The Sleep clinic is Asleep

[verytired]

Hi all,

I am having trouble with Cpap at the minute! (Still snoring no sleep)! I am beginning to feel like i did before cpap. The major problem i have is that my sleep clinic seems to have fallen asleep and does not want to be woken.

I have called the hospital 20+ times in the last week getting cut off after being transferred most the time. When i wasn't cut off it was an answer machine which i have left numerous messages on but to no avail.

I visited my GP today to ask for advice and she has referred me to another clinic.

This of course will take time I am wondering if anybody has any advice on to getting some sleep while i wait for my appointment.

Is it true that if we sit upright to sleep it is less likely to cause apnea's???????

Any ideas'

Thank You

VeryTired (again)

[Tigers Fan]

Hi verytired

Do you know how and are you willing to adjust pressures yourself? If you answer 'yes' to both, please tell us more about you and your rig -

What has changed about you recently?
Which machine APAP/CPAP, which mask?
What is your current AHI and what pressure(s) are you using?
What degree of leakage do you get?
Have you been using air conditioning or suffering the hot, humid nights of late?
Have you changed the filters recently?

For tonight, make sure you are getting the best mask fit possible before switching out the light.

TF

[James @ Intus]

Sounds terrible, but unfortunately more common than you might believe.

Outside the big dozen or so dedicated sleep clinics, a sleep clinic often is a phone on a desk within a different department.

A change of clinics might be a good idea and TF is on to something too. You have a bit of experience under your belt so some careful DIY at this point may be an acceptable approach.

If they gave you a fixed pressure CPAP, it may be as simple as the pressure being too low. An increase (or switch to an Auto) may solve it.

Sleeping upright, or at least on your side does tend to go a long way to avoid apneas from happening in lot of people.

[Sparticus]

Again we are talking about altering machine preasures which if Im not correct the NHS up here are totally against, as according to them we are not qualified to tamper with the settings.

Before you start moaning. I completely agree with TF on this. It seems that at some clinics there isnt any option but to learn and adjust the preasures yourself, thankfully I have auto and wont have this problem. I think it is time that something was done to bring these clinics into line with the rest and not one rule for one and a different set of rules for others!

[ElleCee]

I have no option but to change mine myself as the machine that I have (given by another hospital) this clinic doesn't know anything about it let alone how it works. I was asked if I could change tyhe settings and when I sheepishly said yes they were relieved!.

Whilst I don NOT advocate making changes yourself.....
I think with enough experience of OSA you are probably better off making the changes yourself, cos, you would spend an awful lot of time waiting for appointments (that are as rare as hens teeth) just to get seen and you know your own body better than they do.

Wouldn't it be good if one size fitted all?

[verytired]

Hi TF
Im sitting with the machine on my knee and i will do the best to answer your questions as it appears i have been somewhat lax on learning more about OSA and my machine!

Do you know how and are you willing to adjust pressures yourself?
I would be willing although i do not know how to!

What has changed about you recently?
Nothing really my throat feels a bit tighter than normal but i feel this is down to the lack of sleep which was how i found i had OSA in the first place.

Which machine APAP/CPAP, which mask?
My machine is a RemstarAuto M series/a flex not sure if that's cpap or apap to be honest. My mask is a Comfortfull 2 full face mask.

What is your current AHI and what pressure(s) are you using?
Not sure! The information i got from my clinic was minimal all the nurse said was i was getting more than 4 hours Just!!!!

What degree of leakage do you get?
Not a vast amount the odd squeak as i cant lay still in bed.

Have you been using air conditioning or suffering the hot, humid nights of late?
NO i live in Cumbria we don't do hot nights therefore no need for air con!

Have you changed the filters recently?
I havent changed them but i do clean them once monthly!

I hope this info enables you to help me more!

Thanks in advance

VT

[symmit]

With help from here and other forums and an initial professional diagnosis, if CPAP therapy is working for your apnoea then there's no reason I can see for not finding your own effective and comfortable equipment and settings over a period of time.

I've been on CPAP for 8 months now, and have been slowly increasing the minimum pressure to get to a setting that's effective, my AHI is under 1 almost every night, SpO2 average now over 93 every night, pulse dropping nicely into the low 60s every night, compared to when I started therapy with an AHI of 4 to 8, SpO2 averaging 90-91, and pulse never dropping below 80.

On top of that I'm gradually losing weight (told my GP it's taken me 38 years to get to this weight, it can take 2 or 3 to get rid of some of it) and have no daytime sleepiness, I go to bed, switch on the machine and fall asleep until the alarm goes off in the morning.

If it ever stops working I'll be back on the phone to the experts, but no symptoms means effective therapy as far as I'm concerned.

[verytired]

Forum does it again

Hi All

I would just like to let you all know that i am finally getting more sleep!

A massive big thank you to Tigers Fan for all of his help explaining everything to me! (Much better than my clinic)

Again Thank You TF

this forum is the bees knees

VT