Newbie here - 2 weeks in and addicted to my CPAP
Hi there, I'm two weeks in and wanted to share my journey. I found so much value in posts here and hope this helps others.
I stopped snoring after starting Zepbound for metabolic syndrome and realized I might have sleep apnea. Home test through Ognomy confirmed it: AHI 13.7, oxygen dropping to 86%, terminal insomnia, night sweats, Epworth score 16. I was desperate for relief but dreaded CPAP. I researched MADs to avoid the mask, but CPAP was faster so I gave it a shot.
DME sent a Philips DreamWear full face in large. Awful: conflicted with glasses, heavy, pulled my neck, gave me bridge sores. Gave up after 2 nights. Thanks to this community, I knew I had options and ordered a P10 and swapped for an N30i.
From posts here and YouTube, I learned about masks and settings. Current setup: ResMed AirTouch N30i nasal mask with DreamWear back headstrap, cap to cover hair, hose on top (my Teletubby mask). Added hose hook and Etsy hose cover for quiet gliding.
Settings that worked: raised min pressure 4-14 to 6-14 (no more suffocation), turned off ramp (full pressure from start), EPR 3 (revisiting this for central apneas).
Masks tried: Philips DreamWear full face (hated), P10 nasal pillows (liked, keeping as backup), N30i with AirTouch plus DreamWear headstrap (current), testing P30i pillows in small and medium.
Results after 14 nights: AHI 2-5 (from 13.7), 7+ hours nightly, no 3 AM wakings, morning calm I'm addicted to.
Still working on: treatment-emergent central apneas (brain recalibrating), occasional sweats (REM/deep rebound), finding perfect mask fit.
What helped: OSCAR software (seeing AHI drop made me want to wear it), movement (40+ min exercise = better sleep architecture), right mask (don't settle for DME default), YouTube channels (The CPAP Store/Tristan, RespShop, CPAP Reviews, TheLankyLeft27), this community (hacks, troubleshooting, what's normal), Amazfit Band 7 (sleep architecture data).
Day 4 DME caught my pressure change (oops), had to get provider to update prescription. OSCAR showed central apneas and I freaked, but learned it's normal during fast adaptation. Planning to wean EPR.
Bottom line: went from resistant to looking forward to nightly PAPping and morning data checks. One week until 21-night compliance. Even my worst CPAP morning beats pre-treatment. That's how much this has helped.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Happy PAPping!
Photos: first mask, P10, N30i setup, Amazfit screenshot.