CPAP/sleep apnea (1 Viewer)

[k9dr]

Update - I am doing well on my CPAP therapy. Although my numbers were improving, I was frustrated with the fit of the full face masks. I had to wear them too tight to prevent air leakage and this resulted in discomfort and red marks on my face, so I switched to a nasal cradle mask. These fit better but were also uncomfortable so I switched again to a nasal pillow mask. These are great. I started with the AirFit P30i and found it to be much more comfortable and my numbers improved dramatically from 5-10 per hour to less than 1 per hour.

Even though my numbers were good, the mask was a little bit noisy when I slept on my side, so I decided to try the AirFit P10 to see if I prefer the fit and comfort. I can’t really tell much of a difference yet, but so far so good.

If you snore loudly - get a sleep study. It is possibly sleep apnea and CPAP can literally save your life. It also improves your partner’s quality of life. I put it off for years and regret the decibels I inflicted on my wife.

 

[philhut]

Update - I am doing well on my CPAP therapy. Although my numbers were improving, I was frustrated with the fit of the full face masks. I had to wear them too tight to prevent air leakage and this resulted in discomfort and red marks on my face, so I switched to a nasal cradle mask. These fit better but were also uncomfortable so I switched again to a nasal pillow mask. These are great. I started with the AirFit P30i and found it to be much more comfortable and my numbers improved dramatically from 5-10 per hour to less than 1 per hour.

View attachment 887796
View attachment 887797

Even though my numbers were good, the mask was a little bit noisy when I slept on my side, so I decided to try the AirFit P10 to see if I prefer the fit and comfort. I can’t really tell much of a difference yet, but so far so good.

View attachment 887801

If you snore loudly - get a sleep study. It is possibly sleep apnea and CPAP can literally save your life. It also improves your partner’s quality of life. I put it off for years and regret the decibels I inflicted on my wife.

I had a nasal pillow and I have yet to sleep an entire night with my CPAP..... do you ever have an issue where with the machine on and you open your mouth the pressure overwhelms your ability to breath? This scares me and I have never fallen asleep with it. It has now been several years since purchasing the device and it may be a lost cause with the referral difficulties and follow up's here. I simple want to adjust the settings myself but of course it is locked out. Any advice for a CPAP adverse person like me?

 

[k9dr]

My machine has a ramp up feature that starts at a lower pressure then goes higher once I fall asleep. I also had issues with an open mouth causing air leakage. I tried a chin strap but didn’t like it. I just trained myself to keep my mouth shut, much like I do many times per day.

It is worthwhile to work with a sleep specialist to address your issues. Your doctor prescribes the treatment, but the sleep tech can make adjustments to improve comfort.

 

[Jeff]

I had a nasal pillow and I have yet to sleep an entire night with my CPAP..... do you ever have an issue where with the machine on and you open your mouth the pressure overwhelms your ability to breath? This scares me and I have never fallen asleep with it. It has now been several years since purchasing the device and it may be a lost cause with the referral difficulties and follow up's here. I simple want to adjust the settings myself but of course it is locked out. Any advice for a CPAP adverse person like me?

You have to train yourself to keep your mouth shut by using a strap that holds your jaw shut. I had to use one for a couple weeks.

Also, google is your friend as far as figuring out how to adjust the settings on your machine. I lost some weight and found that I was having problems with too much pressure. I titrated myself after figuring out how to by googling how to adjust it. The machine tells you how many episodes so I felt fine adjusting it myself.

 

[JustDave]

I rock this bad boy:

Because I have awful allergies at times and when I do, mouth breathing when I sleep is just a fact of life.

If you snore loudly - get a sleep study. It is possibly sleep apnea and CPAP can literally save your life. It also improves your partner’s quality of life. I put it off for years and regret the decibels I inflicted on my wife.

+1

 

[DoubleEagle]

I rock this bad boy:
View attachment 887994

Because I have awful allergies at times and when I do, mouth breathing when I sleep is just a fact of life.


+1

Been using that mask for about 20 years.

 

[eightyWon]

Was diagnosed yesterday with severe obstructive sleep apnea.

A huge part of the reason I finally asked my doc for a sleep study was this thread so thank you @k9dr and everyone else who shared their experiences.

 

[cpac54]

Was diagnosed yesterday with severe obstructive sleep apnea.

A huge part of the reason I finally asked my doc for a sleep study was this thread so thank you @k9dr and everyone else who shared their experiences.

Good luck with the therapy! Take the time to find a mask that seals well and is as comfortable as possible - it's really THE key to long term adherence in my experience. If your device has a patient app (like ResMed's MyAir or Philips' Dream Mapper), definitely give it a try. They can provide great feedback and motivation at the beginning, as well as serve as great sources of help and support at the beginning when you're still getting used to your therapy, device and accessories.

 

[DRG]

Using a CPAP will literally save your life and possibly your marriage (if married). Sleep apnea will kill you if left untreated. I was diagnosed in 2004 because my wife could not stand me snoring. At first I could not tolerate using the thing, but after a couple of weeks I acclimated to it. I could then get a full nights rest after 6 hours of sleep and my thinking was much clearer. IMHO It is well worth it to purchase your own system.

 

[eightyWon]

Seems as though the supply chain issues are impacting the availability of CPAP machines through the normal channels (providers who take insurance). ETA if I go that route is 2-6mos.

Bummer of it is that I've hit my max out of pocket on an HDHP already this year because of various issues so the machine would be fully covered if I could get one. Chances are good by the time what I want becomes available my deductible will be reset so...

I went ahead and bought a ResMed AirSense 11 out of pocket. It was expensive but in the end I decided getting a jump on better health was likely worth it.

I'm trying an AirFit P10 to start with. I do mouth breathe some so we'll see how that goes.

 

[cpac54]

Seems as though the supply chain issues are impacting the availability of CPAP machines through the normal channels (providers who take insurance). ETA if I go that route is 2-6mos.

Bummer of it is that I've hit my max out of pocket on an HDHP already this year because of various issues so the machine would be fully covered if I could get one. Chances are good by the time what I want becomes available my deductible will be reset so...

I went ahead and bought a ResMed AirSense 11 out of pocket. It was expensive but in the end I decided getting a jump on better health was likely worth it.

I'm trying an AirFit P10 to start with. I do mouth breathe some so we'll see how that goes.

Supply chain issues coupled with the massive Philips recall hasn't done the industry any favours in terms of device availability. Here in Europe, the launch of AS11 was delayed several times and is only being launched in a handful of markets now. There will be a non-connected version of AS10 hitting the market soon though, which should help alleviate some of the backlog and help get devices to the patients who need them.

The P10 is a great mask if you can tolerate it. If you have a higher pressure setting and find the "jet stream" effect a bit much, or find that the nostril pieces lead to discomfort, definitely give the N30 a try as an alternative. The N30 also has the option for the "QuietAir" vent, which is much quieter and offers less air disturbance (for the people who have to sleep next to CPAP patients, this is a real plus!)

For mouth breathers who still want as small a mask as possible, consider picking up a chin band, which helps to keep your mouth closed during the night.

 

[eightyWon]

Didn't feel like I slept well at all, got to bed much later than normal and took quite a while to fall asleep, but the first night was a resounding success anyway:

I didn't start anywhere near as high in events/hour as many here (only in the 30s) but I'm obviously super happy with 1.7/h.

My mouth did fall open a few times during the night and it jarred me awake with the forced air blowing from my nose and out my mouth but, overall, mouth breathing wasn't a huge problem yet (20/20 mask seal so...). Hoping I can continue to train my brain to keep my mouth closed all the time.

 

[allforcharity]

Good on you! Keep it up, your body will adjust until it becomes second nature.

 

[TheChipVault]

2 Visits to the ER, Uncontrolled BP, Tachycardia & Chest Pain. Finally diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP has saved my life. I use the airmini with the nasal pillows. I travel a good bit so it was a great option. I toss and turn at night so the nasal pillows and a chip strap work for me. Good luck!!!

 

[Welshman]

Well I guess I can say I will soon becoming a member of the CPAP club. Had a sleep study done and I averaged 89 episodes an hour and was almost at 100 some hours.
I just ran onto this thread and haven’t read all the posts but plan to. Seems to be some good in formation.
From what I have read there seems to a lot of members with this issue.
Hope I feel better once I start it.

 

[eightyWon]

can you tell which night was poker night?

 

[Colquhoun]

Heads-up for Philips CPAP owners:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-sleep-apnea-philips-recall-cpap/

 

[WedgeRock]

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

Put the mask on, but disconnect the hose from the unit, leaving it attached to the mask.

You're an elephant!

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

What’s truly scary is the amount of truck drivers who have sleep apnea and refuse to use their cpap machines. My wife does a lot of DOT physicals for truck drivers and shocks me how many of them are non compliant. And driving 18 wheelers for 10-12 hours a day.

 

[joeyshin]

So I did an at home sleep study and have severe sleep apnea. Something 70-80 events per hour. They were very concerned and I was hoping for surgery as my friend had surgery for polyps in his nose. He doesn’t snore at all anymore. I went to ENT and they said there wasn’t any thing to warrant surgery.

I’ve now been referred for an in-lab sleep study. I’ll probably get issued a cpap machine

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

So I did an at home sleep study and have severe sleep apnea. Something 70-80 events per hour. They were very concerned and I was hoping for surgery as my friend had surgery for polyps in his nose. He doesn’t snore at all anymore. I went to ENT and they said there wasn’t any thing to warrant surgery.

I’ve now been referred for an in-lab sleep study. I’ll probably get issued a cpap machine

It'll probably take awhile to get used to but once you do it'll change your life. I sleep soooo much better now, and feel way better when I wake up.

 

[Tonystark137]

So I did an at home sleep study and have severe sleep apnea. Something 70-80 events per hour. They were very concerned and I was hoping for surgery as my friend had surgery for polyps in his nose. He doesn’t snore at all anymore. I went to ENT and they said there wasn’t any thing to warrant surgery.

I’ve now been referred for an in-lab sleep study. I’ll probably get issued a cpap machine

Do the study, the the machine, I have one and it's changed my life.

 

[JustinInMN]

Boy I hate to admit this, but I did a sleep study this past August and I was in the 90+ event/hr crowd. Within 2 weeks of CPAP use (started in September), I was down to single digits and now I almost never have more than 2 events/hr, often fewer than 1. (Doctor even told me most healthy people have a couple events an hour)

I really love the nasal pillow but it did take me a bit to figure out how to make the strap behind my head just right to stay in place. There is nothing worse than the mask falling off right by your ear and being awakened by that rushing air sound.

Don't get me wrong, I hate wearing the device at night, but I am far less tired. Before I did the study I was always falling asleep as soon as I finished work, or even leaving early to crash. I was having crushing headaches at least a few times a week. All of that is gone.

I'm not perfect. Sometimes if my mask falls off at 5 I will turn the machine off and get 2 more hours of sleep unaided.

But on the whole, even if I don't love it, I can't argue with the results at all. It's really made me so much better.

 

[JustinInMN]

So I did an at home sleep study and have severe sleep apnea. Something 70-80 events per hour. They were very concerned and I was hoping for surgery as my friend had surgery for polyps in his nose. He doesn’t snore at all anymore. I went to ENT and they said there wasn’t any thing to warrant surgery.

I’ve now been referred for an in-lab sleep study. I’ll probably get issued a cpap machine

The way it was explained to me, the surgery doesn't do much if the apnea is really severe. (And also the explanation of the procedure was very graphic, so not sure if this is a design to dissuade people from the surgery, but it worked for me.)

 

[DirtyTIVA]

I use one of those moldable bite guards off Amazon that can advance your lower jaw. Immediately stopped snoring. I had previously been a belly sleeper. I don’t think I’ve gone more than 1-2 nights without it in the last 2 years. Highly recommend for those intimidated by the idea of a cpap machine or surgery. Definitely worth trying first.

 

[DirtyTIVA]

The way it was explained to me, the surgery doesn't do much if the apnea is really severe. (And also the explanation of the procedure was very graphic, so not sure if this is a design to dissuade people from the surgery, but it worked for me.)

Phase I is a UvuloPalatoPharyngoPlasty (UPPP). Shaves tissue out of the way.

Phase II is mandibular advancement by breaking your jaw and moving it forward.

 

[Colquhoun]

I use one of those moldable bite guards off Amazon that can advance your lower jaw. Immediately stopped snoring. I had previously been a belly sleeper. I don’t think I’ve gone more than 1-2 nights without it in the last 2 years. Highly recommend for those intimidated by the idea of a cpap machine or surgery. Definitely worth trying first.

Do you have one that you recommend? Amazon has a ton of different ones, with wildly different reviews.

 

[JustinInMN]

Phase II is mandibular advancement by breaking your jaw and moving it forward.

Yup, that was the moment I cringed.

 

[DirtyTIVA]

Do you have one that you recommend? Amazon has a ton of different ones, with wildly different reviews.

I’m at work and don’t remember which brand it was. Maybe tranquility pro? It was like $50. You boil it in hot water then shape it to your teeth. You definitely want one that lets you advance the bottom half forward. I have an overbite and it’s the mandible (lower jaw) falling backwards that contributes to obstruction. Big tongues, large tonsils, more tissue in general (obesity) all contribute.

When you first start using it your jaw certainly could/will be sore. My use of this over time has basically advanced my mandible forward similar to braces. Even when I don’t use it I snore at most a little bit.

 

[DirtyTIVA]

Medically speaking the problem with OSA is the sympathetic response your body generates when CO2 levels are high and O2 levels are lower. It’s not just the quality of your sleep. Your blood pressure and heart rate elevate and this is why it leads to chronic high blood pressure as well as specifically elevated right heart pressures (pulmonary hypertension).

Many obese people also use accessory muscles of respiration to breathe when they’re awake. When you’re asleep your accessory muscles aren’t being consciously controlled anymore so your diaphragm is only able to pull in much smaller tidal volumes. This leads to CO2 retention and this is why some people need BiPaP support not just CPAP. CPAP keeps your airway open with some positive pressure. BiPaP actually gives you some help to breathe more deeply.

@BNads86 and @Saxplayer can also chime in here if they want.