New to Forums and CPAP

[ectx]

Hi. I'm new to the forums and new to using a CPAP machine. I was recently diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (60 episodes an hour) and just received my device (a De Vilbis with humidifier and a Swift LT mask) yesterday. My first night was a little rough but I hear that's common. I think I just need to adjust the straps on the mask so that they won't pull my nose up, and I think turning on the humidifier will also help (I didn't have any distilled H2O). The pressure is set to 13 btw. I am so glad this sucker has a ramp feature!

Anyhow, I figured I'd introduce myself. I look forward to learning a lot here.

rene

[jdm2857]

I have found that I can adjust the position of the pillows chamber a bit by using the hose clip that you can install on the top of the headgear. Adjusting the length of hose between the clip and the pillows can move the pillows in or out just a bit. (In my case I was able to decrease pressure on my upper lip.)

I have found that the clip may let the hose slip, so a piece of tape may be necessary to keep the hose in place.

[harry33]

welcome
it helps a lot to be patient and to have positive thoughts

you can also have daytime naps using CPAP

[Guest]

Thanks jdm2857 and harry33. I'll try using the headclip tonight. I'm about to settle into some CPAP and video games in a bit to get myself used to the machine before going at it again tonight. I also just got some pure aloe to keep my nose from drying out. I'll keep you posted.

[ectx]

and that guest...is of course, me. LOL.

[natalieb23]

hey ectx!! i'm sorry to hear that you too have sleep apnea. i used that horrible machine for a few years. but now i take this pill. its by... nature's rite i think. something like that. i know it sounds crazy to take a pill for sleep apnea, but it really worked for me. you should check it out and try it. its a lot more comfortable than the CPAP machine or those weird chin straps. i hope it works for you!!

[Yoda]

Good luck and keep at it. I just started in March. I am doing well now and sleeping much better. There is a lot of good information here and a lot of nice people ready to help.

Cecile

[kteague]

Rene,

When I was new to cpap I was new to forums also. There's much to be learned and I hope you find all the information you need to make your cpap treatment a real lifesaver. As with any forum of this type, weigh advice carefully as to what is best for you. A data capable machine will provide evidence in black and white of therapeutic OSA treatment (or lack thereof). Let us know if you have any specific questions.

Kathy

[ectx]

Thanks Guys. I'm definitely already learning a lot from the forums. Kathy, unfortunately the DeVilBiss Intelipap CPAP machine I have doesn't have data recording. I'll probably have a followup study to check on things with my doctor. I'll keep you posted. I may keep an online sleep journal as a resource to measure what seems to work and doesn't. I'll be logging this regardless. It's great to have such an active and friendly community available.

[Sleepless in Indiana]

Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your treatment. As a new member here myself, I can only repeat what some of the others have ready said, keep a good outlook, and take the time to read a lot of the info that others have already posted here, for us new members to learn from. Their help has sure helped me out alot already. -

[ectx]

Good to hear, Sleepless. It looks like your first night went well.

My second night went a lot better than night 1. I hit the sack around 10:30 and used the ramp. I didn't turn on the humidifier because I figured the nasal spray would keep me nice and moist...WRONG! I woke up around 12:30 because my mouth was filling up with air and my throat and nose felt very dry. I loaded up the humidifier with water, set up the heater to "4" and tried again. I got up maybe once more around 3:45 am to hit the bathroom. I woke up on my first snooze without a problem (it usually takes 3 or 4) and I've been noticeably more energetic and focused than usual. I'd rate day 2 as a lot better. I'll let you guys know if I go into my usual comatose state at 3:30 pm. LOL!

[alnhwrd]

Glad to hear things are going well for you! If you have time, click on User Control Panel at the top of the page and fill in your mask and machine info (choose text please) so that any future questions you have can be focused on the type of equipment you have. It may take a while for your sleep debt to be paid off, so don't worry if you "crash" in the afternoons. If it were me, I would take your machine back and ask for one that allows you access to your nightly data, such as pressure, leak rate, and AHI. This is very handy if you start to struggle later, as most people do. Keep up the good work!

[ectx]

Thanks for the feedback alnhwrd. I crashed a little during a very long webmeeting this morning, but I'm a bit better than usual post lunch, etc....almost energetic! LOL. I added my device info as suggested. It looks like my device does data recording now (originally it didn't) so I won't have to take it back, which I'm happy about. From what I've read it's one of the quietest and smallest on the market. I have no experience with other CPAPs but reviews suggest it's one of the better ones. I'm also pleased with how small it is.

[josephmccay]

Positive airway pressure (PAP) is a method of respiratory ventilation used primarily in the treatment of sleep apnea, for which it was first developed.
PAP ventilation is also commonly used for critically ill patients in hospital with respiratory failure, and in newborn infants (neonates). In these patients, PAP ventilation can prevent the need for endotracheal intubation, or allow earlier extubation. Sometimes patients with neuromuscular diseases use this variety of ventilation as well. Often people with brain injury need these machines, as well as speech therapy to try to compensate for impaired use of the body, including the airway passages.

[ectx]

Hi Joseph. I think you may have misposted. I'm new to CPAP but I'm quite familiar with how it works and how it's used. Nevertheless I appreciate the useful info.

Night 3 didn't go quite as well as night 2. I think it just took me longer to fall asleep so I got less sleep. I didn't wake up or have issues with feeling uncomfortable. I just was a bit too perky before going to sleep and that didn't help. I may try hitting the sack an hour earlier tonight. This time I had no issues with dryness though. Overall I think it's progress. I just feel a bit groggy this morning. I guess there are kinks to be worked out in any system.