Is Anybody Happy with CPAP? Did Anyone...?

[millich]

As a newbie who'll be getting my equipment soon, I gotta ask:

Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?

Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?

Reading these boards, I can't help but get discouraged. It seems like everybody is having problems and nobody is sleeping. It makes me afraid to begin this odyssey. I thought CPAP was supposed to help, not make life more difficult. I realize that the people who are most happy with CPAP are probably off enjoying their lives and not reading this board, BUT STILL....

I guess I'm asking for some encouragement.

[RMinOntario]

Hi Millich,
Welcome to the forum. I just started with my own equipment this month - July 2. I can't say it's a walk in the park, but I am very, very glad that since I have been diagnosed with OSA, that a therapy for it does exist. I have not got things working great yet, but that's okay. I see it as a process, much like anything new that we try. And as with anything new, there may be problems. The great thing about the forum, is that many experienced users of CPAP are here to help us get past the hurdles we face with something new.

Try & see this new adventure as something that you can positively contribute to. It is not something being done 'to us' but something we are taking an active part in.

I am not happy that I have OSA, but since I do, I'm glad that a non-invasive therapy exists.

Good luck & stick around.
Rosemary

[Billmanweh]

I don't know if I would use the words happy or unhappy. To me it's sort of like wearing glasses, it's just kind of a necessity. I certainly wouldn't go back. I sleep eight hours a night and wake up with lots of energy, something I couldn't have said a year ago.

I didn't have an easy time getting used to my CPAP. But it was issues like my mask didn't fit and I was using the wrong pressures. Once I found this site and got more involved in my treatment (getting software to monitor my treatment, trying new masks, changing my pressure settings, etc), those things got taken care of pretty quickly. You're lucky to be here before you start your treatment, that's a big advantage.

I think you should be very encouraged!

[BlueHairBob]

I have had a bad time with it myself, but I know people who have had wonderful sleep from the first day. Truthfully, my wife's brother's wife says she had a good night from the beginning. My boss' boss' administrative assistant loved it from the first day. One of the volunteer firemen from a little town about 50 miles away that I know took to it the first night. In fact, I don't know anyone first hand who did NOT adapt right away - just me. Wait, I do know one guy who went through several sleep docs before getting any relief, but he has some severe tricky Central Apnea issues that were tough. But, everyone else I know (again, with the exception of myself) took a nap when the box arrived and never looked back.

Best wishes,

Bob

[Hose_Head]

As a newbie who'll be getting my equipment soon, I gotta ask:

Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?

Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?

Reading these boards, I can't help but get discouraged. It seems like everybody is having problems and nobody is sleeping. It makes me afraid to begin this odyssey. I thought CPAP was supposed to help, not make life more difficult. I realize that the people who are most happy with CPAP are probably off enjoying their lives and not reading this board, BUT STILL....

I guess I'm asking for some encouragement.

Remember that people tend to post when they feel strongly about something, and they feel strongest when they've got a gripe about something. This natural filter results in the greater number of posts by people who need solutions to problems.

Don't be discouraged. There's lots of very experienced and helpful people on this board who will help you. And a lot of us have had few, or manageable problems with the therapy.

Personally, I took to CPAP like a duck to water. I've had no significant problems in my adjustment to the therapy. Yes, I did (unconsciously) take off my mask in the middle of the night for the first two nights, but I've been 100% compliant since then (17 months). My numbers are excellent and most importantly, I feel better than I did pre-cpap. And that's what it's really about ---- how you feel.

Like other's, I'm not happy that I have SA. But the silver lining to this cloud is that I've been diagnosed and I have effective treatment. This means that I won't have that long list of future health problems that I'd likely have had my SA remained undiagnosed and untreated.
Since about the second week of my therapy, I've viewed my CPAP and mask and my "dream machine" because that's where it takes me.

There are a number of pitfalls in this therapy. You are now on a steep learning curve to find the path through them. Stick with us and we'll help guide you.

[Wulfman]

As a newbie who'll be getting my equipment soon, I gotta ask:

Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?

Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?

Reading these boards, I can't help but get discouraged. It seems like everybody is having problems and nobody is sleeping. It makes me afraid to begin this odyssey. I thought CPAP was supposed to help, not make life more difficult. I realize that the people who are most happy with CPAP are probably off enjoying their lives and not reading this board, BUT STILL....

I guess I'm asking for some encouragement.

First of all, that's part of the nature of the various Internet forums......to offer ideas and try to answer questions to those who are looking for them. There are a multitude or reasons why people seek out or happen upon these forums. Would you prefer that they NOT be here to help?

But, to categorically answer your questions.....

"Yes" and "Yes"

I've been happy with what my CPAP therapy has done for me and I DID have a pretty easy time adapting to it.


Den

[Muse-Inc]

...Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?...

YES yes yes. First 4 nights were sheer hell for sleeping. Set ramp to 45 mins and slept, when it went to full pressure, in my case 11, I woke up, so slept in 45 mins 'ramp' naps -- next morning not much worse than I usually felt. 5th night, I slept 9 hrs straight. I was so thankful there was treatment for this horrible condition. Sleeping as a hosehead in my Sleep Study was so restful...best sleep in nearly a decade...that I knew I needed this -- it was amazing. Oh, I also quit getting up to pee 8-10 times a night that first night on CPAP and thankfully that "little" side effect of apnea has never come back!

...Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?

It ain't for sissies that's for sure!

Some have it easier than others. I'd like to say it's all in your prescribed pressure but it's really in how well your mask fits your particular face -- be aware there's several basic types, nasal pillows, nasal masks, hybrid, full face, and several interestiong variants, like the Nasal Aire and the NoMask.

...seems like everybody is having problems and nobody is sleeping. It makes me afraid to begin this odyssey. I thought CPAP was supposed to help, not make life more difficult. I realize that the people who are most happy with CPAP are probably off enjoying their lives and not reading this board, BUT STILL....

After those first 4 nights of sleep hell (Aug 07), I slept well until this past Feb or so when I'd lost about 45 #s and my airways changed shape. This meant my beloved mask (yeah, we love or hate or just tolerate our masks)...the OptiLife nasal pillows...no longer worked for me as I started leaking air from my ah, er, well, loose lips I was so clueless about what was going on that I didn't realize I was leaking air...I thought I had some sort of cardiac problem. My primary said it was as if I was having a panic attack while sleeping...well duh, what else is apnea? While he diagnosed me originally, he didn't twig to the fact that my apnea had returned. I didn't make that connection because I wasn't able to monitor my therapy -- this is the problem when you don't have a data capable machine! Mine only collects compliance data, useless for tracking, logging, or improving therapy effectiveness Don't make this mistake -- insist on a machine that collects efficacy data.

I'd be called a success with improvement in every single area of my life, esp those mangled by apnea, reduced meds (4-->1), lost wt, hypertension gone, no more night-time trips to pee...I'm awake, alert, enthusiastic, the only thing that I haven't fully recovered yet is my short-term memory. I was continuing to see improvements until my airways changed shape, ya think my docs might have warned me this might happen . If I'd been able to monitor my therapy, I'd have understood what was going on and changed masks at the onset of increased events instead of backsliding in my therapy. Thank goodness I found this site and these great folks who've helped me make sense of what I was experiencing! I share this apnea adventure as I don't want anyone to experience what I have.

Cheers! Welcome! It's not all bad! There's therapy for a potentially fatal condition. There's recovery: read carbonman's threads on camping and his biking in the Pacific West, read Rooster's on running hiking trails in the NC mountains, read oythers who post on 1 month and 1 year successes.

We hoseheads get better unless our therapy needs tweaking. We come here to share our challenges and successes. Welcome aboard!

[Paul56]

]Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?

Yes!!! Being on therapy has made a big different.

-no more morning headaches
-no more numerous nightly washroom trips
-significantly reduced daytime sleepiness
-feel rested after a good nights sleep

Last week it was brought to my attention in a significant way just what this therapy is doing for me. I woke up around 6am one morning and decided to turn the machine off and remove the mask... thinking I would lay there for a few minutes and get up. I went back to sleep for another 3 hours... and woke up with a big headache like I used to pre-therapy.

Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?

Yes, the first few nights on therapy I was thinking "wow, this is what I have been missing... AIR!!!"

I loved it. Sure, I had some issues with getting the mask adjusted and leaks... but overall I loved all this air coming at me.

[Ruby Vee]

While I'm not thrilled to have sleep apnea, and am seriously bummed about using CPAP for the rest of my life, I have to admit that it's WONDERFUL to figure out what was wrong with me and get some treatment. I'm sleeping much better these days and am no longer spending my time as a zombie. I'm thrilled about THAT!

[carbonman]

As a newbie who'll be getting my equipment soon, I gotta ask:
Is anybody actually happy with their CPAP?
Did anybody actually have an easy time adapting to CPAP?
I guess I'm asking for some encouragement.

Zen of the Mask Recovery/Rebirth

Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment.

All things are brought to each of us, for a reason.
Why OSA???

In OSA therapy, the mask, is everything.

recovery
a regaining of something lost or stolen

rebirth
regeneration of something destroyed: the regeneration of something that has died or has been destroyed

Hard exercise does not build strength and endurance.
Hard exercise tears the muscle down.
Proper nutrition and rest build strength and endurance.

Silently, alone in the dark of the night, from deep in the abyss of my brain,it seeps out.
Quietly it flows throughout my body and I am recovered and
reborn.
HGH-human growth hormone. Secreted from the pituitary gland during REM sleep.

From the 5th morning, after 5 of the most horrific nights of my life,
I felt the first stirrings of the recovery/rebirth. I had just lived through the first
5 nights of cpap therapy.....and survived.
It wasn't much. Just a slight easing of the pain in my legs as I walked up the stairs at my work.
It was enough to convince me to keep trying.

Last Saturday, ~2 miles from the summit of Vail pass, my rebirth was complete.
My mind, firmly in control. My body, begging to stop this madness.
Mind dictating to body, you're fine.
Today is our day.
Today we are reborn.
Today, through cpap, we are recovered.
In retrospect, the strongest ride of my life.

So, 1yr after starting cpap,
at the tender age of 58,
I am reborn.
What was stolen from me for years, has been found.
What was dying, has been rebuilt.

With every night of cpap, the horizon continues to stretch farther away.
The boundaries of my limits continue to expand.


Yin/Yang of life-
MY choice to embrace or reject, the mask, and in so doing,
chose quality of life.

I have chosen quality of life.

[Ganesha]

Hi Millich,

I like the analogy about CPAP being like wearing glasses. I am not happy about either but they are both inconveniences that make my life better.

An easy time adjusting? The short answer is 'yes it was easy for me'. The titration sleep study was the first time I ever wore a mask and it was torture. I couldn't sleep and was very uncomfortable. When I got my home unit it has nasal pillows rather than a nasal mask. I had a little tenderness in one nostril the first night and no problems since. I have been 100% compliant and am living with it just fine. I would prefer to let my face 'sleep naked' but like the glasses it is a trade off to live a better life.

Best of luck,
Mark

[sleepyprm]

I have had my CPAP machine for 2 1/2 years. I hated it the first year-and-a-half. I felt like Snuffalupagus with the mask and hose, I went through five masks (I still have two and wear whichever I think I can use each night), but - I have started to realize HOW MUCH better I feel, getting good sleep. In the past, I went to bed b y 8pm and still couldn't get up when the alarm rang at 5:30am. I used to hit the snooze button for one hour every morning (actually started setting the alarm earlier knowing I would be hitting the snooze button). I would drag myself out of bed and actually be drowsy driving TO WORK in the morning. Used to call people on my cell phone to keep me awake while driving. I drank so much coffee my stomach was a mess. At work I would close my door a couple of times every day and catch a nap. I took lots of meds for allergies, respiratory problems and depression. Now I take Nexium for reflux, no allergy meds, and rarely do I ever need my asthma inhaler. I am on a much lighter dose of antidepressant and don't know where that will go for now.

I sleep from about 9:30-10 every night until 4:45 in the morning, at which time I get up, drink half a cup of coffee, get ready and go to work, staying awake easily while I drive. I still would prefer not to need the CPAP machine, but I would not spend a night without it. I won't even take nap without it. I'm like another poster, if I do fall asleep without it, I wake up immediately and put the mask on. Wearing the mask - not the greatest, but I'm dedicated to it. Getting good sleep and having better health - Priceless. Of course, every night isn't perfect. The more I learned from this forum, the more determined I became to do whatever is necessary for good sleep and health. Life really is so much better now. Please do keep at it, and I hope you eventually get to a comfortable, happy healthy place with your therapy.

[plr66]

I'm another one who has welcomed cpap therapy from the beginning. Not because I was "happy" about it. But because I was grateful for a diagnosis and possible solution that I could control! My symptoms were so scary to me that my attitude was absolutely positive in terms of wanting to do whatever I needed to do to get help and to hopefully begin to regain my quality of life. When my PCP arranged my immediate sleep study, I couldn't wait to do that. Did it with a healthy sense of curiosity, prior study/preparation, and determination that the results were going to help me get better. I am convinced that if I had let myself dread cpap for a minute, I'd have had an ordeal on my hands, and would do the self-pity thing and fall into the world of immediate self-defeat. I am no Pollyanna. And I actually tend to be pessimistic & cynical, so really do have to consciously work on getting my attitude right.

With all that in mind (like many others here), I couldn't wait to get my machine, couldn't wait to get my mask on and begin to work with it during the day....and loved the feel of that air being blown into my nasal pillow. But only because I was keeping the goal in front of me. I have never missed a full night on the hose with the exception of overnight flights where I remained awake all night intentionally.

Yes I've had lots of frustrations, trial & error stuff that seems tedious, and had to ask tons of questions here that I thought were repetitive. But I am completely certain that attitude is the key.

Hang in there with us!

Yes I see that Carbonman has chimed in--and so many others...Haven't read the posts yet, but I'll bet that I'm likely repeating all of their points in a less eloquent & detailed way.

[Pugsy]

Couple days past 60 days of treatment for me. It was easy adjusting to air rushing up my nose. I never used the ramp feature and I don't need exhale relief. I noticed immediate results with the absence of frequent trips to the bathroom. Most mornings my usual morning headache is absent. There have been a few hurdles and I still have yet to beat them all but I am working on it. Many of us have sleep problems unrelated to OSA. If it were simply a machine and a mask things would go a lot smoother but there are many factors that affect the overall outcome of this thing called CPAP.

Do I "like" CPAP? Not really.. But it is what it is and I do what I have to do to take care of myself. I certainly don't hate it. If I was diabetic and needed insulin shots you wouldn't hear me say "I like insulin shots". It is a treatment for a physical ailment. Nothing more, nothing less.

Let's just say that I accept CPAP treatment with all its warts and choose to look forward instead of backwards. I look forward to hosing up at night because I know I will sleep better and most likely have a good night. I was relieved with the diagnosis of OSA because there was a name to what was affecting my life so negatively. There was a known, effective way to fight this beast.

Failure was never an option for me. Attitude is crucial. If nothing else it gives us strength when we hit a bump in the road and the majority of people will have a few bumps from time to time. Dwell on the positives and learn from the negatives. It isn't a walk in the park but it isn't a Mt Everest climb either...

[zaban3]

I have been lucky and have easily adjusted to using the CPAP-- going on 1 month. I personally think two factors have made it easy for me -- I have the Swift LT and I can't even tell it is on when I am sleeping and I can sleep in the same positions as before CPAP. I luckily ended up with APAP because I did not sleep enough during my titration study to get a pressure. The sleep doc said I could stay with this machine. With APAP I fall asleep at a low pressure and never have to feel higher pressure ( the highest it has gone has been 12, but I am mostly at 9 or below).