Am I alone on this one?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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NyNurse33
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Am I alone on this one?

Post by NyNurse33 » Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:43 am

As much as I look forward to my, old, faithul mask and the calm, soothing cpap every night, there is a part of me on the weekends that likes to take it off (easy,now).

What I mean is, that on the weekend when I can sleep in later, I wake up a little earlier than I'm ready to (force of habit, I'm sure), which is no big deal. But I actually like to shut the machine off, take off the mask, roll onto my stomach (ah, the good ol' days) and just sleep for another 45 minutes or so, naked (being without the machine, I mean). Does anyone else do that?

It is not like I hate wearing the mask, b/c I love my mask, I just want to lay there without it for a little bit. I've already had my 7 or so hours with the therapy, so can't do any harm, right? Once in a while I'll try laying on my stomach with the mask on, not too bad, but not too comfortable either. And it doesn't bother me that I can't. Just once in a while on the weekends I do this.

~Melissa~

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. ~E. Joseph Cossman

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bdp522
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Post by bdp522 » Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:54 am

I felt the same way! I did take the mask off one morning and lay back down, 'just for 10 minutes'. Woke up an hour later with a headache and was almost as tired all day as pre-cpap. I won't be doing that again any time soon!

Brenda

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NyNurse33
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Post by NyNurse33 » Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:57 am

Ohhhh....ok, maybe not such a good idea. I wonder why that would happen, I mean we are getting our good quality sleep in with cpap for the majority of the night. Interesting. I think that happened to me one or two times but I never put the two together.

~Melissa~

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. ~E. Joseph Cossman

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bdp522
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Post by bdp522 » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:02 am

I have been 100% compliant since starting cpap so I didn't think it would make a difference. Boy was I wrong! I don't know why this happens, I just know that it wasn't a good thing.

Brenda


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DreamStalker
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Post by DreamStalker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:05 am

Well ... alternatively you could get your husband to water-board you for an hour when you wake up in the morning and you might get the same effect ... and then there is always the plastic bag over your head too.


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President-pretender, J. Biden, said "the DNC has built the largest voter fraud organization in US history". Too bad they didn’t build the smartest voter fraud organization and got caught.

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Re: Am I alone on this one?

Post by SelfSeeker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:05 am

Melissa,

It is interesting how you describe this naked desire and a bit of sleep without the mask.

Since I am not hooked up yet, I am in no position to comment on this desire/need/want to do this.

You asked the question: so can't do any harm, right?

It is like playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun. You never now.

I would not tell anyone to sleep without their XPAP because unless you are monitoring their blood pressure, O2 and CO2 levels you have no idea what is happening to them for any of the apnea or hypopnea incidents.


That really depends on what you mean by harm.


For each incident, the blood pressure will go up and back down, the O2 level will go down, the CO2 level will go up. Now couple that with how often it will repeat itself.

For someone whose levels of O2 falls low or apnea last long, or may not wake up from it it is a major problem.

Of course, I may be emphasing/exagurating it a bit.

NyNurse33 wrote:

It is not like I hate wearing the mask, b/c I love my mask, I just want to lay there without it for a little bit. I've already had my 7 or so hours with the therapy, so can't do any harm, right? Once in a while I'll try laying on my stomach with the mask on, not too bad, but not too comfortable either. And it doesn't bother me that I can't. Just once in a while on the weekends I do this.

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Post by SelfSeeker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:09 am

Brenda ,

I was told the headache that you have when you wake up, which eventually improves is caused by to much CO2.


bdp522 wrote:I felt the same way! I did take the mask off one morning and lay back down, 'just for 10 minutes'. Woke up an hour later with a headache and was almost as tired all day as pre-cpap. I won't be doing that again any time soon!

Brenda

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Mask: Hybrid Full Face CPAP Mask with Nasal Pillows and Headgear
Additional Comments: HH 0, snuggle cover, My new love Aussie Hose: sleepzone.com.au, Nasal Aire II EncorePro 1.6 & SmartCard reader
I can do this, I will do this.

My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field Just my personal opinions.

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NyNurse33
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Post by NyNurse33 » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:09 am

Ok, I'm taking this a little more serious. I think I'll give up on my habit. I totally see the importance of wearing it all the time. I guess the few times I fell asleep on the couch were just as bad.
~Melissa~

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. ~E. Joseph Cossman

arthuranxious
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Post by arthuranxious » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:43 am

Melissa, I am amused to hear you saying you love your mask... I find myself saying things like that in my head when I go to bed, and really meaning it. But I thought it was so wierd I was embarassed to tell anyone even my wife and my sleep doc. But the main reason I think that way is because I feel it might me my life line. No way to know which interruption of breathing will do sudden iremediable damage! I am frightened to sleep without it... more than frightened, terrified! Life might be preserved with this thing, I don't want to be another Reggie White. So, I am trying to be good.... and I sort of accept that this may be with me for the next 50 years, even though I still hope that weight loss and healthy sleep habits just might get me out of my life senetence.
Anyway, thats why I am trying not to follow your example, even though I did follow your advice to fight like mad for an autoPAP and not settle for a CPAP and it worked for me


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Post by SelfSeeker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:58 am

arthuranxious,

You mentioned Reggie White. He had many Respiratory problems, sleep apnea being one of them. Some of his conditions could have made his sleep apnea worse. I do not the whole story, but it was an eye opener.

Compliance with treatment is a very good thing. Hopefully you are not afraid of going to sleep because you have a fear you will not wake up.

arthuranxious wrote:Melissa, I am amused to hear you saying you love your mask... I find myself saying things like that in my head when I go to bed, and really meaning it. But I thought it was so wierd I was embarassed to tell anyone even my wife and my sleep doc. But the main reason I think that way is because I feel it might me my life line. No way to know which interruption of breathing will do sudden iremediable damage! I am frightened to sleep without it... more than frightened, terrified! Life might be preserved with this thing, I don't want to be another Reggie White. So, I am trying to be good.... and I sort of accept that this may be with me for the next 50 years, even though I still hope that weight loss and healthy sleep habits just might get me out of my life senetence.
Anyway, thats why I am trying not to follow your example, even though I did follow your advice to fight like mad for an autoPAP and not settle for a CPAP and it worked for me

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Mask: Hybrid Full Face CPAP Mask with Nasal Pillows and Headgear
Additional Comments: HH 0, snuggle cover, My new love Aussie Hose: sleepzone.com.au, Nasal Aire II EncorePro 1.6 & SmartCard reader
I can do this, I will do this.

My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field Just my personal opinions.

Guest

Addiction?

Post by Guest » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:14 am

Funny, I picked up on exactly the same thing as the previous respondent, the desire for mask! It is almost like an addiction, a comfort zone, an escape. I was diagnosed as having stress and am on antidepressants, this before the diagnosis of sleep apnoea. Then sleep, doze, was a way to turn the world off, a way to escape having to think through clouded and tangled neurones...

I gave up smoking almost two years ago, ironically I think it was the weight gain after that that really caused my problem. Now I find I think about my mask in exactly the same way as a cigarette, a craving, a desire...

Regarding the other side of this, yes I doze without it in the morning, what harm could it possibly do? I was told at the clinic that I needed to wear the mask for a MINIMUM of 4 hours a night. Now I take this to mean that I can wear it for this period and then take it off if desired, certainly that was how it was explained.

Given the desire I and other respondents have expressed, how much of this (and please don't all hit me at once) is psychological? It's amazing how much more you NEED a cigarette when you can't have one?

I was also told that a headache in the morning was a big problem and to stop using the mask immediately if this occurs... The reason is as someone else said that you are re-breathing too much CO2 and adjustments must be made.

And on the final note of removing the mask, I feel it is important for my wife. While in the beginning I thought it might be nice for her to sleep with Darth Vader, she quickly disabused me of this idea! So now, I remove it at the weekend mornings so that for once in the week we may be close...

Thanks

Bob

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Post by SelfSeeker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:20 am

Bob,
I was talking about the headache when sleeping with out xPAP, especially as a symptom for undiagnosed OSA.

I am wondering if the 4 hours minimum has anything to do with the recording capabilities of some machines needing four hours to register a compliant night?

...Regarding the other side of this, yes I doze without it in the morning, what harm could it possibly do? I was told at the clinic that I needed to wear the mask for a MINIMUM of 4 hours a night. Now I take this to mean that I can wear it for this period and then take it off if desired, certainly that was how it was explained.
...I was also told that a headache in the morning was a big problem and to stop using the mask immediately if this occurs... The reason is as someone else said that you are re-breathing too much CO2 and adjustments must be made.

_________________
Mask: Hybrid Full Face CPAP Mask with Nasal Pillows and Headgear
Additional Comments: HH 0, snuggle cover, My new love Aussie Hose: sleepzone.com.au, Nasal Aire II EncorePro 1.6 & SmartCard reader
Last edited by SelfSeeker on Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
I can do this, I will do this.

My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field Just my personal opinions.

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Re: Addiction?

Post by DreamStalker » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:21 am

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I picked up on exactly the same thing as the previous respondent, the desire for mask! It is almost like an addiction, a comfort zone, an escape. I was diagnosed as having stress and am on antidepressants, this before the diagnosis of sleep apnoea. Then sleep, doze, was a way to turn the world off, a way to escape having to think through clouded and tangled neurones...

I gave up smoking almost two years ago, ironically I think it was the weight gain after that that really caused my problem. Now I find I think about my mask in exactly the same way as a cigarette, a craving, a desire...

Regarding the other side of this, yes I doze without it in the morning, what harm could it possibly do? I was told at the clinic that I needed to wear the mask for a MINIMUM of 4 hours a night. Now I take this to mean that I can wear it for this period and then take it off if desired, certainly that was how it was explained.

Given the desire I and other respondents have expressed, how much of this (and please don't all hit me at once) is psychological? It's amazing how much more you NEED a cigarette when you can't have one?

I was also told that a headache in the morning was a big problem and to stop using the mask immediately if this occurs... The reason is as someone else said that you are re-breathing too much CO2 and adjustments must be made.

And on the final note of removing the mask, I feel it is important for my wife. While in the beginning I thought it might be nice for her to sleep with Darth Vader, she quickly disabused me of this idea! So now, I remove it at the weekend mornings so that for once in the week we may be close...

Thanks

Bob
The reason they need you to wear it for 4 hr minimum is becasue insurance won't pay unless you are compliant for 4 hrs per day.

You need to wear whenever you sleep ... that is the purpose of the treatment to keep you alive while you sleep. Ohterwise, as someone said earlier, you are playing Russian Roulette ...

- r
President-pretender, J. Biden, said "the DNC has built the largest voter fraud organization in US history". Too bad they didn’t build the smartest voter fraud organization and got caught.

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Post by gardenrodent » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:33 am

In my case the condition is not life threatening, I was told I had a medium level of problem. Also, here in the UK it is the good old NHS, they don't have to worry about insurance companies.

I think if you look you will find that it is thought that 4 hours of quality sleep a night is the required amount. Bizarrely, 2 days ago exactly this question came up on a quiz show with a given answer of 4, not the assumed 8. In fact they went on to say that those people who sleep 8 die younger, but I suspect that that is a statistical anomaly!

Bob

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Gerald
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Post by Gerald » Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:57 am

Before I started apap therapy, I discovered that my blood pressure was out of control. I'd start the day very high......and end the day much lower. I began reaching for the BP machine to check my pressure when I'd wake at night....... and I was shocked by what I saw.

I was getting systolic pressures in the 190's......and that was after 5-10 minutes after actual awakening. I suspect I was spiking over 200 systolic on some occasions......unmeasured because the pressure would quickly start dropping minute by minute.

Once I "put a gauge" (BP checking machine) on the problem......I RAN to the doctor.....and was put on Diovan HCT. I presented my doctor with a week's worth of BP data showing the pressures I was getting at night.....in the middle of the night.....plus data throughout the day......and firmly requested that he refer me to an ENT who was doing sleep tests. I was scheduled for the next available slot at the sleep lab...and then went for another night for titration tests.

I suspect that very few of us are taking our own BP in the middle of the night when we wake up....heart pounding.....with a headache. It's not something we "want to do" in the middle of the night....it's not easy....especially if we don't have one of those neat little battery powered checkers.

But....if you do what I did......and check your BP immediately upon awakening in the middle of the night.....you'll make a believer out of yourself.

You won't want to do without the mask when you're not conscious (sleeping). Too risky.