how long before I feel better

[dancingqueen]

I know the answer is buried in all of these posts somewhere, but - could comone give me a hint as to when I might expect to feel better? I went two weeks with a full face mask and developed bad sore so had to switch to a nasal pillow system. It seems to work better - and my sore has healed.

But I still don't feel ALL that great - not like I am hoping to feel. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Also, is anyone using the nasal pillow system without a chin strap?

[Patrick A]

welcome to the world of hoseheads.

It took me a couple of days to stop fallin' asleep at the drop of a hat.
But after i got used to the mask i started feeling GREAT
Good luck.

[tmaiberger]

For me it was a slower process and one which I did not notice at first, but my wife and kids did after a couple months. I wanted the WOW feeling right away. Stick with it and you will get there. I have found putting on the mask, even when you do not want to or think it is worthless to do it, is necessary. I have finally reached a point where if I do not sleep with the mask, I feel awful and now find it easier to sleep with the mask than without.

TM

[neversleeps]

But I still don't feel ALL that great - not like I am hoping to feel. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Also, is anyone using the nasal pillow system without a chin strap?

Some lucky people feel better instantly and for others it can take weeks or months to notice a difference.

I use a nasal pillow system, but found chinstraps were useless in preventing air from escaping through my mouth. I switched to using tape which has completely solved the problem. If you are losing air through your mouth or mouth-breathing after you fall asleep, that means you are losing the benefit of treatment; in which case you'll never feel better!

[Catnapper]

Your question is very important, and not only to beginners at sleep therapy.

My answer is "I don't know." I hope you will feel better very soon. Your results will be different than someone else's. My results have been slow to show up, and certainly not in obvious or dramatic ways. I do believe that even if you don't feel better immediately, your body is enjoying the benefits of breathing as you sleep. There may be some catch up time for you before the WOW happens.

Making sure you are getting full value of the treatment will definitely help. If you don't have the software, try asking the DME to read information from the card, assuming your machine has one. Finding out that the therapy reduced my apneas to normal ranges helped me believe that something was working toward my goal of feeling better, even if I couldn't (or maybe wouldn't) see the changes. I was busy noticing the negatives of the therapy and overlooked the less noticeable benefits at first. Do ask if it appears you are having problems with leaking, or mouth breathing. Those are problems that will interfere with the therapy.

Try to keep a positive attitude. Lots of friends here will be ready with advice and encouragement.

Good luck.

Catnapper

[Mile High Sleeper]

See the info under the light bulb above/our collective wisdom, expand all, help for new users. See the 4 articles under How Long Until I Feel Better? In the article on Recovery and Stages, see the two sleep logs at the end.

[Wulfman]

I know the answer is buried in all of these posts somewhere, but - could comone give me a hint as to when I might expect to feel better? I went two weeks with a full face mask and developed bad sore so had to switch to a nasal pillow system. It seems to work better - and my sore has healed.

But I still don't feel ALL that great - not like I am hoping to feel. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Also, is anyone using the nasal pillow system without a chin strap?

Could you please be more specific as to which equipment you have?
If you developed a sore spot with a full face mask, chances are you had it too tight.....or it was the wrong size.....or both.
Also, as Neversleeps stated, if you're using a nasal mask, make sure you're not leaking air out your mouth. (Use tape or Polident adhesive strips)

AND......two weeks is kind of early to feel a full "recovery". In most cases, it amounts to subtle changes over a period of months......so don't get discouraged.

Best wishes,

Den