I'm thinking my husband is afraid to use cpap because...

[T.D.]

My husband is fighting machine use. The best I cac figure is because I find on inspection there are no ventilation areas on his full face mask. The best I can understand his concern is he's afraid he's rebreathe get expired CO2. Does anyone have a rational answer I can give him to allay this fear? He went in for possible change in mask but only got a "pep talk". At the time he was unable to verbalize his fear causing non compliance. He has Medicare so we know "Big Brother " is watching. At this point I'm ready to just turn machine on fo required 4 hrs. so he can keep it. Help please! I'm so sick of not sleeping because of his horrible snoring and stopping breathing. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up to a dead man. He's over weight, has seizure disorder, other sleep disorders which he has to take Requip for, heart rate in low 40's. He doesn't want to accept what he's doing to his body. His doctors won't go out on a limb and say all of this is related. He falls asleep the second he sits still. Not making rational decision. I won't let him drive any longer. HELP!!!!!!!

[Cardsfan]

About compliance- the machine does not know if you are asleep or not. But, you can't just turn it on for 4 hours to meet compliance. Someone has to be wearing the mask. You can accomplish this by using it watching TV or reading or just sitting in a chair.
Also, he may be too exhausted to even be making smart decisions. Lack of sleep really messed up my concentration skills.
Try sleeping in another room. You need your rest too.
The ventilation areas can be on the short hose, not on the mask itself.

[LSAT]

My husband is fighting machine use. The best I cac figure is because I find on inspection there are no ventilation areas on his full face mask. The best I can understand his concern is he's afraid he's rebreathe get expired CO2. Does anyone have a rational answer I can give him to allay this fear? He went in for possible change in mask but only got a "pep talk". At the time he was unable to verbalize his fear causing non compliance. He has Medicare so we know "Big Brother " is watching. At this point I'm ready to just turn machine on fo required 4 hrs. so he can keep it. Help please! I'm so sick of not sleeping because of his horrible snoring and stopping breathing. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up to a dead man. He's over weight, has seizure disorder, other sleep disorders which he has to take Requip for, heart rate in low 40's. He doesn't want to accept what he's doing to his body. His doctors won't go out on a limb and say all of this is related. He falls asleep the second he sits still. Not making rational decision. I won't let him drive any longer. HELP!!!!!!!

Full Face masks definitely do have ventilation vents. While wearing the mask with the machine running you should be able to feel the air (CO2) escaping in the front. Many people complain that the exhaust disturbs their sleep it is so strong.

[kteague]

My husband is fighting machine use. The best I cac figure is because I find on inspection there are no ventilation areas on his full face mask. The best I can understand his concern is he's afraid he's rebreathe get expired CO2. Does anyone have a rational answer I can give him to allay this fear? He went in for possible change in mask but only got a "pep talk". At the time he was unable to verbalize his fear causing non compliance. He has Medicare so we know "Big Brother " is watching. At this point I'm ready to just turn machine on fo required 4 hrs. so he can keep it. Help please! I'm so sick of not sleeping because of his horrible snoring and stopping breathing. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up to a dead man. He's over weight, has seizure disorder, other sleep disorders which he has to take Requip for, heart rate in low 40's. He doesn't want to accept what he's doing to his body. His doctors won't go out on a limb and say all of this is related. He falls asleep the second he sits still. Not making rational decision. I won't let him drive any longer. HELP!!!!!!!

Does your spouse have communication difficulties? His detailed input would be helpful in trouble shooting, but if that is not able to happen, I commend your attempt to interpret his perceived concerns. Since your husband has multiple things going on the solution may not be as direct as reassuring him about the exhaled air - but that's a great place to start. Add to that the need to assure his treatment is optimized. If his pressures are not adequate it is hard to keep the mask on. At what point does he take it off, or does he refuse to even put it on?

Also, you mentioned he is on Requip for another sleep disorder. Is that RLS and/or PLMD? Did he have a slow heartbeat before using this med? Bradycardia is a possible side effect of this med. This med caused excessive sleepiness for me, along with sleepiness from the sleep disruptions by the leg movements it failed to control. When my legs were active, it seemed to be accompanied by a hypersensitivity, an agitation toward anything touching me, which made it hard to tolerate a mask at times. And one last thing, for some of us, when using CPAP allowed us to sleep free from apneas, the increased sleep presented more opportunity for other sleep disorders to manifest. That happened with my jumpy legs, making me dread using the CPAP. It may be that none of these issues apply to your spouse's situation, but it can't hurt to have an awareness of potential contributors to his condition.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Sad to say, but your husband is clutching at straws of de-nilel. Sorry for the mixed aphorisms.

[T.D.]

He was on Dilantin - seizure disorder and Requip before finally being diagnosed with OSA. He's telling me tonight he has feeling of being "[trapped". When he turned machine on it has a ramp feature to take it from 7.0 to 4.0. Tonight he said at 4.0 didn't feel like he was getting air. After much coaxing I got him to leave it at 7.0 (his therapeutic setting. He tried to convince me was leaking. I felt all around mask - NONE. He said he had a trapped feeling. He's used snoter type of mask that has cushion under nose but cushion under but fit half way up nose and covered mouth. That was a dismal failure. I noticed the bottom of his P10 doesn't go under his chin. We're assured both of these masks fit properly. I'm afraid adding a chin strap will increase his trapped feeling. He says he has it even with mask on alone. Could it just being fact of having something on his face? He's a nose breather. Would a nasal type be a viable alternative? Or just MORE denial.

To address the sinus bradycardia he had it for years in low to mid 50's but lower. I'm not convinced that's a result of Dilantin and Requip. It has NEVER been addressed by his primary provider until I forced the issue. The entire time we've been married (46 yr) I've brought the OSA up but Air Force totally ignored it. Only way he ever got a holter monitor was because I worked for a doctor. Report only showed sinus bradycardia with normal rhythm.

Tonight he went to sleep in loft I think so I wouldn't know hw wasn't complying. BUSTED! He said he feels trapped with mask and head gear on and feeling like not enough air when he rampant down from 7.0 to 4.0. Tried to get him to just 7.0 and swore it leaked. I felt and NONE. Another excuse or would a casual type mask be in order. I told him ideas done with his denial, non compliance and just ready to return machine as I felt he wasn't trying. Today fur the 1 hour total he wire it he clock watched.

What's next?

[Goofproof]

Sad to say, but your husband is clutching at straws of de-nilel. Sorry for the mixed aphorisms.

Clutching? He's got a Death Grip on De-Nile. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.... Keep trying, but take out a large INS policy out on him, let him know, maybe Reality will sink in. There are dozens of reasons not to make XPAP work, only one to make XPAP work, Wanting to live. Meanwhile take his car keys.

I know it's hard to watch someone you love purposely destroy their life, all we can do is inform and keep trying. Jim

[Cardsfan]

I'll add this. I use a mask that can easily be removed, it just slips off over my head in an instant. Nothing to undo or unclip. I tried a different mask, the Wisp, it was very similar to my
FX Nano, both are nasal masks. The difference was I could not remove the Wisp as easily. It took me a few seconds to undo the straps to be able to get it off. I remember thinking, "this is claustrophobic" and I didn't like it. It fit fine, was comfortable and I did not notice it on my face. But since I couldn't remove it with a quick slip off my head, it felt claustrophobic.

Try looking at these masks- Swift FX Nano and Swift FX pillows. Both are the same headgear and remove quickly.

Another idea- this mask is all cloth, sleep weaver élan. He might like this better.

[Cardsfan]

I have another idea- http://www.padacheek.com
These pads and liners will make the mask feel like the blanket against his face, instead of rubber.

Also, http://www.snugglehose.com
Anything u can do to make the equipment seem "soft and plush" feeling helps. I use mask liners and the hose cover, makes a world of difference in comfort levels

[purple22]

Others here have said that every night, as part of their ritual of getting ready to sleep, they put their mask on before turning on the air, and watch the flapper valve pop back and forth. These individuals want to make sure it is working. It can get twisted or even stuck. Mine is only soft silicon, so it might not be in the exact position to work properly. Only had it happen once in over four years of using a full face mask, and that was because I poked at the flapper valve when I was washing it.

I, on the other hand,turn the machine on and let it run until it gets up to full speed. Then I do not have to work hard to get air when I put the mask on. I do not like to have that sense of not enough air to breathe, sets the wrong feeling in my mind.

Did he have a proper titration? You sound experienced, if they gave him a machine with auto and left it wide open to self titrate. That could be a big part of the problem.

I am guessing he has yet to get on successful nights sleep. Lucky are those who can get a few solid hours of sleep in the very beginning, and feel it the next day. Those are the individuals who are likely to stick with treatment, they have felt the benefit.



I also have worn glasses all the time for five decades. My mind does not rebel at having something pressed on it, like a sleep apnea mask, or (I guess) an Alien.

[palerider]

Did he have a proper titration? You sound experienced, if they gave him a machine with auto and left it wide open to self titrate. .

too much trouble to read through the thread before "contributing", eh?

[purple22]

A ramp of four to get to seven. Sounds like it might be set to wide open. I missed an exact number other than that as I read through this again. Even if he had a Titration, sometimes the Doc might leave the machine wide open. That is set it 7 to 20 auto. Which sounds similar to what I have heard some VA clinics do to Sleep Apnea patients.

I offer another explanation as to what can happen to OSA patients, which no doctor suggests is true. The number I need to stop apneas is low enough that when I start to inhale, as my breathing tube is narrow, that the apnea stopping number does not provide enough air fast enough to inflate my lungs. (Partially inflate it, whatever my body accepts as normal) That is the second part of why I need a bi level machine, the inhalation number needs to be higher than the exhalation number to allow my lungs to get enough air fast enough.

[palerider]

I offer another explanation as to what can happen to OSA patients, which no doctor suggests is true. The number I need to stop apneas is low enough that when I start to inhale, as my breathing tube is narrow, that the apnea stopping number does not provide enough air fast enough to inflate my lungs. (Partially inflate it, whatever my body accepts as normal) That is the second part of why I need a bi level machine, the inhalation number needs to be higher than the exhalation number to allow my lungs to get enough air fast enough.

yeah, I'm willing to bet we don't need any of your novel 'explanations'.

[Janknitz]

If he is a nose breather he might be much better off with a nasal mask or a nasal pillow mask. If he feels like he can't breathe all he has to do is open his mouth which will immediately show him how much air is flowing, and this type of mask reduces fear of suffocation.

I use a DreamWear mask. It's soft and fits just under the nose with a silicone interface. You can clearly feel the airflow out of two separate CO2 vents--one is a slit just below the nose, the other is a series of vent holes where the hose connects to the mask at the top of the head. There's very little touching the face, nothing obstructs vision, no hard plastic against the face, so it's the least claustrophobic mask imaginable. I'd suggest trying that and TURN OFF THE RAMP. It's meant to be a "comfort" feature but makes most people feel like they're suffocating.

He needs to sit with the mask and machine on while wide awake to get used to it. An hour watching tv, reading, or listening to music. He can help himself by learning to count slowly to 10 before removing the mask if panicked and try to leave it on as long as possible during this adjustment phase.

[jilliansue]

I second the idea of turning the ramp off! And I second the idea of a nasal mask. I personally have never found a full face mask that I can wear comfortably and without leaks. There are many who swear by them. I also feel that they are sometimes recommended or pushed upon sleep apnea patients when it is not necessary. If your husband breathes through his nose, that gives him the opportunity to try to use these wonderful, far more comfortable and more minimal, nasal masks. I use a P10 which is a nasal pillows mask, and it is the most comfortable mask I have ever used. And it just pulls on and off over my head easily, no clips to even mess with. I used to use a nasal mask that covers the whole nose, and I liked that also.

Here is a link to the P10: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

If you purchase it directly from cpap.com, it has free return insurance which means that you can return it if it does not work. Also, if you get it through a DME, you can return it within 30 days, although some do not advertise that fact.

Good luck to you and your husband!