help please

pharmwoman · Post by **pharmwoman** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:10 pm

Hi guys
i am really at my wits end---I ws diagnosed with Sleep apnea, about 21 events an hour, all but 2 were hypopneas. My resmed machine(has a humidifier) is set at 9 for pressure--my losat was 88%. The important point here is I have always had insomnia, I am a very anxious sleeper and apart from the apena sleeping is not a good thing for me.
I HATE thr mask, and have been thru 3 already---Im a stomach/side sleeper, and Im beginning to wonder if my apnea is just not severe enough to warrant trying to adjust to all this. Initilly I liked the Swift msk, but that made me crazy last nite too.
any ideas?? I am so discoraged and disheartene. And also, i am not overweight at all, the dr feels it is genetic plus my soft palate is very crowded. Thanks:)

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:06 pm

Just what about the swift makes you "crazy"? Perhaps if you explain, other swift users might be able to offer suggestions.

Anxious sleeper: perhaps your doctor can prescribe a mild sleeping agent.

Alot of succeeding with therapy is accepting this lifelong affliction and making the best of it, as hard as that seems sometimes.

sleepylady · Post by **sleepylady** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:36 pm

Pharmwoman,

I can sympathize as I went through five masks before I found one that would work for me. I am also a stomach sleeper and found the best mask for that is the Aura. Of course, what works for some may not work for others.

Melinda

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:58 pm

Your anxious sleeping could actually be a result of the apneas - your brain and body being aware of how you are close to suffocation whenever you fall asleep.

Think of the whole mask-machine thing as something to help you breathe at night, not necessarily as something to help you sleep. Put it on when you go to bed, get up and take it off if you're not asleep within half and hour, and repeat as many times as necessary.

O.

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:58 pm

i hate it, too, but i don't mind it now that i've had two nights of the most restful sleep of my life. now i love it because i look forward to the possibility of success. i'm a newbie here who gave up cpap a long time ago because of frustrations like yours. Last weekend, I was sleeping a lot as an avoidance technique (quite successfully) and i heard my cpap doctor from long ago as a little voice in my head saying, "nobody sleeps that much." so i decided, back to the cpap.

yes, we've all gone through masks--that seems to be part of the drill. for me, accepting cpap was accepting the inevitability of the full-face mask. i also take halcion to fall asleep because i don't fall asleep easily. that's not a great thing but it beats full-time insomnia for me. so my advice is to find what works and do it so you can get some real rest. yes, real sleep is better than sex.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:32 am

Usually, the Swift is pretty good for side sleeping but you might need to adjust the barrel a bit. Remember, too, straps need to be rather loose, not snug.

You also might want to try the Mirage Activa mask. It seals very well, regardless of position, but again, might need a little readjust on the side. I find I get a lot less leaks during the night with this than any other mask I've tried.

Also you could try sleeping on the end of your pillow, so it does not extend past your face and gives the mask the chance to kind of hang over and not be pushed by the pillow.

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:38 pm

pharmwoman, different masks for different folks.......BUT.......no matter what you choose, make your equipment your friend......there was an excellent post on this a few pages back. And it's worth everything when you start getting results. You'll know when it happens, and all the advice will start making sense.

pharmwoman · Post by **pharmwoman** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:16 pm

for the advice-- i have tried many many sleep aids--I absolutley cannot stand having something on my face--but the open mask, the aura looks good, I wonder if my insurance doesnt cover the cost, can you buy it on a 30 day trial??
as far as avoidance, this may sound wierd, but I sort of envy people who can sleep and avoid things-I am such a poor sleeper I cant nap, etc.
I will continue to mull these things over.
I do wonder if my losat was only 88% if this will make a huge differcne in how I feel---Im going to pursue the aura I think:)

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:46 pm

pharmawoman:

you may be different from me, but i hear you trying to explain away cpap. i also was not the standard candidate, since my apnea was mild on the test. i don't remember my numbers, but i do remember the doc saying he thought other factors would make the insurance company go for it. i'm also not overweight, snore like heck, have a lot of floppy stuff going on in my throat, have insomnia, heavy alpha intrusion and clinically meet the definition of narcolepsy. i tried cpap a few years ago, had limited success and gave up. now i'm sorry i did. you don't have to be the standard overweight person with lots of big apneas. it can work for lots of different people with different conditions.

pharmwoman · Post by **pharmwoman** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:54 pm

are you back on it??? If so thats awesome:)

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 6:00 pm

Pharmwoman,

Having a low Osat of 88% can be very significant, depending on how the test was done. The testing lab where I have had 3 done now, will not allow a person's Osat to drop below 88% before they intervene and administer a BiPAP.CPAP and/or Oxygen. My OSat was 88% when they came in and put Oxygen on me. They didn't use a BiPAP machine because I couldn't use theirs at the settings they had it at - even when I was awake prior to the start of the test (and of course it never occurred to them to adjust THEIR setting!)

I have been using a BiPAP for almost a year now and i just LOVE it, but my main problem is neuromuscular weakness. My settings are IPAP 13, EPAP 3.5. I use the mask shown below at night and a Swift for naps during the day.

I do wish you well in your search. That aura interface looks interesting!

_________________

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:39 pm

pharmwoman wrote:-- i have tried many many sleep aids--

Here's one to consider: take 500 mg buffered vitamin C just before bedtime. You can't use just any brand of vitamin C. Go to a health food store and ask for high quality buffered vitamin C. Lots of the cheap stuff is awful. I've found Natrol Ester-C, to be the most economical one that's "good", and it's available at Walgreen's.

I take this for allergies because vitamin C by itself is a natural anti-histamine, and I guess it must be a bit of a relaxant also. If I've been wound up, I just naturally seem to relax after taking it and never have trouble falling asleep then.

pharmwoman wrote:I do wonder if my losat was only 88% if this will make a huge differcne in how I feel---Im going to pursue the aura I think:)

Probably. It does for me. I've been monitoring my oxygen saturation for several months now and whenever mine has gotten that low at night I usually feel pretty rotten. How I feel seems more related to the amount of desaturation more than the actual level. My oxygen saturation normally runs in the upper 90's and anytime I've experienced a desaturation of more than about 5%, I'm usually not a happy camper in the morning.

Regards,
Bill

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:06 am

pharmwoman:

yes, i'm back on it. or i'm trying anyway. i don't think i'll give up. the difference is only incredible.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:10 am

My desat rate at my first sleep study, which was supposed to be a split night, went down to 86 and they never put a mask on me because I wasn't having enough events per hour.

Re: stat rates. If you are in the hospital they will put you on oxygen at 90!
If your rates are getting under that on a regular basis or even at 90, you are actually causing oxygen deprivation to your body and your brain cells, as well.

I had an MRI as part of my neurological workup to determine why I had blacked out without feeling drowsy (a first for me), and they did find an area with several dead brain cells, but not in the area where the electrical activity had been on the EEG. They said it was probably due to the oxygen deprivation before I was diagnosed with OSA.

pharmwoman · Post by **pharmwoman** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:37 pm

thanks for all the replies--I am going to ask my doc about a different mask, alsolet me ask a general question as Im leaRNING--what is the significance of the pressure on the machine--mine is 9. just curious. I do appreciate all the information and advice, it helps to know im not alone.However, lol I really detest the mask and cant seem to make it more than an hour or two, its aggravating.

help please

help please

thanks

Re: thanks

wow

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