First night on CPAP

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Logies101
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First night on CPAP

Post by Logies101 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:22 pm

Last night was my first night on CPAP and it was horrible. I had myself psyched up and was actually excited to try it out but that excitement waned as the night worn on. I had orginally wanted a full face mask because I'm a mouth breather but the DME said he thought I would do better with a nasal mask and chin strap. I was willing to give the WISP a try because it was so much smaller, but half way through the night I took off the annoying chin strap and hoped I would keep my mouth shut.That didn't happen, I also hated the WISP touching my nose, it made me feel claustrophobic.

So I'm going to exchange it for a full face mask as they said I could exchange it one time within 30 days. I'm really worried that the next one might not be THE ONE either. I can envision this being a long and expensive trial and error. I saw the masks on cpap.com and noticed that I need a prescription for one and my question is will my Dr give me a another prescription for a mask to submit it to cpap.com? When I went for the sleep study they made me feel like I had to choose a supplier right then so am I locked in to getting all of my supplies from that supplier? I have Medicare and I realize I would be paying out of pocket at cpap.com but how many prescriptions for a mask can I have floating around? I hope I'm explaining this coherently.

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kaiasgram
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by kaiasgram » Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:31 pm

You're entitled to a copy of your original prescription. You can get that copy and fax it to cpap.com. You can also ask any doctor who knows you to write a prescription for a mask (ask them to specify "patient choice" on the mask rather than a particular make/model) -- CPAP and CPAP supply prescriptions can be written by a general practitioner, nurse practitioner, dentist, and a few more.

Unless you have a health plan like Kaiser you are not locked in to any particular supplier, however if you want Medicare/insurance coverage you need to make sure the supplier is contracted with them.

For most people finding the right mask is trial and error. If you buy from cpap.com you can also purchase return insurance, and some masks have a free 30-day return.

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Last edited by kaiasgram on Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Logies101
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Logies101 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:02 pm

Thank you so much, that info really helps.

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kaiasgram
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by kaiasgram » Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:06 pm

Logies101 wrote:Thank you so much, that info really helps.
You're welcome.

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Tatooed Lady
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Tatooed Lady » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:07 am

FWIW, I've used cpap.com for a bunch of my equipment (I REFUSE to spend a penny with the DME my company stuck me with), and have had EXCELLENT service, including when I sent back TWO masks due to them not working for me.

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BlackSpinner
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by BlackSpinner » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:27 am

Finding the right mask is like finding the right pair of shoes. They must fit your feet exactly and be right for the task. A pair of 4 inch heels might be great for clubbing but not for hiking a 20 mile trail through the mountains. Masks are the same and should be treated the same way, fitted and walked in. When I bought my last pair of runners, the sales person had me run around the store both in my stocking feet and with the various shoes I tried on. You should get the same service with the mask,especially considering that a mask costs the same or more then a pair of good quality runners.
Take your machine, put it at full pressure, put the mask on and lay down and try to relax your face. Lay on the floor of the store if you have to. Take as long as you need. It is unfortunate that one gets better service in the average shoe store then at a DME.

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sleepy1235
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by sleepy1235 » Sat Dec 13, 2014 3:14 pm

What is disconcerting to me is the pressure tactic applied to you when you showed up for your study.

I don't see any reason for a person needing to make a choice of suppliers when you are showing up for your study.

In particular when a person is just starting out getting their therapy they don't know a lot about the equipment or what they would prefer or their options.

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miss0607
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by miss0607 » Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:43 am

It's also helpful to wear the mask for a while before trying to sleep. I wore mine on the couch for a while the first couple days with the machine on to try and get used to it. Don't give up, you will find what works for you and you will feel better as a result! Unfortunately it does take some patience.

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Ogeo
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Ogeo » Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:57 am

sleepy1235 wrote:What is disconcerting to me is the pressure tactic applied to you when you showed up for your study.

I don't see any reason for a person needing to make a choice of suppliers when you are showing up for your study.

In particular when a person is just starting out getting their therapy they don't know a lot about the equipment or what they would prefer or their options.
I refused to give them a choice of DME's at my sleep study. I told them that I wanted to check around and find out which ones carried what and who my insurance would cover. In doing so, I had a DME call me to solicit service and I refused to go with them because they did that. They even tried to tell me what my sleep doc ordered for me before my sleep doc had even looked at the study. It turned out the sleep doc was on vacation until the next week.

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Logies101
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Logies101 » Mon Dec 15, 2014 11:48 am

Yes, unfortunately I think they took advantage of my lack of knowledge. As a matter of fact I've called them twice since Thursday with issues regarding the equipment with no return calls from them as of today, very discouraging. I put in a call to my Dr and he is faxing over a prescription to Cpap.com so I can try a different mask. This whole Sleep Apnea thing is hard enough without dealing with a DME that doen't seem to give a hoot. I'm so glad I found this site, y'all have been very helpful, thank you so much.

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sleepydc
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by sleepydc » Mon Dec 15, 2014 2:52 pm

Good luck, Logies101, with the full face mask (FFM) that you ordered. I had to try different masks, too, before I found a FFM that works for me.

By the way, when you try it, keep in mind that the jaw drop/mouth open thing can pose problems with FFM's, too. At the very least, that can cause leaks because the change in your face position breaks the seal and wakes you up.

Some people end up using chin straps with FFM's. I tried and disliked chin straps. I have now been using surgical tape for about a year now, and it has worked wonders and works very well for me. I use silk surgical type tape you can get off of Amazon, 2" wide. There's also a 1" wide version. If you gently pull it off in the morning, there's usually no problem. Just type something like "3M-Durapore-Silk-Tape 2 inches x 10 yards - box of 6" or the like on the Amazon site. For me, it works very well with a full face mask (FFM) -- the FFM helps prevent pressure problems if my jaw does open slightly, and the tape substantially prevents my jaw from dropping and also thereby keeps my face largely in the same "position" as I fall asleep (thereby avoiding the inevitable leaks that can occur when your facial shape changes from the point of initial placement/tightening of the mask). .

I was actually worried about not being able to breath with the tape if there was a shut-down. I've found that this set-up, however, offers very few worries:

For the silk tape, apply a 2inch wide strip vertically from a spot just above your upper lip (the indentation just below your nose) down to just under your chin (with your lips closed and your jaw in a comfortable place). As you bring the tape and press it underneath your chin, "fold" the edge back on itself (maybe a 1/2 inch or so) so that the edge hangs a bit from your chin -- makes for easier removal in case of emergency. Because it's only 2 inches wide and vertically placed, your entire mouth is actually not taped -- you can, in a pinch, breath around the edges -- and the silk tape itself I've found by accident (in opening my mouth with it being placed) will also let a little air in if you open your mouth forcefully. In short, it doesn't take too much force to maneuver or breath around the silk tape, but at the same time the tape seems to mostly keep my jaw from dropping when I relax and fall asleep, which is the whole point. [The setup also seems to work best when combined with the technique, described elsewhere on this site, of learning to relax with the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth as your mouth is closed, which "seals" the mouth from the nasal passage and helps prevent dry mouth]. (In placing the tape, I've also found it helpful to focus on firming the contact with the skin at the point below the nose and under the chin more than the lips, which seems to leave a little area of the lip region feeling less taped, if that makes sense). [To remove with less "tear", try pulling up vertically from underneath the chin till you reach your lip, then pull across "horizontally" for the remainder.]

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Last edited by sleepydc on Mon Dec 29, 2014 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Logies101
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Logies101 » Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:52 pm

Wow thanks Sleepdc, that was some pretty detailed information and I appreciate the time you took to write it. The tape solution sounds like something I might try. I have tried the chin strap, took it off half way through the night first night due to it bothering the top of my head, then second night made it so tight that I woke up with a sore jaw. Getting used to it a little bit but may try the taping method as it sounds less cumbersome.

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Mask: AirFit™ F10 For Her Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Pressure is 9cm, Climateline Heated Tubing, Breathe Rite Strips, Chin Up Strips, Sleepyhead Software

sleepydc
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by sleepydc » Wed Dec 17, 2014 4:19 pm

Good luck. For me, the tape solution works extremely well, and I suspect the reason most people don't use it or try it is because the image of taping your mouth closed seems extreme. As a practical matter, though, the silk tape set up is not that extreme, and it avoids all the problems that come with chin straps that you mention.

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Logies101
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by Logies101 » Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:05 pm

Sleepydc I tried your taping method last night and it was my first really good night of sleep since starting this adventure a week ago. Thanks a ton for all the advice

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Mask: AirFit™ F10 For Her Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Pressure is 9cm, Climateline Heated Tubing, Breathe Rite Strips, Chin Up Strips, Sleepyhead Software

sleepydc
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Re: First night on CPAP

Post by sleepydc » Mon Dec 29, 2014 1:08 pm

(Belatedly) glad to hear the news! I hope better sleep continues. Happy holidays!

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