that if you can get the CPAP working with what you’ve got, even if it’s not perfect, within a few months you’ll be allowed to get a replacement mask and you can try something else. Also, you’ll likely feel a lot better and be in a better frame of mind to sort this through. By the way, 3 hours your first night is not bad!
Response:
Tom Devlin wrote: > Then you almost certainly had a Breeze. The link I sent doesn’t show > two straps that run along the upper sides of your head, that might be > why you didn’t recognize it.
Possibly. I asked for nasal pillows and a heater for the humidifier, and today I got the heater, and some nasal pillows by.. Conjo?? Looks just like the setup in the hints page you sent me below. It’s TOO LOUD though. I will have to take this one back and complain too. They will think I am a nightmare! > Did they even tell you that mask has to be heat shaped to your face? > Of course, you don’t even know if you got the right size. > http://www.cpapman.com/respiron.html#anchor35130
No they didn’t I’m thinking of using the nasal aire… I’ve heard bad things about the breeze on other forums, that it breaks easily???
Response:
Shena Delian O’Brien <shena…@forget-spam.com> wrote: >> Then you almost certainly had a Breeze. The link I sent doesn’t show >Possibly. I asked for nasal pillows and a heater for the humidifier, and >today I got the heater, and some nasal pillows by.. Conjo?? Looks just >like the setup in the hints page you sent me below.
DMEs are unlikely to carry the CONJO Custom Headgear, it’s made to order from your measurements. I’m sure you got the standard ADAM Circuit, made by NPB/Mallinckrodt, the same people who make the Breeze. >It’s TOO LOUD though. I will have to take this one back and complain too.
The noisy CO2 port’s been mentioned here before, there’s been some discussion about chamfering the edges of the hole to quiet it down. FWIW, the Breeze is very quiet. > They will think I am a nightmare!
Don’t worry about what they think, this is your health we’re talking about! Personally, I think they tried to dump some of the cheapest gear available on you, hoping that you wouldn’t know the difference. >> Did they even tell you that mask has to be heat shaped to your face? >No they didn’t
That figures. Stick to your guns, your insurance company is paying them to give you support as well as equipment, keep after them until you get something that works for you. >I’m thinking of using the nasal aire…
I’d try it, if your DME has them in stock so they can give you the right size. But we’ve seen a lot of noise complaints about the NasalAire, I don’t know how it compares to the ADAM Circuit vent. >I’ve heard bad things about the breeze on other forums, that it breaks easily???
The hose-guides have been a problem, it’s recently been replaced by a version that’s supposed to be more robust, but we’ve already seen a couple of failures. I’ve broken two in 23 months, my insurance company will pay for a new mask every six months, so I just keep a spare on hand and order a new one when the previous one breaks. Tom
Response:
Scoop0901 finished his coffee while reading article <902fng$er…@nnrp1.deja.com> on Wed, 29 Nov 2000 08:45:36 GMT, where sleepyhead said: >thanks so much for your reply it was really helpful … you were >absolutely correct he was an ear nose and throat $$urgeon!!! We will >take your good advice regarding the second opinion.
If you need to find a **board certified sleep specialist** in your area, go to http://talkaboutsleep.com/resources/directory/directory_index.htm. -dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->thanks again … I’ll let you know how it goes. >sleepy >> > His snoring is driving me crazy and I don;t >> > > really like the idea of surgery (neither does he), maybe there is >> > > something > else he should be doing. >> Oh, wait I see the pattern here…Let me guess, the specialist is an >Ear >> Nose Throat Surgeon, isn’t he. Which would explain why the Specialist >is >> keen to cut and not use the preferred method of treating apnea (CPAP) >> first, which requires no surgery, or should we say $$urgery. I >suggest you >> find a board certified sleep specialist who is a pulmonologist or >> Neurologist for your second opinion on the apnea.
Response:
thanks so much for your reply it was really helpful … you were absolutely correct he was an ear nose and throat $$urgeon!!! We will take your good advice regarding the second opinion. thanks again … I’ll let you know how it goes. sleepy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > His snoring is driving me crazy and I don;t > > > really like the idea of surgery (neither does he), maybe there is > > > something > else he should be doing. > Oh, wait I see the pattern here…Let me guess, the specialist is an Ear > Nose Throat Surgeon, isn’t he. Which would explain why the Specialist is > keen to cut and not use the preferred method of treating apnea (CPAP) > first, which requires no surgery, or should we say $$urgery. I suggest you > find a board certified sleep specialist who is a pulmonologist or > Neurologist for your second opinion on the apnea. > — > Magesteff > - "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."- Albert > Einstein > ——————————————————– > Pursuant to US Code, Title 47, Chapter 5, Subchapter II,
