CPAP users: how do you know you need to lower air pressure?

[hotdog!]

Since starting Tirz, I lost 21% of my body weight. I'd used a CPAP for over a year before starting Tirz, and all my stats kept by the CPAP reports have improved greatly. But I still feel like I snore a little without the CPAP, and don't sleep as deeply if I don't use it.

I have noticed that I feel like I'm swallowing a lot of air during the night: I wake up with my stomach feeling bloated with air, and burp out air, not reflux, nothing related to indigestion. Has anyone had this happen? I feel like it's probably a sign my air pressure setting needs to be lower.

I have a Resmed Air sense 11 and my sleep Dr. has always set the air pressure, I don't really know if/how I can change it myself. Problem is, I don't see my sleep specialist often, like once a year so I haven't had the chance to ask him if it's time to lower it.

 

[indolent]

Change to auto-mode:

When you wake up, after machine turns off, scroll the display up a bit to see what your average pressure was the night before. IIRC, you can't see that in the app (which I don't use)

And the EPR might help the air-swallowing.

When done, either leave in auto-CPAP mode or reset to the average nightly pressure over the course of a week or so

 

[Mysoph]

There was an open source software called Sleepyhead that you can probably still find a download for (though it looks like it is discontinued, sadly). If you have an SD card in the machine, you can get all sorts of stats off of it, and see how it affects your measured breathing, minute by minute. I found this particularly useful when I first got my APAP, as I could see the prescribed pressure was way to low immediately. I adjusted the range and slept much better.


If you have a CPAP (constant pressure), it could be as easy as adjusting down a little each night (youtube video in indolent's reply) and reviewing your AHI on the machine in the morning. If its still near 0, you should be good. If you're a data junkie like me, or just curious, it might be worth finding a download of Sleepyhead and peaking at the SD card data.

 

[indolent]

There was an open source software called Sleepyhead

Interesting!! Apnea discussion boards say it's no longer maintained, though, and recommended "OSCAR, the Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter" instead.

 

[geoguy78]

Mine does the pressure automatically so I don't have an answer for you. But on a related note, ever since I started tirz I've been waking with a dry mouth (I use nasal pillows). I suspect the the loss of fat and muscle in my face and neck is making my mouth open up while I sleep, I may have to invest in mouth tape...

 

[hotdog!]

I use the nasal pillow mask too, and that's exactly what's happening, I wake up with dry mouth. I've been extra congested lately so I've been using Afrin spray. But the air swallowing has been happening for months before the congestion. I'll peep that YouTube video, thanks @indolent

 

[keangkong]

Interesting!! Apnea discussion boards say it's no longer maintained, though, and recommended "OSCAR, the Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter" instead.

Oscar is better.

 

[keangkong]

Since starting Tirz, I lost 21% of my body weight. I'd used a CPAP for over a year before starting Tirz, and all my stats kept by the CPAP reports have improved greatly. But I still feel like I snore a little without the CPAP, and don't sleep as deeply if I don't use it.

I have noticed that I feel like I'm swallowing a lot of air during the night: I wake up with my stomach feeling bloated with air, and burp out air, not reflux, nothing related to indigestion. Has anyone had this happen? I feel like it's probably a sign my air pressure setting needs to be lower.

I have a Resmed Air sense 11 and my sleep Dr. has always set the air pressure, I don't really know if/how I can change it myself. Problem is, I don't see my sleep specialist often, like once a year so I haven't had the chance to ask him if it's time to lower it.

I don't believe that it's your CPAP causing you the gas you feel.

 

[yelloeyes]

I use the nasal pillow mask too, and that's exactly what's happening, I wake up with dry mouth. I've been extra congested lately so I've been using Afrin spray. But the air swallowing has been happening for months before the congestion. I'll peep that YouTube video, thanks @indolent

These are the best for dry mouth... they stick to your teeth and dissolve so you won't choke on it...

https://www.amazon.com/XyliMelts-Adhering-Slightly-Stimulates-Non-Acidic/dp/B07TYW877C?th=1

 

[keangkong]

I don't believe that it's your CPAP causing you the gas you feel.

Try Gas-X (simethicone).

 

[hotdog!]

I don't believe that it's your CPAP causing you the gas you feel.

Really? Why?

The reason I don't feel it's food or stomach-fullness due to slow gastric emptying is because I've had that (indigestion and reflux), and it just doesn't feel the same. There's a particular feeling of gas stuck in my throat. It's odd.

Also, I finish dinner by 7, sleep around 10:30. I am not drinking beer or obvious gas culprits like broccoli/beans, etc, so that wouldn't be it. I don't feel all that full or bloated at bedtime, but I do when I wake up.

I could try fasting for a day to really determine if it is food after all.

Re: Gas-X, I've tried it, what it does is make me burp out the gas. But once I'm awake and walking around, I burp it out naturally.

 

[Peptoidian]

I use a Cpap and have had to lower the pressure. You have to put your device in Provider Mode in order to do that. Search for your device name and provider mode for how to do this. (It's usually some "secret" sequence of commands.) Once you get into provider mode the pressure setting will be obvious.