Sleep Apnea - advice needed!

wildecat1

I've just been diagnosed with "extremely severe" sleep apnea. The thought of wearing one of those masks to bed every night is freaking me out. Any advice? Words of encouragement? Success stories? Thanks!

jemhh

You will feel so much better once you get your machine and start using it. I've had one since last fall and have had a huge improvement. My goal is to get rid of it but in the meantime, it's great. I am thinking so much more clearly and feel so much better. My AHI was 87--yikes! Once I found that out and before I got the CPAP, I was completely freaked out about dying in my sleep so the machine has been huge for giving me peace of mind.

Cherimoose

Getting to a healthy weight might eliminate the need for a CPAP machine.

paj315

I'm a respiratory therapist and deal with c-pap's all the time. The keys are to try several different masks/prongs (full face, nasal mask, nasal pillows, nasal prongs) and make sure they set you up with a ramp (the pressure will start out lower and "ramp" up over a set amount of time. Also make sure you get a machine with a humidifier so the air doesn't dry you out!

bamagrits15

Sleep apnea sucks plain and simple. I have moderate OSA. I need a CPAP but since I changed jobs my insurance won't cover it for a year. I don't know if CPAP will even work for me. Most medical supplies places will give you a free trail if you have you Rx. You can look for a dentist that does the oral mouth pieces. I have sinus problems and CPAP can make them worst so I may end up going with the mouth piece.

I'm hoping that over time mine will get better with my weight getting better.

0somuchbetter0

My husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea and they told him to get a CPAP but he refuses -- says it's a big racket. I can see his point -- they had him "diagnosed" before they even did the test and already wanted to set him up for his next appt to buy the machine...plus they used some wonky rating system to dx him as "severe" but he found evidence refuting their system -- he's a doc so as apatient he's a pain in the *kitten*. Anyway, his snoring is so bad it keeps me up and now we're sleeping in separate rooms.

My advice: get the machine, sleep better, lose weight.

salvaje913

Stick with it. It is strange and annoying at first. I first had dreams of face huggers from Alien or giant spiders clinging to my face. I got used to mine and seem to cannot even go to sleep without it. Now I occasionally have a dream of scuba diving or going on an EVA in space.

If I don't use it I can definitely notice a difference in how I feel.

shaynepoole

Use the machine It works... I used the mask one for years (the nose one I couldn't do) - when I lost the bulk of the weight, I did the sleep test again and I no longer need the machine and got the diagnosis off my medical record - so it is reversible

Railr0aderTony

I have been on CPAP for 17 years, it saved my life. It takes getting used to but I can not sleep without it now. The difference it will make in the way you feel is beyond description, you will be rested and actually have energy again. I am with the rest to suggest trying different masks to find the one you like best. I like the gel mask that goes over the nose with headgear. But do not give up on it. Find what works best and get used to it. I can and will save your life.

jemhh

I first had dreams of face huggers from Alien or giant spiders clinging to my face. I got used to mine and seem to cannot even go to sleep without it. Now I occasionally have a dream of scuba diving or going on an EVA in space.

Ha! This made me laugh

Have you traveled with your CPAP? We're going on vacation and I'm trying to decide whether I'll have to stop somewhere to buy distilled water once we get there or if I can get away with regular bottled water for one week if I clean it really well when we get home.

NastyNinja

I have been using one for about a year now. You will start to love it because you never realized how much sleep you weren't getting before. Just like anything new, there is adjustment time. Stick with it! It will reenergize your days!

ItsMeBlue

my wife loves me much more now that she can sleep at night. I thought I looked like darth vader....but curiously when we watch star wars now she gets overly excited when she hears him breathing...get the cpap..live better. as for someone NOT wanting a cpap..more power to you but i'll keep mine thanks

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I first had dreams of face huggers from Alien or giant spiders clinging to my face. I got used to mine and seem to cannot even go to sleep without it. Now I occasionally have a dream of scuba diving or going on an EVA in space.

Ha! This made me laugh

Have you traveled with your CPAP? We're going on vacation and I'm trying to decide whether I'll have to stop somewhere to buy distilled water once we get there or if I can get away with regular bottled water for one week if I clean it really well when we get home.

Personally, I used water at one time, but it became a bother. When winter comes and the air is more dry, I will probably go back to being concerned about the humidifier. With that said, I traveled with it in February without the humidifier to DC (it was snowing part of the time I was there) and was fine. When I go hiking/camping, I don't take it obviously because I have nowhere to plug it in and it is a lot of extra weight and bulk to carry.

jemhh

Oh man, I have to use the water or else I feel so dry. Even with the water I sometimes feel dry (likely because of my mouth popping open once in a while.)

And now I am laughing about Darth Vader. When I was explaining it to my daughter, she wanted to know if I would look like "Dark" Vader.

ChrisAndBi

Yup, do it, and don't let enything deter you from making it work. It took me a while to learn how to adjust the mask, and our wonderful NHS let me try several, but it changed everything for me. I don't even think of sleeping in the day any more and I am so much more energised. There is one great upside that I will miss when or if I can ever do without it again - you can sleep under the covers without suffocating.

culo97

I've just been diagnosed with "extremely severe" sleep apnea. The thought of wearing one of those masks to bed every night is freaking me out. Any advice? Words of encouragement? Success stories? Thanks!

I started using a CPAP after a 2011 sleep study showed I stop breathing an average of 90 times per hour. If I remember to put it on AND it's still on in the morning, I feel refreshed and not drowsy during the next day. At least 8 times out of 10 when I go to sleep with the mask on, it's off in the morning. So all those stories you may hear about "you'll get used to it" and "you won't even notice after a while" ain't necessarily so.

Years after starting to use the CPAP, I don't notice any impact to my weight and I still fall asleep during the day. I keep using the CPAP on the hope that it's one of the nights that the mask will stay on the whole time. Gambling that I'll get a good night's sleep.

If you decide not to go with the humidifier model, you can try nasal saline spray. The pulmonary nurse, the department that handles sleep problems at my hospital, said that 3 squirts of the spray in each nostril is a suitable replacement. It helps me not be so dry.

wildecat1

Thank you, everyone! I'm glad to hear that a lot of people have had good experiences. I'm really hoping I will have more energy once this is taken care of. Good thing my husband's a Star Wars fan! Mostly he's looking forward to less snoring, and it freaks him out when I stop breathing for a second or two multiple times every night (actually, every few minutes of every night....). Thanks again for the encouragement!

browneyes684

I was recently diagnosed wtih sleep apnea and I had some questions. How long does it take once you start using the cpac to feel a difference, and how long does it take before you start to lose weight through exercise and eating properly after starting the cpap?