Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

[Rich B.]

Have been using the s9 for 9 months now. I was somebody who slept through th night pretty much. Snored on occasion. Never would have guessed sleep apnea.

I developed pretty bad afib and since there was no other reason imaginable my cardiologist set me up with a sleep study. I found out that I stopped breathing 25 times an hour.

I have not had any afib problems in the 9 months and I feel great. My blood pressure which was high normal came down 25%.

Be patient with the process. It took a good 4 or 5 months to find the correct size headgear and mask. You may be lucky but don't count on it.

[Sloop]

I may be a newbie -- but I am really an oldie

First diagnosed with OSA in January of 1992 -- some 20+ years ago. That was back in the days when OSA was pretty much unheard of. Thank God for a wise family doc who sent me to the University of Virginia Sleep Disorders Lab. At that time, the condition of OSA had only been known for 20 years -- first discovered by an astute Australian doctor by the name of Colin Sullivan. If memory serves me correct, he was also the founder of ResMed. His first CPAP machine -- are you ready for this? -- was a vacuum cleaner on reverse air flow. How would you have liked to have been the first patient?

My first machine was fantastic (for the time). It was a HealthDyne Tranquility Plus. I lugged that thing all over the country and the world. I was very fortunate in that I took to CPAP immediately. The very first night, I was asleep in minutes and never ever experienced any adapting issues. That is quite a statement when you realize just how ancient the masks were back then. The Tranquilty Plus however had the original computer controlled operation that eventually became C-Flex when HealthDyne was bought out by Respironics -- so even back then, it was a great CPAP and relatively quiet.

I used to participate on another OSA forum years ago, but I don't remember the name of it.

[RogerSC]

Been at it about 6 months myself, and things seem to be going fine. The first week of using the machine, I used Ambien to get to sleep, that was my plan. Then went cold turkey, and haven't done that since, didn't sleep much at all the night after stopping the Ambien. Still use Melatonin occasionally due to difficulties in getting back to sleep after waking up earlier than I'd like, and it does work for that but leaves me a little fuzzy-headed. I was able to keep the mask on about 4 hours or so at the start, since my doctor told me that more than 4 hours was the magic number. Since then, I've been keeping it on all night some nights, but more than 6 hours as a rule. My AHI is down to about 1.5 when I'm sleeping according to the machine, which is fine. The only problem I've had is going back to sleep after waking up. That one just needs time, I think.

I'm just getting set up for camping and traveling, and ordered a battery pack, a converter (for running the CPAP machine), and an inverter (for running the battery pack charger in the car). I already have the unheated tubing and the humidifier tank that's made to be taken apart *smile*. I"ll have to try it all out pretty soon, but assuming I have all the right connecting cables, should be a snap *smile*. I have a ResMed S9 with humidifier, and intend to not take the humidifier camping. We're going to Glacier Park, my wife is taking more time driving, and I'm flying with the CPAP machine. We'll have a mixed motel and camping trip. Don't know how it will go, this is our first real trip since I've been using (as it were). But I'm not anticipating problems.

Anyways, I'm doing better than before I started with the machine, and my wife likes not being awakened by my snoring *smile*. I just downloaded and installed the ResScan software, thinking about using it with the S9 memory card. I don't like going months and months without feedback, but haven't tried it yet Things seem to be going fine, I'm a long ways from where I started and am doing okay with it all. Anyone who is just starting out, just give it time, you'll sort it out just fine. It does help to read things from others, you get the sense that it is all very do-able, which it is.

[traveling Utz]

I have read everyones posts and was getting frustrated...

I got the machine on June 1st and started off with a Quattro FX FFM.. I could not fall asleep.. I chalked it up to this new thing attached to me..

After a couple of weeks, I switched to the Swift FX pillows.. I could fall asleep, but 2hrs later wake up, unable to fall back asleep and take it off..

I tried all kinds of OTC sleep meds, hoping it would help.. NOPE..

I obtained some generic Ambien, and cut them in half.. Still no dice..

I missed the exchange date for the mask by 3 days, so I bought a Nasal Mask, the Activa LT..

The first night, I didnt know what to expect.. I got 6 hrs!!

Not knowing what to expect, if it was a fluke, I was not getting too excited..

Besides one night where I worked till 4am, I have gotten at least 5 hrs on the mask each night. Last night, I did not take the Ambien, and fell asleep pretty quickly. I will not be going back to the Ambien.

I am having issues witht he mask starting to leak at 4:30 am or so.. But hey it cant be all perfect..

Getting frustrated? Stick with it! Try a new mask..

It does get better...

[Kohkie]

Pretty sure I posted here a short time after getting on CPAP so this is basically an update 8 months down the road.

I started on CPAP on November 20, 2012. There was an immediate euphoria at finding that I didn't feel the way I did because I was OLD, I felt the way I did because I had severe sleep apnea. At the sleep study my AHI was 63.6, lowest saturation 77%, longest event 61 seconds. I actually went into the sleep study praying that sleep apnea would be the problem and that it could actually be fixed. So for me, when I was diagnosed it, was a huge relief. I had been going to the doctors for years, for various problems with no results.

Before CPAP I had constant muscle cramps, my legs, or sides would be sore for weeks after a muscle cramps. If I didn't do stretches every night I felt stiff and achey all the time. I work at a computer all day and when I'd get up I'd almost fall over because I was sort of locked up and it hurt to move. Occasionally a quarter to dime sized circle of my hair would just fall out. It would eventually grow back but I was constantly having to adjust my hair style to hide the bald spots. My legs, were always swollen, by extension my whole body was swollen, it just showed up more in my legs. My eyelids always looked like they were half closed because they were so swollen. I could barely see my eyes in the mirror.

Of course I also had all the symptoms, we are so aware of, trouble staying awake during my 30 minute commute, not just in the evening but also in the morning when I had supposedly just had a full nights sleep. On the drive home, I'd couldn't keep my eyes opened at traffic lights. I learned to watch for the red taillights of the car in front of me to go off through my closed eyelids. I had trouble staying awake in meetings, trouble concentrating, screaming headaches that would go away after taking some pain killers, but be back just as bad the next morning. I had NO! energy. As the years went by I was able to do less and less around the house. If I vacuumed the house I had no energy for anything else, not even cooking dinner. Every night I fell asleep while trying to watch TV, then I'd go to bed and be up every couple of hours.

I know it's hard to believe but after 8 months on the CPAP none of that stuff is still happening. My hair isn't falling out, my legs don't swell, I don't fall asleep in front of the TV. I hardly ever get headaches, I have no problems with my commute and am still fascinated that I stop at a red light and don't have the slightest inclination to close my eyes. I can jump up from my computer with out feeling pain. The swelling has gone down, I can seem my entire eye again! I have more energy. I am still getting old but I feel 20 years younger than I did 8 months ago.

Is it all worth having to sleep at night with a hose attached to my nose? You bet your sweet bippy, it is!

[FastFission]

Well, I just started. I hadn't really been experiencing any problems, but I've snored for years ( every guy in my family seems to do that). My wife got worried after hearing about someone whose husband had a heart attack, and who had apnea for years, so she got me to go in for a full physical and sleep study.

The results of the sleep study were an AHI of 27 and a diagnosis of moderate obstructive apnea. I just went in for my first two-week checkup, and my average AHI for the two weeks on CPAP was 5.1, with an AHI of 2 on the last night. We adjusted the pressure a bit, and I finally got through the night without waking up fiddling with the mask last night.

Overall, the mask is a bit of adjustment, but I'm getting there. The therapy results are excellent, and I should be able to start working on getting my Aviation physical certs back in a couple of months. I no longer snore, which makes my wife one happy camper. Overall, a bit of an annoyance, but I think it will be worth it.

[joeyjernigan]

I have been on CPAP for a year as of August. I just recently changed to APAP last week.
Before treatment my family reported loud snoring that could be heard downstairs over the
noise of the television. I was very sleepy during the day. As a matter of fact I fell asleep
on the way home from work and was in a car accident. I almost died. The car was on
fire. Somebody passing by pulled me out of the vehicle. I spent the night in the hospital
with three broken ribs and a broken nose. I had to have plastic surgery on my face to fix
all the damage.

Now a year later I am feeling MUCH better. I actually feel human again instead of a
zombie. My advice for anybody just starting is....stick with it. You will get settled in.
It is better than the alternative!

[CrazyOldCatLady]

Hey Joanie/Catnapper,
I've been on the hose since April of last year.
#1 - the rush of energy has not materialized. Still tired all the time. Probably for other reasons.
#2 - however (!) I've become addicted to the hose. It's actually something that I need to relax/fall asleep. Even if I go back to bed for 15 minutes in the morning while my ipbuprofen takes effect I'm miserable without my hose.
#3 - the huge benefit has been noticed on the few times I've traveled and not brought my stuff with me. Major sore throat from snoring.

Result: I will go nowhere without my equipment. I look forward (strange as it may sound) to using it every night. It's my sleep-pal.

My FX pillows are no doubt an integral part of my happiness. I can't imagine having to deal with a full or partial mask. The pillows are pesky sometimes but IMHO soooo much easier to deal with than anything else. Of course, ya gotta be a clamp-down no-mouth breather for this to work at all....

B

[Cpap-user]

Have been using CPAP for past 7 months and results are Amazing.

Before CPAP I was always tired, and used to get frequent naps during daytime. But after using CPAP I am not feeling any daytime sleepiness any more.

My first month CPAP usage was not encouraging. But when I got used to it the results were amazing. And i can feel the difference even when an 1 hr nap without CPAP. Still wondering how i survived before CPAP.

I am not a active person before using CPAP and have not done any physical activity for several years. After using CPAP I did realized there is a change in the energy level. For the first time in my lifetime I started running by joining a half marathon training group and so far I covered 100 miles during my training run in 3 months and planning to run my first half marathon next month.

CPAP - It's Incredible and Go for it. You will feel the difference in you.

[jsscpap]

I'm new to this. On the first night of the Sleep clinic they put me on a cpap machine halfway through the night (after 3 hours) and I noticed the difference immediately in the morning. It was like going camping when I was a kid ... we always used to wake up bright as a button. I bought an ICON Auto and have been using it at home for 3 nights and I already noticed that I am in a better mood first thing in the morning. I find that I am waking once, half-way through the night, but I expect that to go when I work out how best to keep my alien face hugger correctly attached to my face every night.

[jsscpap]

I almost forgot something. After getting the machine, now that I can sleep on my back. This means that in the morning I don't have pain in my shoulders from sleeping on my side to avoid the problems I was getting before. My wife told me that I have completely stopped snoring which means that she is also in a better mood. Plus she stops waking me when I stop breathing and she can relax since she knows I'm getting air.

[Apnea Earlybird]

Dear Newbie
Before Cpap I could not stay awake, drive, do housework or enjoy any other parts of everyday life.
After 1st night of CPAP my kids referred to me as supermom. There are sometimes problems due to insomnia, but they are few and far between,

I have now happily been using CPAP for 25 years.

[samckins]

As I am only on Day 6 of my CPAP machine connected sleep, I also appreciate all the comments.

So far for me, It seems like the device is working.
No snoring at all, and before, even the neighbors could hear me.
No waking every 30 to 45 mins through the night.
I'm not sure about the energy level, but I do know I am not AS drowsy at work.
Dreams have returned so that must be a sign of more REM sleep, however connected to the machine the subject of the dreams are something out of the Matrix rather than nice dreams.
I do notice that my nose is getting more and more sore as the nights progress.
I have adjusted the straps, but there is the sweet zone between the mask to loose and leaking and too tight and causing marks that I can't seem to find.

[waterlady]

It took me 6 months to get used to the Auto Pap. I use nose pillows.

[Ratt402]

I just joined this evening. I have had my machine for just over a week now and have used it every night since I got it.
I have slept soundly for the first time in years and have not snored. I feel a little bit more rested in the mornings now, but nothing like a sudden life-shattering energy boost! LOL!
I have developed a soreness inside of my nasal passages and it has moved from one side to the other. Not sure if it is related to the machine or just the usual weather changing allergies.
I tried using a CPAP machine about 10 years ago and hated it!! I was hesitant to try it again, but after I used a newer version in my sleep study, I was convinced to give it a try again, plus I was told there have been great improvments over the years.
The only issue I have had has been taking a bit longer to fall asleep. I chalk that up to just a new way of going to sleep. My doctor wrote me a prescription for some sleep meds till I get used to it.
So far so good! I wish everyone else good luck with theirs!!