Pressure sore.

[chunkyfrog]

The healing on your nose is a good sign; and yes, it is often "part of the program".
Alternating "hurt and heal" on hands or feet results in nice sturdy calluses,
but our faces don't get an ugly callus--the skin gets a little tougher;
and along with it our psyche. Welcome, yoyoyomonica. It just keeps getting better.

[yoyoyomonica]

I am not picky at all. I am the most willing person u will meet. and I am a people pleaser so I dont like some of these posts on this thread. I dont like pain. Treatment is supposed to make u feel better NOT worse. and yeah I stick to every medical treatment I am on. I try and try. I just want to feel better. yes I am bipolar. I stick with everything. I listen to my doctors. I trust them. and as for being relieved, I am not yet. yes orginally I was expecting a overnight miracle. Wrong I know. I dont believe that blisters should be part of any therapy. OK I am sorry for coming here for advice. I will call my doctor instead of talking here with people who are experienced with cpaps. I guess I am in the wrong place. I believe it can cause psychosis. amongst many other mental angst. I have been down that road many times. I am interested in cpap for many health problems. I have only skipped one day that was Saturday. the mask really hurt to put on. But I am just whining right? I am going to make this work. I am seeing my DME on Thursday to try on more masks. I will wear my mask till then. even if I cant get a seal. I fully intend this to work. I am out of options. My health is getting worse and meds arent working anymore. My doctors are at a loss. It can only be from apnea. I want to get off of my 13 meds I am on. OR at least some of them. I want my bp to not be 180/80 anymore. I dont like my migraines and mental state. I dont like chronic fatigue. I dont like this. and I know more is to come. I want to loose alot of weight. SO the cpap has to help. Does this convince u guys that I want to be compliant. But compared to "dying" I better suck it up huh?

I think the people who are picking on me are unhappy with their treatment too.

Thank you sleepingugly for showing compassion to me. and making me smile. I do need to learn who I will partake advice from tho. I am not attention seeking really. Just wanted to consult with people who have been on this road before. But I will consult my doctor more. He already told me to call him whenever I need.

Thank you chunkyfrog. it is better to know I wont get a ugly callous on my face. I have enough image issues.

[Pugsy]

FWIW...You have tried a lot longer and harder with that mask than I would have.
I would have trash canned it a long time ago if it were me.

No mask should cause pain (a little tenderness not that big of a deal) or open sores or be such a PITA that a person just can't sleep with it. If it does cause pain, open sores or keeps you awake at night...it either is not the right size, not fitted properly or simply is just isn't the mask for you.

Sometimes so and so mask simply is not the right mask for a person and no amount of good ideas is going to make it work. They don't work for everyone in the whole world...that's why we have lots of models and brands to choose from.
We offer ideas to help make it work and if none of the ideas resolve the issue...move on to a different mask or size or whatever.

Up to you how much time and effort you want to do to put into it to make it work. I think you have gone over and above what I would have done in an effort to make it work.

[SleepyToo2]

I think the people who are picking on me are unhappy with their treatment too.

Not necessarily unhappy with their treatment (or you) - more like unhappy with the "professional" help they were expecting to get from their docs/DMEs when they started. It does seem like the sore nose is part of the "initiation rites" for sleep apnea treatment, though, which makes me angry. Try making a temporary pad from a single layer of a cotton t-shirt - cut out a hole in the center to allow you to breath through your nose. If you only have one mask there is not much else you can do before the visit with the DME, other than a pain-relieving antibacterial cream during the day to keep the risk of infection down. I found band aids did help me, but not the leaks .

Good luck with finding your fix. I don't have all of the symptoms you have, but I did find that migraines went away quite quickly once I started treatment.

[chunkyfrog]

Masks are the hardest part of therapy.
At least finding the right one can be so difficult.
I took over 2 years, and 20 masks before I found one that would work. (elan)
I actually should be wearing a full face mask, but that one has yet to be found--or invented.
Maybe, someday . . .

[Suddenly Worn Out]

As far as not being picky at all, I dont believe you. You come across as a whiner. The single most important thing to be able to do, when you think about it is to...be able to breathe. At all times of the day, not just when you are awake. The objective of CPAP is to get you breathing ALL the time, not just when you are awake and conscious. For all you know, you might not even be bipolar or depressed or have anxiety or whatever. You might just have sleep apnea, oxygen desaturations that are flooding your body with stress hormones during shallow "sleep" such as cortisol and adrenalin. And causing your chronic sleep deprivation.

Yes, the chronic sleep deprivation, along with the release of all the nasty stress hormones from oxygen desaturations can cause all sorts of nasty psychiatric symptoms. Up to and including, psychosis.

As far as making claims that the people "picking" on you are unhappy with their treatment, at least with me, that is not true. If it were, I would have stopped using CPAP long ago. I am probably the single most compliant person on this forum. I simply do not sleep without my gear, because when I sleep without it, I feel AWFUL. I am unhappy right now with my headgear. A lot of that is my own fault, however. I take responsibility for things. I am working on getting my headgear issue straightened out as I type this.

The bottom line, is I have been continually using CPAP, APAP or BiPap, without a hitch, without a single night missed, since late summer 2007. I would like to see someone else on here with that sort of record. Call me unhappy with my treatment, I'd laugh at you. Actions speak louder than whiny words.

so you have a red bump on your nose that is "ugly." I say, who cares. Unless you are diabetic and have to be super careful about sores and infections, I say who cares. Unless it gets infected, I say who cares. Its more important to be able to breathe and to be able to sleep properly. Normally all that red bump is, is adjustment to the mask. When I was getting onto CPAP the first two months, I did not post here or anywhere else. I laid low, took the semester off I was in college again at that time. I put my mind into neutral, I was motivated to get adjusted to CPAP and I went and swam laps almost every afternoon to help smooth out the adjustment period. I adjusted to CPAP super easy compared to most and when I did have some problems early on, which I did, I went to my OFFLINE DME RTs for real world help. When I was waking up during the night with air rushing out of my mouth and with a super dry mouth, I did not go on some online forum and ask about it. I went to my offline DME and asked the RTs about it. They gave me a full face mask. I hated it as well the first night. Swore I'd never use it again. I went back to a nasal mask one night and that did not work either. I then realized, "hey buddy, you are either gonna do this or not do it and if you dont do it, the odds are youre gonna either die or youre gonna end up in a nursing home in five years."

So I spent about two or three hours playing with the Quattro and my machine, adjusting the straps and the dial to where I would not get leaks. The first month I got a blister and a callous and a red mark on the bridge of my nose. I also got really good quality sleep for the first time in ten years. My blood pressure went down and my anxiety levels went down. I felt better during the day and was way more relaxed and my mood was better. So I stuck it out and Im glad as hell I did stick it out. Im not one of these losers that gave up on CPAP after a month and Im not one of the 50% of people dxed with OSA and issued CPAP gear yet are non compliant.

My advice is to get off the Internet the first few months. Exercise a lot during the adjustment phase. Consult your offline RTs and doctors when you run into problems and have questions. Learn the basics OFFLINE, from doctors and RTs. After you learn the basics and are no longer a newbie, thats when you come here or other places to talk about tweaking things or to learn about new gear coming out or to post your downloads with others. But honestly, stop whining, use your gear EVERY night and expect it to not be so fun the first month or so, especially the headgear part and adjusting to exhaling against continuous pressure.

The end.

Eric

I am not picky at all. I guess I am in the wrong place. I believe it can cause psychosis. amongst many other mental angst.

I think the people who are picking on me are unhappy with their treatment too.

[SleepingUgly]

Yes, the chronic sleep deprivation, along with the release of all the nasty stress hormones from oxygen desaturations can cause all sorts of nasty psychiatric symptoms. Up to and including, psychosis.

And apparently being "Suddenly Worn Out" can cause all sorts of nasty comments.

I am probably the single most compliant person on this forum.

The bottom line, is I have been continually using CPAP, APAP or BiPap, without a hitch, without a single night missed, since late summer 2007. I would like to see someone else on here with that sort of record.

My advice is to get off the Internet the first few months. Exercise a lot during the adjustment phase. Consult your offline RTs and doctors when you run into problems and have questions. Learn the basics OFFLINE, from doctors and RTs.

Why can't she do both?

Eric, it sounds like your therapy is perfection. You're the model of compliance to which no one can compare. So you clearly don't need help. And you clearly aren't helpful. So why are you here?

[chunkyfrog]

I know the temptation to bully is hard to resist; and suddenlywornout
seems to be enjoying this task; but I find it disgusting.

[kaiasgram]

Hey Monica,

Don't go offline -- this forum is full of helpful information and is exactly where a cpap newbie should be 'hanging out' at the beginning of therapy.

You can also use chat and PM'ing.

[MyIdaho]

Hey Monica,

Don't go offline -- this forum is full of helpful information and is exactly where a cpap newbie should be 'hanging out' at the beginning of therapy.

You can also use chat and PM'ing.

+1 I agree wholeheartedly! This is a great to learn and get help from others! Eric go kick a can or something. You're not helping. AT ALL.

[49er]

Thanks for all of the advice. I am seeing my DME on Thursday. I took a break from the mask on saturday and used a bandaid last night. it worked ok. Having a sore on my nose isnt a option and a callous isn't going to happen. I will quit cpap before I start developing scars. I take vit D already but only 2000 iu 2 times a day. So maybe I need to increase it.

Yeah I would agree. You don't want to tear up your skin or develop scarring from an untreated pressure sore. Totally nuts to do that.

Yes because scar on the face is so much worse then strokes or heart attacks. Must keep the outside pure while the inside disintegrates - makes for a prettier corpse.

Black Spinner, to quote an infamous US President, there you go again with your snarkly comments. Can't you for once refrain from saying something nasty when someone is struggling like Monica is?

By the way, your tough love nasty comments aren't helpful in the least but you seem to have a compulsion to provide them.

A big fat sigh!

49er

[49er]

Eric,

Your mean spirited comments have no place on this board. What is that expression about if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it all?

49er

As far as not being picky at all, I dont believe you. You come across as a whiner. The single most important thing to be able to do, when you think about it is to...be able to breathe. At all times of the day, not just when you are awake. The objective of CPAP is to get you breathing ALL the time, not just when you are awake and conscious. For all you know, you might not even be bipolar or depressed or have anxiety or whatever. You might just have sleep apnea, oxygen desaturations that are flooding your body with stress hormones during shallow "sleep" such as cortisol and adrenalin. And causing your chronic sleep deprivation.

Yes, the chronic sleep deprivation, along with the release of all the nasty stress hormones from oxygen desaturations can cause all sorts of nasty psychiatric symptoms. Up to and including, psychosis.

As far as making claims that the people "picking" on you are unhappy with their treatment, at least with me, that is not true. If it were, I would have stopped using CPAP long ago. I am probably the single most compliant person on this forum. I simply do not sleep without my gear, because when I sleep without it, I feel AWFUL. I am unhappy right now with my headgear. A lot of that is my own fault, however. I take responsibility for things. I am working on getting my headgear issue straightened out as I type this.

The bottom line, is I have been continually using CPAP, APAP or BiPap, without a hitch, without a single night missed, since late summer 2007. I would like to see someone else on here with that sort of record. Call me unhappy with my treatment, I'd laugh at you. Actions speak louder than whiny words.

so you have a red bump on your nose that is "ugly." I say, who cares. Unless you are diabetic and have to be super careful about sores and infections, I say who cares. Unless it gets infected, I say who cares. Its more important to be able to breathe and to be able to sleep properly. Normally all that red bump is, is adjustment to the mask. When I was getting onto CPAP the first two months, I did not post here or anywhere else. I laid low, took the semester off I was in college again at that time. I put my mind into neutral, I was motivated to get adjusted to CPAP and I went and swam laps almost every afternoon to help smooth out the adjustment period. I adjusted to CPAP super easy compared to most and when I did have some problems early on, which I did, I went to my OFFLINE DME RTs for real world help. When I was waking up during the night with air rushing out of my mouth and with a super dry mouth, I did not go on some online forum and ask about it. I went to my offline DME and asked the RTs about it. They gave me a full face mask. I hated it as well the first night. Swore I'd never use it again. I went back to a nasal mask one night and that did not work either. I then realized, "hey buddy, you are either gonna do this or not do it and if you dont do it, the odds are youre gonna either die or youre gonna end up in a nursing home in five years."

So I spent about two or three hours playing with the Quattro and my machine, adjusting the straps and the dial to where I would not get leaks. The first month I got a blister and a callous and a red mark on the bridge of my nose. I also got really good quality sleep for the first time in ten years. My blood pressure went down and my anxiety levels went down. I felt better during the day and was way more relaxed and my mood was better. So I stuck it out and Im glad as hell I did stick it out. Im not one of these losers that gave up on CPAP after a month and Im not one of the 50% of people dxed with OSA and issued CPAP gear yet are non compliant.

My advice is to get off the Internet the first few months. Exercise a lot during the adjustment phase. Consult your offline RTs and doctors when you run into problems and have questions. Learn the basics OFFLINE, from doctors and RTs. After you learn the basics and are no longer a newbie, thats when you come here or other places to talk about tweaking things or to learn about new gear coming out or to post your downloads with others. But honestly, stop whining, use your gear EVERY night and expect it to not be so fun the first month or so, especially the headgear part and adjusting to exhaling against continuous pressure.

The end.

Eric

I am not picky at all. I guess I am in the wrong place. I believe it can cause psychosis. amongst many other mental angst.

I think the people who are picking on me are unhappy with their treatment too.

[khauser]

Hi Monica,
Hope last night went better for you.

There are no initiation rights to CPAP therapy, that's nonsense. Don't listen to it. For what is worth you don't come across as a whiner to me. You sound like someone trying hard to adapt and seeking the necessary knowledge to do it right. I don't get why people are being grumpy, but you should ignore them. If necessary use the friend or for settings!

You'll see your dme soon enough ... do what you can to cope in the mean time ... lots of good ideas in this thread.
Let us know how it goes!

[zoocrewphoto]

Im gonna be honest with you. Unless you use nasal pillows, some degree of skin irritation on the bridge of your nose is almost inevitable with about all of these masks. I mean, its silicone resting with some pressure on the bridge of your nose 8 to 10 hours a day. Duh. The odds are youre going to initially develop some redness there especially at first. Mine even calloused/blistered over the first month I was on CPAP.

Eric

I disagree.

I've been using the Quattro FX for 9 months now, and I have NEVER had any nose soreness, or really any soreness. Some puffy eyes at the beginning until I mastered fitting it properly. But my nose has never hurt.

The right mask won't hurt. Will this particular mask style work - maybe not. It sounds like it is too small and needs to be tried in a larger size. It could also be too tight. It is pretty normal for newbies to tighten the mask too much, often because the stupid DMEs tell us to. And it seems like it would help stop leaks. It takes awhile to learn that loose tends to work better for leaks.

Honestly, though, if the mask is hurting her, then it will only keep her awake at night, and that won't help. I had a huge problem in October and November as my hip pain got bad enough to wake me up several times a night. I was spending hours awake because of the pain. I had to relieve the pain in my leg to get my cpap treatment to be be effective again. When the pain is caused by the mask, then the mask itself is causing the user to wake up, and the sleep is ruined. Sure makes it difficult to keep using it. Years ago, after having braces, I got retainers. They hurt my mouth so badly that I was dreaming about mouth pain, and I couldn't sleep with them in. Most people do not sign up to be in constant pain.

Obviously, the cpap treatment is important, but since most people have to try several masks to find the right one, there is no reason to assume that this first mask is the right one, or that she is quitting simply by skipping a night and asking for advice. She may need to try several masks before she finds the perfect mask. (Personally, I recommend the Quattro FX). Or, a hybrid mask of the pillows work well. I can't seem to go more than 2 hours with pillows.

[Madalot]

Monica,

You and I have talked in chat and on PM and you know that *I* don't consider you a whiner, AT ALL, and I think you should stay on the forum and keep asking for and getting help.

It's difficult to ignore the bullies. If you need a short break, that's cool. But don't leave us completely. Those of us here that are kind, sympathetic and remember what it's like to be new to all this (most of us here) -- can and will help you through.

Eric -- Your arrogance is only overshadowed by your rudeness. That type behavior serves only one purpose -- chasing away a newcomer that desperately needs help.

Shame on you.