Posted on 05/31/2022 11:12:20 PM PDT by Kevin in California
About 6 months ago, I was diagnosed with severe sleep apena and am now on a machine. This has turned my life around as I'm now able to sleep much better at night. Just wanted to get some pros, cons, and thoughts from those of you who are too on a CPAP machine.
Nope. Gotta get up to pee, anyway.
Did you ever try EPAP?
EPAP? What is that?
Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP) for Sleep Apnea
I’ll have to look into EPAP. Is it better than CPAP?
I’ve used a CPAP for 16 years. I never sleep without it. I personally know two people who had untreated sleep apnea who died in their sleep. Another friend had a severe heart attack but survived. It’s a serious thing.
As for advice I would recommend you have regular checkups with your sleep doctor and be sure to replace your mask, tubing and filters regularly. If you scrimp on that you can get an infection.
Good luck with your treatment.
Kevin: I used to snore my wife out of bed. She used ear plugs, headphones, etc.
I stopped when I used a thing you stick in your mouth but it made my teeth loose, so I stopped using it.
I finally cured my snoring after I lost some weight. I went on the keto low carb diet, and am now zero carb carnivore.
I think there were fatty deposits in my throat that caused the problem.
Another benefit is I no longer have heart burn. I was taking two or three large “calcium” tablets every night.
I was offered one with I was in the AF about 25 years ago. Turned it down because it would’ve affected my deployability.
Haven’t taken up the subject since, but I found that losing weight and changing the diet up helped significantly with keeping a good airway and, while I haven’t done a sleep study in many years, I’ve found that I get a far better sleep at night.
When you exhale, EPAP redirects some of it back into your airway. It’s easier for some people than CPAP. Most of them are small pieces you put on your nostrils. Unfortunately, it looks like Provent went out of business.
Don’t use it if you think you might be sick enough to throw up. My grandfather did that and breathed in the vomit trapped by the mask. He died of aspiration pneumonia within a week.
If anyone has a Phillips Respironics, check to see if it’s been recalled....very important.
They used a caustic outgassing foam to quiet their achines, which does as any caustic would to your lungs.
I’ve used one for years. I started with one that just covered the nose but they switched me to a mask that covered both the nose and mouth. I use an Airsense 10 device. I recently switched to the heated tubing and its helped.i have 2 Airsense 10s (ones 4 years old) One is by the bed and the other by my recliner in the family room. I use a P&K Vitera mask on 1 and a Airsense F20 on the main device. Both have the silicone seals rather the foam ones. Less leaks with tge silicone seals. With 2 devices you need to use a different email address for each one. The app won’t handle 2 machines with same email address. My medical company has info on both my machines and they tattle to the medical company. That way the can see real usage. Which for Medicare is important since they have to report usage. It’s kind of a pain having to set up 2vaccounts but if you use 2 machines you have to.
My latest change is switching to a heated hose which has helped maintain the proper moisture level. Both machines have a heated hose now I bought an extra one from CPAP Shop.
The reason I have 2 machines is they replaced one at 4 years with a new one and I decided to use both since I do find myself sleeping in my recliner in tge family room often. Medicare only provides supplies for 1 so I do need to buy filters, tubing and masks separately.
The heated hose is a new addition it provides more uniform humidity. Its very dry where i live and tge more uniform humidity the heated hose provides really helps.
YUP! Changed my life.
I just started 2 weeks ago after finally giving in to she-who-must-be-obeyed and having a sleep study.
I got the RESMED Airsense 10 (like you) with the heated tubing and F20 full face mask. Still working on getting a consistent seal as mask sizing to my face is a bit awkward at the moment.
I can see a big change since starting with the CPAP (well, technically an APAP) as I don’t wake up with brain fog anymore, have a better quality of sleep, and I’m no longer blasting my wife with the sounds of two chainsaws dueling to the death.
I worked for some sleep doctors for a while. They put a LOT of people on CPAP. To me it seems untenable over the long term but a lot of folks think it’s great. Awfully expensive. You have to keep going in for tests and such. Did you try weight loss?
Sometimes I wish I could stop snoring but eh. I’m not that desperate. If I snore, it’ll keep people away.
Too many men die of plain ol' stubbornness.. d:^)
Very good advice. I use one too.
I know there’s recently been a recall of certain CPAP machines...
From last November...
Folks who hadn’t heard, should check.
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