CPAP/sleep apnea (1 Viewer)

[Bluegrass Poker]

Had my cpap for 10 years now! Lifesaver in multiple ways. Probably literally since my sleep study showed 114 events per hour.

Made my quality of life better, like someone else said I didn’t realize how tired I was.

And an added benefit, you can use it as an excuse to avoid small talk with the wife once you put it on. LOL.

 

[pltrgyst]

Wow, the number of CPAP users in PCF is absolutely amazing!

 

[TheBigTater]

My doctors have been on me for a few years to do another sleep study. I did one about 35 years ago when a roommate of mine worked for a sleep lab. Found it very unconfrtable at the time especially sleeping with the old giant Darth Vader style CPAP contraptions. Being young and dumb I dropped it after a few tries and never followed up. The tech has evolved and changed so I'm going to go ahead and do another one as soon as they get me scheduled.

Being one of those who's been within earshot of Mark at night I can relate. For a man your size you can really put out the ZZZzzz. Of course I've never heard myself snore but others claim I do....

Good luck, I'm interested on how it goes especially on the cleaning aspects of the devices as I'm prone to sinus infections and understand it's imperative to keep the equipment clean. Hopefully you fade the surgery, that part seams scary.

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

Wow, the number of CPAP users in PCF is absolutely amazing!

Bunch of middle age guys who sit around computers and poker tables all the time. LOL

 

[JoeBGo]

I honestly think sleep apnea is a bigger problem than people think. I can’t imagine how many people out there ignore symptoms and don’t/won’t go see a doctor. If your significant other says you snore or it sounds like you stop breathing at night, please go see your doctor and get a sleep study. They are a huge pain in the ass, but being dead is worse.

 

[allforcharity]

I honestly think sleep apnea is a bigger problem than people think. I can’t imagine how many people out there ignore symptoms and don’t/won’t go see a doctor. If your significant other says you snore or it sounds like you stop breathing at night, please go see your doctor and get a sleep study. They are a huge pain in the ass, but being dead is worse.

You can usually self-refer to a respiratory therapist who can set you up with overnight monitoring and pulse oximeter to use at home. It is not necessary to go somewhere overnight to be constantly observed.

 

[inca911]

Fortunately I can sleep through most everything! Your O2Sat numbers were the real eye-opener to me. I didn’t realize that was a possibility, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Catch me if you decide you want more info on Inspire. I know those guys pretty well, and can make some inquiries to get you an experienced contact. Inspire was one of my customers, so I know much of the core leadership group. Good to hear your getting ahead of it!

 

[JustDave]

I'm also a 15+ year member of the club with original numbers of 60+. Almost all central sleep apnea over here, so basically my brain is trying to kill me. I've got a bipap because of it.

Get something that works for you, I'm a full face mask kinda person. Change out the filters/hoses/masks on the schedule, clean the tank(assuming you have a humidifier), make sure you've got distilled water and potentially turn the humidity down.

You'll get used to it faster than you think and sleeping without it will basically not be possible.

 

[CHP TD]

Hi K9

the trick to cpap is finding the right mask. Period.

The wrong fitting mask cant help you.


The smaller issues after you find the right mask are the ramp up the machine does and feeling like the elephant man. It took a while to pass.

hang in there and talk to your specialist allot! this is the hard part. Its really hard especially when the mask does not fit and its what keeps you awake. i went through 5 masks before i found one the worked, But after that i couldn't imagine sleeping without one.

But you are on the cusp of actually having your first sleep.... let that sink in. you may have never really slept soundly - ever.

For me it was life changing. I hope you find the same. but (just a suggestion) dont give up till you know the machine cant help you.

Surgery might work too. And if it does it will have the same effect.

good luck - but seriously hang in there. You don't know how good it can get.

Geoff

 

[k9dr]

Hi K9

the trick to cpap is finding the right mask. Period.

The wrong fitting mask cant help you.


The smaller issues after you find the right mask are the ramp up the machine does and feeling like the elephant man. It took a while to pass.

hang in there and talk to your specialist allot! this is the hard part. Its really hard especially when the mask does not fit and its what keeps you awake. i went through 5 masks before i found one the worked, But after that i couldn't imagine sleeping without one.

But you are on the cusp of actually having your first sleep.... let that sink in. you may have never really slept soundly - ever.

For me it was life changing. I hope you find the same. but (just a suggestion) dont give up till you know the machine cant help you.

Surgery might work too. And if it does it will have the same effect.

good luck - but seriously hang in there. You don't know how good it can get.

Geoff

Night 2 went OK - I slept a little better but I still need to work on fitting the mask. I am currently using a hybrid full face mask:

but may try this regular full face mask instead:

 

[Taghkanic]

My father tried various CPAP devices in the last years of his life. He disliked the masks, never found a comfortable one.

On the rare occasions, though, when he did use it through the night, he was like a different person—as alert and sharp as when I was a kid. Back to his old self. He really needed that full sleep and oxygen. Without it he was foggy and slow.

It was very frustrating that I could not get him to use it more regularly due to discomfort. With hope there are better options now, because the results when he did use it successfully were dramatic.

 

[Irish]

Night 2 went OK - I slept a little better but I still need to work on fitting the mask. I am currently using a hybrid full face mask:

View attachment 806045

but may try this regular full face mask instead:

View attachment 806046

wow yeah that first mask wouldn't work for me. I've been using the same mask for years so I'm not familiar with the newer styles, but in general I believe there are 3 types. Nasal pillows, which kinda look like base swimming nose plugs, the full mask that fits over both mouth and nose (like a standard O2 mask), and the mini-mask that just fits over the nose. I have the latter, it let's me strap it on pretty tight so I can move around without it slipping off. Can you tell where air is leaking from?

 

[k9dr]

I had the mask adjusted tight the first night and had minimal air leakage, but it was not very comfortable. I loosened it some last night and it was more comfortable but I got air leakage especially when sleeping on my side. It seems my pillow was slightly shifting the mask and breaking the seal. I just need to find the right balance between comfort and function. Maybe this one would be better

 

[Josh Kifer]

As many of you already know, especially those unfortunate enough to have shared a room with me, I snore, apparently quite loud My wife has been prodding me for years to get a sleep study and I finally relented. Lo and behold, it was far worse than I expected - I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. My doctor and CPAP technicians have all said they have never seen AHI numbers as high as mine. Apparently I am having over 67 apnea/hypopnea events per hour

So last night was my first night on CPAP and it will definitely take some time to get used to. I did not sleep well and I am exhausted today. I was able to wear the device all night and my AHI dropped to 23 events per hour - still very high but significantly improved. I am using a ResMed 11 with an F30i mask.

Ultimately, I am interested in surgery to correct the issue, but my doctor suggested I try CPAP first:

https://www.inspiresleep.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-Le4j4X_8wIVoDytBh02Sgw3EAAYASAAEgKmvvD_BwE

CPAP users, please chime in with any advice you think might be helpful.

Been on one for nearly 8 years. Once you get used to it, it's a game changer. I now can't sleep without it on and it makes sleeping so much better.

I don't use a full mask anymore, just a nose jet.

 

[JustDave]

Night 2 went OK - I slept a little better but I still need to work on fitting the mask. I am currently using a hybrid full face mask:

View attachment 806045

but may try this regular full face mask instead:

View attachment 806046

I've used the F20 for over a decade. I'm a fan.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

I had the mask adjusted tight the first night and had minimal air leakage, but it was not very comfortable. I loosened it some last night and it was more comfortable but I got air leakage especially when sleeping on my side. It seems my pillow was slightly shifting the mask and breaking the seal. I just need to find the right balance between comfort and function. Maybe this one would be better

View attachment 806066

The same thing happened to me when I would sleep on my side, which I always used to do. Once I got accustomed to sleeping on my back everything was fine.

 

[Jeff]

I now use a nasal pillow mask after finding a full face mask leaked and chapped my face. Same problem with a mask that covered my nose. I settled on Resmed Airfit P10.

Very similar experience to others. I had to condition myself to sleep on my back. I also had to condition myself to keep my mouth shut when I sleep...I wore a chin strap for a bit to learn to always breath through my nose. It sucked to have to strap up when I first started. Chin strap, then mask headset. I was able to chuck the chin strap after a couple weeks.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I now use a nasal pillow mask after finding a full face mask leaked and chapped my face. Same problem with a mask that covered my nose. I settled on Resmed Airfit P10.

Very similar experience to others. I had to condition myself to sleep on my back. I also had to condition myself to keep my mouth shut when I sleep...I wore a chin strap for a bit to learn to always breath through my nose. It sucked to have to strap up when I first started. Chin strap, then mask headset. I was able to chuck the chin strap after a couple weeks.

I use the same mask and had the same journey. Now it's super comfortable and I sleep like a champ.

 

[Irish]

The same thing happened to me when I would sleep on my side, which I always used to do. Once I got accustomed to sleeping on my back everything was fine.

Was just going to post this, prior to getting the machine I never slept on my back (largely because it led to more snoring). Now it's virtually all I do, sleeping like Dracula

 

[Mesnik44]

This is what I use;

I've used them for almost 2 years, and they are the softest, quietest, and most easy to clean mask I have ever used.

 

[BiGGyT]

@Mesnik44 do you find that laying on your side cuts off the flow with the P30i? I use the other nasal pillows (swift fx?) with the tube in the front, and was curious if this mask causes airflow problems.
T

 

[Mesnik44]

@BiGGyT , no not at all because both sides have a channel for the air. If I lay on one side, there is enough airflow from 1 channel to more than make up for me laying on the other channel.

 

[allforcharity]

Geez, with so many of us with the same condition, we could rename this forum PCF/OSA

 

[Darson]

My wife has been moaning at me for a while, particularly with my pandemic weight gain so I also did a sleep study through my dentist a couple months ago. I'm looking everywhere for the report but I can't seem to find it - but suffice to say it's bad. They were going to give me a prescription for a CPAP then and there.

One of my buddies has been using a CPAP for decades now and he can't sleep without it. Once you start on the CPAP, it's a lifetime thing. It doesn't solve the root cause of the issue and is a therapy, not a cure.

So I spoke with my dentist and there are actually several options, beyond just the CPAP. There are oral appliances that advance your jaw and open your air way. There are also oral appliances (they look a bit like braces) that combined with some mouth exercises permanently enlarge your airway. This combined with some laser treatment to tighten up the area around the soft palate seem like a cure that avoids surgery. And after about a year you're done and don't need the appliance any more. I already use a night guard to for me, this is unlikely to be anything more annoying.

I'm going on Monday to see about the oral appliance to enlarge the airway. They took photos and scans a month ago and the people who supply the stuff have prepared a presentation for me. It's gonna be expensive - $6k-$10k but I'd rather invest in a cure than a lifetime therapy.

I know that I stop snoring when I'm below 220lb but tight now I'm more like 240. So I'm also on a serious diet - I've lost about 5lb from the peak and my wife has already said I'm quieter at night...

So my plan is to get to 220lb and redo the sleep study. If that show a marked improvement then I'll go the oral appliance route.

 

[JustDave]

Geez, with so many of us with the same condition, we could rename this forum PCF/OSA

seriously, the number of people on PCF who have Sleep Apnea seems statistically significant

 

[Darson]

seriously, the number of people on PCF who have Sleep Apnea seems statistically significant

I think I read somewhere that they estimate 25% of adult male Americans have COPD - so not at all surprising.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I'm down 75lbs from when I got my CPAP, and I just can't imagine sleeping without it at any weight. It's like... Apart of sleeping now.

Now, my uncontrollable leg kicks can kinda damper my time.

 

[Mesnik44]

I am also down 70 lbs. But I also need to go a lot further...another 70 would be fantastic. I think that once I have my weight to a healthy level, I should be able to stop using CPAP.

Question for the CPAP/PCF brethren. Do you all sometimes find yourselves gasping for no reason during the day? Almost like an automatic reflex to not having the machine force air?

 

[Goldfish]

Following this with interest. I snore and my dog snores. It’s a race to see which one of us starts snoring first and which is the loudest. My wife kicks both of us out to the spare bedroom all the time. My doc has demanded I lose weight for other reasons (blood sugar level and blood pressure). Hopefully the weight loss will help but I have been seriously considering a sleep study.

 

[GenghisKhan]

Be patient, and follow up with your specialist/technician weekly.

I was at 57 events/hour. Averaging 30s each. So that is spending half the night not breathing!

The first week(s) with the machine took getting used to. Numbers were high. Technician connected to my machine with a cel phone chip (I think) and changed settings. Continued to monitor my numbers from afar, and change my settings each week for about 6 weeks before we found my preferred settings.

At first the machine start at too high air flow and I couldn't sleep. He adjusted it to start at minimum air flow til I fall asleep, and it slowly ramps up to a high level and I never notice. Wife does not hear it at all.

Initially had me round 5-8/hr for a while after that. After a few months, got me down in the 1s and 2s permanently.

My dad was having high blood pressure in the mornings and trouble sleeping. Told him I was sure he had apnea.

Sure enough, he was in your range, in the 60s. He's now about 2 months in. Still getting used to it. But his numbers are going down, pressure going down too.

Don't be shy to try different masks.
My specialist let me try like 3 different ones no charge.

I started out with an under-nose model. Also grabbed one that covers mouth for that 1 night per month my nose is 100% stuffed from allergies.

Just recently switched to new under-nose model that has nose cushions that partially enter your nostril.

Best one for me so far. Got my dad one too.

FYI, my dad the first month kept using it off and on. I told him, if you don't use it every night, ALL night, you're wasting your time and making the process take longer. Once he finally used it 100% of the time, it didn't take long to see a change.

If I went from 57 events/hr to 1/hr, you can do this and probably never require surgery. Mine is attached to my bed headboard. I put silicone rubber underneath to prevent damage from the clamp.

Get one of these too to keep your cord under control. We both have one and love it. Silicone, got one of those cooking sheets from the dollar store.