5 days on CPAP - Hanging in there!!!

Well, I believe I am adjusting okay to my new bedpartner! I am sleeping all night with my mask on and besides some nightly leak corrections, all has gone well. I seem to need a nap every day and I suspect my sleep deficit will take some time to get caught up. I am hoping to see an increase in energy and less fatigue through the day sometime soon. I may be hoping too much, as I have Fibromyalgia, and the fatigue and no energy could be more from that diadnosis than from the OSA. I plan on investing in the software so I can read my own information. Hopefully, I can tweak everything out real well! The DME set me up on a C-Flex of 3 (her idea), and set the ramp at 4 - my pressure is 9. I may change the C-Flex to 2 soon, as I think the current setting is adding to my leaks. I 've incorporated the suggestion of moleskin for my sore nose and this has helped a lot. I look forward to a better life with my leaf blower (as dad calls it!).

Carla

Cool, Carla! You've been doing your research for sure!

I hope the naps you're taking are with mask and machine. It's important to get cpap treatment during every sleeping moment, even for naps.

Sounds like you're doing extremely well and are taking an active role in your treatment. Good for you!!

Please keep us posted on how it goes.

Carla,
Sounds like you're doing everything right. Hang in there. It takes a different amount of time for individuals to realize it's working. Plus the fact that you say you have fibromyalgia must affect your energy level, too. But keep positive and you will soon start noticing those subtle differences in yourself that will let you know it's working. Took me about a week to 10 days to finally realize it was working and then it was nothing but better and better since. But some people take longer and some shorter. And as they say, you have to pay back your "sleep debit" usually in the beginning.
And I turned off my Cflex entirely. Didn't need it and feel I get better therapy without it. But to each his own.

I wish you nothing but success, which I'm sure you will achieve by doing just what you're doing. Good luck.

I am new to CPAP also. Just started mine on Sept 2. I have about the same settings. 9, ramp 4, C-flex 1. The first three nights were great. Now I have a serious allergy/sinusitis thing going on. I couldn't use the machine last night. Couldn't breathe at all The one thing that I have noticed is that I can get up in the mornings. I wake up and get up. Not hit snooze, hit snooze.....
It's great to hear that you are having success early into treatment also.
The dreams have stopped too and that is a wonderful thing. They were wearing me out!!!
LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Peg,

Welcome to this site. Nice to hear such a wonderful tale.

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

And it just gets better and better when you keep it up. If you're already noticing something as significant as being able to get up in the mornings without hitting the snooze button in just a few days, just think of how you'll feel in another few weeks or so?

Keep up the great attitude. I'm so happy for you.

Thanks for your responses and encouragement!

RG - I've just started using the mask and machine for my naps. The first few days I wanted a break from the mask, so I didn't use the CPAP when napping. I've noticed that I am growing use to having the mask on and don't feel so smotherly!

I've also noticed that when lying on my right side, I don't feel like I am getting as much air as I do on my left. Sometimes it feels as though my right nostril is closed up - wonder if I have something going on there? It only appears to affect me when I am lying on that side. I also notice that my tongue forms a tight seal on the roof of my mouth when on that side too.

Each night I seem to have less and less leaks or wake-ups, so I am hoping that I will start to reap the benefits soon! I know I have a sleep deficit to make up and that I have probably suffered from OSA for many years. I remember as a child, concentrating on my breathing when I first went to bed, as if I needed to "will" myself to breath steadily. Since I am now 49, I wonder if I was suffering episodes then too?

Cat, sounds like you're off to a good start. I noticed that at first I wasn't feeling great, I was just feeling a little less tired than I had before therapy. Your energy level will build slowly with proper CPAP treatment.

And with fibromyalgia, you can use all the energy you can get.

I'm not sure if you have an Autopap or regular CPAP. I hope it's an AutoPap.

I would say buying and using the EncorePro software can be the best investment in your health you may ever make.

SnoreNoMore2005