Posted on 11/01/2018 4:11:06 PM PDT by Dacula
A couple of months ago I had an incident with my heart The doctor recommended changes to my medicine along with getting a CPAP machine.
My machine arrived today and I will begin journey of using the new machine.
I am curious if anyone has any comments, good or bad about using a CPAP machine.
Good. Not long after I got mine, we went on a weekend trip to KC and I figured I could go without it for the weekend. About fell asleep a dozen times on the way back home to Omaha and this was in the middle of the day!! I won’t go one night without and I’ve had it for 10 years.
I’ve been using one for about 4 years - best thing I have ever done. No longer nod off during the day, no more snoring at night. I have some friends who tried earlier models and didn’t stick with it, but the newer models seem to do a much better job of adjusting to your actual needs.
Get the Sleepyhead software (https://sleepyhead.jedimark.net/ ) and you can download the information and see what’s really going on with a lot more detail than the Dr. will give you, and will help you to see how effective it is.
I am a "side" and sometimes "stomach" sleeper, so it took some getting used to sleeping on my back most of the time.
However, I got past that and used the CPAP every night for nearly a year.
Then, for reasons unknown, something started going haywire with the mask, causing air to burst out of my mouth, constantly waking me up with a jolt.
So, I tried different styles of masks, but I had the same result.
I finally came to the sad realization that the machine was doing the opposite of what was intended, instead giving me sleepless nights.
It's in the closet now.
One other thing: keeping the mask and air hose clean is a real hassle.
Did you have a sleep study?
I can’t sleep without mine. I believe I have had sleep apnea since I was a teenager. That is according to my dad. I know I snored since then. I also knew I would stop breathing. Been told multiple times as well. I didn’t get a CPAP until I was 48. For about the first month, I was extremely tired with it. This might not make sense to you but I started to feel like I was ‘awakening.’ It was a very odd feeling. After about a month, I was a new person. I can now concentrate and remember things. My brain isn’t fuzzy. It is worth it. It is a pain in the butt to deal with, though. I get tired of having to wear it but it is too important not to. My husband likes it too. He gets to sleep without me waking him up with my snoring.
I did the sleep study and wasn’t surprised to find out why I wake up feeling like I didn’t getting any REM sleep because I wasn’t. Stop breathing; wake up. Rinse and repeat all night long.
I had a really hard time getting used to the full face mask so I tried the nasal pillow. It didn’t work for me because I sleep with my mouth open so the air just went in my nose and out my mouth. Someone recommend the Phillips Amara half mask even though they call it a full mask. It covers my mouth then rests and seals UNDER my nose. With the Amara mask I get a decent seal and can wear glasses. I like to read or watch tv as I fall asleep. Couldn’t do that with the full over the nose masks.
More often than not I sleep with my wire rim reading glasses on. I find they help keep my eyes from drying out if I get an air leak which then shoots a steady stream of air at my mostly closed eye(s).
Like everyone said; finding the mask or nasal pillow if you’re lucky is the key. I use the Phillips Dreamstation as well. They are adjusted by the tech but you can also adjust it using the “secret” method. I found I needed to lower the pressure 1.5 so my mask wouldn’t leak.
The CPAP system changed my life for the better once I found a mask I could wear. I might even be able to use a full mask now if I had to now that I’ve been using it for a couple of years.
Amazon.com has extra hoses and filters. They may be cheaper if your insurance doesn’t cover them. I used the water tray/humidifier for a while but really didn’t find it made much of a difference in preventing dry mouth. I did some research on those fancy cleaning machines and basically you’re better off just cleaning the mask by hand once or twice a week. There’s even some evidence the ozone those cleaning machines use can be bad for you. Best if you do your own research though.
I got mine after my ex-wife told me I stopped breathing for long moments at night and how disappointed she was that I always started again. Been using one for about 18 years now and very happy with it. Takes a little getting used to but after that real sleep!
I have sleep disorders. My apnea was terrible. I would wake up gasping for breath. All the usual signs of apnea. I had a sleep study done and of course the CPAP was recommended.
Instead I got nasal ventilators. Get them at the drugstore, get them off Amazon, just get them. They are like little barrels that go in your nose to open up your nasal passages in ways that a breathe right strip will never do.
I now sleep like a rock. No more drowsiness during the day, no more waking up at night gasping for air. Before you get a CPAP, you must try these nose ventilators.
These are all helpful posts, but you win the LMAO award, narrowly over the guy with the dog
the dreamstation also works with the free sleepyhead software to produce extremely details charts and graphs of the data on the unit’s smartcard ... works with the resmed airsense 10 too ...
https://sleepyhead.jedimark.net/
I tried those nose ventilators that hold open my nostrils and I found they did help. I think they are working on a surgical machine that cuts out the extra tissue so the nostril passage is more open.
It was only a partial fix though. My issue was when I fell asleep the back on my throat would relax and close. It was then I would struggle to breath until I stopped breathing and woke up just enough to breathe again. Then as I fell into a deeper sleep it would happen all over again. This is what caused the sleep apnea in me.
It’s the air pressure provided by the machine and a good to moderate seal of the mask that stops that repeating pattern.
There are pillow designs that can help one sleep on their sides with a CPAP mask. One doesn’t HAVE to sleep on their back. Sometimes I do a part back part side positions to sleep. One position for more than a couple of hours will cause nerve compression which will cause pain and/or numbness in my legs. I could probably use a better mattress topper made from memory foam of different stiffness layers.
Life saver for me. The hardest part if finding a mask that is comfortable and won’t leak.
I lost 50 pounds and then didn’t need one.
Been using mine for a few months now, on the advice of a cardiologist. It works. My wife likes it more than me. I do sleep better, but I find my inability to roll around and sleep on my stomach annoying. Better with it than without it though.
It has made a huge difference to me.
If I had any idea that it would have helped so much, I’d gotten one years before.
It is wonderfulness. Use it, love it.
Being in a semi-arid climate, with allergies, between the moisture bucket and the air filter, in addition to helping me sleep better, it has made my allergy/asthma issues so much better.
Mine starts making whistling sounds after about 90 minutes, and I have to take it off.
Ping...
it definitely is helpful....but my sleep is still not great.....I find having some noise like a fan in the room is helpful to drown out the noise made by the machine......
I have heard that too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.