Brand new to OSA -

[Rossiemo]

I have known for a long time that there was something not right with my sleep. My wife has complained for many years that I can get very loud. Her Dad had in the last year or so been diagnosed with SA and does wear a mask to sleep. He loves it and says it has changed his life for the better at age 75. My wife encouraged me to have a sleep study done and I put her off hundreds of times. We even met a guy through our circle of friends that was in the business - he is a Sleep Technician. I was embarrassed when my wife explained my sleep habits to this guy and he did his best to convince me I should come see him. Again, I did not see the point, I was fine, I was only really loud when I'd had a night cap (or 2) and I had gotten very used to waiting for her to fall asleep first in eighteen years of marital bliss.

Well, after having gained 30+ pounds due to a job change from a physical one to that of a desk jockey, the stress of owning my own businesses, dealing with employees, a new house we can barely afford in this economy and just recently waking up at 4am standing next to my bed unable to breathe in or out for several seconds.... I have been diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

I saw my family doctor on December 8th, had the sleep study done on January 13th, dealt with the CPAP machine on January 16th and now I am waiting for the Sleep Doctor to come home from vacation to prescribe a machine. Due to the length of time this has taken I did buy a mouth appliance which helps with the snore but not sure about the Apnea. I am a very pissed off, tired and sleep fearing individual right now.

My night with the CPAP machine was not fun and I had a bloated stomach, the burps and flatulence for a good day and a half after. The Sleep Tech told me that I am borderline "failure" on CPAP. WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN. AM I A DEAD MAN WALKING. I SURE FEEL LIKE IT.

Over the course of this I have read a lot of information about this problem and I now know that there are different machines. Could someone who is "as bad" as me explain. Furthermore, I have not read any reputable articles on a "CURE" for OSA only treatments with CPAP and surgery. Can I cure myself with weight loss, diet, etc ..... Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[montana user]

As a sleep tech myself, I would never use the word Failure. It takes anyone several weeks ( some more, some less) to get adjusted to a CPAP machine. It is hard to tell if someone is going to be compliant with a CPAP just based on one night in the lab. Very few people sleep well in the lab the first time they wear a CPAP. So I am sorry that he used the word failure! As you will see on this forum, many people struggle with CPAP at first, but I belive (and I use one myself) the benefits of CPAP out weigh the annoying mask leak, or trouble with water in the hose.

As of now there is no cure, only treatment. There are different surgeries available that help apnea, but most people still need a CPAP. Weight loss does help, it usually can lower the pressure on the machine.

Don't give up! I understand being upset waiting for doctors and DME's! I believe that hits a nerve with just about everyone who reads and posts on here!

[SaltLakeJan]

Hi Rossiemo,
If your friend is the sleep technician, you will be better off with someone who can encourage you. A lot of us, me included had a difficult time adjusting to cpap treatment. Having a vacuum cleaner blowing up your nose is quite a shock the first time. It gets easier each time you use it. Believe me, & all the rest of the forum members who will be anxious to welcome you to the forum.

Incidentally, congratulations on finding the forum so quickly. You already know from reading some of the threads that a beginner will get the greatest of support. I started a year ago, it wasn't easy for the first few times. Without the support I received, I might have been discouraged and wanted to quit.

Welcome to the Forum.

Jan

[Julie]

Hi, welcome to the forum. What you are experiencing with your stomach is called aerophagia (airofaghia). It happens to a lot of people at the beginning when they're trying to get set up with the right machine, mask and pressures, but does not have to be permanent at all. What works for a lot of people is to have their pressure set just one or two notches down, and the problem often gets better and/or goes away.

What would help us to help you now is if you go to your member page, and fill out the Profile (use text instead of icons please) so everyone can see right away what equipment you have and can base their advice on that along with your postings. There is a lot you can learn about this journey, and you will end up in much greater control over it all if you choose - it just takes a little time and patience.

Read everyone else's posts and definitely click on the lightbulb at the top of the main page - you'll be an expert in no time !

I hope you realize that your main reason for using Cpap is not because of snoring - that's just a symptom - but because the consequences of untreated OSA can be quite serious. Be ready to look into various masks because it's rare that the one you're given right off is the "right" one for longterm use (though you could get lucky). Be smart and get a "data capable" machine that will let you track your own progress on the computer every day if you want, plus help you tweak various things on your own without having to ask the MD or dealers.

BTW, if you've ever been told that your mouth opens when you sleep, it's important to realize that you'll lose the Cpap air that way, so if that's the case (and it happens to lots of us once we get started) you'll need to look into a "full face" mask (just a nasal one that extends to also just cover your mouth, allowing you to breathe that way without losing therapy air.

Anyhow, good luck with it all.

[SleepingUgly]

Rossiemo, are you saying that from your CPAP titration night, the sleep tech said you are a "borderline failure"? I am not a sleep tech, so I don't know how someone could "fail" a CPAP titration... Perhaps some of the techs on here could explain what your tech could possibly mean. Did he mean that they couldn't get you to a pressure that would eliminate your apneas? Perhaps that has more to do with how they did the titration!

To be told you have a serious medical condition and then be told that you're borderline failing at the treatment is very inappropriate and callous. You can't fail this, as far as I know. The only way to fail is to not participate (I almost failed PE in high school in this fashion...). You are not a dead man walking. You're someone who just got a shock with some bad health news, you're grieving, you're scared, and you're gassy. This all will pass (pun intended). From what I can tell from what other people have posted, you have an excellent chance of feeling better than you have in years. Like your father-in-law.

And the people on this site will help you. (Not me, I know less nothing... although I actually may have solved my swallowing air problem!! Cflex+ on my System One Auto)

Well, maybe I do have one piece of advice for you, and only because I've read it here so many times: Get a data-capable Auto-PAP machine (this means it can run in auto mode at a range of pressures and in CPAP mode at a set pressure, giving you more than options). I think there is a recent post comparing CPAP machines in terms of features, but I can't seem to locate it now.

[Judy R]

I just wanted to say "Welcome" to the group, there's so many wonderful people here, and tons of great advice. Let us know how things go once you get your set up.

[kteague]

Hello and welcome. I am just venturing a guess here, but I wonder if they meant fail on this delivery style of machine, not fail in the treatment altogether. Sometimes people who need a high pressure to resolve their apnea end up needing a bipap machine. However, they are often started out on cpap to see if they can tolerate it before the insurance will approve payment for a more expensive machine. The terminology used to get approval for the bipap is that the person "failed cpap". Just wondering if the tech was seeing a likely need for a bipap in your future.

[Rossiemo]

Thank you to all that replied and I appreciate the words of encouragement. The Tech that told me I was borderline failure was indeed talking of my possible need for an adjustable type machine or a BIPAP. I am sure he did not mean to be callous or inconsiderate, he could sense that I was angry with the news and when I explained about the bloated feeling, he reached for the easy response. Just got a call from the Sleep Center that my prescription has been sent to my DME. She said the Doctor OKed a new machine to them that is and Auto. I will update once I meet with the DME.

Again thank you for your encouragement and support.

[MoneyGal]

Hi and welcome. I am sorry for your experiences so far, and I hope they will get better.

Sometimes the words medical professionals use can seem remarkably insensitive. I distinctly remember my midwife writing "geriatric pregnancy" on my forms when I was expecting my last child -- but at least she had the grace to apologize, and said it was a term uniformly applied to all pregnancies when the mom is over 35 at the expected due date!

[Sergey45]

I sleep with CPAP for more than 4 years now. Here is some information about masks and machines I am using. Some people find it helpful.
Good luck.
http://www.sleepapneasymptom.medgrip.com