Sleep apnea …………….CPAP ?
How many of you out there in Yahooland have sleep apnea? Do you use a CPAP machine? If so, which kind of mask do you prefer? Did you have an adjustment period in getting used to the machine? Does it help you ??? If so, in what way?
Tagged with: adjustment period • cpap machine • mask • sleep
Filed under: Sleep Apnea Machine Questions
I have sleep apnea. I am 100% compliant for using my CPAP machine. I use a full face mask. My husband also has apnea and uses a nasal mask. Since I sometimes sleep with my mouth open I prefered the full. He is a little claustrophobic and liked the nose one better. I had been suffering the affects of apnea for years. My problem was getting worse and I took that as others judging me because of my weight. I had classic symptoms-I would fall asleep at work, standing in the shower, during dinner, at the movies and driving. Sex? Sure, have me lay down and get comfortable and I would be out. I got severe pneumonia early 2005. I thought my being out of breath was due to the fact that I needed to get my lazy butt back to the gym. I landed in the hospital and spent 2 weeks on a ventilator. In the hospital they told me they suspected I had apnea. They tried to put one of the nostril pillow ones-the ones that look like a snorkel-on me. I still had a hole in my throat from the tracheostomy and a large sore from the nasogastric tube. Let me say that even at a pressure of 5, it didnt go well. A friend of mine has this type of appliance and jokes that he feels like he gets nose raped. My nostrils are small and the size of the things they tried to shove up my nose…I think not. After about a minute I ripped it off and said no more. A month after my release I went for my sleep study. I was awoken after 1/2 an hour and told that I had stopped breathing about 25 times. Needless to say I was given a CPAP. I remember the day after the sleep study, I had to go to a store meeting. It was the first time in YEARS that I didnt have to stand in the back of the room so I wouldnt fall asleep in the meeting. I felt like I had woken up from many years so sleep walking. I did have some adjusting but the discomfort was a small price for the privilige of being AWAKE. I did have a little claustrophobia at first but I kinda stopped myself in the middle of panicing and told myself that it was a mask and I was not being smothered. When I started with it I always turned it on, hit the ramp up button and put it on. Now I will turn it on and go brush my teeth. By the time Im done it is at an 8 and that is enough pressure for me to not feel smothered. If I put it on at 4 it does feel a little smothering. My CPAP is on 14 and my husband’s is at 11. The best advise I can give is that if you have trouble with it, try to give it 30 days. If you are still uncomfortable or cant sleep, talk to your doctor about trying a different type of mask. I also made fleece covers for the straps. I found that I would wake up with "strap face". Having the covers has greatly reduced strap face and has made the mask more comfortable to wear. Lastly clean your resevoir and mask at least once a week. Warm soapy water on the silicone will help the mask last much longer. When you need a new one, ebay is MUCH less than the dr. When I replaced mine the first time it was $300. When my hubby needed one, I got his on ebay for $35.
My sister has sleep apnea and uses a cpap machine…it took her about a month to get used to it, and now she won’t sleep without it!
My wife had Sleep Apnea and was using the machine till last December, when on bosses suggestion she started to exercises daily and lost about 26Lbs to get herself to her normal height weight. now she sleeps effortless and has no need for the machine.
Machine is great, but If you are also over weight by 10lbs try loosing the extra pounds first, going on Machine will classify you and it will also increase your insurance premiums.
Good Luck!
my healthcare teacher has it, she brought the machine to class one day to show us. She said during the night she would stop breathing but after she got the machine she sleeps really well and feels rested, but without it, she’s tired all day