New to CPAP-Full Face and Autopap Questions

[jennyjayhawk]

Hey All!
So my name is Jenny, I'm 24 and I was recently diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea. I was just given my equipment yesterday, and I'm finding the mask relatively comfortable. My machine is a Fisher & Paykel HC234, and I don't know the exact brand of the mask but it's respironics. Last night was my first night, and I noticed a tingling sensation for a while whilst I was wearing it. Is that normal? Also, I woke up a lot last night, and I'm not sure if it was because I was having episodes of apnea and the machine's pressure level was changing and it woke me up, or if I just wasn't used to the way the mask felt. It wasn't a terrible first night, but I certainly didn't sleep as well as I normally do.

Here are some questions--what do you guys recommend for adjusting to wearing a mask at night, and also, Im really young to be using cpap, are there any other users on here around my age?
Thanks!

[cherylgrrl]

Hi Jenny,

I'm not your age, but I can tell you that most new CPAP users have much worse times adjusting -- maybe that is the advantage of being younger! Having the mask strapped to your face, a tube trailing, etc. is quite different and takes some getting used to. I got a 3 months' prescription for Ambien from my doctor when I got my machine, and I found initially I had to take it every night to have anything resembling a normal night's sleep. In my case, I found the SleepWeaver mask after a couple of weeks to replace the hard plastic mask and didn't need to take the Ambien any more. I'm still trying to find a hard full face mask I can tolerate in anticipation of cold season and the inevitable time when I'll have a stuffy nose and need a mask that covers my mouth. When I try a new hard mask, I usually take an Ambien. At any rate, you might want to experiment with the tightness of headgear in case the tingling has to do with a strap that is too tightly adjusted, but it sounds like you're having a pretty good induction into the Hosehead world!

[nanwilson]

Welcome Jenny
You are far from being the youngest on the forum...we actually have teenagers and one of our veterans has an 11 year old that uses a cpap machine. As to the tingling in your face, you may have the straps tightened down to far...or it may just be the new sensation of the air blowing on your face. I would suggest you take some time to read, read and read some more on this forum and you will get a great education and lots of help about your therapy. It takes time and patience to get this therapy dialed in to where it is helping you get a good nights sleep...after all you have been without good sleep for a long time and your brain and body need to catch up on the good zzzzz's
Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have once you have done some reading here.......and again WELCOME!!!!!!
Cheers
Nan

[jennyjayhawk]

Nan and Cheryl!

Thank you so much for the cheerful welcome, I really appreciate it! To clarify, the tingling I'm feeling isn't in my face, it's pretty much in my toes, and fingers. I can fit three fingers underneath my straps, but otherwise it's okay. It's kind of weird getting used to it, but at the same time, I've had quite a few surgeries and asthma this past year that required me to be on oxygen for a while, and so I'm used to feeling something on my face. This is just a bit tighter than that. It's weird because having the equipment is making me feel like I'm in the hospital again, and I really wish that my headgear was a more fun color, or something to make it look less scary. I asked my supplier if they had other headgear and he said no, and that not all headgear is created equally, that you can't just go buy it online.
Any suggestions?

[Xney]

My symptoms started around that age. I wish I had been diagnosed then, lost a lot of years of bad sleep.

There's quite a few more options for different colors and styles of masks now. Is it a full face mask, nasal mask, nasal pillows, etc? Some people find it beneficial to start with the least intrusive (nasal pillows) and then move up to bigger ones if needed. It depends on what you need starting out.

personally I love my nasal pillows but not everybody can wear them

[Sheriff Buford]

Finding a comfortable mask that doesn't leak is the key to sucess. Trust me, you are doing very well. See how you feel a couple of weeks from now. For you to find a mask that "works for you" from the git-go' is a blessing. Keep up the good work and work thru all your issues here.

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

The F & P 234 doesn't offer any data except hours of use. You will see people talk about data here and might wonder....your machine doesn't offer anything except compliance data or how many hours you have used the machine.
Might want to read this blog....especially the bottom part.
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

http://www.fphcare.com/osa/cpap-solutio ... e-200.html
The 230 series only has compliance maximizer software available and that is for the DME to use to see how many hours you use it so they can satisfy any insurance requirements.

The 244 model machine uses Performance Maximizer software and offers efficacy data...efficacy data is data that tells if you are having leaks or events or whatever. The model 242 only collects hours of use.
http://www.fphcare.com/osa/cpap-solutio ... e-240.html
The Performance Maximizer is a real PITA to find and even worse to install and use even if you did have a model 244.

Data may or may not matter to you now but I just thought I would tell you now in case you start wondering.
Sorry...but you have what we call a "brick". If you run into problems there is nothing available to maybe help you figure out what the problem is.

[jennyjayhawk]

So, we are just about ready to go on night 3 and the mask has gotten a little more tolerable. My teeth kind of feel weird in the morning- is that normal?

Leaking doesn't seem to be an issue but my lips are very dry when I wake up.

Does using cpap have any bad long term effects?X

[JohnO]

First off, welcome to the Forum!

So, we are just about ready to go on night 3 and the mask has gotten a little more tolerable. My teeth kind of feel weird in the morning- is that normal?

Do you have a nasal mask? One that covers your nose, but not your mouth? I had one of those for the first 32 days, and I too, would feel my upper lip and teeth sort of sore. I switched three days ago to a nasal pillow mask that just rests against my nostrils, and that seems to be causing less of an issue with my teeth.

Does using cpap have any bad long term effects?

I sure hope not!

[chunkyfrog]

These not only help prevent marks on your face, but are kind of pretty:
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Original.html
Karen is a member of the forum and a cpap user like us.
---bad long term effects? Oh, heck no! At least nothing as bad as the alternative.
Anything else usually has some kind of solution--stick around, we'll try our best.