Just a newbies experience with my first CPAP!

[Flats]

I was diagnosed with Apnea about 3 years ago when I was 36. They tried me on a resmed CPAP machine and after about 2 nights I gave up. Never returned the unit and would up being charged about $600.00 by the company after I finally didi return it about 8 months later. The past year my snoring had gotten so bad, my wife was kicking me out of bed. I'm sure this has happened to most of you as well and is nothing new. I went to a new doctor with the same results. Sleep Apnea, I could risk dying or use the machine. While my doctor may have been a bit dramatic, I got the point. I chose the resmed nasal pillow system not just for the smaller footprint but I was afriad my 6 and 10 year old would think a monster was in the bedroom if they saw me. I got the setup back in July and right off the bat, I had 1 major problem. Every hour I woke up with a mouth so dry, it actually hurt. Once again I was ready to gove up so I called my doctor back. He recommended a humidifier. I tried the humidifier ffor the first few nights and gradually cranked up the humidity level with no relief. I actually had it up so high 1 time the moisture got in my throat and I woke up feeling like I was drowning. Strike 2, Now I'm really ready to throw in the towel. Called back the doctor ready to let him know he can take this CPAP and shove it up his (insert expletive here). He then recommended a chin strap. Now I'm thinking this guy's off his rocker but for the sake of my marriage, I purchased one of these torture looking devices. The first one I had was just a round band you wrapped around your chin and head. It actually helped a little bit as I got about 3 hours of sleep that night but still woke up unable to move my jaw due to dryness. I then went to my local oxygen/air sysytem place and they had a fancier model with velco straps made by cardinal health. I have been using it since about mid August and I had been getting about 6 hours of good sleep a night before waking and ripping everything off. The first 2 or 3 weeks were pretty good. After 6 hours, I was much more awake during the day, in a much better mood more times than not and sleeping with my wife every night. However even though I am still getting about 6 hours on a good night, I'm back to feeling tired again and it seems almost like it's not working as it use to. I'm sure if there was some way to help with the dryness, I think I could sleep longer and would feel better. I'm not sure what else I can do now. I'm still on about 14 (I guess that's pounds of air that the machine delivers?) and when I wake up, I feel like I'm breathing so comfortably and easily. The equipment just hurts my head and I can't take all the gear. Where do I go from here? I do see my doctor in about 2 weeks. What can I expect him to say. Am I a lost cause? Hoping to find others in my same predicament and hope to see what they did to hopefully make everythign work. For anyone actually wasting their time to read this, Thanks for listening....

[Julie]

Hi, the dryness is almost certainly due to your sleeping with your mouth open all night - very common to lots of us, especially once Cpap air is being pumped in through our noses. The problem though is that while a chin strap can help some people, it doesn't help everyone by any means and you really should look into getting a full face mask like the UltraMirage which I use, or a Quattro, Liberty or Hybrid, all of which you can look at in great detail on Cpap.com. Raising your machine pressure and/or the humidifier won't help if it's all going out your mouth, so do check out the FF masks.

[rubymom]

I hear your concern about your kids as one reason you don't want a full-face mask. I use the Mirage Liberty. My kids were 10 and 8 when I started. They adjusted quite well to it. I suspect yours would too. I've read other posts about grandparents and how their little grandkids adjusted. Just tell them you're Darth Vader!

Good luck! Your hurdles are not insurmountable. You'll find great info on here. Stick it out--your life does depend on it!

[bdp522]

At 6 and 10 yrs old, your kids are old enough to understand that your xpap setup is needed for you to get a good nights sleep. Show them the machine, hose and mask. Let them try the machine and mask(during the day of course). Explain that it is expensive and not to be played with. Kids accept these things quite readily.
Then get a mask that works for you. A full face mask is best, but you can also tape your mouth shut or use poligrip strips to seal the lips. I tape every night, for years now. It works for me. I use Roosters method of taping; viewtopic.php?t=9653 . Chin straps don't work for most, they still allow air to escape from the lips.

The equipment just hurts my head and I can't take all the gear

Nothing should be hurting if used correctly. Be sure the headgear isn't too tight. Most masks seal better with the headgear a bit loose. You might want to try the papcap from pur-sleep. Many here have used it and reported that it works well for them and is more comfortable; http://www.pur-sleep.com/products/produ ... category=6. You can also check out Pad A Cheeks, at http://www.padacheek.com for all kinds of pads to help make the gear more comfortable. I use pad a cheeks on all my masks.
Finally, and most important...you are NOT a lost cause! Keep searching for the solutions to your problems. We will all help!

Brenda

[jweeks]

I went to a new doctor with the same results. Sleep Apnea, I could risk dying or use the machine. While my doctor may have been a bit dramatic, I got the point.

Hi,

Not to be disagreeable, but your doctor was not being dramatic, and I don't think you got the point. If you had gotten the point, you wouldn't be dismissing this so easily. When you have OSA, the oxygen level in your blood drops. Anything below about 92% is a problem. Mine dropped down below 70% before the tech at the sleep center put me on oxygen. If the 02 level drops much below 92%, you start killing off brain cells and you can have seizures. You can die from that. It can also cause cardiac problems. If that doesn't convince you, then look up the story of the football player Reggie White...he died from OSA at age 43. He never had a chance to enjoy all the money he made from playing in the NFL.

Even worse than the health problems, just think what you would feel like if you doze off in traffic, ending up in a car accident that killed your children. If nothing else, do it for them. Or stay off the highway in the mean time because a sleepy driver is dangerous to himself and everyone else on the road.

-john-