Sleep Apnoea and CPAP

Vicxas

Got my CPAP machine there on Tuesday (Airsense 10) and i have to say the effect it has had on my mood already is astounding. No longer waking up feeling like i havent slept and no feeling i need to nap during the day.

Schorpio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122455602#Comment_122455602

Thinking about going down the purchasing route myself.

Saw a post on Reddit which said that the sim/data is likely to work even if you buy the machine yourself (at least, that was the experience of that poster).

Resmed are grand to deal with, but I have found them slow to send out different types of masks. The mask I had 'worked' (in that I was using it all night and getting good leakage scores), so they were reluctant to let me try a different mask - eventhough it might actually be more comfortable. They aren't as liberal at letting you try other masks as I'd expected/hoped.

looksee

Initially I had a lot of masks, maybe 6 or so, trying to find an ideal one. Have not tried recently but I am having a lot of problems (after 4 years of them being fine) with the memory cushion masks, they keep splitting at the top of the nose shape. Response was that the mask was probably too tight, but I have loosened it gradually and cannot go any further without leaks. I am also getting a permanent (sometimes sore) mark across the bridge of my nose, something else that had not happened before.

@drunkmonkey the weak point in the tubes seems to be the elbow into the mask. There is an area around the ball-joint which is very difficult to get at/clean and it eventually accumulates crud. (Where the ball joint goes in there is a circle of curved, slightly opaque plastic that joins onto the white plastic part). I had to get the elbow replaced. I imagine the hose would last longer than the 12 months they recommend so long as you keep it clean. Once you know about it I think a strong jet of water from the tap should keep the elbow clean, bit fiddly though.

drunkmonkey

@looksee my tube seemed to be leaking in the middle, sprung a few holes. Could have happened during the night caught in something. On hols at the moment and the bed has a kinda snake light beside it that I’ve the tube hung over during the night, gonna make something when I get home that holds up the tube at night, it’s a way better job.

On the nose, I’ve the pillow mask so it’s not an issue but I have to use a bit of Vaseline every night just to let it move without hurting the bottom bridge of my nose and upper lip, might be worth trying some so it’s not grating off your bridge, or even try a pillows if your not a mouth breather which seems to be pretty rare anyway.

looksee

I couldn't use the vaseline as I am using the foam masks at the moment and they cannot be cleaned. I'm having problems with them splitting at the moment. I'm trying to sort out why as they are €50 a time and you should need one every month. I was getting 6 or 7 weeks from one for the previous 4 years, up to this year, but since the beginning of the year every single one has split after (average) 2 to 2 1/2 weeks, I did in theory have enough for the year, but have gone through them already. I am going into the clinic so I had already decided I would ask about the nasal cushion.

Charles Babbage

I wonder does anyone do these 3D printed masks in this country? It seems an obvious technology to use.

This is in Australia https://apneaseal.com.au/

Glebee

Anyone else getting pop ups on social media about the magic mouth pieces (not the dentist fitted ones) that are replacing cpap, with celebs saying how brilliant they are and now they don't need to use cpap. Im presuming there all bullcrap.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122484952#Comment_122484952

I'd say an off the shelf yoke you buy on the Internet would be feck all use.

However, it would be nice if there existed a half good gadget for travel etc.

Glebee

Joe Rogan was on about one and it's all over my social media feeds, seems like snake oil to me though.

drunkmonkey

I'd say a dentist would need to be involved there but looking at reviews don't waste your money and forget about gettign the guaranteed refund. The main player seems to be https://somnomed.com/uk/dentists/clinical/ going by the share price they've not been very succesful.

https://www.google.com/finance/quote/SOM%3AASX?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn0qm9weiHAxVEWkEAHTCwDpAQ3ecFegQINBAf&window=MAX

Resmed on the other hand might be worth a gamble.

https://www.google.com/finance/quote/RMD%3ANYSE?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwin0taywuiHAxXjQ0EAHQiNEwQQ3ecFegQISRAh&window=5Y

wonga77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122484952#Comment_122484952

Run an absolute mile. In fact im pretty sure most of those adverts are AI generated.
I bought one out of curiosity and couldnt even close my mouth with it on and im not small person.
Most of them are bulk bought from aliexpress for half nothing and sold at a huge markup

If you're curious and dont mind waiting a few weeks for delivery then try this cause its the exact same one on instagram for €25. Its no wonder they can offer you a bargain like 2 for €30 then………

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006948397082.html

skinny90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485056#Comment_122485056

That I have seen and its 100% fake and AI generated

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122493629#Comment_122493629

Did Joe do something about what he does on any episode or is it all fake news?

looksee

I saw these a while ago and checked so far as I could, and concluded they were not worth pursuing.

Hontou

Looking for advice from someone with the same Resmed Airsense 10 machine:

Has anyone out there changed from a face mask to a nose mask with Resmed Airsense 10? I am now on the machine 2 months and still not used to it or sleeping. They sent me the nasal mask about a month ago as the full face mask kept leaking. Although comfortable, it is very strange when I open my mouth. It causes air to be forced out of my mouth and I don't seem to have the option to breathe out of my mouth freely if my nose feels blocked. The full mask gives the option of nasal and mouth breathing but keeps causing leakage as I sleep on my front and move around alot at night. I can't depend on the nasal mask as I need to breath out of my mouth sometimes as one of my nostrils gets blocked. I'm due back with the consultant in a couple of weeks and worried he will get annoyed with me as I can only last between one and three hours a night. I'm getting dizzy spells during the day too since I started using it so feel it is doing more harm than good.

On a separate note. The literature that came with the Airsense 10 headgear, called Airfit F40, states that I should have the settings to 'pillows' even though I'm using the full mask. Is this a misprint? Thanks to anyone who can respond to my ongoing issues.

looksee

I also have the Airsense 10 which I was using with the cushion mask (memory foam that have to be replaced every month or so) but I was finding the masks were splitting if I tightened the mask too much, and had leakage if I didn't tighten it. I had been using them for about 4 years so I am not entirely convinced I was wholly at fault.

However I was given the Airfit F40 recently - it is a nasal mask that covers the mouth - and am finding it good, much less leakage and I am getting used to it. When I was trying it on in the clinic I discovered that I could not breath out through my mouth and said so, so the nurse/technician altered something and it has been fine since. Could you get an appointment to go in and get it adjusted?

I only saw the bit about pillows when you mentioned it, but I don't know whether the nurse changed it, I didn't and it was not mentioned.

I used sleep on my back and discovered that it made my apnoeas significantly worse, so I trained myself to sleep on my side, which I can now do almost without exception, it took a while but it is possible. I would imagine if you could train yourself to sleep on your side it would help, I can't imagine sleeping face down with a mask on, the vents would be covered for one thing.

drunkmonkey

@Hontou

What settings have you in the control panel with the nasal mask, mine took a bit of fine tuning with the rep over a few days to get right.

The more you use it you'll notice your nose getting less blocked even during the day. My breathing has improved immensely.

I was using vasaline to stop it grating off my nose but I'd say the skin has toughened up so don't need it now, Was also using a little bit of decongestant before bed but don't need it anymore either.

Yea I get the mouth thing, like a frog burp, I just keep my mouth shut, to help I'm training myself to keep my tongue up at back of upper teeth, helping a lot.

This is where I'm at and my watch confirms the same..

It's a big drop for 45 events per hour I got on the sleep test. Anything over 0.1 was probably creamy pints related.

looksee

I was having an average of 9 to 10 earlier this year (from a starting point of around 47). An experiment with continuous pressure brought it down by a couple but significantly shortened my sleep and caused more waking. With the pressure back on 'demand' and a couple of other tweeks it got down to around 5, but the memory foam masks were splitting. I now have the nasal/mouth mask and at the moment I seem to be down to under 5 but its too early to say properly.

I have decided I like this mask (F40), its more comfortable to wear, does not leak as much and is giving better results, so far. The red mark across the top of my nose is almost gone too!

A helpful and knowledgable person in the clinic is much more useful than any of the consultants I have seen.

Hontou

I've everything set to Auto. I must move things around a bit. I think I work better on the F40 than the nasal mask. Will keep at it. Sure what's another month.

vidapura

Hi,

I haven't been back to this group for while. Had a read through a few pages of recent comments.

Thought I'd share a few things.

I am a happy user of a CPAP machine, a ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset for the last 3 years

I wasn't always happy with CPAP.. originally tried it 15 years ago and Just couldn't get on with the full face mask.
I felt all the things others have mentioned in this forum.. suffocated and exasperated.. the mask bucked on my face when I got the obsctructions.. etc. etc.. So I just dumped it.. no way no how.
And I just forgot about CPAP for a few years…

Got married since then and my wife got worried about the choking I was doing while asleep. And I realised I was tired and just not as sharp mentally as I could have been.
So, recluctantly, I went back through the whole sleep test comedy and got re-diagnosed for Apnoea.
The consultant set me up the ResMed PEI in ireland… I've done 3 years with them.. and found the nurses helpful etc..
The only reason I stuck with CPAP this time round was that they got me to try a few different masks, eventually settling on a P10i Nasal Pillow mask (link below) ..
And it was a game changer.. way different to the full face, quieter and less intrusive. That said, now, it took about a week to get used to it.. but once I did I haven't looked back. I sleep well, have about 4 events per hour, and wake up refreshed.

Unlike a lot of people, I didn't have a medical card, so have been paying 100 a month to ResMed PEI for the machine rental and service. I got tired of paying that money.. and over 3 years have paid for that machine a coupla times I reckoned.

I rang Resmed PEI and asked if I could just buy the CPAP machine.. and they were a bit disgruntled and passed me on to accounts etc.. Where I was told I'd have to pay €1735 to buy the machine.. I asked if i couldn't just buy the machine I had currently.. thinkin shur its second hand so twill be cheaper. And was gobsmacked when they then patiently informed me that the €1735 was for the machine I had been using for 3 years !! If I wanted a new machine I'd have to pay over two and half grand !!

So, having seen the prices on cpapstore.eu I just left it at that with PEI.

Two weeks ago I finally got around to buying a machine from cpapstore.. same thing.. Resmed Airsense 10 autoset.
I bought a package with a new mask (more on that later ), heated tube, and water tank etc.. for €930.. So that was a no brainer really

Irish Life have said they will pay something towards the cost of the machine. Note that its for the machine only, not the masks etc.. AND its half of whats left after they subtract your excess… in my case the machine alone is currently €500 on cpapstore.. and my excess is €250.. so they will pay me the princely sum of €125.

Three things about that purchase:

(1) I opted for a package containing a fancy looking new pillow mask.. the P30i (link below).. it has the tube at the top of the head so I thought it would be nicer to use when rolling over etc. Wrong! Hate it.. noisy as hell and back to feeling claustrophobic… The air runs down a tube in the side of your face, right beside your ears.. really feels loud and offputting.. So, its back to the good ole P10 for me. The point here is: keep trying masks till you get one that suits you. If you are paying PEI rental then go and make good use of their service, complain, get a different mask, see if it works.. they will send out masks and tubes no problem, they are making a killin on your contract.

(2) the new machine arrived while I still had the PEI machine.. so I just copied the settings that worked from me on the rented machine to the new machine .. and I'm back to sleeping like a baby..
Note that you have to hold the home button and the menu button to access the hidden settings in the clinical menu (google it for videos)

(3) I downloaded Resmed's own android app.. NOT Resmed PEI's app … and set it up .. works perfectly.. the Airsense comes with a vodafone connected SIM (or something) and sends data to the Resmed cloud, and its there waiting for you. I get the same sleep feedback and records as I was getting when paying for the service… and its Free.
Also note that there is a web page you can go to https://myair.resmed.eu/ where you can see it all on your web browser..

Anyway, I'm all typed out.

Hope this info is of use to someone.

P30i mask : https://www.cpapstore.eu/shop/cpap-masks/cpap-pillows-mask/airfit-p30i-nasal-pillow-cpap-mask/

P10 mask: https://www.cpapstore.eu/shop/cpap-masks/cpap-pillows-mask/airfit-p10-pillows-mask/

Hontou

Thank you @vidapura I have been a bit shy about asking for different masks and have only tried one full face and one nasal. Both are off within 2 hours. Has anyone found a suitable mask for someone that moves around in their sleep and mostly sleeps on their front?

Dogsdodogsstuff

Can I ask people for some advice as im similar to @vidapura. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea about maybe 5-7 years ago. Got a machine , hated it and when I asked to chat with the consultant he just took it from me and offered no advice.

My doctor was enraged , I probably just needed to hear “persevere and you will find a mask that works”.

Anyways, a year or so later I got a sleep study done privately. I had prob lost a few pounds and during the study I was so nervous I wouldn’t sleep (as it’s not cheap Mater private) I didn’t think I really slept at all.

They said I slept about 6 hours and I had some sort of sleep blindness where I’m a bad judgment of how much sleep I get. I honestly thought I had only 2-3 max as I was awake a few times.

Anyways, the result of this sleep study was down to I think 7 per hour which is obviously much lower then my previous moderate to severe. So I was recommended use a dental device. Got the device and basically stopped using after a month cause I have sensitive gums and was waking up like my teeth were gonna fall out (I must grind my teeth maybe) as my mouth pushed back against the gum guard.

Id also have sore mouth and sore jaw. When I went back to dentist he sort of said just keep going but the pain was not going so I just stopped using it.

So I kind of haven’t really done anything since then. Have no idea where I’m at or if it’s affecting me. I’ve never really snored and it’s been awhile since I remember waking up choking. That said , I seldom ever feel like I’ve had a decent nights sleep. My sleep hygiene is ok (went to sleep therapy) , could be better but even when I was being more disciplined I was never really fully rested.

I suffer from chronic migraines (get injections for them) which equally makes me exhausted so I’m not entirely sure if Sleep apnea is maybe causing chronic fatigue which leads to migraines or if it’s even causing me any issue at all.

So, after all that waffle, I suppose I’m asking can you rent your own mask and the machine sort of works as you need it. Or would I have to pay for another sleep study , to find out where I’m at with my apnea so the machine can be calibrated to what I need ?

Alternatively , if I have low level SA , is there alternatives to the gum guard?

looksee

Just to answer your question about renting a 'part time' machine, it seems very unlikely.

However could you go to your gp and ask for a home sleep apnoea test, it will give a general idea of whether you are having events and is much less invasive than the sleep study. Maybe it doesn't give as much information, but I have not found any of the consultants doing any in-depth calibrations of the cpap, the changes seem quite basic.

There is no point fighting with a dental device if it is causing problems. On the other hand if you have significant apnoea events you need to do something about them. Was it the same consultant that suggested the mouth device? I have been through about 6 consultants so far (over a good few years admittedly) and some of them are a waste of time. You have to persevere and find someone who is at least taking an interest in more than your debit card. At the moment the best help I have got has been from the Resmed clinic, but you do need a consultant for them to deal with.

There are lots of different masks you can try to find something that suits. Even so it is not easy and can take a good while to get used to it. There is no point 'hating' the machine, you have to figure how to live with it and persist, you can get used to it but you need to be patient and positive. Easy to say, I have done the 'get the machine then give up on it for a number of years', but then started again about 5 years ago. There are much better masks around now and I am recently on a new mask that seems to finally have my events under 5 from an original diagnosis of 47.

I used to get bad migraines but gave up chocolate and red wine about 30 years ago and have not had a migraine since. Different people are sensitive to different foods, presumably you have done an elimination diet?

Dogsdodogsstuff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122556250#Comment_122556250

thanks very much for this looksee.

In terms of migraines , I don’t drink or smoke. I’ve tried different diets and can’t ever remember anything working.

I have always had sleep issues since a very young age (sleep paralysis, nightmares , insomnia etc) and always thought if I got my sleep issues sorted alot of other things would work out.

Great idea with the GP, I will ask about a home sleeping kit.

blue5000

What works best for someone with a beard? I tried the nasal inserts but they made my nose sore, so I have been using the mask since but the seal is very bad.

PatMurphy021987

Hello,

Has anyone bought the AirMini AutoSet Travel Auto CPAP Machine, Im currently renting the Prisma SMART plus and now planning to but a CPAP machine

Would you recommend it, I do some travel but not lots but find the times Im not use the machine when travelling that I am quite tired and not refreshed.

Cheers

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557446#Comment_122557446

Would the rental firm swap it out for the air sense a few of us have, it's got a neat bag around the size of a small laptop bag everything fits into. I took mine on holidays a few weeks ago with no issues. Looks about half the size of the bag for your one.

PatMurphy021987

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557511#Comment_122557511

Just checking on the Airsense one, its connects by bluetooth so you get reports from previous night and you can change all settings yourself?

SQ2

Hello new friends. I'm just starting my journey here, looks like lots of reading ahead of me in this thread.

I'm a non smoker in the Obese bracket but my height disguises most of it.

I had a cold at the start of the year and due to the congestion I left a silouhette of sweat in my bed, quite literally from top to toe along with a bone dry mouth which set the alarm bells going. Those particular symptoms dissipated after a couple of months but it was enough to get me asking the question.

I always (past 20years or so) snored and was always a similar shape/weight. My wife has enough will power to ignore the snoring mostly. Looking back, I thought it was normal enough to feel drowsy on a drive anything more than an hour and would put it down to having a few pints the night before but now it makes sense. I would doze off watching TV at 10pm or so but put it down to a hard day at work. I have found conversation increasingly difficult and tiring over time making me even more increasingly anxious but put it down to just becoming boring with age.

I took the leap with an appointment to my GP who seemed dismissive of my symptoms and my suspicions but gave me a referral to a private doc in Clane anyway.

In the meantime I've tried mouth taping, the tongue sucker thing, snoreze and now using the Oral devices from Ali Express to try and help with my snoring. One of the first mornings I used the a mouthguard I woke up super refreshed. More awake in the morning than i had felt in years. I hadn't even realised i had gradually slipped to this groggy brain fog morning start until this ureka moment. They are hit and miss as they can cause pain to my jaw, and 50% of the time i lose it during my sleep or remove it, but my snorelab app score has halved over the 6 months I've been using it. The Joe Rogan advert seems to be him talking about apnea and then it cuts away and uses AI to say the brand name. Ali Express version for a fiver isn't a bad investment, far better than the €50 they're being sold for anyway. I can easily tell the nights I have had a bad night or snoring compared to the average night of snoring. It's extremely rare that I'll have a "good" night with good breathing or little snoring.

I investigated the custom dental option but the specialist won't do anything without the diagnosis and would only be of help to mild and moderate once i found out where I was at.

After a prolonged wait for a sleep test, and an even more prolonged wait for the diagnosis, my grinning doc tells me I will remember him as I have severe OSA and Gold Standard treatment with CPAP will fix me.

36 events per hour, mostly hypopnea's but enough to give me a poor night's sleep.

I'm meant to have my machine within the next couple of weeks supposedly but the way things have gone so far timewise I wouldn't hold my breath (pun intended!)

Onwards and upwards…

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122557614#Comment_122557614

It does but you don't need to Bluetooth it, the machine itself has the settings in the menu, I don't really find the information useful as you don't know how you're oxygen levels were, my Samsung watch gives me the oxygen levels which is what's really important, I've struggled the last few nights even though the res med app gives me 100% sleep score, Samsung tells a different story, I think I need to drop the humidity..it's drying me out. Not sure if a change in the weather or what. I must call them.