new, introducing myself, so far so good

[Al Peena]

Hi,

40 yo male, otherwise healthy. Had 2 sleep tests overnight in the past year, learned I was having apneas 30.7x/hour.
Seeing a sleep doctor from the Univ. of PA
This all started when I went in for a checkup 2 years ago and said I was feeling really rundown, tired and I also was suffering from bouts of ED. My primary doc asked if I snored and we went from there.

Have had been using a CPAP for about 2 weeks now (will post unit info later, etc.). I am using a nose mask. Use the humidifier. Its connected to a modem.
I think it is working, I feel less "groggy" and more rested.

Been reading posts the last couple of weeks, many posts have been helpful, thank you.

So far:

-Have a sore and redness on bridge of nose, wearing bandaids at night, seems to be slowly clearing up.
-Trying to get more than 6 hours of sleep a night to see full effects, its been tough gettting to bed at a good hour.
-At first I had some trouble breathing past the airflow, but now I seems to be ok. I use the ramp feature.
-One night I was extra stuffy (seasonal allergies) and had some heartburn (never do) and thanks to the forum figured its from the stuffiness and mouth breathing. Got saline nose spray and have been good since.
-Kinda liking back sleeping, though I do toss and turn some. I sleep at a slight angle.
-Woke up two mornings with mask off, and no recollection of taking it off or having an issue to do so.
-I still wake up with slight headaches, but they are much less than before (like a dull throb) and clear away in an hour or so...
-My machine has a feature that when I first put the mask on and get it tight, it just comes on automatically, slightly annoying b/c I like to get a good deep breaths in before I turn it on.
-THIS HAS BEEN ODD- Have woke up in the middle of night or early morning thinking the machine was off, there appeared to be no air flow (no leaks either), but when I opened my mouth I could tell the air was flowing. Anyone encounter this?

I need to go back to my dr. shortly, but overall I think its been good, its hard to tell. I know I don't feel worse, so I guess that's good.

Thanks forum

[CatButler]

The Fisher and Paykey ICON has an AwakeSense feature that somehow figures out if you are awake and cuts the pressure.

If you go to the User Control Panel (right below the "Search Field") you can enter you equipment so everyone can see it.

[pap4life]

Al.. Its going to take awhile to really get acclimated.
The saline nasal rinse is good. and I'm glad it works well. Works well for me also, although the air pressure from the CPAP usually unclogs my nose.

Sore nose and redness sounds like maybe you are tightening up the mask straps too tight.

Yep, when you open your mouth the air is going to come out. Gotta go somewhere. Thats why you don;t want to have any mask leaks as the leaks (if bad enough) will reduce the therapy pressure. Thats why you have to learn to keep your mouth shut or wear a chin mask.
Sounds like you are used to the pressure already, you can't feel the pressure too much. You might not even need the ramp feature.

[smurfyabs]

-My machine has a feature that when I first put the mask on and get it tight, it just comes on automatically, slightly annoying b/c I like to get a good deep breaths in before I turn it on.
-THIS HAS BEEN ODD- Have woke up in the middle of night or early morning thinking the machine was off, there appeared to be no air flow (no leaks either), but when I opened my mouth I could tell the air was flowing. Anyone encounter this?

Depending on your machine, you may be able to turn the auto on to off. I completely understand! My issue was that I wanted to be laying down before it came on. So now I put it on and breathe out of my mouth until I'm ready for it to come. I could just shut the auto to off, but that would require me to push the button on the machine when I'm ready and well...I'm lazy!

I experienced thinking the pressure had been shut off too, but it's just a perception issue. During the night I get used to my pressure of 14 and when I awake I just don't notice it anymore.

[Pugsy]

THIS HAS BEEN ODD- Have woke up in the middle of night or early morning thinking the machine was off, there appeared to be no air flow (no leaks either), but when I opened my mouth I could tell the air was flowing. Anyone encounter this?

Welcome to the forum.
What you described is quite common. During the night our bodies get adjusted to the pressure and what seemed like a hurricane when we went to bed feels barely like a gentle breeze later in the night or when we wake up. No problem at all and with time you won't even give it a second thought.

[Suzjohnson]

Welcome to the forum Al! It sounds like you are adapting well to all the little challenges this new way of sleeping brings with it. Yes, it's a real blessing to awaken without those brain crushing headaches. I too occasionally awaken with a small one and hope that, with time, those will disappear as well. It's interesting how we can become so accustomed to the pressure it becomes unnoticeable. I laughed out loud the first time it happened, it just seemed so bizarre!
Again, welcome, and look forward to keeping up with your progress.

Suz

[jweeks]

-THIS HAS BEEN ODD- Have woke up in the middle of night or early morning thinking the machine was off, there appeared to be no air flow (no leaks either), but when I opened my mouth I could tell the air was flowing. Anyone encounter this?

Al,

The first time I did this, I was really caught by surprise--sort of like my very own hurricane Katrina going through my nasal passages. This is a good sign, however. It means that you are getting used to the pressure. Fairly soon, not using the CPAP machine will feel odd.

-john-

[Al Peena]

thanks folks for the input. overall it seems to be working. my wife also has reported I don't wake up in the middle of the night yelling at imaginary people or walking in my sleep.

[Mary Z]

Al, welcome to the forum. All in all it sounds like you're doing very well. Many of us took the mask off during the night with no recollection in the beginning. That passes. Looking forward to your continuing posts regarding your progress.

[Al Peena]

PROGRESS REPORT:

I guess I am about a month and a half in using CPAP and overall the difference is incredible. The differences are subtle but yet profound and when they all stack up its incredible!

Even when I don't get a full nights sleep (say 5-6 hours) I still feel rested! I am tired, sure, but not exhausted.

Basically, I forgot what RESTED feels like. In my profession sleep deprivation was a badge of honor in school and early career, so I just thought I was not getting enough sleep.

The only cons have been the sore on my nose (which is gone) and gas pains some mornings (altho its fun to release the gas...)

Just thought I would share with others who might be new !