Sleep aids and fragmented sleep patterns

[danib]

i love your attitude, i wish i shared it. right now i am afraid to try the mask again, i never got as far as tryin to tape with the nasal pillow type mask - i heard taping was dangerous? i may have to try it, or try something like a pain patch or pill or something so i can sleep with the mask. i am glad to have found this group. i was on another board where the folks were a bit too pushy & they really gave me a lot of anxiety - no one there seemed to understand my problem or why i had pain from the mask.

[Pugsy]

i love your attitude, i wish i shared it. right now i am afraid to try the mask again, i never got as far as tryin to tape with the nasal pillow type mask - i heard taping was dangerous? i may have to try it, or try something like a pain patch or pill or something so i can sleep with the mask. i am glad to have found this group. i was on another board where the folks were a bit too pushy & they really gave me a lot of anxiety - no one there seemed to understand my problem or why i had pain from the mask.

I heard from somewhere taping was dangerous too. But then having O2 levels plummet to 73% isn't good for me either, so I thought if so many people did it, that it couldn't be all that dangerous to tape or use Polident. It isn't cement, the tape is easily removed and the Polygrip paste I used allowed for me to open my mouth with just a little tiny bit of conscious effort. If I was sick or nauseated along the lines of possible vomiting, I wouldn't use either.

Did you use something similar to Danib at the other forum? There is another forum where there are lots of rules and regulations and people seem a bit pushy and certainly don't have the sense of humor that we have here. Why not go ahead and post your equipment information in your profile here, then we can see what you are using or trying to use.

Regarding the mask and neck issues. At the sleep titration study I was first fitted with nasal mask of some sort. I call it the mask from hell. I think it was too big, dug into really close to my eyes and almost covered my upper lip. The strap securing the bottom of the nasal mask going around the base of my skull put such a bind on my neck that I had pain within 15 minutes and a headache within 30 minutes. Add in the congestion from the pressure on my nasal area and cheeks and I was a disaster from pretty much the onset. The pillows were my only option at that point. Now later when I have time, I will investigate other masks but nothing that fits over my nose. Maybe some sort of hybrid if the back strap works ok with my neck. Right now I am concentrating on getting the pillows working properly and getting to sleep more soundly. One step at a time.

[BlackSpinner]

As far as cheap matress toppers go - look for comforters at a second hand store and pile them up (after washing hothot) Pile an extra one on your side.

[danibm]

yes i probably did use DaniB on the other forum too. no they did not have a sense of humor. i notice here this is a more colorful forum with more smileys & pictures & just a friendlier vibe. they really scared me on the other one.
i dont' use any mask right now. i am looking at possibly having to try again which is why i came here.
thanks so much for your nice responses.
i am on the sleep meds now but can't stay on them because of the stomach trouble. so i am thinking when i go back to the sleep specialist on the 15th, i guess i can't imagine what else he is going to say except i have to try the mask again.
maybe gettin ahead of myself, maybe he will have other ideas, but i am here to get myself used to the idea again.

[Pugsy]

To Danibm:

When you have time start a new thread and tell us a bit about yourself. Doesn't have to be a whole novel like I tend to write. Why were you told to use a mask? Why now are you using sleeping meds instead of the mask? Did you have a sleep study? Stuff like that. Gives everyone an idea what's going on.

B

[Ganesha]

Pugsy,

Sorry to hear about your dilemma. I have lower back pain (mostly muscular). It is not a fast fix, but I have been working on 'core' muscles. You know, abdominals and all that uncomfortable stuff. But it has been slowly working. And my clothes fit better! Give it a try along with everything else.

Mark

[DoriC]

Yes, Dani, start a new thread and tell us some things like the machine you have, pressure settings, name of mask and a summary of all the problems you've had trying to adjust to therapy. I'm sure our experts here can give you lots of help in finding a solution. Sending you and Pugsy good thoughts. Dori

[ozij]

Captain_Midnight posted this on another thread (LooseFirePin's) but this is of course relevant to any cases of inflamation. I'm not a doctor either, etc. I've read (in "The Omega 3 connection") that it's specifically the Omega 3 oils that have this effect.

LFP, I'm wondering if the RADS is due to the toxic (meaning cellular injury) or inflammatory effect of the exposure.

Caution-Caution-Caution...I'm not a doc, and I don't play one over the internet, so don't believe a word I say. However, if inflammation is part of the issue, have you considered (asking your doc if it's okay first) trying fish oil? For some folks, me included, fish oil is a fairly benign acting anti-inflammatory agent.

Good luck resolving the RADS.

O.

[danibm]

thanks Pugsy & Dori, i will do that. again i am not using a mask now. & one big problem i do have with using one is that i am not a technically minded person at all & all that stuff about type of mask & what air flow or tiration or whatever - i have no clue. i used a mask, a full face, just got it & used it. i had no settings, just tried it. hated it cuz of the pain. so didn't try again. as i said i have UARS, not full apnea, so this is for feeling better rather than a medical have to type thing. so yeh i gave up the first time. but now i feel i am out of options. tried the mouthpiece & it hurt too, not a candidate for Pillar, sleep meds work but hurt my stomach. so off to the sleep specialist on the 15th...

[Pugsy]

Tiny update: I found a suitable inexpensive wedge pillow that will fit along my spine and hopefully decrease my rolling over onto my back some. Found out today that my truck needs $400 worth of work done on it, truck insurance is due and no money at all left over to even consider a memory foam topper. It will simply have to wait.

Spoke with my sleep doctor's nurse today about my frequent awakenings. Found out that at the titration study I only slept 175 out of 400 minutes which they said was 44% efficiency. I don't know how bad that it but it is bad. Sleep latency was 81 minutes and REM latency was 123 minutes with REM sleep constituting 19% of the sleep time. There were 35 arousals, and 19 awakenings with an arousal/awakening index of 19. Hmmm again, likely bad, what is considered good? And heaven forbid noted that I slept 100% of the time on my back, Geezzz the tech told me that was what he wanted ..... Not a lot of REM sleep where I do most of my apneas to titrate to and likely explains why the titrated pressure of 8 cm doesn't get my clustered apneas and I felt like crap with them.

So I ask the nurse what could I take that was safe to help me get past all these arousals so I can have some really effective therapy. No problem going to sleep most of the time, just trouble staying asleep. She asked dr what could be done and he is going to prescribe some Ambien for me for a little while to see if we can get me back into some sort of normal sleep pattern.

Also went to DME to pick up a chin strap on the off chance it will help with the mouth leaks. All he had was the ResMed that didn't do so hot in the challenge but it is worth a try. Might get lucky. Trying to think positive.

[danibm]

good luck with the Ambien hope it helps

[whatrdreamsmadeof]

Hi Pugsy, I can relate to a lot of your issues, I have fractured pars in my lower back, l4,l5,s1, and have found some relief with naproxen 500mg at night and morning along with 900mg of a nerve conduction medicine called gabapentin as my back issues cause leg pain. I've already had a cervical spine fusion and I am trying to avoid a lumbar fusion. I sleep on a totally latex matress so it is not hot and I have noticed a great deal of difference. I also have what's known as as a "turtle brace" that keeps the spine very straight, though it is uncomfortable especially in the summer. I do hope maybe some of these things may work for you as I too experience lots of wakeful periods during the night. I can not take meds with steroids or codeine in them. I wish you good luck. Ellen