New to CPAP

[Skyhog]

So here's the backstory:

My grandfather has had Sleep Apnea most of his life (he's not fat). My father has had very bad Sleep Apnea most of his life, so much so that I remember vividly as a kid panicking when he would stop breathing and trying to revive him, only to have him gasp and sit up suddenly (he's also not fat).

My wife told me I have apnea, and I never gave it much thought until she said my snoring got so bad she wanted to consider separate bedrooms. We've only been married for 5 years, and I'm too young to consider that option. I am fat, so I lost some weight, but it only got worse. I also noticed that I have been exhausted all day long for as long as I can remember. So I got a sleep study.

I've only been using my CPAP for 3 days now, but I feel much, much better. I have a small nagging headache that I think will go away, but I am much more alert than I have been in years. I only get about 6 hours of sleep using the machine, but I was only getting 4-5 before, so I consider that a small victory.

The hard part is getting used to the weird sensation when I accidentally open my mouth in the middle of the night - it feels like my brain is being sucked out my mouth. I use nasal pillows with a headstrap, so I may need to try to find some method of keeping my mouth closed.

Also - first thing I did was figure out the clinician's menu on my machine and change to Auto-Adjust mode on my CPAP. My doctor and my sleep doctor were pretty much useless in that regard, so I figure I'm on my own for my treatment, which is ok - I don't particularly care much for doctor's opinions anyway (who knows me better? Me, or a chart that the doctor has to consult to remember my name?).

I think I got a decent enough machine - its a DevilBiss AutoCPAP with SmartFlex. I don't know what options I have yet, but I do plan on trying to analyze my performance myself (I'm a data guy at heart).

Best news so far: My wife loves it. She says the small white noise is actually soothing for her, and I don't snore anymore.

[Julie]

Hi, Congrats on getting a good machine (have had mine for 4-5 yrs). Did you get the module etc, or will you just use the online code thing (all I do because I'm very consistent with no related problems and less money ).

[Tatooed Lady]

The nagging headache could be due to the humidifier level not being what your body likes...I found that too much humidity gives me a headache, others find the same from too little moisture.

[Skyhog]

Hi, Congrats on getting a good machine (have had mine for 4-5 yrs). Did you get the module etc, or will you just use the online code thing (all I do because I'm very consistent with no related problems and less money ).

I did not get the module yet - I want to see what the code thing does for a bit first, and then if its not enough data, I'll go with the module. I really have no idea what info I'm looking at yet.