Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

[ezjay57]

"When you wake up stretching, you'll know.." I suggest you relax and let the machine and mask "Do what they do"


ezjay

So I have only had my nose to the hose since August 4 and I am still waiting for the burst of energy. I am committed to making this work for me even though it has been far from easy. I often read encouragement that says hang in there, it is worth it. I believe I will someday get there, and that it may take a good while because I have been sleep deprived for many years.

I believe it would help me, and maybe other newbies, to hear the success stories. Something along the lines of before and after would be great. I would particularly like to hear about the moment that made you realize that you were better.

I want to write my own success story one day soon.

This is such a great group. I have felt so welcome and accepted. Thanks.
I needed that. Nobody else understands what CPAP is like.

Joanie - Catnapper

[judy k]

Thank you to everyone who posts here - this has been a lifeline to me.

When I first started CPAP a few months ago, I was lucky to have a really positive attitude about it - I was so sleepy, I was excited about anything that would help me sleep. Sure enough, the first night was great. It felt SO wonderful to get a good night's sleep.

The started all the struggles with leaks, rainout, uncomfortable masks, etc. I was still sleeping better, but fussing a lot over mask fit. I now have eleven masks, and have found a couple that work well for me. I sleep pretty well most nights, rarely have to get up to go the bathroom, and most surprising of all to me is that I now fall asleep MUCH faster than I used to. It used to take me 1-4 hours to fall asleep, now I'm down to 30-60 minutes.

I have a few bad nights still, but I've learned not to go to bed too early. If I'm not tired and sleepy when I turn out the light, I'll fuss with the mask and get frustrated. If I wait to turn out the light until I'm sleepy, I don't fuss with it.

One of the best benefits to me is that I was on antidepressants because I would cry at the drop of a hat. I didn't have to be sad - if someone cut ne off on the beltway, I'd sob! I haven't cried since I started CPAP, have reduced my antidepressants, and plan to stop taking them when I work up the courage.

Good luck to you all. No matter what effort and frustration you may feel at first, it is worth it. You WILL feel better in a few months!

[restfulbliss]

I have had a snoring problem most of my life. My wife would wake me several times during the night, telling me to roll over. Sometimes she would move to another bedroom trying to get some relief. I was tired a lot of the time napping every chance I got.
I have had my CPAP for almost two years, at first I had trouble getting used to it and put it aside for several months. Then I gave it another try, using first one mask then the other, finally settling on the pillows, which seemed the most comfortable for me.
I must admit, this sleeping device is wonderful My energy level is much higher and I don't wake up during the night from holding my breath. I used to dream of running, being tired and getting nowhere. Now I have fantastic dreams, rarely wake up during the night and best of all, my wife is able to sleep in our bed.
Now I look forward to hooking up to my machine every night. I can't imagine being without it............

[Geminidream]

I can also join the ranks of a successful cpap therapy acclimation. At first, I was so excited to get some sleep I couldn't wait to get my study over with and get a machine. Prior to my official diagnosis (I was already sure I had OSA),I could hardly get through the day without a nap, had memory problems, irritability, etc. I always woke up with a monster headache and and fuzzy brain every morning. I was glad to get started. The first few nights were fabulous and I hardly moved all night, but after that I had the usual struggles to get used to it. The first mask I got was the nasal comfort gel one and it was efficient for me, but it gave me a panicky claustrophobic feeling and I found I could not sleep very well on my side. I switched to the Swift LT nasal pillow mask and it was a lot less claustrophobic feeling, but I had more leak issues and then there was the rainout with both masks until figured out how to conquer that too. Frustration set in and I went through the motions of starting to feel sorry for myself for having this issue....I just about threw it out the window a few times. I did a lot of "why me?" moping and then I just decided I was not going to let it defeat me. I figured out that the first nasal pillow size was the wrong one for me and from then on its been a very smooth ride. Finally the last 2 weeks I have slept good and my AHI's are very very low. I started my CPAP therapy Dec. 18, 2009 so this is a reasonable amount of time to get used to it and get decent results. I'm so glad I did not let this condition go on any longer. Between my freight train snoring and not breathing all night, it was straining my relationship with my significant other and my health was suffering as well. I will tell anyone who has just started their journey to stick with it. It will all shake out eventually and this forum is a God send....it was for me.

[SleepyJim77]

Hello everyone! I've read every single response and can see there are a variety of symptoms. I'm pleased to hear that overall, the treatment is positive is some way.

I had my sleep study about a week ago. I was surprised to asked to do the study because I don't have blood pressure issues, I'm not overweight, I do survive rather lame workouts with my wife, I do fall asleep quickly (except the night of the sleep study), and when time permits I may sleep 7 hours. I typically wake up any time after 4:00 AM to take a leak but, that is because I drink water and diet root beer close to bedtime.

However, I am low to moderate energy, fight sleep after 30 minutes (sometimes less) in a meeting or classroom, I can't read a book very long, evenings are a struggle, I snore, and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.

So, tomorrow night I get the mask fitting. Wish me luck. I will let everyone know how it goes compared to others.

Thanks for your experiences!

[Sleepy Jean]

I just went on CPAP last week. The two nasal masks didn't work. The technician at my sleep study knew that I sleep with my mouth open and was very uncomfortable with the chin strap and nasal masks as I have a very small head/face. So what does she order-a nasal mask and chin strap. The other night I thought I was being strangled to find that the strap shifted across my face. I am supposed to get a full face mask tomorrow. I hope they come with one that will work. I have always been exhausted and took 3-4 hour naps daily without consequence to night sleeping.

By the way, my husband has been on CPAP for about 10 years now. He had sleeping problems for many years before but it took totaling a car to convince him to get a sleep study. His machine is at 13. He also had a history of TIA's and CVA and there isn't anyone out there that can make me feel otherwise that his apnea was the cause. He took catnaps all the time, whereever and whenever. Now he sleeps through the night, goes through the day, and even drives with 2 hr. quick stops 1400 miles in three days to/from our winter home. He would never have been able to do it before. He will never go to bed without his machine. We are not only a two person CPAP family, but our adult son also is on one.

[Tired of tired]

These are amazing, inspirational stories...so helpful to this struggling newbie also!

[SleepyJim77]

I just went on CPAP last week. The two nasal masks didn't work. The technician at my sleep study knew that I sleep with my mouth open and was very uncomfortable with the chin strap and nasal masks as I have a very small head/face. So what does she order-a nasal mask and chin strap. The other night I thought I was being strangled to find that the strap shifted across my face. I am supposed to get a full face mask tomorrow. I hope they come with one that will work. I have always been exhausted and took 3-4 hour naps daily without consequence to night sleeping.

By the way, my husband has been on CPAP for about 10 years now. He had sleeping problems for many years before but it took totaling a car to convince him to get a sleep study. His machine is at 13. He also had a history of TIA's and CVA and there isn't anyone out there that can make me feel otherwise that his apnea was the cause. He took catnaps all the time, whereever and whenever. Now he sleeps through the night, goes through the day, and even drives with 2 hr. quick stops 1400 miles in three days to/from our winter home. He would never have been able to do it before. He will never go to bed without his machine. We are not only a two person CPAP family, but our adult son also is on one.

I'm a one week newbie and have been using a Swift FX Pillows System. I'm told it's brand new. It works great. With that said, I normally sleep with my mouth closed. I have noticed my mouth can open, just not very much.

Have you tried using a nose mask, while awake, at a lower setting, like 3cm? At first I had a feeling of suffocation. My machine ajusts for breathing out some too. That helped. I now can sleep on my side without leakage and, sleep all night. I have lost all feelings of sleepiness during the day (and I've many reasons to be sleepy). I also increased the amount of sleep I'm getting at night.

The biggest impact I had was the affect on my sinusses. So, I now take a Nyquil tab before I go to bed. That helps me.

Good luck!

[Gracey]

I was going to ask the same question of the forum, to gather success stories when I stumbled upon this existing thread. It's great to hear such a variety of great stories and of the struggles to obtain success.

I dragged my feet getting tested and really didn't want to know the results, but I've been on CPAP therapy now for almost a month. The first week or so was extremely difficult adjusting to the mask, leakage, facial sensations, noise, smell, etc. We also experienced an early spring here and the pollen was at an all time high and everyone was suffering. I couldn't breathe through my nose at all.

Finally I was able to sleep up to four hours with it, then over four hours. Now I average sleeping 6 hours a night with it on.

The first thing I felt was a decrease in the intensity of my headaches. They are chronic, probably rooted in OSA and bruxism (teeth grinding).

The next thing was a sense of overall calmness. I no longer felt stressed or irritable about the major bulk of things that I face each day. I could focus when sitting down to prepare for classes. Multitasking and doing things below par practically disappeared. Even interpersonal communication is more focused and calmer.

Then I noticed that I was planning activities that I hadn't been able to get around to doing and actually doing them! See friends, going out for dinner in groups, meeting for coffee, chatting, reading,writing letters... amazing.

I don't think that I sprung out of bed and was looking to run marathons, but the quality of life EVERYDAY has improved and I look forward everyday to being alive in it.

I also look forward to going to bed at night now, and am trying to do that earlier. I might have become a night owl previously just to avoid the gasping, snoring and struggling that I experienced. The overall serenity and calm the next day makes going to bed with the machine something of an event that I now look forward to.

Can you believe it?

Hang in there. It's worth it and life changing.

[SimplyMe2]

SimplyMe2 here, hello! I got my diagnosis 3 weeks ago. Having lurked here for several weeks prior, I was prepared for the testing and the battle with the DME, thankfully. My DME actually told me that they could not give me an accurate quote for my equipment because my insurance carrier would not disclose to them how much benefit would be paid, so I was invited to begin making monthly payments of $80 per month for approximately 13 months, after which time it would be decided if I was going to own the machine. I was appalled to be spoken to as if I was an idiot, ya'll. I told them 'No, Thanks.' I ordered every bit of my equipment online. I had tried 3 masks at my sleep study so I went with the one I liked best there and it has been wonderful, no problems at all. Thanks to Uncle Bob and everyone else here who have shared so much about their experiences with the ResMed S9, you all got me up and running. I chose that machine because I wanted a smart, flexible machine, and it is all that and more. The settings on the data card are simple to change thanks to the ResScan 3.10 software. The reports are everything I expected. I am using the heated hose and the Climate Control feature which is all about comfort, can't get enough of that in a situation like this! Since I tweaked the treatment settings a bit after the second night, I have had incredibly restful **precious** sleep for the first time in years. My morning headaches are gone. I am still getting used to the straps and the routine, but there is a world of difference in my energy and stamina levels, it is SO worth the effort. I feel safe behind the wheel of the car again. A bump in the road is working my way through the aerophagia and acid reflux issues, which took me by surprise. But again, because I spent so much time doing my research here, I was able to understand what was going on and decide what to do next.

Many, many thanks to all of you who share your ups and downs so the rest of us can learn alongside you!

[sleepatnight]

Hi there Newbie
I have successfully been using CPAP for twenty years and just last night begun using my third machine. I can honestly say that in the last twenty years I used the CPAP every night, and excluding times when the power has gone off, only failed to use it maybe once or twice a year.

I dont know about a 'burst or energy' - I never experience that. What does happen is that when I fail to use the machine, I will be lethargic and dangerously sleepy. The machine merely normalises me.

If you continue to feel sleepy after using the machine, it is eithjer not fitted properly or not adjusted correctly.

[btesterman]

I'm not "there" (whatever that is) yet and still have days that I want to find the nearest corner, crawl into it and take a nap BUT for those of you who might have read and remember my post before Thanksgiving - that I was just too tired to even think about cooking a Thanksgiving dinner - I wanted to share about today's Easter dinner. I've been on treatment since mid January and check out the difference: Thanksgiving dinner - brought in from Costco, husband cleaned up the kitchen. Christmas dinner - all preprepared stuff, son cleaned up the kitchen. Enter CPAP. Easter dinner - spent yesterday cooking banana bread and a great jello salad and dyed eggs for today, then made home-made chicken noodle soup for last night's dinner. Today after church I made home-made scalloped potatoes, a veggie casserole, cut up fruit for a fruit salad and heated the ham. Kids and grandkids were here. After they left I cleaned up the kitchen. I'm tired now but it's a "deserved" tired not the "I can't stay awake" feeling at 11 AM. Hanging in in spite of all the struggles with feeling like I was suffocating, taking off my mask and not remembering it, nose sore, etc. is beginning to pay off. There is light at the end of the tunnel. And DreamOn, maybe I CAN have everyone here for Thanksgiving dinner this year. (I'm joking, guys, don't make plane reservations yet.)

[Lug_Nut]

I'm alternately pleased to read that the successes are not always immediate, and annoyed that I can't use my lack of equivalent success (after less than a week) as justification to myself to scrap the whole thing.
I've not been 100% compliant, mostly because the mask I've been assigned, sight unseen, and I apparently aren't suited for each other. I was able to tolerate it for one whole night (just one ). I didn't sleep better, but I didn't pull the mask off until I got up. I did get up a bit earlier though... Another night it was pulled off after only 2 hours. The remaining nights I've kept it on, sleeping fitfully, for 5 ~ 7 hours. Each of those nights I've tossed it aside and managed to sleep the remainder of the night.
The air pressure, or rather the resistance to exhalation, is an issue only for about 5 minutes, then I realize that I'm breathing more naturally and sub-consciously, not having force exhale. The air pressure (only a prescribed 4 cm <edit: 6 cm end edit> anyway) isn't an issue.
No, the pressure issue for me is more of a fitment problem. The width of the mask ("Here's the mask selected for you without ever seeing you, asking your preferred sleep position, your tolerance for restrictions of movement, to pressure and to discomfort...") is annoying. I can't sleep on my side without leaks. I've had red triangles from pressure at the contact points that lasted 8 hours. I've adjusted and shifted the straps without success at keeping this mask both comfortable and free of leaks. The result is I have to sleep on my back and that, apparently, isn't beneficial.

Now... Seeing that there are numerous alternatives to this crap mask.... sorry, cpap mask... alternatives that might be a better fit (psychologically and anatomically), does leave me hope that I can put the device to a proper test....

and then I hope I can scrap the whole thing.

What's that? "Denial" is one of the 12 stages?

<edited to insert correct pressure setting>

[hoseknows]

Thank you so much for this thread! This gives me the hope to stick with it and hopefully someday soon I can post my own success story.

[globetrotter]

Being quite new to CPAP therapy myself (started in February) I haven't felt any particular change however my blood pressure has dropped and I no longer snore. After getting comfortable with using CPAP I also find that I fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer.

In short, the results in my case have not been dramatic or outwardly noticeable but positive and in the case of my blood pressure, important.

globetrotter233