Any light at the end of CPAP tube?

SleeplessInHouston · Post by **SleeplessInHouston** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:27 pm

I was nervously excited when I got my first RESMED Swift yesterday. At bedtime, dreaming about the long awaited opportunity of having a 8-hr real sleep (at least one night), I followed the instructions almost word by word and went to bed confident and "fully equipped". After 2 hours of tossing, turning, adjusting, checking, dazing, sighing, and cussing, I threw the mask off my face.

Today, after talking to the clinician with desperation and frustration, I'm determined to take it on again tonight. Of course, what else can I do? If I ever want to change my screenname from SleeplessInHouston to something better, I must stick with it, for the rest of my life. It is so encouraging and comforting to find this forum and hear what you've been through and what you are enjoying. I will try to check in often to share my experience.

But just one question, with all the technological capabilities this country has, is therer any better way to treat it than this dreadful octopus like machine?

Yours desperately

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:33 pm

I think many of us on this forum when though what you are experincing at the first. I started out by wearing my mask for about 1/2 hour before trying to sleep just to get used to it. It took me about 2 weeks before I could make it all the way though the night with the mask on. Its taken a longer than that to not have the mask, tubing, machine wakup me up during the night.

However once I was able to wear the mask all night I saw significant changes in the way I felt, less tried, no more headaches, etc. That was a great moment.

Don't give up, it takes time but it gets better...

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:54 pm

SleeplessinH..........you've only just begun.........but here's what happens in the end.....just so you don't grt too discouraged and give up.....If you do that, you'll never get to experience (no kiddin'!) the GOOD stuff.......When it gets to be part of your life.....and you're really SLEEPING at night......and you feel years younger.....and you have all that energy.......(and I hear the guys get other things going for them as well...)

SleeplessInHouston · Post by **SleeplessInHouston** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:53 am

Thanks for the feedback, JSkinner and Gidgie.

I wired myself up again last night to this RESMED machine, and slept about 2 hours uninterrupted with it, and the rest of the night without it. Although I have a little bit of subtle chest pain on the left (more like mussel pain - maybe I breathed too hard?), I felt a bit better than my normal morning. Something new.

SleeplessInHouston

MandoJohnny · Post by **MandoJohnny** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:27 am

But just one question, with all the technological capabilities this country has, is therer any better way to treat it than this dreadful octopus like machine?

Well, just to give you a little perspective, apnea wasn't really identified until the 50's. Before that, people who had it got no diagnosis at all, and therefore, no treatment. Between the 50's and the mid-80's the treatment for it was a tracheotomy. they cut a permanent hole in your throat to breathe through. You had to use a machine to be able to talk. The first CPAPs in the 80's weighed 35 pounds and bascially had modified vacuum cleaner motors.

I actually think that CPAP is a pretty elegant solution to a complex and difficult problem. I also think the current machines seem pretty well designed and manufactured. A lot more could be done and I am sure it will be, but I am glad I got through the 80's without having apnea!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:31 am

Sleepless in H........I don't think you told us what your pressure is set at.......That may be giving you a bit of chest muscle pain. It's like inflating a balloon.....you being the balloon......If that's all it is, it'll go away once those muscles adapt. If you even suspect there could be more to it, see your doctor immediately.
Gidgie here (I know darn well I forgot to log in!)....with a pressure of 18....no doubt has lungs like a blacksmith's bellows by now!

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:33 am

See? What'd I tell ya?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:30 pm

SleeplessInHouston,

As Gidgie (guest posting) said, please give us some details as to your pressure and equipment.
If you're at a high pressure, ask your doctor to lower it while you adjust to this new way of breathing while you're sleeping.

I've read quite a few posts where people have experienced sore muscles when they start out on CPAP therapy.

I believe I'd rather deal with the "octopus" than with some of the other alternatives.

Best wishes,

Den

TXKajun · Post by **TXKajun** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:07 pm

SleeplessinHouston, I experienced a similar feeling for about 3 weeks when I first got started. My titrated pressure was 16 cm and like the cpap.com representative said when I called and ordered my APAP from them "It feels like all those alveoli are finally popping open under that pressure." I noticed a rather dramatic increase in my lung capacity after a couple of weeks and the feeling of pressure wore off rather quickly.

Good luck and stick with it!

Kajun

This therapy WORKS!!!

SleeplessInHouston · Post by **SleeplessInHouston** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:33 pm

Thank y'all (see I didn't go that far by saying all of y'all yet).

Gidgie and Den, my machine is AutoSet Vantage S8 by ResMed, with a 3i HumidAire. The pressure was set by the clinician as Auto with min 4 and max 8. I was not taught how to change the setting, but given a chip plugged into the machine to record the activities throughout the night. Of course, if I use it throughout the night.

So, I'm not sure what pressure my lungs were really being blast at.

Well, MandoJohnny, I take your word for it. If that was the history, then I can't complain any more. But I think there is a potential for further breakthrough in the methodology if more funding for research can be sourced. I do not know the stats (i.e. how many of Americans are suffering from this, not to say the whole world; what size the market can be; etc.)

Anyway, I'm still struggling with it. Kind of putting it aside in the last 2 days, as my allergy was getting worse and my nose was plugged up. And I have to mouth-breath a bit to survive. I will get back on it later this week.

Thanks.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:16 pm

You are set at 4 to 8? Maybe your lungs hurt from not being blasted with ENOUGH air.

I certainly can't breath at 4. I need 7 or 7.5 min. Everyone is different but I think a lot of us here have trouble at less than 6 or so.

What was your titrated pressure from your study?

I would move that 4 up to 6 and try that. 6 - 8 (seems a bit narrow, but unless you want to move the top end..... Again, I don't know what your "official pressure" is.

Deep Breather · Post by **Deep Breather** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:25 pm

Is it me, but don't jskinner and TXKajun look far too healthy to have sleep apnea? lol

Anyhow, I too have a high pressure (17) and in the beginning I experienced muscle pains in my chest. It went away after several days. But it was pretty severe the first couple of days, annoying. So I did some breathing exercises, deep breathing, for a couple of days. Don't know if it was a coincidence, but it seemed to help alleviate the chest muscle soreness. Perhaps a coincidence, don't know.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:59 pm

Ditto to that minimum pressure of 4 potentially being a cause of discomfort. I upped my ramp (settling) pressure to 6 but I'm thinking of changing it to 7 because I have to keep opening my mouth and taking deep breaths. There are old posts with instructions for changing pressures if you are so inclined. Not everyone is comfortable with that, or you can ask your DME to do it for you. While it does take time to adjust to the feel of the masks, if your treatment is not working, it's not working. It takes some tweaking. Just don't struggle so long that you get discourged and give up. I thought I just had to live with everything as given and as set up, and ended up quitting. Now with a different mask, machine and settings, my only complaints are about my inconsistent compliance.

justsharon · Post by **justsharon** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:02 am

Hey Houston...........Richmond Tx here,

i've had my CPAP for about a month now....... i've pulled it off in the middle of the night but the noise it made woke me up so I put it back on. I struggled with it,,,,,,pulled at it, tightened straps, loosened straps.......and last night I slept great.

As a nurse I can tell you all kinds of damage you are doing to yourself being without it........keep trying..........it will get better and so will you.

Sharon

Any light at the end of CPAP tube?

Any light at the end of CPAP tube?

2nd day of using RESMED Swift

Pressure settings