It seems worse!

jnickellrental · Post by **jnickellrental** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:50 am

Last night was my first night on my machine and even with the ambien I woke up constantly. When they did the sleep study I had an o2 sat of 76% and 78 apneas a minute, so I think my apnea was pretty effectively blocking me from getting any sleep, but after my first night I am more tired than before the machine. I didnt have any trouble getting to sleep, my mask didnt seem too tight (though it did get sore by 3am), and there were no leaks, but it got really uncomfortable and kept waking me up. I wanted so badly to just take off the machine and go back to sleep - at least then I sleep all night, but I know that is probably not the best option. Is this normal - any idea how long it may take to get over this. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Josh

Offerocker · Post by **Offerocker** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:11 am

jnickellrental wrote: Last night was my first night on my machine and even with the ambien I woke up constantly. When they did the sleep study I had an o2 sat of 76% and 78 apneas a minute, so I think my apnea was pretty effectively blocking me from getting any sleep, but after my first night I am more tired than before the machine. I didnt have any trouble getting to sleep, my mask didnt seem too tight (though it did get sore by 3am), and there were no leaks, but it got really uncomfortable and kept waking me up. I wanted so badly to just take off the machine and go back to sleep - at least then I sleep all night, but I know that is probably not the best option. Is this normal - any idea how long it may take to get over this. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

J, that's most likely due to your sleeping with an alien - that thing on your face. It takes a while to get used to it, and eventualy it will become your 'sleep partner'.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:11 am

As long as you take it off, you are telling your body, we can't deal with this. In that case you will be right.you won't.

What you have to do is tell your body, we will deal with this and succeed, then you body will say, OK, if you insist, "Make it So".

Don't set yourself up for failure. De-Nile isn't just a River. Jim

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:19 am

I felt the same way. Apria gave me a FF mask, when I told their guy, for medical reasons, I could NOT use a FF mask. But he knew better. I came on this forum...like you...and got some great advice. I went to the Mirage Swift mask and still use it. For my first 59 years I was asleep when my head hit the pillow, then this apnea thing. I hated the FF mask, tolerate the Swift.

Now, like nearly everyone else on here, we won't be without our XPAP machines. Even if there is a chance I will be spending the night elsewhere, I take it.

So ......with the help of the more knowledgeable people on this site, you will find "the mask" for you and sleep better than you have in a long time. Some insurance companies allow more than one mask for you in the initial trial stages. Mine paid for two masks for me.

The Mirage Swift is a nose mask. My wife put mine on (of course we cleaned it first) and laid down on our couch. She was sold. Her machine arrives today. She now sleeps all night. She used to wake up..WIDE AWAKE 3 or 4 times a night, then it was hard to get back to sleep. She loves the sleep and like the rest of us, puts up with having a hose tied to our head.

Let me first state, no one here (that I know of) prefers to wear a mask and be hooked to a machine at night, but compared to the nights where I would
literally find myself standing in the middle of a dark room gasping for air,
I now sleep an avg of about 8-9 hours a night. REAL SLEEP.

Hang in there, much, much better sleep is ahead....best wishes.....

mikemoran · Post by **mikemoran** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:46 am

I have said more than once, if this was easy they would call it fun insead of therapy. So here are some things you have to look forward to after you get used to it. More energy, a greater alertness and time you lost before trying to catch up on sleep you never really got before. It won't happen overnight, but no therapy does. The other thing you could look forward to, you already have found. People who are in the same boat as you, who understand what you are going through and know it is worth it.

So hang in there and welcome to "The Few, The Proud, The Inflated"

(We will teach you our secret hose shake at the next meeting)

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:55 pm

[quote="mikemoran"]I have said more than once, if this was easy they would call it fun insead of therapy. So here are some things you have to look forward to after you get used to it. More energy, a greater alertness and time you lost before trying to catch up on sleep you never really got before. It won't happen overnight, but no therapy does. The other thing you could look forward to, you already have found. People who are in the same boat as you, who understand what you are going through and know it is worth it.

So hang in there and welcome to "The Few, The Proud, The Inflated"

(We will teach you our secret hose shake at the next meeting)

jnickellrental · Post by **jnickellrental** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:16 pm

Thank you guys for the encouragement. I have heard to many stories about how much the machines help to give up on it. I'm not taking the it off for anything, I guess it was just worse than I had anticipated. How long did it take most of you before your sleep started to improve (with full compliance)? Thanks again!
Josh

hornplayer · Post by **hornplayer** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:28 pm

Hi jnickellrental:
For me, 100% compliance took a couple months - about the same amount of time it takes me to make a permanent change to my golf swing.

mikemoran · Post by **mikemoran** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:26 pm

I started with full compliance when I first got the machine. More from stubborness than comfort. Vowed I would make it work. First few months never slept completely through a night, always waking up for a mask leak or hose tug. I think the biggest problem was in a few hours I was getting more rest than i was getting before in 10 hours of sleeping. My curse was being too adaptive and all those years of compensating for the condition before CPAP.

It took 4 or 5 months before I could really see sustained improvement in my energy and quit zoning out during the afternoons. I had good nights before then but they were sporadic. For some it happens a lot quicker and others it takes longer. Dependent on how long you've had it and how well you adjust to a new sleep style. Every once in a while I still have those three o'clock wake ups, but they have become the exceptions instead of the rule.

We all stroll down this path a little differently, but end up at the same spot eventually.

Justin_Case · Post by **Justin_Case** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:24 pm

After 2 years, I am still fighting with trying to get used to XPAP, not so much with the fitting of the mask but because of the machine's and mask noise and the "arousals" I get from the changing of pressures. I use CFLEX BTW and if the XPAP pressure goes too high, I starting swallowing air and I can't sleep. It's a vicious circle.

I went off it for a while and used an oral appliance then I realized it wasn't doing much so I went back to XPAP.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:43 pm

I wonder if the ComfortLite 2 (which is listed at the bottom of your post) has anything to do with your problem?

I started with the Swift, and had to adjust it as many times each night as I woke with apneas! So, I turned it in and went through a few more before getting my CL 2.

Here are a few links that are/were helpful to me in adapting (or as we Forum Folk say, fixing) the CL 2:

Link to Comfort Lite 2 Strap Fix

Fishing Line Fix

This one will take you to Rested Gal's suggested list of fixes. The above may be there, but there are WAY more here. (You will have to scroll down to Rested Gal's posting.)

Rested Gal's Comprehensive List of CL 2 Fixes!

You may wish to give some of the fixes a try, as they may help you to be just a little bit more comfortable--which could be the problem. Best to you.

jnickellrental · Post by **jnickellrental** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:25 pm

Thats so ironic that you posted that because the day before I read someones posting about adding a strap and immediately cut up a UnderArmour (soft moisture wicking shirt) shirt and made an extra strap. It has really helped. 8 Hours of sleep last night with only 2 awakenings! Red stripe on my nose though !
thanks,
Josh

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:16 pm

jnickellrental wrote:Thats so ironic that you posted that because the day before I read someones posting about adding a strap and immediately cut up a UnderArmour (soft moisture wicking shirt) shirt and made an extra strap. It has really helped. 8 Hours of sleep last night with only 2 awakenings! Red stripe on my nose though !
thanks,
Josh

LOL!! Josh, it's obvious you're gonna make it fine. Anyone already cutting up stuff to make a homemade strap has the makings of a cpap success story for sure.

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:00 pm

C'mon Rested Gal, don't you think that as a newbie he deserves a Lab Ratting award?

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:14 pm

jnickellrental wrote: How long did it take most of you before your sleep started to improve (with full compliance)?
Josh

It took me about two weeks before I could make it all the night though with the mask on. I still usually wake up a few times during the night but I am feeling quite a bit better (still room for improvement)

It seems worse!

It seems worse!

Re: It seems worse!

Thanks!

How long to achieve compliance

ComfortLite 2 the Problem?

Hit the nail on the head!

Re: Hit the nail on the head!

C'mon

Re: Thanks!