Any CPAP users?

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WorkInProgress323
WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
edited November 2021 in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea (I guess it's pretty bad) and will be using a CPAP at night. Just wondering if there is anyone here that uses a CPAP machine and if so, do you feel better since you started? I just want to feel good again.
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  • MRSpivey
    MRSpivey Posts: 270 Member
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    Yep... I do, and I feel so much better getting good sleep.
  • michaelmadonna
    michaelmadonna Posts: 105 Member
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    I've been diagnosed for more than 15 years and using the machine - it may take a bit to get used too but after a short time I couldn't get a good night's sleep without it. I finally learned the difference between being tired (normallly) and not getting to sleep. I actually enjoy the sleep I get with the CPAP though there are some inconveniences, sometimes weightloss will help but that doesn't seem to be the case for me. I'd much rather deal with the machine and actually sleep at night.
  • mank32
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    :tagged :flowerforyou:
    my morbidly obese mother was rxed cpap but she doesn't like it so she doesn't use it as far as i know :grumble:
  • angelred4kids
    angelred4kids Posts: 13 Member
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    I've been using a CPAP for a few years. At first, honestly I had a hard time the first few days. It was frustrating and I even cried I was so tired! But once I got used to it I felt SO MUCH BETTER! I had no idea how really low on oxygen and sleep I was! I have lost weight and they have changed my number. Right now I need it lowered again I"m sure but have to wait on my insurance deductible to be paid down before I can go for another study. Also I might mention my husband gets better sleep now too since I don't snore and stop breathing constantly. :)
    I hope you will give it a chance and realize there is a short time of adjustment. It is very, very hard on your heart if you do not wear it.
    It's not glamorous at all but so worth it for the way you feel!
  • debneeds2beskinny
    debneeds2beskinny Posts: 227 Member
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    My husband used one - he was overweight and would stop breathing about 300 times a night. It was uncomfortable at first, but he worked with different breathing mouth pieces until he was comfortable. He finally started getting good sleep (and so did I) . Once he got good sleep he felt better and became more active. He lost 45 lbs and has gotten rid of the cpap machine.

    Please stick with it and don't let it get you down. good luck
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
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    My husband has been using one for about 6 months. I think he's feeling better. I know I sleep better. :) I don't know what was worse his loud snoring or hearing him stop breathing a lot.

    I hope you feel a lot better
  • MzOnree
    MzOnree Posts: 124 Member
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    Hi WIP! I always tell everyone I'm a Work In Progress or WIP, lol! I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2006. I was put on a bi-pap machine. A bi-pap is just like a c-pap; the only difference is on a bi-pap you have a different pressure when inhaling and a different pressure when exhaling. A c-pap has the same pressure continuously. My pressures were set at 20/16. I had no idea that these were my settings until last week when I saw a sleep doctor. I had tried to wear the mask on and off for eight years without any luck. I kept telling the professionals that I couldn't wear the mask because the pressures were too high. I finally gave up even trying to wear the mask because of frustration.

    I am always sleepy, lethargic, tired, foggy headed and achy all over. Sleep is so important to your body and organs. Without proper sleep we can develop more heath issues down the road. I finally had enough and found a sleep doctor two hours from my home. I was relieved to find out through the physician that no one could wear pressures set at 20/16. I am going to be getting a new machine because they have really become more advanced since 2006 at the end of the week or the beginning of next week. I cannot wait to get the machine! I haven't been this excited about anything in a long time. You need to make sure that the pressure feels comfortable to you. If you have any concerns please talk to the professionals until your results are met.

    I had my second sleep study last Thursday and my new settings will be 14/11. That is a huge difference from 20/16. My twin brother wears a c-pap and he is set at 13. My older brother should be wearing a c-pap but it stays boxed up somewhere in his home. When I woke up from my sleep study on Friday morning I felt completely different. I hadn't felt that good in years. The wonderful feeling started to fade in the afternoon and since then I am back to my tired and lathargic self. I have no doubt when I get the machine and start wearing it I'm going to be a new woman.

    The mask may seem difficult to adjust to at first. There are different masks you can choose from. If you don't like one then try another. In time you will not want to go to sleep without your mask on, lol! I wear a night guard because I grind my teeth and now I will be adding the "Darth Vader" mask, as I call it, lol. I know I'm going to look hot and sexy while sleeping, lol!

    I was a hundred pounds lighter in 2006. I hope if I can get my weight off my numbers can be lowered on my bi-pap. However, I may be on the bi-pap for life according to my sleep doctor. I guess I have a "breathing event" every 83 seconds, which comes out to 43 "breathing events" an hour. So no wonder I am so tired, I'm not really sleeping or going into a good REM sleep. It was explained to me that a breathing event could be when I stop breathing in my sleep, my wind pipe closes up and relaxes, when I am struggling for air, etc.

    By the way, I will turn 51 in June. When I turned 50 I really couldn't believe it. I certainly don't feel like that number. That is all it is...just a number. So celebrate turning 50 and enjoy your life! Better to keep having birthdays than to not, lol! And don't feel pressured to get all of your weight off by your birthday. Sometimes adding pressure to ourselves can be counter-productive. Enjoy your life, allow yourself time to adjust to you c-pap, and watch out world for a new and more vibrant you!

    Good luck to you WIP! Your going to do awesome! If you would like to add me as a friend please send me a FR. Have a great day! :bigsmile:
  • Keliandra
    Keliandra Posts: 170 Member
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    I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea (I guess it's pretty bad) and will be using a CPAP at night. Just wondering if there is anyone here that uses a CPAP machine and if so, do you feel better since you started? I just want to feel good again.

    MUCH better, had mine for 4 years now, can't sleep without it. I had to take sleeping pills the first couple nights, but I got used to it quickly.
  • bedwellchris
    bedwellchris Posts: 57 Member
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    I have used a CSAP for about 15 years. Even at my skinniest I still needed it because of tissue in my throat that blocks my breathing at night. I have even awakened myself when I am napping as I gasp for breath. Yes, it does help but I still am prescribed a medication to help me stay alert during the day. The mask does make a difference so don't give up. Good luck.
  • WorkInProgress323
    WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
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    Thank you everyone!! I can't wait to start it now but it has to get authorized first. I'll let you know how it goes!

    Thank you again :flowerforyou:
  • MzOnree
    MzOnree Posts: 124 Member
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    Oh yes, insurance. Got to wait for the authorization. If it is denied just appeal it. Sometimes insurance companies like to make it hard for us to get approved...don't give up, lol! ;o)
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    I had one for years that I used, but then the pressures started keeping me FROM sleeping! They didn't want to change it without a study, and I couldn't afford another one. That is when I lost a huge chunk of weight, and I hadn't thought about that as a factor. I really should use it, but I can't afford it and the supplies now. :(
  • Hiker_Rob
    Hiker_Rob Posts: 5,547 Member
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    I have used it for 8-10 years and it made a huge difference in my life. When I had my sleep test way back then I scored pretty high and really had to have it. I am hoping that as I loose more weight that I will one day be able to go with out it, I've tried experimenting with out it a couple times but so far either I am not at that point or my body has become too accustomed to it to go with out.

    If you have OSA - use CPAP - it's a pain to get used to and a pain when you travel but it makes a world of difference in the quality of your life.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Being diagnosed with sleep apnea and wearing a CPAP has changed my world! You could not pay me to sleep without my CPAP. I did not know what it felt like to get a good night's sleep and wake up well-rested until I used a CPAP at age 42. I have so much more drive, discipline and energy now.

    I know that some people are able to stop using it when they lose weight, but that is not my experience. Even after losing 100 pounds, I still need my CPAP. Like others have said, it is not glamorous, but I think that it makes a huge positive difference in my ability to be healthy and fit.
  • Slaintegrl
    Slaintegrl Posts: 239 Member
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    I use a CPAP and it made such a difference in my sleep. Before, I was exhausted because, no matter how much I slept, it never seemed to be enough. I'd even spend almost entire weekends sleeping just to get through the next week. Still, I'm hoping that with weight loss, I can possibly stop using the CPAP, but definitely plan to go by what my doctor says. If I have to use it for the rest of my life, at least I'll know that I'm getting better quality sleep.
  • WorkInProgress323
    WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
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    I go for my CPAP machine today, yay!!!
  • WorkInProgress323
    WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
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    I had one for years that I used, but then the pressures started keeping me FROM sleeping! They didn't want to change it without a study, and I couldn't afford another one. That is when I lost a huge chunk of weight, and I hadn't thought about that as a factor. I really should use it, but I can't afford it and the supplies now. :(

    Your insurance doesn't cover any of it? :frown:
  • derkin2005
    derkin2005 Posts: 282 Member
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    I was on one for years ... Once I lost the 119 pounds it seems as if I no longer have a need for it. My insurance never wanted to pay for my supplies either, Hell I had to use the same nose cup for over two years because they never paid off the machine like they were supposed to. Best of luck
  • derkin2005
    derkin2005 Posts: 282 Member
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    I go for my CPAP machine today, yay!!!
    You will feel so much better
  • WorkInProgress323
    WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
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    I used my machine last night, the cats were a little freaked out :smile:

    It was very quiet and the mask was only over my nose but the cats kept looking at me like I was an alien. Anyway, I went to bed at 11 and ended up taking it off at 4am, I had had enough. I'm sure as time goes on I will become more accustomed to something wrapped around my face and head while I sleep. :grumble:

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